The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

propelled many cast members into the motion-picture industry. The lead role of Sally went to the then-unknown Marilyn Burns. Burns had appeared previously on stage, and while attending the University of Texas at Austin, she joined its film commission board. Teri McMinn was a student and worked with various local theater companies, including the Dallas Theater Center. Henkel spotted her picture in the Austin American-Statesman, and called McMinn to come in for a reading. On her last call-back, he requested that she wear short shorts. Her costume proved to be the most comfortable of all the cast members’ costumes, taking into consideration the Texas heat that was to last throughout the entire shoot. Icelandic-American actor Gunnar Hansen gained the role of Leatherface. In preparing for his role, Hansen came to envisage Leatherface as mentally retarded and as never having