Join us in Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Rocky Horror at the RISE Presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fundraising Event!
RISE chose Rocky Horror as the center of our signature fundraising event because of the positive impact it had (and continues to have) on individuals who have been made to feel alien, outside, or even outcast from society.
For more details and to purchase tickets visit: The RISE Rocky Horror Picture Show Fundraising Event.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show History
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical comedy horror film. It is a parody tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is based on the 1973 musical stage production, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O’Brien . The stage production premiered on June 18, 1973, at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England. After a short while, it was moved from the 60-seat Upstairs theatre to a converted movie house, and then to the King’s Road Theatre, which seats 500. It was named best musical of 1973 by the British drama critics.
Lou Adler – owner at the time of the Roxy theatre in Los Angeles, California – saw the musical and brought it to the Roxy.
1975, The Rocky Horror Show was made into the movie and renamed the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Its world premiere was in London on August 28, 1975. Its US premiere was in Hollywood on September 29, 1975. October 31 is generally celebrated as Rocky’s “birthday”, for obvious reasons.
It bombed everywhere – expect for in Los Angeles, where a following had already been created by the Rocky Horror Show at The Roxy. However, some attentive cinema owners noticed that, while the Rocky Horror Picture Show wasn’t selling as many tickets as other movies, the same people kept coming back. Twentieth Century Fox then re-released the movie for midnight runs. Its first regular midnight run started in New York City on April 2, 1976. Soon, people had started dancing and singing along with the music, and a following soon developed – giving those who felt like aliens or outsiders in society a place to go, interact, and meet like minded people.
The story centers on a young engaged couple whose car breaks down in the rain near a castle where they seek a telephone to call for help. The castle is occupied by strangers in elaborate costumes celebrating an annual convention. They discover the head of the house is Dr. Frank- N-Furter, an apparently mad scientist who actually is an alien from the galaxy of Transylvania, who creates a living muscle man named Rocky in his laboratory.
Still in limited release in 2022, some 46 years after its premiere, it is the longest-running theatrical release in film history. In many cities live amateur shadow-casts act out the film as it is being shown and heavily draw upon a tradition of audience participation. The film is most often shown close to Halloween – and sure to become a Saratoga Halloween staple!