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Marilyn Burns (born Mary Lynn Ann Burns; May 7, 1949 – August 5, 2014) was an American actress. Burns is known for portraying survivor Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's influential horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which established her as an early final girl and scream queen. In 2025, the film was her first to be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
While in college, Burns made her film debut in Robert Altman's comedy Brewster McCloud (1970). She played Linda Kasabian in the true crime television film Helter Skelter (1976), and starred in Hooper's horror film Eaten Alive (1977) and the science fiction film Future-Kill (1985), the latter of which was written by her Texas Chain Saw Massacre co-star Edwin Neal. She then appeared in two more Texas Chainsaw films, making a Cameo appearance as Sally in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995) and playing a different character in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013).
In 2009, Burns was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival. On August 5, 2014, she was found dead in her home. A few of her Short film were released posthumously.
Burns and Hooper had previously met during the production of Lovin' Molly the previous year. When a casting call was held, she auditioned and was given the lead role. The film was produced with a budget of $80,000–$140,000. Burns had performed several of her stunts herself, and she, along with other cast members, had sustained several injuries throughout production. In an article for Texas Monthly detailing the production of the film, John Bloom reported that Burns had "been poked, prodded, bound, dragged through rooms, jerked around, chased through cocklebur underbrush, jabbed with a stick, forced to skid on her knees in take after take, pounded on the head with a rubber hammer, coated with sticky stage blood, and endlessly pursued by Gunnar Hansen with his chain saw and Edwin Neal with his constantly flicking switchblade."
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released to major critical and commercial success. The film grossed an excess of $30 million and became the 12th highest-grossing film of its year, and was the most successful independent feature until it was overtaken by Halloween in 1978.Friedman 2007, p. 132 Donald B. Berrigan of The Cincinnati Enquirer praised the actress, saying: "Marilyn Burns, as Sally, deserves a special Academy Awards for one of the most sustained and believable acting achievements in movie history." Screen Rant ranked Burns's performance first on their list of the "10 Greatest Female Performances in Horror Film History", writing that she "is so convincing in her work as the mentally broken Sally that the audience can’t help but be left shaken and deeply disturbed by the time the end credits roll." The acting of Burns has continued to earn praise from critics and audiences, and established her as a scream queen and a popular culture icon.
In 1976, Burns had a role in the television miniseries Helter Skelter about the real-life trial of Charles Manson and his "Manson Family". In the series, she played Linda Kasabian, a member of the Manson family who was granted Witness immunity in exchange for her testimony against the defendants. Recalling her memories of working on Helter Skelter, Burns said: "It was a great experience, but nobody really wanted to touch it due. It was like, 'Who wants to be in that picture? Who's actually gonna do that picture?'" The miniseries was acclaimed and nominated for three Emmy Awards.
Following her roles in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Helter Skelter, Burns sporadically worked in acting. She played Faye in the horror film Eaten Alive (1977), where she reunited with director Tobe Hooper, and subsequently starred in the films Kiss Daddy Goodbye (1981) and Future-Kill (1985). at a reunion event in 2012; Burns is second from the left.]]Burns briefly reprises the role of Sally Hardesty in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (1995), which was directed by Kim Henkel. Her cameo was made in order to establish "an emotional connection between the Sally character and the Jenny character, a kind of perverse passing of the torch". She was set to reprise the role of Sally Hardesty once more in the 2003 remake film of the same name, where she would play an aged-up Sally, however this idea was ultimately scrapped. At the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival, Burns was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame.
In 2012, Burns made a special appearance in the Kim Henkel-written feature Butcher Boys, which is often deemed a "spiritual sequel" to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. In 2011, Burns was cast in the slasher film Texas Chainsaw 3D as Verna Carson; it was released on January 4, 2013, and marks her last appearance in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Her final film roles include Beulah Standifier in 2014's Sacrament, and Ms. Hill in the independent feature In a Madman's World, which was released posthumously in 2017.
| 1970 ! scope="row" | Brewster McCloud | Tour Guide | Uncredited |
| 1974 ! scope="row" | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Sally Hardesty | |
| 1977 ! scope="row" | Eaten Alive | Faye | |
| 1981 ! scope="row" | Kiss Daddy Goodbye | Nora Dennis | |
| 1984 ! scope="row" | Terror in the Aisles | Sally Hardesty | Documentary; archive footage |
| 1985 ! scope="row" | Future-Kill | Dorothy Grim | |
| 1995 ! scope ="row" | The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre | Sally Hardesty | Uncredited |
| 2012 ! scope="row" | Butcher Boys | Ruth | |
| 2013 ! scope="row" | Texas Chainsaw 3D | Verna Carson/Sally Hardesty | |
| 2014 ! scope="row" | Sacrament | Beulah Standifer | |
| 2017 ! scope="row" | In a Madman's World | Mrs. Hill | Posthumous release |
| 1976 ! scope="row" | Helter Skelter | Linda Kasabian | Main role |
| 1998 ! scope="row" | Michael Hayes | Sally | Episode: "Under Color of Law" |
| 2009 ! scope="row" | Phoenix Film Festival | International Horror & Sci-Fi Hall of Fame | Herself |
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