Porky's (1981)
Trivia
Writer/director Bob Clark gathered material for the movie over a 15 year period. The story is composite of incidents collected from the males of his generation along with some of his own personal memories from growing up in high school.
Bob Clark stated in the 2006 DVD commentary that he used his real-life high school and college experience as the basis for various characters, and compares himself closest to Pee Wee, Billy and Tommy (the brains); others characters were based in real life friends or people he went to school and college with.
In 1982, Porky's (1981) was the top movie in the USA for eight weeks and was second only to the sixteen weeks that Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) held the No. #1 box-office spot.
According to the '80s Rewind' website, the studio did not want to make A Christmas Story (1983) but allowed it, so Bob Clark would make the sequel Porky's II: The Next Day (1983).
The picture was a box-office smash hit despite being generally lambasted by film critics. For example, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert called it one of the worst films of 1982.
This was the highest-grossing movie from Canada for 24 years. As of 2010, it is now third highest, having been beaten by Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006) and Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010).
For many years radio shock jock Howard Stern tried to produce a reboot of the film but was not able to find a studio to back him. He had the blessing of Bob Clark.
Originally given an 'X' rating by the MPAA and required two major revisions before it was assured an 'R' rating.
This is the first movie to gross over £1 million at the Irish box office, despite having been banned initially and only being released after appeal.
This American-looking movie was produced by a Canadian outfit, Astral Bellevue Pathe Inc., and was essentially a Canadian production despite being financed by American company Melvin Simon Productions and entirely shot in Florida.
Chuck Mitchell wasn't the only one considered for the role of "Porky." Broward county sheriff's Deputy Don Lydanne, who was also the personal Bodyguard of the Sheriff of Broward County Ken Jenne, stood at 6'8 and 320 lbs. However, he was turned down for the role due to his "slimmer" physique and lack of a huge stomach.
Kim Cattrall took a small role in the film because she needed the money, and was horrified, at first, to see her name at the top of the poster: "People thought it was the end of my career." Afterward, she had trouble getting 'serious' roles "because I was sexualized in that way." But she's come to own it: "You haven't actually seen Kim nude. You've seen the characters I play nude."
Actor Scott Colomby was in his late 20s when he played teenager Brian Schwartz.
Despite the film's well-deserved reputation as a raunchy sex comedy, director Bob Clark later noted that the only reason he was able to direct the far more wholesome (and now perennial holiday classic) "A Christmas Story" (1983) was because of the clout that this film's success had given him among Hollywood producers.
Actors Alex Karras and Susan Clark are married, and have worked together on numerous productions. This film is the second one about teen misfits in Miami they worked on together that year. The first was Nobody's Perfekt (1981).
In a 2022 interview with Mark Herrier, he revealed that they originally shot a more graphic version of the scene where Tommy puts his penis through the wall in the shower scene, but that it was cut to avoid an X rating. "They filmed him putting his pee-pee through the hole, and it started to come out," Herrier says of how the joke was originally shot. "The girls are reacting to like it's a snake coming out of the ground, and it was actually this pathetic little thing! I think it would have brought the house down: It was hysterical, and not pornographic at all. It would've been exactly what Bob intended, which was just silly and pathetic. But the film would've gotten an X, so they had to cut it out."
The real name of Pee Wee (Dan Monahan) was given at the beginning - it's Edward Morris.
Initially banned in Ireland, but re-rated 16 on appeal, despite a higher 18 rating being available at the time.
According to 'Time Out,' the movie was "The National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) of 1982" and shifted "the American Graffiti (1973) formula to a '50s Florida."
Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
Director Bob Clark and actress Kim Cattrall had previously worked together on Tribute (1980). Porky's (1981) was the second of four collaborations, the others being Turk 182 (1985) and Baby Geniuses (1999).
Brian Schwartz had a 1953 Jaguar XK 120. This model was produced from 1949 to 1954 and had a six cylinder engine with a top speed of 122 mph.
Albeit, "Porky's" was released in 1981 (noted in news stories as from 1982,) "Porky's" was PREVIEWED to Junior High children in the late '70's. It was shelved for years before it's premiere.
The $10 that the black man was paid to scare off the naked men (pretending to be Cherry Forever's "husband") comes out to $95.16 in 2019.
First of two "Porky's" movies directed by Bob Clark who directed the picture's sequel Porky's II: The Next Day (1983) the following year. Clark did not want to direct a third film in the series so he did not direct Porky's Revenge (1985).
Actor Dan Monahan, who played Pee Wee, later worked with director Bob Clark again on Baby Geniuses (1999), From the Hip (1987) and Porky's II: The Next Day (1983).
Director Bob Clark brought back two actors, Art Hindle and Doug McGrath, from one of his previous films Black Christmas (1974). Art Hindle also briefly appeared in the sequel, Porky's II: The Next Day.
The name of the top-floor secret-room at Porky's bar and club was "Porky's Pen." The room however is only ever referred to in the film's story and is never actually seen in the movie.
The girl's shower scene was named #5 on its Top 20 Gratuitous Nude Scenes of The 1980s by website Flashbak in July 2014.
A few shots of scenes from this movie are played during the opening credits of this film's sequel Porky's II: The Next Day (1983).
The meaning and relevance of this film's "Porky's" title was explained by 'Halliwells' who explicated that the "title refers to a redneck establishment out in the everglades known for its available women."
Both Scott Colomby (Brian Schwartz) and Boyd Gaines (Coach Brackett) appeared on One Day at a Time (1975), each playing a boyfriend of Barbara Cooper (Valerie Bertinelli).
Jill Whitlow's (Mindy) & Max Wasa's (cheerleader) debut.
Ilse Earl (Pee-Wee's mother) was 59 years old at the time of filming, which would put her 42 to 45 years old when she gave birth to Pee-Wee.
Mark Herrier (Billy) was born in 1954, the year that this movie takes place.
