In 1970, she made her first film appearance in Robert Altman's comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Burns was cast in the leading role of the drama film Lovin' Molly (1974)—having received the script and been costumed. However, for the established actors Anthony Perkins, Blythe Danner and Beau Bridges to appear, they wanted newcomer Susan Sarandon to be cast in the role instead. Burns got to remain a part of the production as a stand-in for Blythe and Sarandon. She also helped cast some of the extras in George Roy Hill's period drama The Great Waldo Pepper (1975).[4]
In 1974, Burns starred in Tobe Hooper's independenthorror filmThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. She plays the character of Sally Hardesty, a teenager who travels with her brother and some friends to the cemetery where her grandfather is buried to investigate reports of grave vandalism, and then encounters a family of cannibals including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.[5]
Burns and Hooper had previously met during the production of Lovin' Molly the previous year.[6] When a casting call was held, she auditioned and was given the lead role.[7][8] The film was produced with a budget of $80,000–$140,000.[6][9][10] Burns had performed several of her stunts herself,[11][12] and she, along with other cast members, had sustained several injuries throughout production.[13][14][15][16] 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 Hansen with his chain saw and Neal with his constantly flicking switchblade."[17][18]
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released to major critical and commercial success.[19] The film grossed an excess of $30 million and became the 12th highest-grossing film of its year,[20] and was the most successful independent feature until it was overtaken by Halloween in 1978.[21][22] Writing for The Cincinnati Enquirer, Donald B. Berrigan stated that Burns "deserves a special Academy Award for one of the most sustained and believable acting achievements in movie history."[23]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."[24] 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.[25][26][27][28]
In 1976, Burns had a role in the television miniseries Helter Skelter about the real-life trial of Charles Manson and his "family".[29][30] In the series, she played Linda Kasabian, a member of the Manson family who was granted 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 to the subject matter]. It was like, 'Who wants to be in that picture? Who's actually gonna do that picture?'"[4] The miniseries was acclaimed and nominated for three Emmy Awards.[citation needed]
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,[31][32] and subsequently starred in the films Kiss Daddy Goodbye (1981) and Future-Kill (1985).
Burns briefly reprises the role of Sally Hardesty in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995), which was directed by Kim Henkel.[33] 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".[34] 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.[35][36] At the 2009 Phoenix Film Festival, Burns was inducted into the horror hall of fame.[37]
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.[38] In 2011, Burns was cast in the slasher film Texas Chainsaw 3D as Verna Carson;[39][40] it was released on January 4, 2013, and marks her last appearance in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.[41] 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.[42][43][44]
Death
On August 5, 2014, at the age of 65, Burns was found dead by her brother Bill at her home in Houston.[45][46] Her cause of death was not specified.[47][48]
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