20 Things You Didn't Know About 'A Clockwork Orange' But Should

The making of 'A Clockwork Orange' was just as exciting as the film itself. Here's 20 facts you need to know about the film.

Some of the most iconic moments in movie history come from Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, so it's only natural that the process of making the film was just as exciting as the film itself. There are, additionally, interesting facts that people either don't know or never paid any attention to. That's why we gathered 20 essential facts to know about A Clockwork Orange.

1. The original title is never mentioned in the movie, but it's mentioned twice in the books. Anthony Burgess, the author of the novel on which Kubrick based his film, explained that it came from a cockney (slang in South London) expression: “as queer as a clockwork orange.” However, some say that, since Burgess had lived in Malaysia, "orange" actually came from the Malaysian word "ourang," which means person. The title would therefore be understood as "The Mechanical Man," or something like that.

2. The story is based on a real life event suffered by Burgess's wife. When the writer returned from Malaysia to London in 1944, his pregnant wife was raped by four American defectors. She lost the baby due to the beating. This tragedy inspired him to write the novel and, more specifically, to recreate the scene of a rape at the hands of a gang.

3. Kubrick's film cost a total of $2 million; the film's release grossed more than $40 million. Forty percent of the profits went to Kubrick, as he stated in an agreement with Warner. He would have total control over his films.

4. When it premiered in the United States in 1971, A Clockwork Orange was rated X. Some time later, Kubrick cut 30 seconds out, and in 1973, it was given an R rating instead. Kubrick's film was soon nominated for the Oscar for Best Film. In 1972, he had his controversial premiere in England. The film's violent content apparently affected spectators enough for people to commit crimes that recreated scenes from the film. Some even dressed like the characters. Kubrick was NOT okay with that, so he asked Warner Brothers to cancel the screening of the film in the UK, and assured that it would only be re-released after his death (1999). It wasn't until 2000 that A Clockwork Orange returned to England, where it was released on video and DVD as well. His wife cited a death threat as one of the main reasons for him to cancel the screening.

5. The last chapter of the original novel, where Alex regrets his life of violence, had been edited out of the US publication. Kubrick adapted the script of this latest edition without knowing that this ending existed. It wasn't until some time later that he would find out about this lost chapter. However, he never thought about adding it to the film.

6. The scene where Alex sings and dances to "Singin' in the Rain" while he beats the writer and rapes his wife, was not in the script. Kubrick asked McDowell to improvise and this was the only song the actor knew. The theme perfectly matched the director's ideas, so he bought the rights for $ 10,000.

7. The Droogs, Alex's gang, drank milk at the Korova Milkbar. The milk had to be replaced every hour because the heat produced by the set's lighting would curdle it.

8. The music was provided by Walter Carlos (Wendy Carlos after his transition). The combination of original pieces of classical music and the moog synthesizer resulted in rhythms that fit the images perfectly.

9. Sales of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which was used in several scenes of the film, increased after the film's release.

10. Kubrick asked Pink Floyd to use the music from their Atom Heart Mother album, but he wanted unlimited permission from it, so they never reached an agreement.

11. A Clockwork Orange nabbed seven BAFTA nominations, three for the Golden Globes, and four Academy Award nominations. However, the Oscar for Best Film that year went to The French Connection; ACO won minor prizes instead.

12. Kubrick gave McDowell a snake after learning that he was afraid of reptiles.

13. The scene in which David Prowse carries the writer in his wheelchair had to be done 30 times over; they say that Prowse, who in 1977 would famously play Darth Vader, ended up exhausted.

14. McDowell proved to be a great actor who went to extreme lengths for his role: during the humiliation scene, he fractured several ribs.

15. McDowell endangered his life in the film. In the scene where the policemen, who were once his friends, submerge Alex under water, the breathing apparatus stopped working and McDowell almost drowned.

16. One of the most disturbing scenes in the film is the gang rape. The scene was re-shot so many times that the actress was no longer able to keep playing, so she gave up; Kubrick's team had to get another actress.

17. People knew Kubrick was a perfectionist: the final scene of A Clockwork Orange where journalists visit Alex in the hospital, was recorded 74 times. Kubrick said on one occasion: "I plan the scenes as many times as possible, every hour of the day, every day of the week and have as many takes as necessary."

18. One of the best performances in film history was Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight; Ledger said McDowell's Alex DeLarge inspired his performance.

19. During the iconic scene in which Alex is forced to watch violent films with his eyes forced open, McDowell's cornea suffered an injury and he lost his eyesight for some time. In fact, the doctor who appears in the film applying eyedrops was a professional who kept the actor's eyes from drying out.

20. The success of A Clockwork Orange has taken the world by storm. In a Simpsons episode, Bart dresses like DeLarge, but rather than control his libido, Bart must contain his craving for cupcakes.