BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF ‘A CLOCKWORK ORANGE’: STANLEY KUBRICK AND HIS DROOGIE BUDDIES
“I’m going out with my droogs to the cinny to shove a pooshka into the grahzny bratchny.”
A round up of some behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, 1971.
1. Mick Jagger originally bought the movie rights for $500.
2. Tim Curry turned down the role of Alex.
3. As well as Jeremy Irons.
4. Contrary to popular claims, the film was never banned in the UK, it was withdrawn by Stanley Kubrick himself.
5. The film was released again in the year 2000 after Kubrick’s death.
6. Kubrick’s first cut ran almost 4 hours.
7. All unused footage was destroyed per Kubrick’s request.
8. One of only two X-rated movies to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The other being Midnight Cowboy (1969).
9. Malcolm McDowell’s eyes were anesthetized so that he could film without too much discomfort.
10. Nevertheless, his corneas got repeatedly scratched and was temporarily blinded.
11. The doctor standing over Alex as he is being forced to watch violent films was a real doctor.
12. Kubrick had the Korova’s milk dispensers emptied, washed and refilled every hour.
As the milk curdled under the studio lights.
13. The sped-up sex scene was originally filmed as an unbroken take lasting 28 minutes.
14. The final scene was done after 74 takes.
15. Gene Kelly was deeply upset about the way “Singing in the Rain” had been portrayed in the film.
16. It is often claimed that Malcolm McDowell nearly drowned while being waterboarded. This is not true.
During this scene, there is a barely perceptible microcut, in which Malcolm McDowell was able to use the oxygen mask that was hidden in the water.
17. It is said that Stanley Kubrick made this movie because of the failure of Waterloo.
After he completed 2001: A Space Odyssey, he had planned to film a movie about Napoleon Bonaparte’s life, but his financial backers pulled out.
18. The rape scene was so difficult for the actress originally cast in the role that she had to quit.
19. She was later replaced by Adrienne Corri, who told McDowell: “Well, Malcolm, today you’re going to find out I’m a real redhead.”
20. Pink Floyd’s “Atom Heart Mother Suite” was going to be used in the opening scene.
However, because Kubrick wanted unlimited license to determine what portions or edits of the song he used, the band turned him down.
21. The album cover is still visible on a shelf in the music shop scene.
22. The band Heaven 17 was named after a fictional pop group in the film.
23. Stanley Kubrick and Malcolm McDowell would play table tennis while recording the narration.
And Kubrick never beat McDowell…
24. The film’s synthesized score features the first ever use of a vocoder.
25. After the film’s release, composer Walter Carlos became Wendy Carlos via a sex-change operation.
26. The doorbell at Alex’s house plays the first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
27. Stanley Kubrick handled the promotional campaign, including the trailer, posters, ads, etc.
28. The car used by Alex and the droogs was the “Adams Probe 16,” one of three ever made.
29. Nadsat, the fictional language spoken by Alex and his droogs, is a mix of English, Russian and slang.
30. The snake was introduced by Kubrick when he found out Malcolm McDowell had a fear of reptiles.
31. Malcolm McDowell was 27 at the time of filming. Alex is 15 years old (17 in the latter half).
32. Korova Milk Bar was the only set built for the film.
This film was shot almost entirely on real locations.
33. Warner Bros highest grossing film of 1971.
34. There are many references in popular culture based on the film’s story and visual elements.
What a brilliant masterpiece!
The End.
