HELTER SKELTER (TV)
Summary
A made-for-television docudrama about the murders of seven people in 1969 by the Charles Manson cult. The movie begins with the discovery of the bizarre murders of Wojtek Frykowski, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Sharon Tate, and Steve Parent, followed by the similar murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Police raid a hippie cult at Spahn Ranch and arrest Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, and Leslie Van Houten for car theft, and later Patricia Krenwinkel, as the song "Piggies" plays and narrator Vincent Bugliosi summarizes Manson's childhood and prison record in a voice-over. Deputy District Attorney Bugliosi realizes the cult leader is behind the killings when two runaway cult members and biker Danny DeCarlo reveal that Manson killed others. Then, Susan Atkins describes her role in the murders to her horrified cellmate, Ronnie Howard, who contacts the police. After Atkins describes the bizarre killings at a grand jury hearing, her testimony is ruled inadmissible and she refuses to speak further. Angered to learn the police had possessed the murder weapon for months and had erased the prints, Bugliosi researches Manson's motives. Former cult member Paul Watkins tells him about Manson's theory of an impending apocalypse and race war he called "Helter Skelter," which fueled the murders. Bugliosi then strikes an immunity deal with Linda Kasabian for the trial against Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkle, and Van Houten, who mock the proceedings once they are underway. Kasabian sobs during her testimony about the ghastly Tate and LaBianca murders, which are dramatized as the songs "Helter Skelter" and "Piggies" play. After trying to induce a mistrial and lunging at the judge across the room, Manson makes a statement to the court about the "establishment." Once they are convicted, the defendants shave their heads for the penalty trial and are sentenced to death. Commercials deleted.
(This is a two-hour version of the original four-hour drama that was telecast in two parts on CBS on April 1 and 2, 1976, at 9 p.m.)
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 1976
- RUNNING TIME: 1:58:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:14171
- GENRE: Docudrama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Crime and criminals - Drama; Cults - Drama; Docudrama; Murder - Drama; Trials (murder) - Drama
- SERIES RUN: TV, 1976
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Philip Capice … Executive Producer
- Lee Rich … Executive Producer
- Tom Gries … Producer, Director
- J.P. Miller … Writer, Screenplay by
- Vincent Bugliosi … Based on the book "Helter Skelter" by
- Curt Gentry … Based on the book "Helter Skelter" by
- Billy Goldenberg … Composer
- Silverspoon … Music Group, Songs performed by
- George DiCenzo … Cast, Vincent Bugliosi
- Steve Railsback … Cast, Charles Manson
- Nancy Wolfe … Cast, Susan Atkins
- Marilyn Burns … Cast, Linda Kasabian
- Christina Hart … Cast, Patricia Krenwinkel
- Cathey Paine … Cast, Leslie Van Houten
- Alan Oppenheimer … Cast, Aaron Stovitz
- Rudy Ramos … Cast, Danny DeCarlo
- Sondra Blake … Cast, Ronnie Howard
- Vic Werber … Cast, Lt. Brenner
- Jon Gries … Cast, William Garretson
- Edward Bell … Cast, Sgt. Hank Kruger
- Mark Alaimo … Cast, Phil Cohen
- Paul Mantee … Cast, Sgt. O'Neal
- Bill Durkin … Cast, Tex Watson
- Phillip R. Allen … Cast, Sgt. Manuel Gris
- Ray Middleton … Cast, Mr. Spahn
- James Brodhead … Cast, Mr. Quint
- Anthony Herrera … Cast, Sgt. Smith
- Al Checco … Cast, Leno LaBianca
- Bart Burns … Cast, Frank Fowler
- Jerry Dunphy … Cast, the Newscaster
- George Putnam … Cast, the Newscaster
- Barbara Mallory … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Asta Hansen … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Deborah Parsons … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Melody Hinckle … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Deanne Gwinn … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Leila Davis … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Sondra Lowell … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Kathleen Devlin … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Mary Jo Thatcher … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Tracy Tracton … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Eileen Dietz Elber … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Patricia Post … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Lindsay V. Jones … Cast, a "Family" Girl
- Ralph Montgomery … Cast, the Grand Jury Foreman
- Toni Moss … Cast, Rosemary LaBianca
- Will Brodhead … Cast, Steve Quint
- Steve Gries … Cast, Steve "Clem" Grogan
- Jason Ronard … Cast, Paul Watkins
- Skip Homeier … Cast, Judge Older
- Adam Williams … Cast, Terrence Milik
- Anne Newman Mantee … Cast, Mrs. Quint
- John Furlong … Cast, Judge Dell, with others
- Wojtek Frykowski
- Abigail Folger
- Leno LaBianca
- Rosemary LaBianca
- Steve Parent
- Jay Sebring
- Sharon Tate