Celebrating 40 Years of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'

Sept. 26, 2015 12:04 PM PT

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” To celebrate, we dug through the archives looking for everything we could on the science-fiction double-feature picture show. Read our interview with Tim Curry days before “Rocky Horror” would perform in Los Angeles, the original movie review, fan screenings through the years, thoughts on Brad (from the original Brad) and many, many glitter tributes.

Behind the scenes with Tim Curry at the 1974 'Rocky Horror' L.A. stage show

(1974)

Tim Curry, barely settled in L.A. for the “Rocky Horror” stage show (yes, before there was a movie, there was a play), spilled the beans on backstage secrets, including the time Rocky got a bad glitter reaction. “Rocky couldn’t go on,” Curry said. “You see, we use a lot of glitter in the show, and Rocky wears more glitter than anyone else, really. I don’t know if I should be telling you this ... Well, Rocky got some glitter down his trunks, and it set up an irritation. When we arrived at the theater, he was standing in the shower, and the show couldn’t go on.”

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Original 'Rocky Horror' review: We loved it!

(1975)

Then-L.A. Times staff writer Kevin Thomas completely embraced the sweetness of this oddball romp. “Indeed, there’s an underlying quality of tenderness and even innocence in this loving send-up of horror and sci-fi flicks and celebration of post-graduate sexuality.”

'Rocky Horror' a sci-fi spoof

1978 - The line formed early for a late screening of the cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood.

(Los Angeles Times)

The fandom grows and grows at the Tiffany Theater

(1978)

The L.A. Times dived headfirst into the cult of crazy that inhabited midnight screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Take a trip back to the Tiffany Theater in 1978 to a world of rice-throwers and toast makers — a celebration of the notion that it’s OK to be weird.

Saturday Night Fervor at Tiffany

2010 - Actors Danny DeVito and Jack Nicholson performed together for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show's" 35th anniversary at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

(Getty Images)

Did you know there was a sequel to Rocky Horror called 'Shock Treatment'?

(1981)

The sequel follows Brad and Janet in Denton, U.S.A., which has now turned from a small town into a town obsessed with television. The couple is picked to participate in the TV series “Marriage Maze.” It’s insane, but also kind of terrible. Read the full review.

'Shock Treatment,' the 'Rocky Horror' Sequel You Didn't Know Existed

Doing the "Time Warp" during "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

(20th Century Fox)

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'De-virginizing' first-timers at Balboa Cinema's weekly 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'

(1990)

Let’s delve into the de-virginizing experience that still stands years later at the Balboa. “Just watching the movie is nothing like the experience,” cinema manager Mike Peterson said. “It’s the difference to listening to a play on tape and seeing a play.”

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Frank N Furter (Tim Curry) announces the creation of Rocky with Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and Columbia (Little Nell) at his side in the cult-classic movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." (20th Century Fox / 20th Century Fox)

How 'Rocky Horror' landed its illustrious, glitter-rock look

(1990)

Costume designer Sue Blane, who created the original “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” stage ensembles in London and also designed the costumes for the film talks about the beginning of glitter rock. And the whole underwear as outerwear trend.

The 'Rocky Horror' Dress-for-Excess Look

Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) before everything gets out-of-this-world in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

(Handout)

Barry Bostwick reflects on Brad

(1995)

“I still think that Brad is the most underappreciated character in the piece. Whenever there is a costume contest, invariably the one that wins the Brad look-alike is a tall woman. She’s in a tuxedo with a plaid bow tie and cummerbund like my character. It’s just gender-bending. It’s great.” — Barry Bostwick

Read the full interview

1999 - The cast of Richard O'Brien's "The Rocky Horror Show" during a photo session, at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood.

Dr. Frank N Furter (David Arquette) and the rest of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" cast at the Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

David Arquette and Todd Oldham combine to make the most late-'90s 'Rocky Horror' ever

1999

The “Time Warp” came back to the Tiffany in 1999, starring David Arquette as Frank N Furter, Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald and Lacey Kohl as Brad and Janet, and Paxton Whitehead as the narrator “to deadpan perfection.” And the costumes were created by Todd Oldham.

Read our review

2010 - The musical TV series "Glee's" group New Directions paid tribute to Richard O'Brien's creation in the episode titled "The Rocky Horror Glee Show."

(Adam Rose / Fox)

Glee does 'Rocky Horror'

(2010)

The predominately saccharine-sweet series “Glee” took on the “Rocky Horror” medleys with their own take, letting the teachers sing “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.” The end result was mixed.

Read the recap

2010 - Actors Lucas Grabeel, Melora Hardin and Evan Rachel Wood perform onstage for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" 35th anniversary at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

( Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

35th anniversary of 'Rocky Horror'

(2012)

Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Lucas Grabeel, Melora Hardin, Evan Rachel Wood and Julian McMahon all came out to participate in a charity show of “Rocky Horror.”