The re-release title, as well as the title of the print viewed was The Helter Skelter Murders. A written prologue appears before the onscreen credits and reads in part: “In the late summer of 1969 an unknown band of hippie-styled characters committed the most bizarre crimes in history…All information utilized in the preparation, writing and filming of this motion picture was obtained entirely from published articles appearing in newspapers and magazines circulated nationally for public consumption, and from information released to various news and commentary programs for public viewing on television.” The closing credits include the following written epilogue: “Four of the defendants tried for these murders, were found guilty as charged and sentenced to the death penalty. This picture is a grim warning. The use of drugs must be rigidly controlled if there is to be any future for our society---or for our country itself.” The closing cast credits duplicate some information. Four actors are listed as “The Killers,” and three of the same actors are listed again under “The Trial” as “Defendants.” Additionally, Debbie Duff’s name appears as both a “Victim” and as “The Starlet.” Although there is a 1970 copyright statement on the film for Auric, Ltd., the film was not included in copyright records.
       According to a Sep 1970 Box item, The Other Side of Madness, a film portraying the brutal 1969 murders of movie actress Sharon Tate and four others by four young followers of career criminal Charles Manson, had already completed filming. The murders of actress Tate, wife of film director Roman Polanski, coffee heiress Abigail Folger; her boyfriend, Voytek Frykowski; a close friend of Tate, hairstylist Jay Sebring; and teenager Steven Parent, occurred in the early morning hours of 9 Aug 1969.
       As mentioned in the Box article, producer Wade Williams had stated that The Other Side of Madness was in post-production with a scheduled release of Nov 1970. The item added that the film’s production company, Auric, Ltd., had announced that The Other Side of Madness would utilize a new film technique known as “Auramation.” The process was described as a “special cellular film treatment designed to heighten or depress the emotions of the viewer by subliminal monochromatic suggestion.” The film was in black-and-white with a brief color sequence, showing the Starlet on a movie set filming a period sequence.
       In Nov 1970 Box related that Manson, the central figure in the Tate murder trial in progress in Los Angeles, had signed an agreement to allow Williams to use Manson’s voice and previously recorded songs in the film. A Jan 1971 Box article added that editing was continuing on The Other Side of Madness in addition to scoring, with the final mix to occur at M-G-M Studios. The item related that the film was partially shot at the Spahn Movie Ranch in the Simi Hills outside Los Angeles, where Manson and his followers resided from 1968 through 1969. The item noted that, shortly after filming there, numerous buildings on the ranch burned down after a wildfire. The item listed the film’s running time as 91 minutes. A Jun 1971 Var article noted that The Other Side of Madness, described as “nearly-completed,” was privately shown in Cannes by distributor John Nasht, who claimed that he had obtained world rights for the production. There is no further information on Nasht’s involvement with the film.
       In Oct 1971, Var reported that The Other Side of Madness had received an “X” rating from the MPAA. In Dec 1971, HR stated that director Frank Howard charged the MPAA with “defaulting on the delivery of a promised R rating in exchange for specifically directed cuts in the film.” A Mar 1972 DV news item stated that a re-cut version of the film was awarded an R rating, but it is unclear if the prior X rating had already affected the film’s initial distribution. The print viewed displayed an R rating.
       In its Jan 1972 review of The Other Side of Madness, Box noted that legal problems had prevented the film’s use of real names and resulted in the alteration of a few actual events. In the film, only the name “Charlie” is used repeatedly. None of the other participants or victims are mentioned by name. The review indicated that two tunes, written and performed by Manson, were used in the film, but in the print viewed only one is heard and credited onscreen. The Box review also indicated that in addition to the Los Angeles locations, portions of the film were shot in Kansas City, and listed a running time of 85 minutes. In 1976 the production, re-titled The Helter Skelter Murders and trimmed to 80 minutes, went into wide release.
       A Jul 1976 Box article related the change of title and quoted Williams explaining that legal difficulties had restricted the film in its initial late 1971 release. Williams went on to state: “Overt moves to block exhibition of the film were made. One group attempted to purchase the negative for the express purpose of destroying it.” The producer suggested that the cause for this was the film’s startling accuracy of the depicted events. The article indicted that the principal actors spent time at the actual location where events occurred. Williams further disclosed that interviews with Manson’s followers were conducted, as well as with neighbors of the victims. Williams also described interviewing Manson himself to obtain waivers and verify the “accuracy of details.” Williams claimed that he had screened the murder sequence from the film for attorneys during the Manson trial and that they were amazed by its accuracy. The article noted that footage taken at the Hall of Justice shows the actual trial attorneys and Manson family members. Two people shown in one brief sequence shot at Spahn Ranch are identified in the article as ranch owner George Spahn and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a Manson “family” member convicted of the attempted murder of President Gerald Ford in 1975. Modern sources add Arthur Altringer and Carol Van Compernolle to the cast.
       As depicted in the film, the murders occurred at a Cielo Drive estate, which Polanski and Tate had rented. As Polanski was in Europe, Folger and Frykowski were staying with Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death. The property had previously been rented by record producer and son of actress Doris Day, Terry Melcher. During the trial, testimony revealed that Manson had auditioned for and been rejected by Melcher and the selection of the house was intentional, although Manson knew Melcher no longer lived there.
       Although the trial sequence in the film addresses the murders at Cielo Drive specifically, the actual trial, which ran from 15 Jun 1970 to 29 Mar 1971, at the time the longest and most expensive trial in America, was known as the Tate-LaBianca trial. The film ends with Manson taking family members to another house the night after the Tate murders. In the early hours of 10 Aug 1969, Manson led six “family” members to a Los Angeles neighborhood on Waverly Drive in Los Feliz, where three of Manson’s followers murdered supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary. Sentenced to death for the Tate-LaBianca murders were Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. These four are the “killers” depicted in the film’s trial sequence.
       A major difficulty for the prosecution, led by chief prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, was convincing jurors that Manson, who did not actively participate in the murders, was nevertheless responsible for their planning and thus deserving of the death penalty. The fourth major participant in the murders, Charles “Tex” Watson, had fled to Texas after the killings. Upon extradition to California, he was tried separately, found guilty and sentenced to death.
       Not depicted in the film was Manson follower Linda Kasabian, who accompanied Atkins, Krenwinkel and Watson to the Tate murders. Kasabian witnessed Watson’s murder of Parent, accurately depicted in the film, but while the others entered the house, she remained outside “on watch” until she heard screams from the attack. Running to the house, Kasabian literally ran into the terrified, wounded Frykowski attempting to flee his attackers and witnessed his brutal slaying on the lawn. Kasabian testified against Manson and the others, providing crucial details of the gruesome murders that secured their convictions. Kasabian also accompanied Manson and the others to the LaBianca residence the next night, but Manson assigned the murders to Watson, Krenwinkel and Van Houten. Kasabian received immunity from prosecution for her testimony.
       As well as reflecting the accuracy of the Cielo Drive slayings, The Other Side of Madness portrayed Manson’s conception of a racial uprising that would transform American society, which he called “Helter Skelter” based on the title of a song by The Beatles on their White Album. The Tate-LaBianca murders were meant to instigate the “revolution.” In 1972 a California Supreme court ruling found the state’s death penalty unconstitutional. The death sentences of Manson and his four followers were commuted to life in prison, where, as of 2006, all five remain.
       In 1976 an adaptation of Bugliosi’s 1974 book on the trial, Helter Skelter, was adapted for a CBS television drama, starring Steve Railsback and directed by Tom Gries. In 2004 a docudrama, also titled Helter-Skelter starring Jeremy Davis, was directed by John Gray and aired on CBS.