It Didn’t Start Out Called The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Richard O’Brien wrote the original screenplay for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but this wasn’t what it was always called. O’Brien was trying to get the script together as quickly as possible so that they could get started on hiring actors. When they first started rehearsing, the show had a different title. Since the story was set somewhere near Denton, Texas, they called it ‘They Came from Denton High.’
Susan Sarandon (L), Barry Bostwick (2nd from L), and director Jim Sharman (R) prepare for filming. Photo By Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Shutterstock
Of course, that name didn’t stick. But the whole time they were rehearsing, O’Brien and the director Jim Sharman didn’t change it. At the last minute, they decided the name didn’t fit well enough. They decided to name it ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ just before the previews of the stage show. The two came up with this name because of the genres they were spoofing. Of course, the movie has an extra ‘Picture’ in the title.