Texas Chain Saw Massacre star Marilyn Burns dies at 65

Some sad news out of Texas today.

Marilyn Burns—star of the groundbreaking fright flick Texas Chain Saw Massacre—died yesterday in her Houston home of undisclosed causes.

She was 65.

Burns will always be remembered by horror fans for her portrayal of the sole survivor of Leatherface's gruesome rampage in Tobe Hooper's classic 1974 film, which scared the living hell out of viewers with its shockingly realistic portrait of a family of cannibalistic hicks who prey on a group of innocent travelers.

Its story was based on the real-life exploits of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein.

The phenomenal success of Chain Saw—which was made for less than $300,000 and grossed over $30 million at the domestic box office—helped Burns land roles in other horror movies, including Hooper's 1977 film Eaten Alive, which starred Neville Brand as a psychotic redneck who fed people to a large crocodile.

Burns also had cameos in 1994's Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and last year's Texas Chainsaw 3D.