Hailed as one of the greatest movies ever made while also standing out as one of the most controversially violent movies ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel A Clockwork Orange still has the ability to shock half a century after it hit theaters (in a select few countries, as it was banned in a lot of places).
Malcolm McDowell’s chilling portrayal of Alex DeLarge — technically the “protagonist,” but a pretty deplorable, evil guy — has inspired some of the greatest villain performances of all time, like Heath Ledger’s Joker. Here are 10 fascinating details from the making of A Clockwork Orange.
An Adaptation Of A Clockwork Orange Almost Got Made With The Rolling Stones Playing Alex And His Droogs
Before Kubrick decided to adapt A Clockwork Orange into a film, a number of filmmakers tried to get adaptations off the ground. One version was intended as a vehicle for the Rolling Stones, in which the band would’ve played Alex and his droogs.
David Hemmings was set to play Alex in a film version written by Terry Southern, while Oliver Reed was set to play Alex in a film directed by Ken Russell.
Alex’s Jockstrap Over His Pants Was Inspired By Malcolm McDowell’s Cricket Gear
The original costume for Alex DeLarge didn’t involve a jockstrap over his pants. This element came when Malcolm McDowell showed up to a costume fitting after a cricket game and Stanley Kubrick liked the look of his cricket gear.
When Kubrick told him to incorporate his cricket gear into the costume, McDowell began by putting the jockstrap under his pants, but the director told him to wear it over his pants instead.
Tim Curry And Jeremy Irons Were Offered The Role Of Alex DeLarge
Prior to Malcolm McDowell’s now-iconic casting in the role of Alex DeLarge, the role was offered to Tim Curry and Jeremy Irons, who both turned it down.
McDowell was 27 years old during the shoot. Michael Tarn, who played Pete, was the only droog actor who was still a teenager, at the age of 19.
A Clockwork Orange Was Shot For Far Cheaper Than His Previous Film, 2001: A Space Odyssey
Kubrick made A Clockwork Orange right after shooting 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some critics noting that the director moved onto a low-budget, small-scale production as a refresher after the big-budget, epic-scale production of 2001.
Whereas the 2001 shoot took up entire studios with its gigantic sets and involved a huge number of VFX shots, the shoot for A Clockwork Orange utilized real locations and low-rent filmmaking techniques, like using a Lowell Kit, a favorite among film students, to light the movie.
“Singin’ In The Rain” Was Improvised By Malcolm McDowell
One of the most memorable, and disturbing, scenes in A Clockwork Orange sees Alex singing “Singin’ in the Rain” while he and his droogs terrorize the writer and his wife. The song wasn’t originally scripted. On the set, Stanley Kubrick found the scene to be too conventional and asked Malcolm McDowell to spruce it up with some improv.
McDowell started singing the song and Kubrick liked it so much that he instantly got on the phone to secure the rights to use it. Gene Kelly would later tell McDowell at a party that he was very upset with how his song had been used in A Clockwork Orange.
Kubrick’s First Cut Was Almost Four Hours Long
With its release date arriving slightly over a year after shooting began, Kubrick shot and edited A Clockwork Orange faster than any other movie in his career. His first cut of the movie clocked in at almost four hours in length.
After hiring a handful of assistant editors, Kubrick managed to cut the movie down to the final 136 minutes. The director then instructed his assistant to destroy all the unused footage from the production.
David Prowse Managed To Get Perfectionist Kubrick To Reduce His Number Of Takes For One Particular Scene
Prior to shooting the scene in which he had to carry the wheelchair up the stairs, bodybuilder David Prowse (who went on to play the physical presence, but not the voice, of Darth Vader) asked Stanley Kubrick to limit his number of takes, because the wheelchair was heavy.
Crew members who overheard this request went into a stunned silence, worried that Kubrick would explode, but the director just chuckled and promised Prowse he would do his best. In the end, Kubrick nailed the scene in six takes, which is shockingly low for the infamous perfectionist.
The Fast-Motion Sex Scene Was Filmed In One Continuous 28-Minute Long Take
The graphic threesome scene in A Clockwork Orange is sped up like a Benny Hill skit, which Kubrick used as a satirical counterpoint to the clichéd use of slow-motion in sex scenes.
According to Malcolm McDowell, this scene was filmed in one continuous 28-minute long take. He ad-libbed inviting the girls back into bed for a second encounter.
Malcolm McDowell Scratched His Cornea While Filming The Ludovico Technique Scene
The man administering the eye drops during the Ludovico Technique scene was a real doctor, because Malcolm McDowell faced the possibility of real damage to his eyes while he was shooting the scene.
His eyes were anesthetized to allow Kubrick to shoot his standard dozens of takes without McDowell feeling excruciating pain. However, the actor’s cornea did get scratched by the metal arms prying his eyelids open.
Stanley Kubrick Had The Film Banned In The UK Himself
The controversial nature of A Clockwork Orange got it banned by the governments of China and Ireland. It was banned in Brazil until a version with censored nudity was made six years later. The movie was also banned in the UK, but not by the government; it was banned at Kubrick’s request.
After Kubrick heard about two men in Lancashire who raped a Dutch girl while singing “Singin’ in the Rain” and a 16-year-old boy who beat up a younger child while dressed as Alex DeLarge, he made the moral decision to ban the movie. It wasn’t available in the UK until Kubrick’s death.
