The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[clayton]

When this movie first opened, it had a traditional release, with afternoon and early evening screenings. It bombed. Meat Loaf said he attended an opening week performance with writer and director Jim Sharman in the Midwest, and the theater was empty except for them. Midnight screenings became popular in the mid-1970s, and word of mouth began to spread that the midnight audience might enjoy this movie. It began showing at midnight in a few cities, and became so popular that it has been shown continuously in movie theaters since 1975, making it the longest theatrical run in history. The Museum Lichtspiele cinema in Muenchen, Germany has screened the movie every week since June 24, 1977, offering special "RHPS-Kits" to enable celebrations during the show. The kits contain a biscuit (for the toast), rice, a whistle, a candle (for "There's a Light"), and a sheet of paper with instructions for the Time Warp.

[norma]

According to Richard O'Brien, the skeleton in the clock was a real-life skeleton belonging to the woman who commissioned the clock. In 2002, Sothebys auctioned off the coffin-clock, which sold for £35,000.

[camila]

Some of the costumes from this movie had been originally used in the stage production. Props and set pieces were re-used from old Hammer horror productions and others. The tank and dummy used for Rocky Horror's birth originally appeared in The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). These references to earlier productions, in addition to cutting costs, enhanced the cult status of this movie.