Once Upon A Time in Hollywood: All you need to know about Manson murders on Sharon Tate's 50th death anniversary

Director Quentin Tarantino has often remarked  that Once Upon A Time in Hollywood  was always meant to be a “memory piece,” a love-letter of sorts to his growing up years in Los Angeles. Sharon Tate’s gruesome murder at the hands of the Manson Family in 1969 forms the core of Tarantino’s film on vintage Hollywood. On the 50th anniversary of the Manson Family murders, here’s a comprehensive history of the infamous cult murders.

Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood’s most promising newcomers. On 20January, 1968, Tate married Roman Polanski, her director and co-star in 1967’s The Fearless Vampire Killers.

In Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Margot Robbie plays the role of Sharon Tate, who becomes Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) ’s next-door neighbour as she moves into her new Los Angeles home.

The night of the Manson Family murders

The Tate murders were a mass murder, conducted by members of the Manson Family on 8 and 9 August 1969, of five adults and Sharon Tate’s unborn baby. Four members of the Manson Family invaded Tate and Polanski’s rented home at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles. They murdered Tate, who was eight and a half months pregnant, along with three friends who were visiting at the time, and an 18-year-old visitor, who was slain as he was departing the home. Polanski was not present on the night of the murders, as he was working on a film in Europe. The murders were carried out by Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel, under the direction of Charles Manson. Watson drove Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian from Spahn Ranch to the residence on Cielo Drive.

The following night, Leslie Van Houten, Steve “Clem” Grogan, and Manson joined the other four Family members to execute Manson’s orders to murder the occupants of 3301 Waverly Drive. The owners of the home were supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife and dress shop owner, Rosemary. There were other victims in the Manson Family murders, including stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea, who was killed weeks later, on 26 August, by Davis, Grogran and Manson. In November of 1972, Vietnam veteran James LT Willett was found dead by a hiker and the body of his wife, Lauren Willett, was found buried in the basement where several remaining members lived at the time.

Charles Manson had met Sharon Tate in March 1969

Manson, a would-be musician, had previously attempted to enter into a recording contract with record producer Terry Melcher, who was a previous renter of the house along with musician Mark Lindsay and Melcher’s then-girlfriend, actress Candice Bergen. Melcher had snubbed Manson, leaving him disgruntled.

On 23 March 1969, Manson briefly met Tate, a rising actress who appeared in Don’t Make Waves and Valley of the Dolls, after the cult leader showed up to 10050 Cielo Drive, Altobelli’s property, where he believed Melcher was staying. In fact, Melcher was only a prior resident of the property.