Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

  • 19741974
  • RR
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
160K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,209
104
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Trailer for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
Play trailer1:40
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Horror
Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Some... Read allFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
160K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,209
104
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Kim Henkel(screenplay by)
      • Tobe Hooper(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Marilyn Burns
      • Edwin Neal
      • Allen Danziger
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Kim Henkel(screenplay by)
      • Tobe Hooper(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Marilyn Burns
      • Edwin Neal
      • Allen Danziger
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.1KUser reviews
    • 282Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations

    Videos2

    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
    Trailer 1:40
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 40th Anniversary
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    Trailer 0:31
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

    Photos281

    This photo was from the best reunion of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) at Days of the Dead in USA in 2012. From the left, the emcee Shawn Patrick, (Seated, L-R) ''Sally Hardesty'' Marilyn Burns, ''Pam''Teri McMinn, ''Kirk'' William Vail, ''Grandfather'' John Dugan, ''Hitchhiker'' Ed Neal, ''Cattle Truck Driver'' Ed Guinn, ''Jerry'' Allen Danziger from the TCM panel at Days of the Dead Indianapolis 2012.
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,  Gunnar Hansen,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,   Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    Teri McMinn in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    Marilyn Burns, Ed Guinn, and Gunnar Hansen in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    "..B.B.Q. ..AGAIN!!..oy!.."
    Marilyn Burns, John Dugan, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, and Jim Siedow in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"  Marilyn Burns and Director Tobe Hooper,  Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974, I.V. 0122782
    Gunnar Hansen at an event for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Marilyn Burns
    Marilyn Burns
    • Sally
    Edwin Neal
    Edwin Neal
    • Hitchhiker
    Allen Danziger
    Allen Danziger
    • Jerry
    Paul A. Partain
    Paul A. Partain
    • Franklin
    William Vail
    William Vail
    • Kirk
    Teri McMinn
    Teri McMinn
    • Pam
    Jim Siedow
    Jim Siedow
    • Old Man
    Gunnar Hansen
    Gunnar Hansen
    • Leatherface
    John Dugan
    John Dugan
    • Grandfather
    Robert Courtin
    • Window Washer
    William Creamer
    • Bearded Man
    John Henry Faulk
    John Henry Faulk
    • Storyteller
    Jerry Green
    • Cowboy
    Ed Guinn
    Ed Guinn
    • Cattle Truck Driver
    Joe Bill Hogan
    • Drunk
    Perry Lorenz
    • Pick Up Driver
    John Larroquette
    John Larroquette
    • Narration
    • (voice)
    Levie Isaacks
    • Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Kim Henkel(screenplay by) (story by)
      • Tobe Hooper(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Halloween
    7.7
    Halloween
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    6.2
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
    5.6
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
    Friday the 13th
    6.4
    Friday the 13th
    A Nightmare on Elm Street
    7.4
    A Nightmare on Elm Street
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
    5.8
    The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
    The Evil Dead
    7.4
    The Evil Dead
    Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    4.8
    Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    Halloween II
    6.5
    Halloween II
    Child's Play
    6.6
    Child's Play
    Carrie
    7.4
    Carrie
    Hellraiser
    6.9
    Hellraiser

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to John Larroquette, his payment for doing the opening narration was a marijuana joint.
    • Goofs
      The blood the hitchhiker smears on the van is gone in the long shot a few seconds later.
    • 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, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: 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, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare.

      The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

      AUGUST 18, 1973
    • Alternate versions
      Restored version released in 1998 on DVD includes outtake and alternate footage.
    • Connections
      Featured in Filmgore (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Fool for a Blonde
      Roger Bartlett & Friends

    User reviews1.1K

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    All the remakes and imitators are just swimming in its wake...
    With the recent box-office success achieved by the latest remake of 1974's `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' it's worth looking back at Tobe Hooper's original horror classic.

    The movie tells a fairly simple tale at heart. A group of five teenagers driving through rural Texas happen upon a deranged, cannibalistic family. Psychological terror and chainsaws ensue.

    Yet despite this simplicity, what is it about `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' that continues to succeed so with its audience? Outside of one memorial scene involving a meet hook; the movie is not particularly gory by today's standards. The film's characters and actual scares are not that remarkable.

    The power of `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' lies in its atmosphere and in what H.P. Lovecraft called `the oldest and strongest kind of fear': the fear of the unknown. The later of these two staples of great horror is often cast aside in modern horror movies-especially in those churned out by the great Hollywood engine. Instead, every mystery must be explained away, every mask ultimately pulled from a monster's face, and not a moment of exposition is spared. It is interesting to note that the filmmakers behind the latest `Chainsaw' film chose to implement all three of these stylistic vices in their remake.

    In the original, the feeling of dread and mounting paranoia creeps over the viewer in slow but steady waves. The first scene in the film depicts a desecrated grave with a voiceover of radio newscast, immediately followed by an opening credits sequence set against a backdrop of roaring solar flares. This, along with some idle astrological chatter on the part of one of the teenagers early on, leads to a feeling of cosmic disarray in the lonely Texas hills they traverse.

    Questions about the villain's mask or the field of cars under camouflage netting are left for the viewer to answer on his or her own. At worst, in the loss of any acceptable answer, they are forced to ponder that terrible and limitless gulf of the imagination: the unknown.

    In it's later stages, the film becomes a cacophonous world of throat-peeling screaming, blood-shot eyes, laughter, and grinding machinery. One is forced to recall the solar flares in the film's opening credits. In the climax of famous dinner scene, there is a feeling of cosmic forces pressing in on reality and warping it into some crude mockery of order, as if the world were but a TV or radio signal distorted into madness by flares on the surface of the sun.

    In the 29 years since `The Texas chainsaw Massacre' hit theaters, there have been countless imitators and four additional films in the franchise, three of them remakes. Yet as loved and influential as the original classic has been, many who would seek to emulate its vision seem to overlook its true strengths.
    helpful•284
    56
    • Robbie-21
    • Nov 10, 2003

    FAQ12

    • What is 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' about?
    • Is 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' based on a book?
    • Wasn't the movie based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    • Filming locations
      • Bilbo's Texas Landmark - 1073 State Highway 304, Bastrop, Texas, USA
    • Production company
      • Vortex
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $300,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $30,859,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $30,860,378
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) in Canada?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the gallery
    Back to top

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.