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Marilyn Burns

Marilyn Burns

Actor · Died August 5, 2014, aged 65 · Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

Marilyn Burns (born Mary Lynn Ann Burns; May 7, 1949 – August 5, 2014) was an American actress. Burns is known for portraying survivor Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's influential horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Burns was raised in Houston, Texas and after graduating with a drama degree at the University of Texas, Austin, she made her first film appearance in Robert Altman's comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). After a brief cameo The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995), Burns took a 17-year break from acting in feature films till she returned in Butcher Boys (2012), directed by Kim Henkel who co-wrote The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 5, 1949
Died
August 5, 2014 (aged 65)
From
Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 16 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 15% in 30 days

What are Marilyn Burns' films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Ideas.

Genres

Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
48%
Ideas
22%
Society
13%
Bonds
11%
Self
4%
Art2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
2
Melancholic
2
Dread
2
Bittersweet
1
Hopeful
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Bittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Marilyn Burns' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marilyn Burns' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

16 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • In a Madman's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Mrs. Hill

  • Sacrament (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Beulah Standifer

  • Butcher Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Ruth

  • Texas Chainsaw(2013)

    as Verna Carson

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • American Psycho(2000)

    as Sally Hardesty (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation(1994)

    as Patient on Gurney

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Future-Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Dorothy Grim

  • Kiss Daddy Goodbye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Nora Dennis

  • Eaten Alive(1976)

    as Faye

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Helter Skelter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Linda Kasabian

  • Helter Skelter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · as Linda Kasabian

  • The Great Waldo Pepper(1975)

    as Spectator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre(1974)

    as Sally

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Lovin' Molly(1974)

    Stand In · as Sarah / Molly (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Brewster McCloud(1970)

    as Tour Guide (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Stab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Sally Hardesty (archive footage) (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 16 titles, 15 of them dated from 1971 to 2017; peak year 1974.

Biggest box office

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

$31M worldwide

Highest rated

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Midcredits 91st

Film career

19712017

Peak 1974 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1971Screen debut· Brewster McCloud
  • 1974First top-billed film· The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting16 of 16: 15 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thOther crew1 of 16: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s7 · 7 acting · 1 crew1980s2 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s4 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 14% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Marilyn Burns' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

66th percentile spread · 69% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

American Psycho (2000)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 33. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Marilyn Burns work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marilyn Burns' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tobe Hooper shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers