NO! IT WASN'T!
The movie was released in 1974. It was, at that time, the most popular horror movie of all time. It is also one of the biggest urban legends of of all time as well.
The Producers of the movie decided to release it as a "true story" . However, there never was a guy named, Leather Face.
However, it was inspired by a real psycho killer named: Eddie Gein.
Eddie Gein was from Wisconsin, not Texas.
He was a very nice and easy going person, according to his neighbors. They never suspected that he was a psycho killer.
Over several years, he killed several people. But, he never used a chainsaw. He usually used a gun.
Not only did he kill people, but, he was suspected of being a cannibal, Grace robber and a Necrophiliac (someone who has sex with dead people).
Gein was suspected of committing several murders, including his own Brother!
After several years, several murders and several missing persons cases, neighbors were suspicious of Gein. They heard strange noises, seen strange things and strange smells were coming from the Gein farmhouse. Rumors were going around town about him and people even called the police and reported him.
Over the years, the police tried but couldn't get enough evidence to get an arrest warrant or a search warrant.
But, eventually, a police officer's mother came up missing. Then there were a few other murders around town. The police finally got enough evidence to secure a search warrant.
They searched the main area of the house and didn't find anything. But, they could smell a strong odor.
They went to the back room in the house and the offices were horrified by what they saw.
They found a large, bloody meat hook hanging from the cealing, a bunch of dead animals laying around on the ground, human body parts, a mask made from human skin, knives and and other horrifying things. The one thing they didn't find was a chainsaw used as a murder weapon.
Remember the police officer I mentioned above whose mom came up missing? They found her dead body in the house!
When the police arrested him, they took him to the police station and locked him in a room with that police officer for about Five minutes. All other officers turned their backs and pretended they didn't hear anything. That officer beat the hell out of him! When they went to court, they just made up an excuse to tell the Judge. Someone else attacked him before we ever arrested him, he fell down the stairs or something. The Judge acted like he believed the story.
In the end, Gein was was committed to a mental health institute for the rest of his life. He died of Lung Cancer in 1984 at the age of 77.
After Fein was arrested, his house mysteriously caught on fire. It was suspected arson. But, when the fire Department was called, they were in no hurry to get there. They just let the house burn.
Gein was abused by his Dad. But his Dad died before Gein started killing people.
The creator of the movie was in Sears, Christmas shopping one day and he was looking at chainsaws. He noticed that all the checkout lines were full and the lines were really long.
He thought, "I'd like to take this chainsaw and cut everybody up so I can just get to the front of the line and get out of here!"
Then he thought, "Wait a minute! I am going to make a movie about a guy who cuts people up with a chainsaw!"
When a movie is: "Based on a true story, they take a true story and actually use the real facts to write a story around everything that actually happened.
However, if it was: Inspired by a true story, that means they got the idea of what to write about from true events. Nothing in the movie has to be true at all.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre was INSPIRED by the true story of Eddie Gein, not based on the true story.
Other movies that were INSPIRED by Eddie Gein include: Psycho and Silence of the Lamb.
