Rocky Horror Picture Show

Daniel P. Haeusser
www.rockyhorror.com

The Tivoli Theatre on the Delmar Loop winds up its midnight movie series this weekend with two showings of the queen of late-night cult flicks: Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

For those of you who haven’t yet lost your virginity to a live Rocky Horror show, the experience is a unique mixture of ritual and abandon to creative expression. Perfect for Halloween, it allows adults to act out roles and situations they would never dare in any setting other than the safe confines of “Rocky Horror” sacrament.

Following a costume contest and some opening formalities – including greeting and politely asking Tivoli co-manager/projectionist Travis to ‘start the f***ing movie’ – the film begins. The Samurai Electricians, a St. Louis “Rocky Horror” troupe, double the scenes live and direct the ritualistic audience responses. Prop bags are available for two dollars, and outside items are forbidden.

Much gets written about “Rocky Horror,” the scope of fan re-enactments and the motives behind their devotion. So, we decided to mark these showings of “Rocky Horror” by writing on the movies that inspired O’Brien to create the show and the host of midnight movies that have benefited from the cult success of “Rocky Horror.”

Science Fiction,Double Feature

With the opening lines uttered by those luscious lips of Patricia Quinn, “Rocky Horror” establishes itself as Richard O’Brien’s love affair with the classic B-movie cinema of his childhood. The song is basically a list of classic cult films, including: “It Came from Outer Space” (1953), “Forbidden Planet” (1956), “Tarantula” (1955), “The Day of the Triffids” (1962) and “When Worlds Collide” (1951). Here are some details on a handful of the other films and actors alluded to in “Rocky Horror.”

“Michael Rennie was ill ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still,’ but he told us where we stand” – Opening Song

Directed by Robert Wise, this 1951 film is one of the best science fiction pictures made. Now that Earth has developed the nuclear bomb, an alien (Michael Rennie) and his robot arrive in Washington to warn humans that we face destruction unless we learn to live peacefully. Instead of listening to the alien, the leaders of humanity react with violent fear. Fans of Bruce Campbell and “Army of Darkness” will be pleased to find the origin of a memorable phrase in this film.

“And ‘Flash Gordon’ was there in silver underwear” – Opening Song

The 1930s “Flash Gordon” films seem very outdated now, but they are a perfect example of early space opera adventure that went from Edgar Rice Burroughs up through “Star Wars.” Add the homoeroticism of men in tights, skimpy outfits, and you’ll see the influence in “Rocky Horror.”

“Claude Rains was ‘The Invisible Man'” – Opening Song

This Universal horror classic was directed by James Whale, the famously homosexual director of “Frankenstein” and, my personal favorite, “Bride of Frankenstein.” All three of these films show up in “Rocky Horror,” such as the basic plot of “creating a man,” Riff-Raff’s torture of Rocky with the candelabra, Magenta’s hair at the film’s end, and the crazy scientist who has gone too far. “Gods and Monsters” with Sir Ian McKellan and Brendan Frasier is a fabulous film that you should check out for more on Whale.

“Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and ‘King Kong;’ they got caught in a celluloid jam” – Opening Song

Do I need to tell you about the glory of Kong? 1933’s “King Kong” is worth seeing for the sense of adventure and exploration that directors Cooper and Schoedsack actually lived. Such a life is now extinct, with a decidedly un-PC philosophy. Fay Wray makes a beautiful scream queen, and if you aren’t impressed with the stop-animation of Willis O’Brien, your imagination has been killed by CGI blandness.

“‘Doctor X’ will build a creature” – Opening Song

This film was made before the prohibitions of the Hayes Code, and it includes elements of rape, cannibalism and prostitution in the story. All of these elements occur in “Rocky Horror” from the eating of Eddie to the promiscuous sex, the use of Rocky and the stripping of Brad and Janet. In addition, O’Brien was anxious to make a movie that celebrated a masculine sense of fashion that once was common, but now frowned upon. As he has stated in interviews, men once wore flamboyantly fashioned clothes to rival those of women. Then the moral sensibilities of the Victorian era arrived, restricting men to the suit. The stifling of flamboyant cinematic themes by the Hayes Code was similar.

“Dana Andrews said prunes, gave him the runes; and casting them used lots of skill” – Opening Song

This line refers to “Night of the Demon” (1957) a British adaptation of M.R. James’ story “Casting the Runes.” The film was directed by the fantastic Jacques Tourneur, best-known for “Cat People.” Most of his films, particularly those with Karloff, are worth seeing. Beware of the “Curse of the Demon,” an edited U.S. version.

“We could take in an old Steve Reeve’s movie” – Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Any fan of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” should be familiar with the horror that is Steve Reeves. A bodybuilder and – surprise – a terrible actor, Reeves starred in some “Hercules” films from the late 1950s, where he wore a loincloth and sandals. He’s an obvious inspiration for Rocky, but his films are really only worth watching for some laughs.

“God bless Lili St. Cyr” – Janet Weiss (while in the pool orgy celebrating decadence)

Lili St. Cyr was a notorious stripper of the 1940s and ’50s who starred in a handful of nudie pictures, such as “The Naked and the Dead” (1958). Her films are mostly difficult to find now, but “Varietease” (1954) is available via Netflix. Interestingly, St. Cyr is connected with infamous tales of Hollywood decadence turned to horrible extremes. She was Orson Welles’ paramour during his marriage to Rita Hayworth, and she was one of the young women employed at the Florentine Gardens, a sleazy burlesque nightclub that also employed a young Yvonne de Carlo (who later went on to star as Lily Munster) and was managed by a key suspect in the Elizabeth Short (aka Black Dahlia) murder.

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