Creator Richard O’Brien, as the legend goes, was an out-of-work actor who sat home one winter writing the “Rocky Horror” musical (it can only be imagined) to claps of thunder and loud rain. With low brow, pop interests like sci-fi movies, comics, and rock n’ roll, he said the “driving force” was “watching those old movies late at night on the television when everyone else had gone to bed, and getting such pleasure from the creaky plots and the pretentious dialogue, the unintended comedy.”
O’Brien found a willing ally in Australian director Jim Sharman, having worked with him on “Hair” and other productions. The writer portrayed his creepy character Riff Raff on both the stage and in the film, though, interestingly enough, his first choice was Eddie.
The Phenomenon and the Invention of Cosplay
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" has sold over 55 million tickets since it was first screened. To this day, it plays in over 200 theaters around the world. The film has raked in 491.8 million dollars and counting. The audience participation element evolved over the years by genuine fans who developed the trend. There were no cult classics until this movie. Participation includes dressing up as a favorite character and responding to classic lines with just-as-classic callbacks.
The very first callback from Rocky Horror lore is, “Buy an umbrella!” to Janet as she covers her head with a newspaper, but it’s an interactive experience, and people shout out anything they like.
Creating the Evilesque Dr. Frank-N-Furter
Dr. Frank slaughtered Eddie with a pickaxe, served his corpse up for supper, and corrupted his guests. He’s so wrong! But so entertaining too. He’s like Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil, with the flamboyance of Austin Powers. Breaking the fourth wall was an early convention, yet Curry pulled it off masterfully, gazing directly into the eyes of the camera.
Tim Curry is responsible for the creative genius behind the mad scientist/alien having developed “Dr. Frank-N-Furter” on stage in London. Curry fashioned that character with finesse. Initially, he used a German accent, but switched to a British blend based on his mother and the Queen of England, preferring the pretentious spin.
He Never Believed It Would Become a Commercial Success
“It had nothing to do with shocking people,” O’Brien said. “I wrote Rocky for me. I didn’t write it with an audience in mind or for it to be a hit.”
Considering the overtly intimate themes, he wasn’t writing it to be a smash sensation, and he never imagined it would become a movie. “When we transferred to the Classic Cinema, I came out of the first night, and Michael White, our producer, said: ‘I think we’ve got a hit, Richard!’ And I said, ‘Have we?’ And I got in the car and went home.”
O’Brien Wrote ‘Rocky’ in a Rock and Roll State of Mind
O’Brien had a shot at playing Herod in “Jesus Christ Superstar” but was cut after his debut performance. Feeling dejected and a little put off by that play’s sterile treatment of rock n’ roll, he began writing what he considered a real rock n’ roll musical.
It was an outlet for his frustration, and, as a self-described “eternal adolescent,” he wrote it with a very playful attitude representing all his low-brow interests. As an actor, he was into the cutting edge of cool, not Shakespeare. His creation is littered with pop culture references and allusions, many very subtle and only visible to the trained eye.