The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Kim Henkel (story) and
Tobe Hooper (story)

Release Date:

1 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The idyllic summer's day that became a nightmare of fear and blood... [UK Video]

Plot:

Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.

Plot Keywords:

Grandfather | Cannibal | Leatherface | Chainsaw | Hitchhiker

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marilyn Burns	...	Sally Hardesty
Allen Danziger	...	Jerry
Paul A. Partain	...	Franklin Hardesty
William Vail	...	Kirk
Teri McMinn	...	Pam (as Teri Mcminn)
Edwin Neal	...	Hitchhiker
Jim Siedow	...	Old Man
Gunnar Hansen	...	Leatherface
John Dugan	...	Grandfather
Robert Courtin	...	Window Washer
William Creamer	...	Bearded Man
John Henry Faulk	...	Storyteller
Jerry Green	...	Cowboy
Ed Guinn	...	Cattle Truck Driver
Joe Bill Hogan	...	Drunk
Perry Lorenz	...	Pick Up Driver
John Larroquette	...	Narrator (voice)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Kim Henkel		(story and screenplay) and
Tobe Hooper		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Kim Henkel	....	associate producer
Tobe Hooper	....	producer
Jay Parsley	....	executive producer
Richard Saenz	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Wayne Bell
Tobe Hooper

Cinematography by
Daniel Pearl

Film Editing by
J. Larry Carroll		(as Larry Carroll)
Sallye Richardson

Production Design by
Robert A. Burns		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert A. Burns

Makeup Department
W.E. Barnes	....	makeup artist: grandfather
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup artist (as Dorothy Pearl)

Production Management
Ronald M. Bozman	....	production manager (as Ronald Bozman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sallye Richardson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Wayne Bell	....	boom operator
Wayne Bell	....	post-production sound
Jay M. Harding	....	dubbing mixer (as Jay Harding)
Paul Harrison	....	sound re-recordist
Robert Knudson	....	dubbing mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Ted Nicolaou	....	location sound recordist
Patrick Yacono	....	sound re-recording mixer (restorated version) (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Dean W. Miller	....	special effects

Stunts
Mary Church	....	stunts
Perry Lorenz	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Tobe Hooper	....	additional photographer
Lynn Lockwood	....	lighting (as Lynn Lochwood)
J. Michael McClary	....	camera assistant (as J. Michael Mcclary)
Lou Perryman	....	assistant camera
Rod Ponton	....	grip
Lynn Scherwitz	....	key grip (as Linn Scherwitz)

Other crew
George Baetz	....	production assistant
Jerry Bellnoski	....	production assistant
Mary Church	....	script girl
Jim Crow	....	production assistant
Paula Eaton	....	production assistant
Tom Foote	....	production assistant
Paulette Gochnour	....	production assistant
Charlie Loving	....	production assistant
Sally Nicolau	....	production assistant
N.C. Parsley	....	production assistant
Robert Pustejowski	....	production assistant (as Robert Pustejovski)
David Spaw	....	production assistant
Ray Spaw	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Vortex

Distributors

• Bryanston Distributing (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1980) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• New Line Cinema (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• René Chateau Productions (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Wizard Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Converse Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Cinema Mondo (1996) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Elite Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Dex Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Dark Sky Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• CMV Laservision (1999) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD) (2004)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Dark Sky Films (2006) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Stormovie (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Astral Films (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (????) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Bac Films (France) (re-release)
• Cine Art Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Converge Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Force Video (2000) (Australia) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Raven Pictures International
• Reserva Especial (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Rosebud Communications Releasing
• Triangle Video (1985) (Canada) (video)
• Turbine Medien GmbH (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (????) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Movies Leerdam (VML) (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  titles: opticals & prints
• Screen Time Images  film restoration
• Todd-AO Studios  sound mix (as Todd/AO)

Also Known As:

"Stalking Leatherface" - USA (alternative title)
"The Devil of Punishment" - Japan (English title)

Runtime:

83 min | Germany:75 min (new longer Version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:(Banned) (1985-2011) | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating: 2004) | Sweden:15 (re-rating: 1994) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (2001) (uncut) | UK:18 (re-rating: 1999) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating: 1974) | UK:R (original rating: 1975) | Finland:(Banned) (1984) | Finland:K-18 (1996) | UK:(Banned) (original rating) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) (new version) | Italy:VM18 (cinema rating) | Brazil:18 (1998) | Brazil:(Banned) (original rating) | Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | West Germany:18 (cut) | New Zealand:R16 (re-rating) (2007) (uncut) | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (DVD rating) (cut) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Germany:18 (re-rating) (2011) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:R | Chile:(Banned) (re-rating) (1978) | Chile:18 (original rating) | Denmark:15 (video rating) | France:-16 (re-rating) | France:X (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:(Banned) (original rating) | Iceland:16 (re-rating) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) | Ireland:18 (re-rating) | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (1997) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:(Banned) (1984) | USA:R (Approved No. 24009) | Singapore:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Vortex

Trivia:

Tobe Hooper allowed Gunnar Hansen to develop Leatherface as he saw fit, under his supervision. Hansen decided that Leatherface was mentally retarded and never learned to talk properly, so he went to a school for the mentally challenged and watched how they moved and listened to them talk to get a feel for the character.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Sally has run back to the service station for refuge from Leatherface, there is a broom by the door, which changes position a couple of times during the scene.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Death King (1990)

Soundtrack:

FERIA DE LAS FLORES

A classic simply put

This movie set the stage for the onslaught of classic modern horror of the late 70's and early 80's. Tobe Hooper's vision paints a drab and disturbing picture of a family of cannibals who hunt their victims using any means necessary for survival. Caught up in this whole mess is a group of young people, unaware of what lurks down an old back road of Texas. Hunger is our most probable urge as human beings, and this family takes this idea to the extreme. Each family member is their own character with their own feelings and their own personalities. One such character, Leatherface, stands out for the fact that he was born without a face, thus using human skin to gain an identity. This is what sets him apart from other slashers such as Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees for they hid behind masks. It's safe to say he's not the only insane one in this bunch. Every one of them are one fry short of a happy meal and I am sure they like it that way. Gunnar Hansen did a great job of playing Leatherface, sculpting a faceless killer who slew not for fun but for survival. His perfect killer image was later destroyed by other actors in later sequels. Many people refuse to watch this movie in the first place because of what they've heard and because of the title. Strangely, some even walked out of the theaters on the previews for this thing. That's just how strong this movie actually is. There's really a lot less gore in this movie than most people think. It's Tobe Hooper's great directing that pelts the viewer with suspense. The last 10 minutes of this film are some of the most exciting, terrify shots ever put on film. All because of Leatherface, many people's nightmares will be dominated by the hum of a chainsaw.