10 Horror Movie Moments More Terrifying When You Know The Truth

4. Marilyn Burns' Finger Was Cut For Real - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Hereditary Peter
Bryanston Distributing Company

By all accounts, making The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was a thoroughly miserable experience, as is evidently reflected in its grimy, makes-you-want-to-shower aesthetic.

And no scene proved more harrowing for the cast or crew than the iconic dinner sequence, where the murderous Sawyer family toys with Final Girl Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), even cutting her finger so that Grandpa Sawyer (John Dugan) can suck the blood out of it.

Though the scene was unpleasant for all involved - being shot for an entire 24-hour day in intense Texas heat - Burns took by far the worst of it, given the difficulty involved in filming the finger cut.

Because the blood squib attached to the prop knife malfunctioned, Leatherface actor Gunnar Hansen decided to just do it the hard way, cutting Burns' finger with a razor for real.

Though reports vary on whether or not Burns consented to this beforehand, either way knowing that she shed real blood for the scene just makes it even more squirm-inducing.

 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.