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Gunnar Hansen, killer of 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre,' dies

The Associated PressNovember 8, 2015

FILE - In this April 29, 2004, file photo, Gunnar Hansen poses at his home in Northeast Harbor, Maine. A spokesman says Hansen, who played the iconic villain Leatherface in the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," died Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, of pancreatic cancer. He was 68. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Gunnar Hansen, who played the iconic villain Leatherface in the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Maine, his agent said. He was 68.

Hansen starred in the 1974 film that has become a classic among horror-movie aficionados and spawned a series of sequels. In the movie, friends visiting their grandfather's house are hunted by Leatherface, a chain-saw wielding maniac.

Hansen's character in the movie "is one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema," said his agent, Mike Eisenstadt, who confirmed the death.

In 2013, Hansen published his book "Chain Saw Confidential," which gave readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made, Eisenstadt said.

Hansen lived in Maine for about 40 years, where he worked as an actor and writer, Eisenstadt said.

At the time of his death, Hansen was at work on a film called "Death House," his agent said. Hansen was a writer and producer of the film, which the Internet Movie Database says is about how a secret government facility becomes ground zero for the most horrific prison break in the history of mankind. The film is scheduled to come out next year, Eisenstadt said.

Hansen was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. He came to the U.S. and studied at the University of Texas, where he majored in English and Scandinavian Studies, Eisenstadt said.

Surviving Hansen is his partner of 13 years, Betty Tower.

Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies

George Barris, the car designer who created the iconic 1966 Batmobile for the Batman television series, has died, according to a Facebook post posted by his son, Brett Barris. He was 89 years old.

"Sorry to have to post that my father, legendary kustom car king George Barris, has moved to the bigger garage in the sky," Brett Barris wrote. "He passed on peacefully in his sleep at 2:45 am. He was surrounded by his family in the comfort of his home. He lived his life they way he wanted til the end. He would want everyone to celebrate the passion he had for life and for what he created for all to enjoy."

Barris began building model cars and customizing at an early age and made a name for himself when he moved to Los Angeles after World War II, launching Barris Kustom Industries.

The popularity of his cars caught the eye of Hollywood, and his first film assignments included work on cars for Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, High School Confidential and 1960's The Time Machine.

His biggest impact occurred when ABC asked him to create a signature vehicle for Batman. Barris rolled out a Lincoln concept car called the Lincoln Futura that he had kept in storage for about decade and used that as his base, constructing the car in just 15 days.

It was built for $15,000 although Barris purchased the Futura for $1. Barris kept the car in his personal collection and in 2013 sold the car at auction for $4.6 million.

The success of Batman and the Batmobile led to more work, including Mannix, The Beverly Hillbillies, Knight Rider and designing the Munster Koach for The Munsters, among others.

He also designed novelty cars or performed customizations for celebrities ranging from Bob Hope to John Wayne to Elton John.

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Celeb Archive

[DeadCelebrityAlert] Gunnar Hansen, killer of 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre,' dies

Gunnar Hansen, killer of 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre,' dies

[DeadCelebrityAlert] Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies

Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies