Blood and Fame

The Intersecting Lives of Charles Manson and Roman Polanski

By: Peter Rowe

Narrated by: Paul Woodson

Since the murder of Sharon Tate in 1969, the names Charles Manson and Roman Polanski have been brutally linked. But new analysis of the parallel and intertwining stories of these two men reveals a connection that preceded that fateful day.

In their early years Manson and Polanski both developed a hatred of the establishment and of authority—Manson, from being abused by relatives, school staff, and jailors, and Polanski from living under the Nazi regime and then Polish Communists in the 1950s.

Manson was released from prison and promptly went to the wildest place in North America (San Francisco's Haight Ashbury) at around the same time as Polanski headed for the wildest place in Europe (swinging London). Their paths crossed in Hollywood in the late 1960s, where Polanski had wild success, Manson utter failure. Then on August 8, 1969, Manson orchestrated the murder of Polanski's wife, actress Sharon Tate, and her unborn son.

Combining celebrity biography, analysis of a high-profile murder, and in-depth consideration of the lasting legacy of the crime in Polanski's directorial work, Blood and Fame is a riveting investigation that will appeal to both film lovers and true crime listeners alike.

©2026 Peter Rowe (P)2026 Highbridge Audio