1944 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1965 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1986 | 1987 | 1990 | 1991 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007
1944
Anthony Burgess' wife was
robbed and beaten by a bunch of US GI's in England and soon after came down with a disease,
turned to alcohol, and never fully recovered. This would be the basis of the
attack on Mrs. Alexander, though the book + film depicted rape, this didn't happen in
real life. Some questioned if this really happened at all and Burgess made it up
to embellish the story.
1959
Anthony Burgess is diagnosed with a cerebral tumor, is given 1 year to live and begins to write furiously to
earn some money and leave royalties for his wife.
1960
The doctors were wrong and with his improved writing skills he writes the
first draft of ACO. This version was in the style of the British Mod slang of the
time. He has to get drunk to write the rape scene because it is too painful to
relive. Once it is done it is a cathartic experience.
1961
June
Burgess spends time in Russia and picks up on the language and style which
gives him the idea for Nadsat.
October
Burgess begins the 2nd draft of ACO much different than the first. He
uses the Russian slang and sets it in the future.
1962
May
The novel is published by Heinemann with 21
chapters in the UK.
June
The first chapter is dramatized on the BBC Program "Tonight", but the
recording was not saved.
1963
Norton publishes the novel with 20 chapters in the US because the publisher
doesn't like the happy ending, Burgess has no choice.
Summer
Stanley Kubrick is given a copy of the book by Terry Southern and puts it aside.
1965
Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham wants to make a movie of the book starring the
Stones, but
Burgess had already sold the rights to the producer Si Litvinoff for $500 because he
needed the money.
Andy Warhol makes a film called Vinyl since he can't get the rights to ACO and the
film doesn't end up resembling ACO in any way.
1967
Michael Cooper attempts to get the film made with the Stones but no one
can get their schedules to match up to do it, the film is dropped. Mick Jagger
and Keith Richards never really wanted to do it anyway, their manage Andrew Loog
Oldham was obsessed with the book and used the group in hopes to get it made.
1968
A garage band called 'A Clockwork Orange' releases a single in the UK.
1969
April 25th
Kubrick announces his next film will be about Napoleon and will begin filming
September 1969. Another Napoleon film called Waterloo was released and bombed.
Kubrick's funding for the film was taken away and he needed to find a new project fast.
Summer
Kubrick finally gets around to reading the novel and Malcolm
McDowell immediately comes to mind for the role of Alex as he has recently seen
him in if...
The group Sunforest releases their only LP - The Sound of Sunforest and Kubrick will use 2
songs from it for the film - Overture to the Sun & I Want to Marry a
Lighthouse keeper. Lighthouse keeper is rerecorded for the film.
Fall
Kubrick purchases the rights for the film for $200,000 and 5% of the
profits. Burgess gets another $2500 from the deal. Part of the deal also names
Max Raab and Si Litvinoff, who owned the rights, as executive producers on the
film. Kubrick never even meets them.
Winter
Burgess writes a screenplay for ACO, but Kubrick decides instead to write
it himself.
1970
February
Kubrick invites Malcolm to his house to meet him and gives him a copy of
ACO to read. Malcolm reads it three times and invites Kubrick over to his house to
discuss it. Kubrick offers him the role on the spot and Malcolm accepts.
May
Kubrick finishes the screenplay.
August 23rd
Rehearsals begin for the film.
September
Filming begins. The first scene shot is Alex in the hospital getting a shot.
October
The original actress who played Mrs. Alexander leaves the film because
she cannot handle the repeated takes of the rape scene.
December 31dt
The fight with the Cat Lady is filmed.
March 11th
Filming of the Durango 95 scene. Scene #570, at least 5 takes.
April 20th
Filming wraps.
September 7-28
Malcolm goes to Kubrick's house to record the narration. During down time they
play ping pong. Kubrick never wins.
November 4
The Filmex Festival premieres the film at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
Early November
Malcolm's agent informs him he wasn't ever paid for the 3 weeks of
narration. When he asks Kubrick about it he looked at a ruler and tells him
he'll only pay for 1 week because the other 2 were ping pong!
Mid November
Kubrick invites Burgess and his wife to his house for a private
screening of the film. 10 minutes in Burgess' wife is ready to leave and he makes
her stay. At the end he learns Kubrick used the US version of the novel with 20 chapters.
Throughout December
Malcolm, Burgess and Adrienne Corri tour the US promoting the film. Burgess has
great things to say about it.
Monday December 13th
The film is screened for Academy Members on the WB lot.
Friday December 17th
A date which will live in infamy - previews of the film - first day shown to the
critics.
Saturday December 18th - Midnight
First public preview of the film at the Hollywood Theatre for $3. Benefit for
Filmex.
Sunday 19th
The film opens in pre-limited release in the US with an X-rating at 4 theaters.
Pacific Hollywood, Cinema 1 New York City, Metro San Francisco and Towne
Toronto.
End of the month
The film wins Best Picture and Best Director by the New York Film
Critics. Malcolm accepts the award for Kubrick.
January 3rd
Kubrick is on the cover of Newsweek.
Monday January 17th
The film opens in England and sets the house record in London with $5,230.
Moral crusader Mary Whitehouse called for the film to be banned upon it's UK
release.
January 30th
Malcolm is interviewed by the New York Times.
February 9th
The film opens in limited release by adding 4 new theaters. Stage Door
Cinema, Philadelphia; Cinema 57, Boston; The Woods II + Bloomfield, Detroit
February 10th
The film adds 5 new theaters. Cinema Washington DC; Michael Todd, Chicago;
Galleria Cinema II, Houston; Twelve Oaks, Atlanta; and Cinerama, Seattle.
February 13th
Fred Hechinger blasts the film in the NY Times and quotes Malcolms'
interview
February 27th
Malcolm and Kubrick both blast back at Hechinger in the NY Times.
Monday
March 13th - Friday 17th
Academy Member screenings at WB.
March 23rd
The film opens in Germany.
April 10th
The film goes down in history as 1 of only 2 X-rated films nominated for an Oscar for best picture,
but loses to The French Connection
at the 44th Academy Awards.
June
The film finally opens in regular release in the US.
The Orange Times herald is printed.
Mid month
Copycat violence in the UK ensues with headlines like 'Clockwork Orange Gang
Attacked My Wife'. One attack occurred while the group sang 'Singin' in the
Rain'.
August 25th
In a statement issued in London, Mr. Kubrick said that the Motion Picture
Association of America had given the film an X-rating because of explicit sexual
material involving two scenes - about 30 seconds of scene time. "I have now replaced those 30 seconds with less explicit film from the
same scenes. The film has been resubmitted to the MPPA,
who viewing it, and who now having no further reason to rate it X, have changed
the rating to R."
September
Arthur H. Bremmer shot Governor George Wallace on May 15, 1972. In September it
is revealed in his diary that he wanted to kill Nixon, but settled on Wallace
while watching ACO.
October 31st
The film is withdrawn for 60 days to be resubmitted for the R-rating in the US
only. Two scenes are recut - the threesome and the Ludovico rape film.
January 1st
The film returns with the cuts and a new R-rating.
January 13th
Becomes the first Warner Bros release ever to
play for over a year in the West End of London. It opened on
January 13, 1972, at the Warner West End Theatre, and 550,716 cinemagoers
have totaled up a gross of £438,797 for the film.
January 18th
The film was in the mind of a boy aged 16 who beat
an elderly tramp to death, it was alleged at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. The
only money the tramp, David McManus age 60, had, 1½p, was missing when his
body was searched, John Owen, for the prosecution said. The boy, who comes
from Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced to be detained during her
Majesty's pleasure for murder. He had pleaded guilty.
The boy told the police that his friends had told him about the film "and
the beating up of an old boy like this one". Owen said: "If this was robbery, it was all for 1½p or it may have
been carried out for excitement as a result of the film. If so, the makers of
the film have much to answer for." It seemed as if momentarily the devil
had been planted in the boy's subconscious. The irresistible conclusion was that it was the influence of the book. Many
people had much to answer for, whether they were authors, film directors,
television producers or those who allowed those films to be shown. He continued:
"It has produced a canker among the impressionable young, which all
reasonable people desire to see stamped out at once". Mr. Roger Gray, for the defense, said: "The link between this crime and
sensational literature, particularly A Clockwork Orange, is established beyond
any reasonable doubt".
May
After 61 weeks Kubrick tells Warner Bros he wants to ban the film in the UK for fear of
attacks on his family due to the outbreak of violence blamed on the film. Warner
Bros complies. A generation grows up never seeing the film except on grainy
bootlegs or going into France to see it.
July 4th
Judge Bailey at Manchester Crown Court today attacked the film.
He said it presented an "unassailable argument" for a form of
censorship. He had heard of the Sunday afternoon a boy aged 16, dressed like a character
in the film, had attacked a boy aged 15. Sending him to Borstal, the judge said:
"Cases like yours present, in my view, an unassailable argument in favor
of the return as quickly as possible of some sort of censorship to prevent this
sort of exhibition being released on the screen or stage, which is evil in
itself. "If this happens, it will be very salutary in that those salacious
creatures who appear to dominate what is called show business today are
compelled to earn a more respectable and honorable livelihood instead of
inciting young persons to violence at the expense of their victims." He said that it was the second case he had heard in the past three weeks in
which "a despicable young bully has attributed his wicked behavior to
having seen this dastardly film". The boy was convicted at Heywood, Lancashire, on June 13 of causing grievous
bodily harm to the boy of 15. He was said to have kicked him several times while
wearing heavy boots.
July 24th
Pittsburgh, PA - A teenager was sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing
and strangling a friend in a crime he said was influenced by seeing the film.
1974
Senator John Roeder tries to pass "The Clockwork Orange" bill
which proposes real life Ludovico tests for criminals.
September
Burgess does an interview with Playboy where he mentions his disdain for the
film and the book in general. He feels it isn't an important work and doesn't
want to be remembered for it.
1975
June
Paul Farrell who played the Tramp is the first one related to the film to pass
away.
1977
Westport Public Library, RI. removed the novel from the town's classrooms.
Cockney Rebel becomes the first band to try the image out on stage.
1978
January 11
Michael Bates who played the Chief Guard passes away.
1979
The UK ban is discovered when John Alcott requested a copy of the film for a talk at the
National Film Theatre. Kubrick declines.
June 1
John Barry the Production Designer who created the Korova passed away.
Summer
Punk band The Adicts decide to wear white on stage and
would continue with that look the rest of their careers.
1980
Michel Ciment's book Kubrick is released in France with one of the biggest
interviews Kubrick gives on the film.
WCI Home Video (Now WB) releases the film on the new VHS and Betamax format for
home viewing.
Aug. 15 - Oct. 21
Best films of the 70s Film Festival in LA where ACO is replayed.
1981
Heaven 17 release their first single and become the first band to use a
name from the Top 10 list seen in the film.
1982
June
The film is officially re-released for the 10th Anniversary. A new painted
poster is made which shows an orange ripped open and scenes from the film
inside.
August 15
Legendary stage actor Patrick Magee, who played Mr. Alexander, passed away.
1983
Michel Ciment's book Kubrick is translated to English with one of his
only ACO related interviews.
1984
Warner Home Video re-releases the film on VHS. It is the last time the R-rated
version will ever be released on home video.
July 23
Anthony Sharp, who played the Minister of Interior, passed away.
1986
February 16
The movie is finally released on video in France.
July 28
John Alcott the Cinematographer of the film passed away.
1987
March 26
In Rolling Stone #496 the 21st chapter of the novel debuts in the US.
Summer
Burgess publishes ACO: A Play with Music and has a scene mocking Kubrick in
it.
For the 25th anniversary Norton publishes the novel with the 21st Chapter for the first time in the US.
Also included is Burgess' ACO Resucked intro.
1990
Summer
In Michael Anderson's Pittsburgh trial he tries to blame his crime on
repeated viewings of the film.
ACO 2004 the play debuts in the UK at The Barbicon. It runs for 4 months.
August 24
Jane Giles, a projectionist at the Scala cinema, at King's Cross, London, was charged under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act over a showing of the
film. The film, withdrawn from distribution by the director
Stanley Kubrick, was not shown in cinemas since early 1975.
Fall
In the UK Malcolm has a festival of his films to raise money for the Chernobyl
disaster, but Kubrick refuses to lend a print of ACO.
November
The Simpsons parodies the scene where the Minister feeds Alex in the film. This would start a
tradition over the next 18 years which included Bart as Alex on the 3rd
Halloween show.
1991
Burgess publishes You've Had Your Time Pt 2 of his biography which
covers ACO.
1993
ACO is done as a play with the 21st chapter in Chicago with a black man in
the lead.
February 6th
A London Cinema called The Scala tests the ban of the film in the UK.
Kubrick sued, won and it eventually put the theater out of business.
October
BBC Airs the program Without Walls that they fought in court to
be able to show clips from the film. This marks the first time a part of the
film is shown on TV in the UK.
November 22nd
Anthony Burgess passes away.
1994
January 9
Madge Ryan, who played Dr. Branom, passes away.
September 7
Godfrey Quigley, who played the Chaplain, passes away.
1995
The film is released on VHS in Germany, France and Spain.
A Clockwork Orgy, the first "true" porno
parody is released.
February 2
John J. Carney, who played Tom, passes away.
November
Hugely popular UK band Blur releases a video for "The Universal" when
they are dressed as droogs.
1998
The AFI names the film #46 of all-time.
February
ACO airs as a Radio Drama on the BBC. It is released on cassette and CD soon
after.
February 17
Shelia Raynor, who played Em, passes away.
June
ACO plays around the USA during WB's 75th Anniversary Festival.
June 19th
The old print finally breaks during the Houston showing.
1999
March 7th
Stanley Kubrick passes away in his sleep at his home in
Childwickbury, England.
June 29
The film is released on the revolutionary DVD format for the first time as part
of the Kubrick Collection.
2000
Philip Castle's ACO Art Exhibit debuts in England.
March 17th
The film debuts in England after a nearly 27 year ban by Kubrick with
a new print. Stanley Kubrick's wife Christiane says a major reason for pulling
the film was fear of physical attacks on the family.
November 6
The film is released on VHS and DVD in Australia for the first time.
November 13
The film is released uncut on VHS and DVD in UK for the first time.
2001
February
In the film Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures,
Malcolm admits regretting he never had a relationship with Stanley after the
film and says he lashed out hoping Stanley would pick up the phone and call him.
He never did.
July 4th
The film is shown on UK Cable TV in its entirety for the first time ever.
2002
January 6
Rob Zombie releases his video for "Never Gonna Stop" and the whole
song & video are about the film.
May
The new print of the film debuts in the US at the NY tribute to Malcolm.
June
The new print of the film is played in NY every weekend.
August 8
Ted Ashley, the head of WB who green lighted the film passes away.
September
Stanley Kubrick A Life in Pictures the book is released with brand new on the
set photos.
October 1
Alex is voted #11 on the Top 100 Villains of All Time by the OFCS.
October 13
The film is shown on BBC Channel 4. The first time it is ever shown on regular
TV in the UK.
2003
April 30
A teacher in Derby who shows the film to high school students gets in trouble.
June 4
Edmund M. DiGiulio who worked for Kubrick on the film passes away.
June 14
Philip Stone who played Alex's father passes away.
2004
2005
2006
2007
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