The Guardian has an article (linked) that provides an oral history of the making of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which was released 50 years ago this year(the original play of course had been running for a few years, so its not 50 years of Rocky Horror).
I saw it for the first time in the mid 80s, when it was screened (I think) for the first time on British TV as part of that entertaining duel between BBC2 and Channel 4 to see who could post the most “alternative” stuff on Friday evenings. I set the video and God knows how many times I watched that damn thing over the next couple of years. I probably know every line.
It’s an odd film. Well, yes, obviously it’s meant to be odd, but I mean just as a film it’s odd. They created new scenes to pad out the stage show, so it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Who exactly is Columbia? And the floor show is for what?
And yet, who cares? The songs are good. In fact, a few, such as the title song, Sweet Transvestite and Don’t Dream It are very good. There are some good lines (“It’s not easy having a good time”) and the central performance by Tim Curry is fantastic, a cross between the New York Dolls, Freddie Mercury and Joyce Grenfell.
I think it’s a good film to watch as a teenager. It’s nice to be encouraged to not dream it, be it. At the same time, I’m surprised at how mainstream it has become over the years. There was even a Rocky Horror episode of Glee about 15 years ago, of which the only thing I remember is that they changed the words “Transexual, Transylvania” to something that I can’t remember, but which that presumably wouldn’t scare the horses.
Anyone dressed up to go to the cinema and watch it or shouted “Slut!” at Susan Sarandon in the street?
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jul/31/the-rocky-horror-picture-show-at-50-an-oral-history
(Bump to the left)
And now successfully stepping to the right (thanks Mods)
Thank you for flagging this, it’s well worth a read. The RH show/picture show was a big hit with friends when I was at FE college in 1980. The new intake picked up guitars, bashed out em, g, a, & I was introduced to the songs. A girl’s boyfriend was on follow spot at the show & I subsequently saw the film at a late night screening – I didn’t dress up.
I had the chance to see the touring revival earlier this year, but for both the play & the movie, I’d rather keep them as a pleasant memory.
Mid 80s BBC2, think that was the first time I saw it too. It was “an event”, a ” much awaited experience”.
Me … couldn’t get, and still don’t get the cult of it all.
(My loss … see also Star Wars and Doctor Who)
I’m with you on this. I quite enjoyed it wheni saw it decades ago – but feel no need to see it again.
Also saw the BBC2 showing, then saw it at the SU in late 1990. Borrowed a polka-dot mini-dress from a Halls neighbour who was about 5’4″ (and I’m 5’10”). First time I raised my arm, the seam unpicked. The following morning, I wrote her a blank cheque to buy a replacement. If you’re eading this, Anne, I’m still sorry.
The fishnets came in useful again for the sponsored hitchhike to Paris on my 21st birthday, the following March. My girlfriend dressed as a skinny version of René and me as a Yvette, and we got picked up on the A329 in no time. I went for a slash on the ferry and had my arse pinched by a hairy trucker. The French drivers didn’t see the joke, and we ended up having to take the train from Calais to Paris.
Strange how so many chaps has a rum tale such as this….
My eyes! My eyes! I’ll never be clean again…
I’m told I have nice legs – it must be all that cycling.
Either that, or people would rather look at my legs than at my face. Which is fair enough.
Excellent!
I saw the film in my teens and it didn’t really make sense without being familiar with the stage show. I have photographic evidence of student visits to the musical, but even in my youth I never cut a shapely figure in a basque and make up so will spare you the nightmares. Also in my student days I met Richard O’Brien when he gave a talk to Preston SF Society. He brought his guitar along and I have a fond memory of him singing Science Fiction Double Feature falsetto as he room gently crooned along with him.
More recently, The Light is a big fan of he stage show and we see it most years. If we’re driving we sometimes do the dressing up thing, though these days I limit my efforts to a lab coat and boa, being even less of a sylph than in my younger years. No one wants to see a man of my age in lingerie, not that stops a large section of the middle aged male population of Southend on the Saturday night show at the Cliffs Pavilion. The last time we saw it Jason Donovan played Frank, but he didn’t have the power and charisma of Stephen Webb who has made the role his own.
I enjoyed the article, and particularly the insight that ‘Brad and Janet’ really were outsiders to the cast, especially as they didn’t have time to socialise away from the set. One thing that wasn’t explained, though I suppose I could look it up easily enough, is why Once in a While, my favourite song apart from Science Fiction Double Feature, was cut from the film.
I saw it in the cinema when it came out, the first film was “The Producers”. An excellent double bill, though I think “The Producers” massively far superior to the late glam / “Biba” vibes of the RHS. That said, I saw the live RHS at the Kings Road theatre in 1978, and really got it then – the student theatre approach was excellent. i was yet to properly discover the ways of physical love at that age, and was disappointed to find that women (or at least the ones that liked me) do not routinely wear suspenders as underwear, and did not want me wearing them, either.
I love the film, saw it in the mid eighties, even though it doesn’t really make much sense. Have also seen the stage version a few times and although it’s rarely less than fun I do sometimes find the “cult/audience” thing a bit much but it depends on mood I suppose. When I’ve been I’ve taken the “slightly foppish gothesque” approach, because I’d probably be arrested if I went in suspenders etc. Rightly so I expect.
Sweet Transvestite is (in the film at least) a tour de force, it has quite a few other good songs and I’ve always liked the idea of “don’t dream it, be it.”
Having heard a lot about it before I saw it, I found it to be very disappointing. I had very high expectations, but the music (bar the time-warp number) is very dull, and the story isn’t very funny either. It tries a bit too hard IMO. I don’t hate it, and I’ve seen it a few times, but I always wish there was more to it.
It doesn’t rock and there’s no horror. I suppose it’s a picture show. It used to annoy me when they played The Time Warp at the Mayfair in Newcastle in the 80s and I didn’t know the obligatory moves. Not my bag really.
I was a sucker for anything Thatcher would hate on the TV, but… me too… didn’t much care for the RHPS from the get-go.
Wasn’t helped by the fact that all the people I knew who dug it, I didn’t much care for. See also: Heavy Metal. Actually, they were pretty much the same people!
First time I saw it was a 6th form school trip in Manchester – we were right at the front. Half the kids didnt go back for the 2nd half!
Saw it loads of times at the Hyde Park Cinema in Leeds – but never been a dresser up.
Could probably still speak along…
Funnily enought the boy’s girlfriend (22) loves it too.