Written as a stage musical by Richard O'Brien, who played the part of Riff Raff, the show debuted in 1973. A moderate success, O'Brien then wrote the script for the movie version that was released in the fall of 1975. The film was considered a flop until it got a second chance at a midnight showing at the Waverly Theater in NYC. College students looking for some late-night frivolity latched on to the film. By 1979, the film's underground popularity had expanded to weekend late shows at 230 theaters across the country, where audience participation- costumes, retorts, and throwing of props- was all part of the Rocky Horror experience.
As the longest-running release in film history, the movie was selected for the U.S. National Film registry by the Library of Congress in 2005.
On the back of the matchbook for the film is an advertisement for the local theater where the film was shown. The Varsity in St. Louis (at 6810 Delmar) was built in 1935; the theater has since closed and the building has housed a drug store and used record store in recent years.
The saddle of the book features the logo for St. Louis rock station K-SHE 95, and their "Midnight Flicks" promotion.
And while the KC Matchgirl is aware that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is often shown on television, it occurs to her that the movie is horrifyingly bad- unless you go see the midnight show.
Matchbook Date: Late 1970's, at the height of the Rocky Horror craze.
