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Ed Gein influence
Aspects of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave-robber Ed Gein. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, gained widespread notoriety in 1957 after authorities discovered that he had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned keepsakes from their bones and skin. Hooper claimed to have heard details of Gein from relatives living near where the crimes were committed, though Hooper admitted he did not know it was Gein until after the film's release. One detail from Gein's crimes that Hooper found disturbing was Gein's penchant for crafting and wearing human flesh as masks. The idea of a seemingly normal person capable of committing such horrific acts fascinated co-writer Henkel, who incorporated the trait into members of the cannibal family.

Gein also served as inspiration for other characters and stories before The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, such as Robert Bloch' in his 1959 novel Psycho. In addition to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaption.

Development and pre-production
The concept for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arose in the early 1970s while Tobe Hooper was working as an assistant film director at the University of Texas at Austin and a documentary cameraman. During this period, Hooper had grown disillusioned by what he described as the "lack of sentimentality and the brutality of things", witnessing ongoing acts of violence in the city of San Antonio, that Hooper noticed while watching the local news, whose graphic coverage was epitomized by "showing brains spilled all over the road", led to his belief that "man was the real monster here, just wearing a different face, so I put a literal mask on the monster in my film". He started developing the concept under the working title Headcheese, from a story he had already written involving elements of isolation, the woods, and darkness. While working on his feature film debut, Eggshells (1969), Hooper became acquainted with fellow Texas native Kim Henkel, who both starred in and co-wrote the film. The two became close friends during production, and when Eggshells was released, they began working on their next collaborative effort, with the decision that the project would be a horror film, which they concluded more commercially viable.

Hooper and Henkel discussed potential story ideas for several months. Henkel was working as an illustrator at the time and would meet every night at Hooper's residence, brainstorming concepts and ideas for the project. During the creative process, they discussed aspects of the genre that frightened them, in addition to their own fears. The urban mistrust of the rural countryside and its residents factored heavily into these early discussions. Hooper later commented, "Back in the early part of the twentieth century, you would go out and get killed out in the country... Being out there, being isolated, before cell phones existed, even before telephones existed, but to be out there and there's no one out there to help you". The original story focused on more fantasy elements, with Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812) by the Brothers Grimm cited as a major influence. Henkel stated that they were drawn to how these tales "deal with fundamental issues that human beings struggle[d] with". Henkel suggested a modern take on Hansel and Gretel, rooted in elements of isolation and innocents lured away from civilization by malevolent forces. Hooper would also suggest the story of a troll living under a bridge. These ideas were discarded early on, in favor of a more realistic and localized story that drew on their shared love of Universal Classic Monsters. Over the years, Henkel described the confessions and crimes of serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley as a major inspiration for the cannibal family. Leatherface actor Gunnar Hansen refutes this, as Henley confessed to the murders on August 8, 1973, well into production.

Hooper and Henkel began writing the completed story outline into a workable script in January 1973. Working to expand his original story, Hooper suggested key plot elements for the film, breaking down each potential scene with Henkel. The two filmmakers drew upon the current changes in the cultural and political landscape as a central influence on the film. The intentional misinformation, that "film you are about to see is true", was a response to being "lied to by the government about things that were going on all over the world", including the Watergate scandal, the 1973 oil crisis, and "the massacres and atrocities in the Vietnam War". Hooper also cited his childhood love of horror comics published by EC Comics as an influence upon the film's atmospheric elements. The idea of using a chainsaw as a murder weapon, according to Hooper, came while he was in the hardware section of a busy store, contemplating how to speed his way through the crowd. Once completed they adapted the outline into a working script to show potential investors and cast members, a process that took approximately three-to-six weeks to complete.

Move to Filming as information for the film's limited on screen goreThe initial 160-page first draft was heavily detailed, containing camera movements, lighting cues, character details, and more explicit violence.

In 1973, Hooper and Henkel formed Vortex, Inc., with Henkel as president and Hooper as the vice president. Henkel recruited his acquaintance Ron Bozman to serve as the company's unit production manager, having worked with him on the film Windbreaker (1971). Henkel sent the completed script to Warren Skaaren for potential financing. The executive director of the Texas Film Commission, Skaaren was impressed by the script, introducing the co-writers to his business partner Jay "Bill" Parsley, then the Vice President of Student Affairs at Texas Tech University. After meeting with Parsley, the filmmakers were able to convince him to provide additional funding with his company MAB, Inc. through which he invested $60,000 in the production. In return, MAB owned 50% of the film and its profits. Additional funds were supplied by Henkel's sister Katherine, who gave the production $1,000, and Austin attorney Robert Kuhn, who invested $9,000 in the film. Kuhn also loaned the production his own mobile home to use as a wardrobe, dressing room, and restroom for the actors.

Casting
Casting auditions took place between June and July of 1973, inside the office of art director and production designer Robert A. Burns, as it had more free space. In addition to his duties as the head of art and production design, worked as the film's casting director. Many of the cast members at the time were relatively unknown actors—Texans who had played roles in commercials, television, and stage shows, as well as performers whom Hooper knew personally, such as Allen Danziger and Jim Siedow. Danziger was approached early on to star in the film by Hooper and Henkel, agreeing to star in the project before reading the script.

The lead role of Sally Hardesty was given to Marilyn Burns, who was a student and volunteer on a film commission at UTA when auditions for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre started being held. The filmmakers had met Burns during a lunch meeting with the cast and crew of Lovin' Molly (1974), a film Burns had originally been cast in the lead role before she was replaced by Susan Sarandon. Burns later learned of casting calls for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and decided to audition for the lead role in the film after being dropped from Lovin' Molly. While she did not think the script was well-written, she was excited about being cast as a leading actress. Burns met with Hooper and Henkel a few times before filming to discuss her character.



Teri McMinn joined the project after she was contacted by Henkel, who discovered the actress' photograph in a local periodical, the Austin American-Statesman. The former girlfriend of Hansen's college roommate, McMinn was a student at the time, working with several theater companies, including the Dallas Theater Center before she was hired to portray the character Pamela.

Sally's wheelchair-bound brother Franklyn, described in the script as a "Chaplinesque figure", was eventually given to Paul A. Partain, a member of a small theatre group run by high school drama teacher Nan Elkins. Elkins had suggested that Partain audition after learning of a casting call for the film. Arriving at the audition, he was asked to read the lines of both the Hitchhiker and Franklyn from the bus scene alongside other actors. Partain read the lines several times with other actors, explaining that he felt drawn to Franklyn with each reading. Partain remained in character for the duration of filming, his behavior between takes resulted in tension between the other cast members. Some of the cast would only discover the truth years later; as Partain recalled, "I was a young, inexperienced actor who didn't realize that it wasn't like theatreYou didn't have to stay in character all the time." William Vail originally intended to audition for the role of Franklyn, however, he was later cast as Pam's boyfriend Kirk after meeting with Henkel.

Icelandic-American actor Hansen was selected for the role of Leatherface. According to Hansen, he became aware of the project through a friend, who stated that he would be ideal for the role of the villain. Hansen later contacted the casting director and was called in to meet with Hooper and Henkel. Hansen described the audition as lengthy, as the three held discussions on the character and the relationship with his family. The filmmakers were impressed with the actor's imposing figure, and later cast him in the role. Having never been involved in a feature film, Hansen wrote that he had felt participating in a horror film would be a unique experience. During his first cast meeting with the filmmakers after being cast, Hooper explained the character in detail for Hansen; describing Leatherface as being severely mentally impaired, and insane, which made the character violent and unpredictable. In preparation, Hansen experimented with different vocal tones and pitches to find the right voice for the character. He also visited a special needs school in Austin, observing how the students moved and spoke, in an attempt to find the proper movement and behavior.

For the role of the Hitchhiker, Edwin Neal was hired early on during the casting process. A Vietnam veteran-turned actor, Neal recently enrolled in the acting department at the University of Texas at the time of auditions. According to Neal, he based his performance on his schizophrenic nephew. The cannibal family's elderly "Grandpa" was portrayed by Henkel's brother-in-law John Dugan.

Minor roles were mostly comprised of friends and acquaintances of the cast and crew. The voice-over narration was performed by John Larroquette, a friend of the assistant director and editor Sallye Richardson. According to Richardson, she recommended him to Hooper because of what she described as the "perfect voice" for the role. During post-production, Hooper flew down to Los Angeles and recorded dialogue with him at the post-production studio Todd-AO. In later years, Larroquette claimed he was paid in marijuana for the role. Robert Courtin, and Ed Guinn are credited as the window washer and truck driver.

Direction
From the outset of development, Hooper was always intended to serve as the film's director.

Hooper manipulated the actors to get genuine reactions. Cast members were deliberately kept separated from those portraying the cannibal family and were told it would elicit a more genuine reaction on film; actors were told conflicting reasons for their isolation from the rest of the cast.

Hooper's directorial style was "laid back" according to members of the cast and crew.

Descision to limit and imply gore

Cinematography
Hooper originally intended Richard Kooris to be the director of photography, however, conflicts with Kooris' schedule made him unavailable. The recent UTA graduate Daniel Pearl was later hired after meeting with Hooper outside a film lab where Pearl was working on a recent documentary with Larry Carroll. Hooper was impressed with Pearl's work after viewing the film and offered him the position six months later.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was mainly shot using an Eclair NPR 16mm camera, with fine-grain, low-speed Ektachrome Commercial film that required considerably more light than modern digital cameras and even most filmstocks of the day. Filmmakers originally intended to shoot the film on Arriflex 35BL 35mm camera, but abandoned the idea for budgetary reasons. Changing the camera format also gave the added benefit of a more mobile and cost-effective method of shooting on the standard theatrical 35mm format of the time, without significant sacrifices to image quality. According to Pearl, the cinematography was influenced by the works of photographer Russell Werner Lee, who was well known for his photographs documenting the various ethnography of American life.

The film utilizes subjective camera angles and hand-held camera techniques, which Pearl and Hooper developed to create an atmosphere and tension reminiscent of Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), which they both admired. While a majority of sync sound portions were shot on the Eclair NPR, handheld and specialty shots were filmed using a 16mm Clockwork Bolex. Described as "guerrilla filmmaking of the most hardcore and dedicated variety", with the film crew developing custom-made rigs and techniques for certain sequences. Several elaborate, low-budget rigs were also constructed to accommodate the film's low budget, as the crew did not have enough money for a camera dolly. A large, wooden camera rig was designed and used to film tracking and dolly shots such as the opening sequence. One of Chain Saw's infamous sequences is the aftermath of Kirk's murder, where the camera slowly tracks Pam as she walks up to the house. To film the sequence, Pearl opted for a masked widescreen format with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, using the Bolex mounted on a custom-built dolly. Pearl set the dolly behind McMinn, slowly moving the rig forward as the actress walked up to the door of the house: "It scares the audience because they know where she's going... It's a shot that went down in history. People ask me this all the time," Pearl later commented.

Night sequences were often difficult to shoot, as production could only afford two five-kilowatt and one ten-kilowatt light towers, resulting in underexposed reels. The sequence where Leatherface chases Sally through the woods was filmed on a forty-foot-long dolly track, as production could only afford that amount. Pearl filmed the sequence using different angles and techniques, experimenting with focal length, Pearl created a large variety of different shots that were used in the editing process. Later praise for Pearl

Filming and locations


Principle photography began July 15, 1973, under the working title Leatherface. Scenes featuring the cannibal's house, the primary filming location, were the first to be shot. The house was an early 1900s farmhouse located on Quick Hill Road near Round Rock, Texas, where the La Frontera development is now located. The production was granted access for five days by the owners, with the stipulation that they were only allowed to film in three of the house's rooms. First 3 death scenes

Sequences involving the van were shot during the first third of filming. The van was a fully operational 1972 Ford Club Wagon, with its center seats removed to accommodate Hooper, Pearl, the camera, and sound engineer Ted Nicolaou. Scenes were challenging to shoot, as windows of the van were kept up to prevent audio contamination, resulting in higher humidity and temperatures. Cast members had not viewed Neal in makeup before shooting and were genuinely unnerved by his appearance. Multiple takes were filmed because of technical issues and the cast frequently messing up their lines. The effect of the Hitchhiker burning the photograph required gunpowder to ignite it. The pyrotechnics were not properly handled, as there were no funds to hire a professional. In the first take, the effects crew used more powder than intended, creating a large burst of flame. The van suffered only minimal damage, and the crew successfully filmed the scene after a few takes.

Franklyn's Death and Sally's chase scene

Sally's final escape was shot outside the farmhouse on a remote and rarely-used stretch of road, miles north of Austin. Before filming, the local sheriff was notified by the film crew of the film's production, who told him not to worry if he received any complaints from the locals. According to Hansen, the sheriff would only become outraged when the film crew blocked the road for an entire day.

Dinner Scene: Nicknamed "The Last Supper" by the cast and crew.

Gas Station: The gas station was Ryan’s Hills Prairie Grocery, which became Bilbo’s Texas Landmark, 1073 State Highway 304, Bastrop, Texas, east of Austin.

Cemetary scene: The opening sequence was filmed at Bagdad Cemetery, located in Leander, Texas.

Sources and information to add
 * https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3505346/star-teri-mcminn-shares-texas-chain-saw-massacre-behind-scenes-photo-youve-probably-never-seen/
 * https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a23810/texas-chainsaw-things-you-didnt-know/

Production difficulties
Production of the film was fraught with on-set difficulties, caused by extreme weather, malfunctioning equipment, and poor working conditions. Production was forced to restart after the first week of filming interior and exterior shots at the house. Members of the cast and crew have given contradictory statements on the real reason for the reset; Hooper and Pearl would describe a faulty or damaged camera lens, resulting in an entire week's worth of unusable footage, while others would state lack of funding or preparation as the reason.

Producer Conflicts:

Cast and Crew Conflicts:

Poor working conditions: The small budget and concerns over high-cost equipment rentals meant the crew filmed seven days a week, up to sixteen hours a day. The cast and crew found working conditions rough, with reported temperatures peaking at 110°F (43 °C) on July 26th. Most of the filming took place in the farmhouse, where conditions were described as putrid from the lack of air ventilation and rotting set pieces.

Audio and camera problems also affected the production.

On-set injuries: Most of the cast performed their own stunts, resulting in close calls and on-set injuries. At the wrap party, Hooper noted that all cast and crew members had obtained some level of injury. He stated that "everyone hated me by the end of the production" and that "it just took years for them to kind of cool off."

Due to production problems, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, originally scheduled for 14 days of principle photography, took 28 to 56 days to wrap. The film exceeded its original $60,000 (about $ adjusted for inflation) budget during editing. Sources differ on the final cost, offering figures between $93,000 (about $ inflation-adjusted) and $300,000 (about $ inflation-adjusted).