Helter Skelter (TV 1976)

The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".

Director:

Tom Gries

Writers:

Vincent Bugliosi (based on the book by), Curt Gentry (based on the book by),

Stars:

George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback, Nancy Wolfe

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George DiCenzo	...	Vincent Bugliosi
Steve Railsback	...	Charles Manson
Nancy Wolfe	...	Susan Atkins
Marilyn Burns	...	Linda Kasabian
Christina Hart	...	Patricia Krenwinkel
Cathey Paine	...	Leslie Van Houten
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Aaron Stovitz
Rudy Ramos	...	Danny DeCarlo
Sondra Blake	...	Ronnie Howard
George Garro	...	Rosner
Vic Werber	...	Lt. Brenner
Wright King	...	Friend
Jon Gries	...	William Garretson
Edward Bell	...	Sgt. Hank Kruger
Roy Jenson	...	Punchy

Storyline

Chilling story of the investigation and trial of Charles Manson, leader of a strange cult which under his direction and 'control' committed numerous murders.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | manson | charles manson | trial | cult | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Massacre in Hollywood

Filming Locations:

Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 194 min (original) 184 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Martin Scorsese was originally offered the role of Charles Manson.

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Goofs

The rope used as evidence in the courtroom is made of yellow hemp, but moments later, in the flashback scenes, it is made of white cotton fiber.

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Quotes

Dist. Atty. Vincent Bugliosi: Good Evening, you're about to see a dramatization based on actual facts. We may not like to accept the fact that those in the story of Helter Skelter exist in our lives. Yet, they do. And while they do we can not say that the story of Helter Skelter has ended.

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Connections

Referenced in Stryker's War (1985)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Scratching Peace Symbols on Your Tombstone"
(a.k.a. "First They Made Me Sleep in the Closet")
Written by Charles Manson
Performed by Steve Railsback and assorted "Family" members

User Reviews

Still Chilling 30 Years Later

I found this to be one of the more interesting made-for-TV films I'ever watched, thanks to the sensationalism of the true-life story and the mesmerizing performances of the lead villain (Steve Railsback) and his followers. Railsback's eyes alone are frighteningly haunting to this viewer, 30 years after first seeing it. By the way, my VHS tape has one f-word in the film, which would never be allowed on TV. What gives with that?

Actually, the most frightening people, as a whole, were the women who did Manson's killing for him. I was creeped out more by Nancy Wolfe's chilling performance of Susan Atkins than I did was by anyone else, including the famous "Charlie."

The film has turned out to be a pretty good piece of American history, the kind of crime history we'd like to forget.