- "Why, old Grandpa's the best killer there ever was."
- ― Drayton Sawyer, to Sally Hardesty
The Grandfather is the patriarch figure of the cannibalistic Sawyer Family
History
Leatherface
Grandpa was shown in the 1950s with a youthful appearance compared to the original film. When his grandson Jedidiah (later known as Leatherface) refused to kill a victim, a visibly disappointed Grandpa displayed his talent in killing on the victim.
The Massacre
In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the 124-year-old Grandpa (John Dugan) appears as a somewhat minor character, initially thought to be already dead; he is first seen briefly during Leatherface's chase scene, Sally approaches him seeking help but assumes he is dead when she sees how old he is. Later after heroine Hardesty Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) is captured by his grandchildren, Drayton (Jim Siedow), Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and the Hitchhiker (Edwin Neal), Grandpa is taken from the second floor of the house and brought to her by them. Leatherface proceeds to slash Sally's finger and forces it into Grandpa's mouth, so he can suck her blood (proving that he is, in fact, alive), an event that causes Sally to fall unconscious. Some time after Sally is awakened, Drayton, Leatherface and the Hitchhiker decide to allow Grandpa to end her life through the use of a hammer; due to his advanced age, Grandpa is largely incapable of using the hammer efficiently and continues to drop it. The hassle that ensues with Grandpa's continued dropping of the hammer and his grandchildren's over-eagerness to help him allows Sally to break free of the Sawyer family and jump out a window, though he and Drayton do not attempt to follow her.
3D
Grandpa was at the Sawyer house the day after the massacre when Sheriff Hooper came to arrest Leatherface. This time Grandpa was holding a cane rather than wheelchair-bound. When vigilantes attacked the house Grandpa was shot and was inside the house when it burned down, dying with most of his family. Presumably he was buried on the Carson property with his other relatives.
Appearances
Gallery
Behind the scenes
The Grandfather is portrayed by actor John Dugan. When Dugan reprised the role in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), he expressed his excitement stating "I've been waiting 40 years for this phone call."[1]