Copyright © 2023 Rick and Ruth Coy

The Rocky Horror show was a Musical that spoofed “B” horror and Sf movies. The Musical was very popular, so they decided to make a movie of it and called it “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and it was a failure.  This would have been the end of other films - it wasn’t even something that would be shown at “B” houses! BUT

And that is a VERY BIG BUT…a theatre decided to show a single showing at MidNite!!! It was a success. BUT people were yelling at the screen and having fun. It was getting the type of attention that the Musical did…

Many of the theatres started groups called Shadow Cast.  They would dress up as the stars in the movie and act it out in front of the screen. One such cast was the Carefree Players. Ruth and I were part of the cast and Crew in the late 90’s. I did lighting and Ruth was part of the Shadow cast doing different people. The below gif is a slideshow of the carefree players.  Most are from the time Ruth and I were with them, some are from other periods.  The Carefree Players were around for over 20 years and the cast changed many times - a few were with the Players most of the time and others were just there for one or two shows.  Roll down so the gif fills most of your screen.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

1975

Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patrica Quinn, Neil Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray

Directed by: Jim Sharman

Written by: Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman

Rated “R”

You can find RHPS on disc and streaming - but - and this is a very big BUT - the best place to see it is a theater with a Shadow Cast.  And if it’s you first time seeing it, you are a virgin, if asked.  If you say NO you will be tested.

The movie is based on the Musical Rocky Horror Show written by Richard O’Brien. It pays homage to the “B” horror and Sf films of the 30’s - 50’s. Most of the show takes place in Dr. Frank -N- Furter castle. He a Scientist. Then there are our Heroes Brad and Janet, who just so happens get a flat tire outside of the castle on a dark and stormy night.  Then we have Riff Raff the handyman and Magenta a domestic. Columbia a Groupie. Dr. Scott another Scientist. Rocky Horror, Franks Science Project and Eddie an ex delivery boy and ex science project. Then we have the Criminologist who is narrating the show. Ralph and Betty Hapschatt who get married at the beginning so we can meet Brad and Janet before the flat. And we have the Transylvanians - who are the chorus.

Even if you see it without the Shadow Cast, the film is a lot of fun. If you are watching with people who have been at a showing with a shadow cast or worse yet were part of a show cast - they will be talking back to the TV and don’t be surprised when they get answered back.

And further adventures of Brad and Janet can be seen in the movie “Shock Treatment”. It came out in 1981. Also written by Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman and directed by Sharman. But instead of an “R” they went for a “PG” rating. Like RHPS it was a failure at the box office. If they had gone for the “R” rating it would have been saved - you can tell when they backed down to get that “PG” (even PG-13 might have saved it) about the only way to see it,is to get the disc. If you are a real fan of RHPS you will enjoy it and also go - if only they went for the “R”.

The cast for Shock Treament was: Jessica Harper as Janet, Cliff De young as Brad, Richard O’Brien as Dr. Cosmo McKinley, Patricia Quinn as Dr. Nation McKinley, Charles Gray as Judge Wright, Ruby Was as Betty Hapschatt, Neil Campbell as Nurse Ansalong, and Barry Humphries as Bert Schnick. The entire show revolves around a Television show that “capture Brad and Janet”.  

I think that they may had gone for the PG because it was about a Television show, but they really should not have.  It could be playing opposite week-ends to RHPS if they had just gotten the R.