There Was No Love Lost Between Roman Polanski & John Cassavetes: 7 Things Learned About 'Rosemary's Baby' Now On Blu-Ray

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by Rodrigo Perez
October 31, 2012 3:43 PM
8 Comments

Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby” was a box-office hit upon its release in the summer of 1968. It grossed $33 million dollars off a $3 million dollar budget (adjusted for inflation that’s $221million from a $19 million budget) and it paved the way for horror blockbusters like “The Exorcist” and “The Omen” in the years to come. Made by Polanski at the age of 34, it was the Polish director’s American film debut, and the picture became nominated for two Academy Awards, including a win for Ruth Gordon's deliciously quirky Supporting Role performance as the neighbor from hell. It also earned Polanski his first Oscar nomination for his adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel, which is not bad for a guy that didn’t speak English as a first language.

A creepy, darkly comic psychological horror/drama, “Rosemary’s Baby,” in case you’re living under a rock, centers on a New York young couple (Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes) who move into a new apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and odd occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins controlling her life (and that's just the tip of the iceberg).

It’s become a touchstone horror film, that like all the classic ones, is much more than just a horror picture thanks to its deliciously wry humor and its potent ambiguity (some have posited the entire story is just in Rosemary’s head). Released on the Criterion Collection on DVD and Blu-ray this week, it’s finally found a suitably cared for home by these home video tastemakers with a gorgeous transfer and insightful extras.

Evidently Alfred Hitchcock himself had passed on an option of the novel and instead horror producer William Castle optioned it and took it to renowned Paramount head Robert Evans who, on the extras, said the movie “remains a highpoint of my career.” Evidently no one at Paramount, including the notoriously conservative chairman Charles Bludhorn, wanted to Polanski to direct the film nor trusted him to make a horror for his first English-language picture in the U.S. But Evans dug in his heels and Bludhorn eventually relented. The DVD extras detail out several fascinating aspects of the production so here’s seven highlights of elements we learned from “Rosemary’s Baby.”

1. Producer William Castle was once poised to direct the film after Polanski was already on board, according to Mia Farrow.
According to the Criterion Collection DVD extra “Remembering Rosemary’s Baby,” Mia Farrow recalled that Castle called her and said, “I’m so glad you’re going to do the part, but we may be doing it without Roman,” she remembered, noting that Castle, also a director, would take the helm if such a thing happened (presumably this meant the filmmaker had a change of heart at one point or negotiations weren’t going well). “My heart sank. I mean, lovely man, William, but I knew the power of the film would lie in Roman telling the tale.”

Evans wouldn't let Castle direct it. Instead choosing Polanski because he was so impressed and unnerved with "Repulsion” and the directorial prowess evinced by “Knife In The Water” and “Cul De Sac.” Evans said he was “fascinated” with Polanski’s films, while Castle was a shlocky B-film director/producer of gimmicky horror films. “Macabre” was touted as being so scary it came with a ridiculous $1,000 life insurance policy for each customer in case they should die of fright during the film. “13 Ghosts” was shot in “Emergo” (essentially accompanied by a dangling glow-in-the-dark skeleton in the theater) and he best known for wiring theater seats to jolt patrons of “The Tingler.”

“He was good [at what he did],” Evans said. “But the quality of the films were not what I wanted to make. I read his submission of 'Rosemary’s Baby' and I loved it. Because it was a horror film, but brilliantly written. It was too good for Bill Castle,” he laughed, saying he needed a special person to take on the job.

2. Robert Evans essentially tricked Polanski into directing the film by luring him with the prospect of letting him helm the ski film “Downhill Racer.”
As Polanski was a ski buff, Evans hooked him under the false pretense of letting him direct "Downhill Racer.” But Evans told Polanski, before he should do anything, he should read this other script first, “Rosemary’s Baby.”

It struck Polanski like a like a syrupy Doris Day number at first. “I went to the hotel and started reading and it looked to like a kitchen melodrama for television,” Polanski said on the DVD extras, “But as I read, I got deeper and deeper into it and the suspense was such that i didn’t stop until 4 in the morning and the next day I came back to the studio and I said, ‘Ok, let’s do this first.’ ” Of course, “Downhill Racer” would eventually be directed by Michael Ritchie and star Robert Redford (also on The Criterion Collection), but Polanski didn’t seem to care after the creepy mood horror launched his career.

3. Roman Polanski got some much-needed advice from Otto Preminger while filming.
During production, one day William Castle called Robert Evans and complained that Polanski was ten days behind schedule and if this continued he was going to cost Paramount a fortune. Evans said the producer’s suggestion was to “get rid of him.” Evans quickly flew to New York and told Polanski to pick up the pace or said he’d get shipped back to Poland. But the producers were thrilled with the dailies and what they were seeing thus far.

Worried, Polanski ran into filmmaker Otto Preminger in L.A., and the elder director asked Roman why he was so visibly concerned and gloomy. Polanski explained his situation, that he was behind schedule and he was worried that Evans and Paramount were going to fire him. Preminger said, “What about the rushes? Do they like them?” And Polanski said, “They’re delighted with them!” Preminger, countered, “So what do you care then? They never fired anyone because of schedule, but if they don’t like the rushes, you’d be out very soon.” And soon after, Polanski regained his confidence and stopped fretting.

While Polanski concurs with Evans and Paramount was making him “miserable” during the production, the director gave him a big compliment. “Robert Evans trusts talent very much,” he said. “He was a great enthusiast of motion pictures. He loved a good movie and he was trying to inject new blood into the system and it paid off.”

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More: Roman Polanski, Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Rosemary's Baby, Criterion Collection, The Criterion Collection

8 Comments

| Reply
Fred | November 5, 2012 3:27 AMReply

Good feature!
DG | November 1, 2012 8:53 PMReply

Wow I'd never heard that story about Sinatra and Mia's divorce before, what a fucking asshole. Interesting that Faces came out the same year that happened because the first time I ever saw it I remember thinking it was really good but almost couldn't believe that the kind of men being portrayed in itactually existed but there you go, Sinatra seems to fit the mold right there. Anyways she obviously made the right choice so alls well. Great article btw
Salty Bill | November 1, 2012 5:45 PMReply

Thank you for adjusting the dollar figures (in your post) to reflect the effect of inflation over the years. MANY writers neglect to do this, leaving misleading impressions. All one needs do is go to a site like this one: www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
Cde. | November 1, 2012 10:25 AMReply

"As Polanski was a ski buff, Evans hooked him under the false pretense of letting him direct "Downhill Racer.â But Evans told Polanski, before he should do anything, he should read this other script first, âRosemaryâs Baby.â

But Polanski wrote the script. I think you must mean the original novel.
Archer Slyce | November 1, 2012 8:46 AMReply

Nice article, thanks. That thing about William Castle was fun I must say. And as far as the whole church of Satan goes I wouldn't be surprised if Lavey himself was the origin of these rumors ... Anyway, what an amazing film.
Daniel | October 31, 2012 8:57 PMReply

One of the greats. My favorite bit of trivia: an anagram is central to the movie's plot -- and the title Rosemary's Baby is also an anagram -- "A Brassy Embryo."
jon | October 31, 2012 5:19 PMReply

"Made by Polanski at the age of 34, it was the Polish directorâs first English-language and American film debut"

True, it was his American-film debut, but both Cul-de-sac and Repulsion are in English.
James | October 31, 2012 6:25 PM

As is The Fearless Vampire Killers. Indeed, for a Polish/French director, his love affair with Hollywood and America is evident in the fact that aside from his very first film, ALL of his other films have been in English, even after he went into exile, and even those set entirely in other countries.