Many movies were referenced in "The Rocky Horror Show" (1973 original play) and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975 movie based on the musical). The original script was written as a tribute to the horror-B movies of the late 1940s through to the early 1970s. This is a complete list of those references in order of appearance:
References in "Science Fiction / Double Feature"[]
- Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
- And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear - Flash Gordon (1936)
- Claude Rains was the invisible man - The Invisible Man (1933)
- Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong - King Kong (1933)
- Then at a deadly pace it came from outer space - It Came from Outer Space (1953)
- Dr X will build a creature - Doctor X (1932)
- Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet - Forbidden Planet (1956)
- I knew Leo G. Carroll [...] when Tarantula took to the hills - Tarantula (1955)
- When I saw Jeanette Scott fight a Triffid - The Day of the Triffids (1962)
- Dana Andrews said prunes, gave him the runes - Night of the Demon (1957)
- But when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride - When Worlds Collide (1951)
The red lips in the movie version are inspired by Man Ray's painting "A l'heure de l'observatoire, les Amoureux" as production designer Brian Thomson disliked the idea of showing clips from the movies referenced in the song.
American Gothic (1930)[]
The wardrobe of the old man and his wife during "Dammit, Janet" references Grant Wood's 1930 painting "American Gothic" and the painting itself appears during "Time Warp".
References to The Forms of Things Unknown (The Outer Limits, 1964)[]
A coffin unexpectedly appears.
The narrator guides the story.
The heroes drive through a dark forest at night in the rain.
There is a problem with the car, and the heroes must walk
through the rain until they come upon a strange dwelling.
A creepy servant answers the door.
The scientist arrives.
The scientist asks the heroes to stay for the night and then goes back up to his lab.
The servant becomes the master.
Oakley Court[]
Frank's Castle is actually Oakley Court, a Victorian Gothic country house overlooking the River Thames at Water Oakley in Bray in the English county of Berkshire. The exterior was used in the filming of a number of films, including The Man in Black (1949), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Brides of Dracula (1960), Nightmare (1963), The Old Dark House (1963), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Witchcraft (1964), Die, Monster, Die! (1965), The Reptile (1966), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Projected Man (1967), Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly (1970), The House in Nightmare Park (1973), And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973), Dracula (1973), Vampyres (1974), The Mutations (1974), and Murder By Decree (1979).
References to "Frankenstein" (1931)[]
A mad scientist and his servant(s) make a creature.
The scientist is proud to share his creature with his spectators.
The spectators are rather scared.
An old teacher appears in the castle.
References to "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957)[]
The creature is in a tank.
The creature is covered in bandages.
References to "The Night of the Hunter" (1955)[]
"Love" and "Hate" tattoos.
References to "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932)[]
A woman rips part of her clothing to bandage the wounds of a man.
References to "Rope" (1948)[]
Dinner is served on a table with a body inside.
A toast is made to the murder victim.