Purple Rain (1984)

A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.

Director:

Albert Magnoli

Writers:

Albert Magnoli, William Blinn

Stars:

Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Prince	...	The Kid
Apollonia Kotero	...	Apollonia
Morris Day	...	Morris
Olga Karlatos	...	Mother
Clarence Williams III	...	Father
Jerome Benton	...	Jerome
Billy Sparks	...	Billy
Jill Jones	...	Jill
Charles Huntsberry	...	Chick
Dez Dickerson	...	Dez
Brenda Bennett	...	Brenda
Susan Moonsie	...	Susan (as Susan)
Sandra Claire Gershman	...	Beautiful Babe
Kim Upsher	...	Kim
Alan Leeds	...	Stage Hand

Storyline

A young man with a talent for music has begun a career with much promise. He meets an aspiring singer, Apollonia, and finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs. A complicated tale of his repeating his father's self destructive behavior, losing Apollonia to another singer (Morris Day), and his coming to grips with his own connection to other people ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | female frontal nudity | breasts | androgyny | skinny dipping | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baran-e Banafsh

Filming Locations:

752 South Main Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,766,201, 29 July 1984, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$68,392,977

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$80,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Purple Films, Water

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Albert Magnoli and William Blinn shared the writing credits, it is not known how much of Blinn's material was used. Magnoli estimates that only two or three of Blinn's scenes are in the final cut of the film.

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Goofs

Apollonia's application card says she is at the Royal Hotel. Later in the film, when Prince reads the card, which is pinned to the notice board, her address is the Huntington Hotel, the handwriting is completely different, and the notice board pin is in a different position. When The Kid then walks away from the notice board, the card is one seen earlier.

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Quotes

[first lines]
First Avenue M.C.: Ladies and gentlemen... The Revolution!

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Crazy Credits

"May u live 2 see the dawn"

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Alternate Versions

Network TV versions omit the song "Baby, I'm a Star", and simply have it playing over the end credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Poom-haeong-je-ro (2002)

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Soundtracks

Sex Shooter
Words and Music by Apollonia 6 and Prince (as The Starr Company)
Performed by Apollonia Kotero, Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie as (Apollonia 6)
© 1984 Controversy Music

User Reviews

A Fun Film

When I first saw this video in the video store, I didn't know what to make of it, being from Prince and all. Being an adventurous soul, I rented it anyway. Good decision! From the very first synthesizer-soaked note of "Let's Go Crazy," this movie takes hold of your attention, and doesn't let go until the ending credits. All the music has that '80s new-wave synthesizer sound goin' for it, but hey, it's an '80s movie! Besides, Prince's songs have a timeless quality that cannot be ignored. Some people may have their opinions of the Purple One, and I understand, but as for me, I think he's awesome! The movie as a whole is cool, with great performances by Morris Day and the Time, Apollonia (Sex Shooter) 6, and of course, Prince and The Revolution. Check this one out on a rainy afternoon!