The short answer is that the lips are Patricia Quinn’s. She sang “Science Fiction” for the London stage production, and she assumed she would be singing the song for the movie. As it turned out, writer Richard O’Brien decided to perform the opener, but they kept her lips moving on the screen as he sings.
At the time, she was furious. That song was the reason she auditioned. She was ready to leave the film altogether, but producer John Goldstone pleaded with her to stay to play her character Magenta.
The Stuntman’s Crash
The motorcycle was real. It was an old military bike, and it weighed a ton. Working on that scene, Sheppard is told to ride the bike on a raised circular ramp. On the second round, hurrying along at a quick pace, he veers to the side of the ramp and topples over the edge from that height.
When the rider lay there without moving and with his eyes closed, everyone on the set feared the worst. Next, he sat up, clapped his hands, and was ready to get back to work. He later explained that keeping still after a crash is a stuntman’s check to make sure there are no injuries that movement would exacerbate.
Meat Loaf Gets Cold Feet
Meat Loaf was from Denton, Texas, the same “Denton” as the working title. He was raised in Dallas but moved to Denton for college. “The Rocky Horror Show” was his second acting gig, and “Hair” was his first. He had only rehearsed the songs and had not seen the script by the time he showed up for the first dress rehearsal.
When he first saw Tim Curry fully costumed in drag, the naïve southern boy left. His erratic behavior got him a ticket, jaywalking across Hollywood Blvd. Legendarily, narrator Graham Jarvis talked him into coming back to the production. Soon enough, he understood the humor and loved the show.
Costume Designer Extraordinaire
Another creative the producers were able to bring over to the film was Sue Blane. She almost did not come on board, but after knowing her friend and colleague Curry, whom she’d met in 1971 at the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow, would be playing the lead, she took the underpaid job.
Her creations, impeccably mocking movie conventions while looking avant-garde make the film what it is. She also is credited for inspiring punk looks and styles. The talented costume designer was recognized in the UK with an MBE and was nominated for a BAFTA in 1982.
Tim Curry’s Corsets
The first corset Sue Blane designed for Curry was at the Glasgow theatre for “The Maids” in a 1973 performance. When director Jim Sharman approached Blane to do the costuming for his “Rocky Horror” musical, she had the perfect thing. She grabbed the old “Maids” corset from the closet, glued on some sequins, and presented Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s first look.
She had to work with a budget of $400, forcing her to forage through flea markets and junk shops all over London. “With such a small budget, everything had to be junk. There was no way around it.” She didn’t look at any sci-fi books or comic strips; she just went with her intuition. For the movie, she was allotted $1,600. However, with corsets costing $200, it was still a very tight budget.