The first Stephen King novel to be adapted into a movie, Carrie (1976) tells the story of a high school senior named Carrie White. A somewhat reclusive girl, Carrie is the outsider of her class and she is the constant victim of their taunts and bullying.
Carrie's mother is an insanely religious, overpowering, abusive woman, who believes that pretty much everything to do with the transformation into womanhood is sinful.
Following her unexpected first period, Carrie becomes an even bigger target for her classmates and their ruthless bullying. Having been raised by her mother, Carrie is totally unfamiliar with what has just happened to her, and she is under the belief that something is terribly wrong. After being comforted by her gym teacher, Miss Collins, she is taught that what happened was a totally normal thing for a girl of her age to experience.
Miss Collins punishes the other girls for their cruelty, making them serve detention with her after school. One of the girls, Sue Snell, has a change of heart, and proposes that her boyfriend Tommy ask Carrie to the prom instead of her. However, Chris Hargenson, one of the girls that has been banned from attending the prom, has other ideas, deciding to concoct the ultimate revenge plan on Carrie. Teaming up with her boyfriend Billy, her plan involves a bucket of pig's blood, the prom, and the unsuspecting Carrie.
But there is one thing that nobody counted on, and that is the secret power that Carrie has - the power of telekinesis. Being able to move objects with her mind, the students are soon going to learn a terrible lesson; If you've got a taste for terror... take Carrie to the prom.
This year will mark the 40th anniversary since its theatrical release, so let's take a look back at what made it such a masterpiece. The post below includes some behind-the-scenes stills, movie trivia, and a look at what the cast have been up to since the film hit the big screen, and don't forget to sound off in the comments section too!
Did you know there were two remakes, a sequel to the original plus a stage production of Carrie?
Carrie (1976).
Directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, John Travolta, Nancy Allen and Betty Buckley, the original film was written by Stephen King. Nominated for two Academy Awards (Sissy Spacek for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Piper Laurie for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), the 1976 film was ranked inside the top 100 of Empire Magazine's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time list in 2006.
Carrie (1976) Official Trailer
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The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999).
A mere 26 years later, United Artists and Red Bank Films decided to bring out a sequel starring Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno and J. Smith-Cameron. The film follows teenager Rachel Lang (Bergl), who raises the concern of school counselor Sue Snell (Amy Irving) after realizing that the teenager may very well be telekinetic. It later transpires that Lang is the half sister of Carrie White (they had the same father), and as she becomes the victim of a cruel prank, her tormentors will soon realize that terror runs in the family.
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) Official Trailer
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Carrie (2002).
This 2002 version was a made-for-television remake of the original film and starred Angela Bettis, Patricia Clarkson, Rena Sofer and Kandyse McClure. It was originally meant to serve as a two-part pilot for a possible TV series, but due to bad ratings, this idea was eventually scrapped.
Carrie (2002) Official Trailer
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Carrie (2013).
Directed by Kimberly Peirce and starring Julianne Moore, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gabriella Wilde and Portia Doubleday, this 2013 version is a re-imagining of the 1976 original. The film differs from its predecessor in many ways, including the beginning, which starts with a separate introductory section showing Margaret giving birth to Carrie. Chloë Grace Moretz, who plays the titles character, differs from Sissy Spacek's Carrie, not least in the way that she doesn't physically conform to the sheepish, timid and shy girl. Moretz's look is more of a is sweet-looking girl, who altogether is much less of an outsider. The film also uses it's transformation to the twenty first century, by using advances in technology, such as cell phones and the use of internet, to add a modern twist.
Carrie (2013) Official Trailer
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The musical.
Lawrence D. Cohen, who wrote the script to the original 1976 film, teamed up with double Oscar-winning American composer Michael Gore to produce a musical based on Stephen King's 1973 novel.
In 1988 it had its Stratford try-out from February 13 until March, before moving in April that year to Broadway at the Virginia Theater. Reviews were not favorable for the production, with The New York Times stating that the "more-than-$7 million show...was the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history."
In 2012 it had its Off-Broadway Revival, before moving in 2015 to an Off-West End Production and a Los Angeles Production.
You can watch the production here.
The film had various promotional posters.
United States and Spanish Posters.
German and Turkish Posters.
Mexican Poster.
Italian Poster.
Interesting facts.
During the pre-production stage, De Palma's close friend, George Lucas, was in the middle of casting for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Deciding to combine forces, the pair held joint casting sessions, where they worked together to decide which actors would be the best choice for each other’s film.
Linda Blair was considered to play the role of Carrie White, but she declined the part for fear of being typecast after her turn in The Exorcist (1973).
Six-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close auditioned to play the part of the 17 year old title character. If the star of recent films such as The Great Gilly Hopkins (2015), Anesthesia (2015), 5 to 7 (2014) and Low Down (2014) was successful, then she would have been 29 at the time of the films release. Her future roles will be in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and What Happened to Monday? (2016).
Automata (2014) and Hawaii Five-0 (2010– ) actress Melanie Griffith was in contention to play Carrie White, having auditioned for the part.
The young boy who taunts the title character by shouting "Creepy Carrie, creepy Carrie" whilst riding on his bike, was played by Cameron De Palma, who is the nephew of director Brian De Palma.
In the scene where Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is in the library at school before being approached by Tommy Ross (William Katt), she is trying to find out more on telekinesis. The book that she picks up (The Secret Science Behind Miracles), is actually a published piece of work. Written in 1948 by author Max Freedom Long, the description that Carrie recites, is a precise extract from the book.
For those eagle-eyed viewers out there, you may have noticed a couple of nods towards Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho. The first one comes directly from the name of the high school which the film is set - Bates High School. This is a clear reference towards the main character from Hitchcock's masterpiece, Norman Bates. The second nod comes from the four-note violin theme which is heard in various scenes, such as when Carrie is looking in the mirror at home and uses her powers to make it smash.
One of Carrie's classmates, Sue Snell, is played by the actress Amy Irving, and in the film, her mother is played by actress Pricilla Pointer. Interestingly enough, the pair are mother and daughter in real life too.
Nancy Allen (Chris Hargensen) and director Brian De Palma dated, and eventually went on to marry, on 12 January 1979 before divorcing five years later. They have worked on four movies together, one of which, Dressed to Kill (1980), was written by De Palma with Allen in mind to play the the role of the prostitute .
Actress P.J. Soles (Norma) revealed in a 2010 interview that the film set was frequented by director Steven Spielberg. According to the actress, Spielberg visited the set after being told by De Palma that there were "a lot of cute girls down here." Having requested dates with Soles and other female cast member's, with not a lot of luck, Amy Irving accepted. The couple went on to date and eventually marry on 27 November 1985 before divorcing on 2 February 1989. On June 13 1985, they welcomed their only child together, a son named Max, who went on to be his mothers assistant on the sequel, The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999).
There was an original scene at the beginning of the film, which was later scrapped, where Carrie and her mother had a fight, resulting in the house being showered upon by rocks and pebbles. To keep in with continuity, the script originally had the house destroyed by rocks and boulders at the end of the film. But after spending an entire evening trying to achieve the effect, it was left abandoned, and the filmmakers made the decision to burn the house down instead. This effect was much more successful, and so was kept in the film. However, in this scene at the end, you can still see boulders raining through the roof when the pair of them are inside.
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Carrie's mother Margaret White (Piper Laurie) is known to be a remarkably religious woman, quoting passages from the Bible throughout the film. Strange to think then, that not a single passage that she recites is actually real. Take the part where she quotes part of Genesis Chapter 3, for instance, where she tells her daughter that sexuality is evil. In the Bible, Genesis Chapter 3 actually tells the story of Adam and Eve in the Biblical Gardens where they eat the forbidden fruit, and this passage does not feature anywhere in the Bible.
There are several scenes in the film which show a religious figurine tied to a post and shot with arrows. The way in which the figure is positioned has often made some to believe that it is a representation of Jesus Christ on a crucifix, but it is, in fact, a depiction of St. Sebastian. The devout Christian was left bound in a field to be used as a target for Emperor Diocletian's archers of Mauritania after converting soldiers and Roman politicians to his own faith.
Behind the scenes photo's.
Sissy Spacek, William Katt, Sydney Lassick, John Travolta and Nancy Allen.
Sissy Spacek, Brian De Palma and William Katt.
Nancy Allen and William Katt
Sissy Spacek between takes.
Betty Buckley & P.J. Soles.
William Katt, P.J. Soles and Sissy Spacek at the school prom.
Shooting of the prom massacre.
John Travolta and Nancy Allen.
What have the cast been up to?
Sissy Spacek (Carrie White).
Sissy Spacek was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on Christmas day, 1949. She made her film debut in 1972's Prime Cut, five years before playing the title character in Carrie (1976).
In her career, Spacek has been nominated for six Oscars (winning once), all for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Four years after being nominated for her performance as Carrie White, she won her only Oscar for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). The eighties were a highlight for the actress, as she was nominated for further Oscars in Missing (1982), The River (1984) and Crimes of the Heart (1986). Her last Oscar nomination came in 2002, after playing the role of Ruth Fowler in the drama In the Bedroom (2001).
Her latest credits include the TV Series Bloodline (2015– ) and the crime/thriller film Deadfall (2012).
It may be hard to imagine the role of Carrie being played by another actress besides Sissy Spacek, but she wasn't originally even considered for the part. Her husband, Jack Fisk, who has worked as a production designer on The Revenant (2015), Knight of Cups (2015), To the Wonder (2012) and The Master (2012), persuaded director De Palma to give her an audition. To encapsulate the character, Spacek turned up to her audition without bothering to wash her face and sporting filthy hair after covering it in Vaseline, an idea which clearly paid off.
Sissy Spacek as Carrie trivia - The now infamous ending to the film has ranked in at number eight on Bravo's list of The 100 Scariest Movie Moments and number two on the website retrocrush.com. However, during this dream sequence, the hand that comes out of Carrie's grave actually belonged to Sissy Spacek, rather than a stunt double.
You can watch the scene here.
Piper Laurie (Margaret White).
Piper Laurie was born Rosetta Jacobs on January 22, 1932. When the actress was a teenager, she made her film debut in The Milkman (1950), starring along side Donald O'Connor and Jimmy Durante.
In 1962, she was nominated for a Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar for her performance in The Hustler (1961). Following the success of the film, she mainly worked in various TV Series' before landing her second feature film fifteen years later, which was, incidentally, Carrie (1976). In similar fashion to her co-star and on-screen daughter Spacek, she was also nominated for an Oscar, this time for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Children of a Lesser God (1986) saw Laurie receive her third, and final, Oscar nomination, once again for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The actress has also appeared in over 100 films and TV series' including Twin Peaks (1990–1991), Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990) and The Twilight Zone (1985–1989). Her last acting role came in the horror/thriller film Bad Blood... the Hunger (2012).
Piper Laurie as Margaret White trivia - When Laurie's character, Margaret White, meets her demise at the hands of Carrie, she is stabbed multiple times. Her daughter uses her powers to send kitchen knifes hurtling towards Margaret, eventually impaling her mother in the doorway. For this scene, the knives started off in Margaret's body before being pulled out by string. When editing the scene, they played the footage in reverse to achieve the look of the knives flying towards Margaret. Below is a still from the scene showing De Palma going through the motions of Laurie's death, and you can watch the actual scene here.
Amy Irving (Sue Snell).
Amy Davis Irving was born on September 10, 1953 to actress Priscilla Pointer and producer/director Jules Irving. She has appeared with her mother in seven different films: Carried Away (1996), A Show of Force (1990), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), Micki + Maude (1984), The Competition (1980), Honeysuckle Rose (1980) and Carrie (1976).
From 27 November 1985 until 2 February 1989, she was married to Steven Spielberg, who is currently working on Indiana Jones 5 (2019), Transformers 5 (2017), The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun (2016) and The BFG (2016) to name a few. Following on from their divorce, she went on to marry director/producer Bruno Barreto on 27 September 1996, until they separated on 29 January 2005. She is currently married to Kenneth Bowser, a producer who has worked on Saturday Night Live: 40th Anniversary Special (2015).
In 1984, she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her starring role in Yentl (1983). The actress has also appeared in the TV Series' Zero Hour (2013) plus the 2005 horror Hide and Seek (2005) along side Robert De Niro. Her last screen role was in the TV series The Good Wife (2009– ).
Amy Irving as Sue Snell trivia - In the haunting dream sequence that Snell has towards the end of the film, eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that in the background, an automobile appears to be driving backwards. In order for the scene to appear more ghostly and somewhat sinister, Irving's character originally filmed the scene walking backwards, with the production team then playing the footage in reverse, hence the car in the background appearing to be driving backwards.
You can watch the scene here.
William Katt (Tommy Ross).
William Theodore Katt was born on 16 February 1951 in Los Angeles, California. His father, Bill Williams (born Hermann Katt), was also an actor, as was his mother, Barbara Hale. Both his parents were given a star on the Walk of Fame on 8 February 1960 for their services to television. His fathers is at 6145 Hollywood Blvd, whereas his mother, who won a Primetime Emmy in 1959 for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series for Perry Mason (1957–1966), lies at 1628 Vine Street.
In 2008, Katt, along with Christopher Folino and JM Ringuet, produced their own comic book, named "Sparks". The comic is set in the late 1940's and tells the fortunes of Ian Sparks, a masked vigilante who soon finds out that the price for becoming a superhero is a high one to pay.
William Katt as Tommy Ross trivia - During the prom scene before Carrie and Tommy are named "winners" of the prom queen and king ballot, the couple share a slow dance together. This rather nauseating scene was created by having the two actors stand on a platform which was rotating in one direction, and at the same time, a circling dolly rotated round in the opposite direction. Below is a still showing De Palma setting up the shot and you can watch the actual scene here.
John Travolta (Billy Nolan).
John Joseph Travolta was born on 18 February 1954 in New Jersey to Salvatore and Helen Travolta. On 12 September 1991, he married his wife, actress Kelly Preston, for the second time in a week. Their first marriage, on September 5 1991, was declared illegal, and reports have circulated that despite their marriage being on the rocks, leaders of the Church of Scientology have ordered them not to split.
The couple have had three children together, Jett, Ella Bleu and Benjamin Travolta. Their oldest son Jett, sadly passed away on January 2, 2009 in Freeport, Bahamas due to a seizure, which he suffered from for most of his young life.
Before the release of Carrie (1976) , Travolta had only made one other film, where he made his big screen debut in the 1975 film The Devil's Rain. His stardom was about to rise however, as a couple of years later he starred in arguably his biggest early hits, Saturday Night Fever (1977), which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and playing Danny Zuko in Grease (1978).
In the nineties, the actor found more fame starring in hits such as The Thin Red Line (1998), Face/Off (1997), Get Shorty (1995) and Look Who's Talking Too (1990). However, it was the crime dram film Pulp Fiction (1994) that really set him apart, once again earning him an Oscar nod for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Travolta's latest work was in the TV Series American Crime Story (2016– ), and the big screen's In a Valley of Violence (2016), The Forger (2014) and Savages (2012).
John Travolta as Billy Nolan trivia - Towards the climax of the film, where Billy and Chris are in their car heading straight towards Carrie, their car is flipped and then blown up by Carrie's telekinetic powers. The interior shot of the car shows the pair spinning over and over as the car continues to flip. However, this scene was created by having a still frame of the shot, and then rotating it post production, rather than having the two actors being flipped in the car for real.
You can watch the scene here.
Nancy Allen (Chris Hargensen).
Nancy Anne Allen was born on 24 June 1950, in New York, and was the last actor to audition for the film. On 12 January 1979, she married director Brian De Palma, before divorcing in 1984. She later went on to marry twice more; one was to actor Craig Shoemaker on 6 September 1992, before divorcing two years later, and the second was to Randy Bailey from June 1998 until 17 May 2007.
In 1981, Allen was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in Dressed to Kill (1980), and in 1983 she starred in the horror film Poltergeist III (1988). Readers may be more familiar with her role as Officer Anne Lewis in RoboCop (1987), RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993).
Nancy Allen as Chris Hargensen trivia - In the scene were Betty Buckley's character, Miss Collins, slaps Allen's character round the face after her outburst, De Palma wasn't convinced that Allen's reaction was right. Therefore, he suggested that Buckley slap Allen for real to make it more authentic. However, as De Palma was so intent on getting the right reaction, the scene was filmed many times, and Buckley ended up slapping Allen as many as thirty times before he was satisfied he had got the reaction he wanted.
You can watch the scene here.
Betty Buckley (Miss Collins).
Betty Lynn Buckley was born on 3 July 1947, in Fort Worth, Texas. In the 1976 film, she played teacher Miss Collins when she was 28 years old. This may not appear to be such a big deal, but considering she was only two years older than Sissy Spacek who played Carrie, and three years older than two of her other students, Nancy Allen and P.J. Soles (Chris and Norma), then it may make you think again.
Known for her work on the stage, film and television, Buckley won a Tony Award in 1983 for her performance in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats. Along with this, she also featured in the drama film Tender Mercies (1983) where she sang the song "Over You", which went on to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Music (Original Song) at the 1984 Academy Awards.
During the 1988 musical of Carrie, original actress Barbara Cook stood down from her role, making the way for Buckley to take over when the Royal Shakespeare Company moved it to Broadway. Although in the 1976 film Buckley played Miss Collins, in the stage musical, she played the part of Carrie's mother, Margaret White.
The actress has recently been seen in the TV Series' The Leftovers (2014– ), Getting On (2013– ) and Pretty Little Liars (2010– ).
Betty Buckley as Miss Collins trivia - Buckley not only starred in the film, but she also provided the voice of another character. When Carrie is taunted by the young boy on his bike when he shouts "Creepy Carrie! Creepy Carrie!" at her, his voice was dubbed over by that of Buckley's. Below is a still showing the scene and you can watch the clip here.
P.J. Soles (Norma).
P.J. Soles was born Pamela Jayne Hardon on 17 July 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany. The actress was previously married to composer J. Steven Soles from 1971 to 1975. Following her divorce, she went on to marry Movie 43 (2013) and Vegas (2012–2013) actor Dennis Quaid on 25 November 1978, before divorcing on 23 January 1983. Soles later went on to have two children with her third husband, stunt coordinator Skip Holm.
The star may be more recognized for her turn in the original John Carpenter film Halloween (1978), for which she gained the nickname "The Totally Girl". This year she can be seen in the horror films William Froste (2016) and 13 Girls (2016).
Soles was originally meant to have a small supporting role in the film where she was scheduled to be cast for only a couple of weeks. However, in this scene at the start of the film, where the girls are playing volleyball, De Palma was so impressed with the actress after seeing her whack Sissy Spacek with her notorious baseball cap, that he kept her in the film for longer. (On a side note, did anyone else notice that on the team that Carrie is playing on, there are only six players, yet on the opposing team there are eight?).
P.J. Soles as Norma trivia - When Soles's character Norma is at the prom, she meets her demise after being knocked to the floor by a fire hose. Despite rumors suggesting that the actress was knocked unconscious, this is not strictly true. What really happened, was that the pressure from the water blasting out the hose was so strong that it burst the actresses eardrum. The damage was so severe that Soles had no hearing whatsoever in that ear for the next six months, before it eventually healed and her hearing was restored.
You can watch the scene here.
Priscilla Pointer (Mrs. Snell).
Priscilla Pointer was born on May 18, 1924 in New York City. On 28 December 1947, she was married to producer/director Jules Irving, the father of her three children, until his death on 28 July, 1979. She later went on to marry actor Robert Symonds, star of Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Dynasty (1981–1989) on 3 January 1981, until he passed away on 23 August 2007.
The actress appeared in over 20 TV movies and series' before landing her first big role in The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976), starring opposite Claudia Jennings, Tara Strohmeier and Jocelyn Jones. Other notable acting credits include Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994), the TV series The Flash (1990–1991), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and playing the role of Rebecca Barnes Wentworth in the TV series Dallas (1978–1991). Her last acting role was in the drama Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008) starring opposite Jeff Daniels.
Priscilla Pointer as Mrs. Snell trivia - During the filming of the last scene, where Amy Irving's character Sue has a dream about Carrie grabbing her hand from the grave, Sue screams out in terror believing it was real. Witnessing her daughter in such an hysterical state, Pointer accidentally called out her daughters real name "Amy" instead of the characters name "Sue" through sheer fright and concern. Despite the mistake, it was well covered up due to the loud music that was playing over the scene at the time.
You can watch the scene here.
Doug Cox (The Beak).
Doug Cox was born in Edwardsville, Illinois, before heading to college in Los Angeles. Gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema at The University of Southern California, the aspiring actor joined The Groundlings, which was one of the best comedy/improvisation companies in the America. He acted there for over 15 years, and attended at the same time as fellow cast member Edie McClurg (Helen - see below).
The actor's more recent credits include the TV Series' Teen Wolf (2011– ), Mike & Molly (2010– ), Criminal Minds (2005– ) and Weeds (2005–2012).
Doug Cox as The Beak trivia - Cox gained an audition for the film after his friend, fellow actor Sandy Helberg, asked his wife Harriet to give him a shot. Harriet was the casting director of the film, and the married couple are the parents of The Big Bang Theory (2007– ) star Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz).
You can watch the actor discuss more about his role here.
Edie McClurg (Helen Shyres).
Edie McClurg was born on July 23, 1951 in Kansas City. Her big screen debut came in Carrie (1976), after which she continued her success by starring in films like The Gift (2014), Frozen (2013) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012), for which she won two Behind the Voice Actors Awards.
The actress has also featured in many of John Hughes' films, including Curly Sue (1991), She's Having a Baby (1988), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).
Her recent television credits include the TV Series' TripTank (2014– ), Ben 10: Omniverse (2012– ), Mike & Molly (2010– ), Regular Show (2009– ), NCIS (2003– ) and Two and a Half Men (2003–2015).
Edie McClurg as Helen trivia - When McClurg appeared as Helen, the character originally had no dialogue to speak in any part of the film. So when the actress had a rehearsal with De Palma and the rest of the cast, she decided to improvise instead. This resulted in everything that we see Helen say in the film being completely made up by the actress, with De Palma's blessing, naturally.
You can watch McClurg talk about this here.
So, what do you guys think about the film? Take part in the poll below, and don't forget to sound off in the comments section too!