10 Things to Know About 'Purple Rain'

Prince was always among the most mercurial and intriguing stars of the 1980s. So, naturally, when it was announced that Prince was making a movie, everyone wanteed to know what it was going to be? Speculation raged for a few months and as the production began under a veil of a media blackout in Minneapolis, Minnesota, reporters did everything they could to get the scoop.

This is where we found some of the best Purple Rain trivia available.

Here are 10 Things to Know About Purple Rain

10 It’s an Emotional Biography

While Purple Rain was made under a strict media blackout in 1984, screenwriter William Blinn did break the silence surrounding the film to give some insight into what the film was about.

“Purple Rain isn’t exactly a biography… (it’s) an emotional biography. The events might not have occurred but the reality of the emotional trauma had taken place.”

9 It’s True Vanity Was Supposed to Co-Star in Purple Rain

Singer Vanity was once inseparable from Prince. He called her his reflection and gave her the stage name that she used throughout her music and acting career. Vanity was asked to be Prince’s co-star in his film debut but the two apparently had a falling out. While many say it was due to the break up of their romantic relationship, it was reported at the time of release that Vanity had turned down the role due to a pay dispute.

8 Apollonia “Can’t Act to Save Her Life”

One person who refused to honor the on-set media blackout on Purple Rain was Prince’s stand-in, a photographer named Byron Hechter spoke to reporters in Minneapolis and candidly stated of Prince’s debuting co-star, Apollonia “Can’t act to save her life.” Hechter was fired after just two days on the set.

7 Vanity Left Purple Rain for the Chance to Work With Scorsese

On December 19th, 1983, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported a rumor that Vanity had passed on working on Purple Rain for the chance to work with Martin Scorese. Whether this has any merit or not is unknown. At that time, Martin Scorsese may have been in the earliest development of 1985’s After Hours but that film didn’t go into production until July 9th 1984, only a few weeks before Purple Rain was set for release in theaters.

Vanity’s film career did continue when she joined the cast of Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon which, like After Hours, was shot in the streets of New York City. But Vanity didn’t leave Purple Rain for The Last Dragon, that film didn’t begin filming until April of 1984.

6 The Original Title of Purple Rain Was "Dreams"

Speaking to the L.A Times in December of 1983, screenwriter William Blinn stated that the original title of his screenplay was "Dreams." He’d spent only 2 days with Prince in person before writing his screenplay which was subsequently rewritten by director Albert Magnoli. Blinn stated that Prince had wanted the word Purple in the title of the film because:

“He just feels that purple is his color. He was talking about some kind of emotional contact with Purple.”

5 A Los Angeles Times Reporter Snuck onto the Set Masquerading as an Extra

The press blackout on Purple Rain was quite serious. Numerous extras, and the previously mentioned Prince stand-in, were fired for either speaking to the media or even discussing the chance to talk to the media about the movie. But the press was persistent and at least one Los Angeles Times Reporter was able to get on the set after applying for a role as one of 600 extras in a club scene. There, the reporter witnessed a local radio DJ get fired simply for admitting he was a local radio DJ.

The big insights from the L.A Times story weren’t much. Prince showed up for shooting on time, was an incredible performer even when lip-syncing, and extras worked from 7 Am to 7 Pm and were paid $35 dollars and given a boxed lunch for their time.

4 A Fashion Craze

100s of extras eager for the chance to appear in Purple Rain mobbed local stores to get the latest fashion inspired by Prince. According to Alan Shore the owner of three high end shops in Minneapolis in the early 80s fans made a run on his stories for the hottest punk-new wave fashion staple, nylon multicolored peg-leg pants for men and women.

3 Newspaper Reports in 1983 Mistook Apollonia for a Dutch Model Turned Actress

The name Apollonia is quite unique but in 1983, by sheer coincidence, there happened to be two Apollonia’s breaking into Hollywood, one more successfully than the other. While Patricia “Apollonia” Kotero would find remarkable success in Purple Rain, Dutch model Apollonia van Ravenstein would not find such success.

Though she made friends with Anjelica Huston and dated both Jack Nicholson and Mick Jagger, and appeared in Playboy Magazine, van Ravenstein’s American acting debut would never officially reach movie theaters. Nothing Lasts Forever is an orphaned movie intended for release in 1984 with a ridiculously starry cast including pre-Gremlins Zach Galligan, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Mort Saul, Eddie Fisher and Imogene Coca. The film was delayed by MGM for unspecified reasons and then became tied up in a rights battle for years before surfacing on YouTube in 2011.

2 Height Requirement

While Prince was a mere 5 feet 2 inches tall, he was massive when he was on stage. But that didn’t change the fact that he had a height requirement when seeking his leading lady. An October piece in a national entertainment column written by Jessica Berens, it was reported that Prince had auditioned hundreds of young women and producers had leaked the requirements for the role:

“We’re looking for someone who knows what she wants, makes no excuses, is voluptuous, sexy, under 5 ft 6in tall and can sing and dance.”

1 A Little Richard Biopic?

On October 16th, 1983, national columnist Robin Sharp reported that Prince had chosen to make Purple Rain his debut feature and that the singer would write the script himself. This came after a rumor that spread like wildfire at the time that Prince’s first acting role would be playing Little Richard in a film about Richard’s life called “Rockabilly.”