Pink Flamingos (1972)

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Release Date:

October 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Horror

Tagline:

An exercise in poor taste.

Plot:

Notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure Divine goes up against Connie & Raymond Marble, a sleazy married couple who make a passionate attempt to humiliate her and seize her tabloid-given title as "The Filthiest Person Alive".

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Competition | Trailer | Egg | Lesbian

Cast

Divine	...	Divine / Babs Johnson
David Lochary	...	Raymond Marble
Mary Vivian Pearce	...	Cotton
Mink Stole	...	Connie Marble
Danny Mills	...	Crackers
Edith Massey	...	Edie
Channing Wilroy	...	Channing
Cookie Mueller	...	Cookie
Paul Swift	...	The Egg Man
Susan Walsh	...	Suzie
Linda Olgeirson	...	Linda
Pat Moran	...	Patty Hitler (Party Guest In Nazi Uniform)
Jack Walsh	...	Party Guest
Bob Skidmore	...	Delivery Boy
Pat Lefaiver	...	First Lesbian
Jackie Sidel	...	Party Guest
Julie Munshauer	...	Party Guest
Steve Yeager	...	Nat Curzan from "The Tattler"
Nancy Crystal	...	Sandy Sandstone
George Figgs	...	Bongo player
John Oden	...	Onlooker
George Stoll	...	Onlooker
David Gluck	...	Onlooker
Elizabeth Coffey	...	Chick with a Dick
Margie Donnelly	...	Onlooker
Margie Skidmore	...	Brunette in park
Berenica Cipcus	...	Blonde in park
Iris Burman	...	Party Guest
Randy Burman	...	Man at deli with hot dog pack / Party Guest
Don Blumberg	...	Party Guest
Vincent Peranio	...	Musician at party
Bob Adams	...	Police officer who gets shot
Mark Lazarus	...	Officer
David Lehman	...	Party Guest
Catriona Maloney	...	Party Guest
Richard Keller	...	Cab Driver
Charlie Swope	...	Party Guest
Barry Golome	...	Party Guest
Ed Peranio	...	Party Guest
Elia Katz	...	Army Guy
Steve Waters	...	Jogger
Billy Davis	...	Party Guest
Howard Gruber	...	Party guest sniffing popper
Van Smith	...	Guest at party in drag
Chuck Yeaton	...	Deli clerk
Laurie Birnbaum	...	Party Guest
Lenny Taylor	...	Extra
Trick Grantham	...	Party Guest
Mark Isherwood	...	Party Guest
Randy Damm	...	Party Guest
Alan Reese	...	Party Guest
Alberta Reese	...	Party Guest
Cowboy Foulke	...	Party Guest
David Sander	...	Party Guest
Brigette Grey	...	Party Guest
John Herndon	...	Party Guest
Ellis Clark	...	Party Guest
Joe Wilepski	...	Party Guest
Jimmy Hutzler	...	Party Guest
Paul Landis	...	Party Guest
Lawrence Irvine	...	Party Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Melin	...	Basement Slave (uncredited)
Max Mueller	...	Noodles (uncredited)
John Waters	...	Mr. J (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Waters

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Waters

Produced by
John Waters	....	producer

Cinematography by
John Waters

Film Editing by
John Waters

Production Design by
Vincent Peranio

Art Direction by
Vincent Peranio

Makeup Department
Van Smith	....	makeup artist: Divine
David Lochary	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Mink Stole	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pat Moran	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Vincent Peranio	....	set designer (as Vince Peranio)

Sound Department
Bill Porter	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lawrence Irvine	....	unit photographer
Brad Ganson	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Van Smith	....	costumes: Divine

Other crew
Bob Adams	....	technical assistant
Randy Burman	....	title designer
Barry Golome	....	technical assistant
Ed Peranio	....	technical assistant
Vincent Peranio	....	technical assistant
Alan Rose	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Dreamland

Distributors

• Saliva Films (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Danton Films (1975) (Canada) (theatrical) (cut version)
• Wizard Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Palace Video (1981) (UK) (VHS)
• Palace Video (1981) (UK) (video) (Betamax)
• Harmonyvision (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Fine Line Features (1997) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications (1997) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Entertainment (1997) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Herald Film Company (Japan)
• New Line Cinema
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV) (Teema)

Other Companies

• Allen Lee Opticals  Mink Stole's glasses
• Allen Lee Opticals  opticals
• Rockford  opticals
• Rockford  production assistance

Also Known As:

"John Waters' Pink Flamingos" - USA (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for a wide range of perversions in explicit detail (re-rating) (1997)

Runtime:

93 min | Australia:106 min (re-release) | UK:104 min (re-release) | USA:108 min (re-release) | Argentina:108 min (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (1997 re-release) | Mono

Certification:

Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Canada:XXX (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1997) | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:(Banned) (original rating) | Norway:18 (video rating) (1992) | UK:18 (cut) | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1997) (No. 35119) | USA:X (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:(Banned) | Australia:R (cut) | Australia:X (video rating) (1984) | Singapore:(Banned) | Japan:R-18 | Australia:Refused Classification (uncut) (re rating) (1997) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Dreamland

Trivia:

In some theatres, patrons were given a "Pink Phlegm-ingo Barf Bag."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Cookie makes her phone call to the Marbles, there is a clear shadow of the crew as someone on the set moves around.

Quotes:

Mr. J:Even with the hectic events of the day, Raymond Marble still finds time to satisfy his perverted urges. Watch, as he not only commits another act of indecent exposure, but adds to this social horror by making his wife wait in the car. Is there no shame?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Cinema Snob: Pink Flamingos (#3.24)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent

It may be cheap and revolting, but it's got style.

I first saw Pink Flamingos in the mid 70's, back before VCRs. A college dorm had rented a print, and in a drunken state I've not achieved again this past quarter-century, I went to see it. Having finally seen it again only recently, this time sober, I'm here to tell you... it looks a hell of a lot better when you're drunk. Those who call it "great" or a "masterpiece" are plain wrong, they don't recognize what they are seeing. The camera work is a hair's breadth above home movies; the acting and story are... well, they are better than in porn flicks and even some straight-to-video movies, but, jeez, not by much. And then there is the primary purpose behind Pink Flamingos -- to make the most disgusting, revolting movie possible, perhaps even conceivable.

But... BUT... Pink Flamingos is distinctive. Even if you - yes YOU out there - the reader, wanted to make the most disgusting movie in the world and even if you had the money and the skills that John Waters lacked in 1972, you couldn't make a film as good as he did. Yes, GOOD! You couldn't because, first of all, I doubt you have the same quality of acquaintances that Waters had and put into into his early movies. And it's not just a matter of WHAT they will do, but HOW they do it. Waters' actors had a style, no matter how bizarre, that is rarer than most depravities. Could YOU recognize the virtues of, let alone even find, someone like Edith Massey? I doubt it. Which leads to the second point.

Pink Flamingos has panache! It has a free-wheeling sense of daring-do that borders on innocent fun. So, although the movie is so disgusting that I wish it had never been made, it is not a squalid film. And I don't think YOU, the reader, or anyone other than Waters could have pulled that off. It doesn't make Pink Flamingos a masterpiece. It does make it unlike any other film.