DB7

Behind the screen

The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a worldwide smash thanks to a band of die-hard fans

Beginning its life as a musical at the 60-seat Royal Court Upstairs Theatre in London in 1973, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was written by Richard O'Brien, who had previously enjoyed walk-on roles in Carry On Cowboy and Casino Royale. The first draft was called They Came From Denton High, and took its inspiration from the horror double bills that O'Brien used to watch while growing up in New Zealand. After help from interested producers, it was retitled and staged as The Rocky Horror Show. It was an instant hit in London, and the pop impresario Lou Adler took it to Los Angeles, where it ran for nine months. The acting hopefuls who auditioned without success for the LA show included Richard Gere and John Travolta.

A film adaptation, starring Tim Curry in the role of Dr Frank-N-Furter, began shooting the following year at Bray Studios in England, where the Hammer horror films were made. The big-screen version, though, was a flop, except in hip urban areas and university towns. Theatre owners reported that while attendances were low, groups of die-hard fans kept returning to see the film, often every night. Sensing a cult in the making, the producers recut the film's ending to make it more upbeat and released it on the midnight screening circuit.

Within weeks, the phenomenon of fans dressing up and "calling back" to the screen was born. Taking to heart the film's message "Don't dream it, be it"� fans held the first Rocky Horror Revue in 1977 in Los Angeles, in which a costumed cast lip-synched along to the entire film. By the 1980s the craze was global, with productions touring Iceland, Germany and Japan. Russell Crowe cut his teeth in an Australian revival, while Gary Glitter starred in the New Zealand version.

O'Brien, whose bald pate became a familiar sight on TV game shows in the 1990s, has said that he never minded the Rocky Horror phenomeon overshadowing all his other efforts. Last year in New Zealand, he was rewarded with a life-size bronze statue of himself in his Rocky Horror costume. It was erected on the site of the cinema in which he used to watch the double features that inspired the show.

Sean Macaulay

carly

well, u reaaly know your stuff! i think that the rocky horror may just be one of the best films that i have ever seen, i absolutely love it.

smudge

The book "Rocky Horror - from Concept To Cult" gives an interesting insight into the fims creation and the subsequent fall outs...

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

thirdlady

that's a great movie to watch still to this day!

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

ChristineCB

It's still going strong here. Every weekend's Friday and Saturday midnight shows are costume-party traditions for 700 or 1000 fans. Totally bizarre and surreal. For anniversary or holiday shows, they bring in bands, turn down the movie's sound and do it all live as the movie plays above the orchestra pit.

But seeing SO MANY men in garters and corsets... and realizing that they do this night after night, year after year, some for decades. Oh please... no...

thirdlady

And that was long before Eddie izzard

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

ChristineCB

This weekend's Rocky party is being billed as their 1,644th Week Held Over Anniversary Party.

Evidently, waiting 'til next week's "1,645th" wasn't as important. ha ha... actually, they'll have THAT as a party, too.

Me? I'm holding out until the 1,719th Anniversary Party. After all, everyone knows "1,719" only comes 'round once.

manager

went to see the stage production here in Hull last year, can't wait for it to come here again, .....

RichardNH

I'm going to be controversial and say that I'm not a fan of this movie

thirdlady

your entitled to your own opinion so if you want to be a non- fan of the movie then I'm sure that's fine.

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

Steve Crook

It's not compulsory to be a fan of anything

Steve

Scrump

A movie in a class of it's own, fantastic.

wayshway

Heh heh.. Neither am I.

BillTurner80

I'll say I'm not a fan of the movie but a huge fan of the stage show but nobody can match Tim Curry on stage or screen.!