It was fifty years ago today that writer/composer Richard O’Brien’s campy sci-fi musical The Rocky Horror Show debuted in London’s West End and left an indelible mark on pop culture that would be celebrated for decades. The popular live show has had over 80 professional productions and revivals worldwide, including a return to the West End this year for a special 50th anniversary run, and its 1975 film version is considered the longest-running release in movie history.
It’s memorable soundtrack and erotic subject matter not only introduced generations of audiences to the concepts of fluid gender and sexual identity, sexual liberation, and the tropes of B movie horror, it pioneered interactive entertainment, and launched many performers into stardom.
The film The Rocky Horror Picture Show is known for being one of the first big screen lead roles of Skin Hall of Famer Susan Sarandon. The role of buttoned-up-babe-turned-sultry-sex-kitten Janet Weiss (originated by Julie Covington) has been forever associated with the ravishing redhead. Susan was already establishing herself in the world of nudity, but for some, the epic pool orgy near the film’s end was their very first glimpse Susan Sarandon nude when her knockout knockers came out underwater.
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Both Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell were in the original London run and the iconic film as Magenta and Columbia, respectively. While only Nell went nude during the floor show, both actresses would add more skin to their CVs, with Patricia stripping down in the Monty Python comedy The Meaning of Life and Little Nell shows off her not so little lady bubbles in a number of films including 1977’s Jubilee.
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Proof of both its staying power and appeal, 2016, Fox aired a family-friendlier version of the musical with sexy stars Laverne Cox and Victoria Justice. So you could celebrate this momentous day with more SFW content - but we think most would agree the original is the way to go. So grab your toast, newspaper, water guns - and your own personal pistol for a one gun salute to this legendary piece of art.
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