That Zany, Whacky,...Henry Ford!! (Errr...)

One night, way back in the 80's, me and my GF were at war, so I decided to go see a movie...by my self. I'd been driving around and was bored to death so I figured what the heck. I don't think I'd ever been to a movie alone before. I got to the theater early, got some snacks and went into the theater and took a seat.

Anyway, the movie was some movie about Henry Ford (the car pioneer) (we only had two movie theaters in town, so it was that movie or bust). Probably a real snoozer, but it was better than just aimlessly driving around in my car that night. After the previews, it looks like the movie is starting...

I'm sitting there in the dark watching this movie, trying to figure out how Henry Ford fits into this crazy B movie about some guy and his GF breaking down in the rain and winding up in a haunted mansion. Next thing I knew people in the theater were hollering, squirting squirt-guns, launching pieces of hot dogs across the theater and all kinds of other crazy S#. I'm sitting there wondering just exactly what the F# is going on??? Then I start looking around the theater, and I see all these people dressed up in all these costumes. I had exactly ZERO idea what was happening! How did all these people know to come to a movie about Henry Ford, dressed up like idiots, with shopping bags jammed full of different crap and start going ape-S#???

It was so crazy I decided to stay and see if I could figure out what was going on. As the movie went on the whole experience just continued to get more and more bizarre! It was pretty funny and entertaining though.

I was well into the movie before I finally had to acknowledge to myself this movie had absolutely nothing to do with Henry Ford at all, but was some completely different other movie. But how did these people all know to show up??? The movie was clearly billed, and was about Henry Ford...I knew it. WTH???

I watched the whole "show" in this bizarre state of amazement. How did they all know?? I didn't know anything about the whole Rocky Horror Picture Show phenomenon back then...zero. I was a complete neophyte to it all, dumb country-boy.

I would later learn that the owners of the theater would run this movie every Saturday night as a special late feature. It was like this underground thing which had been going on for a while, and I'd been completely oblivious to the whole thing.

To this day I still love that show! I must have seen it a hundred times in college alone. I still chuckle at my complete naivety that first time I unknowingly walked into the theater thinking I was watching a movie about Henry Ford!!!

You know...I never did actually see that movie about Henry Ford either!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Most of your threads never fail to put a smile on my face. Hope all is well with you and your beloved.

years back i met one of the writers of the movie.
he said they wrote it because of their love of theater, sci fi B movies, horror, and musicals. they wanted it all in one frankfurter.

a reply to: dashen

It was sure a freaky surprise for someone who thought they were going to see a totally boring movie about something completely different!

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Thanks! Halloween seemed like an appropriate time to post this.

As I recall it was around Halloween in about 1980 when I first saw this. Cultural change / revolution was slow to reach our little town, so it was all new then...even though it had been out for nearly 5 years at that point. I don't think it was Halloween exactly, but a few days before. I can remember thinking it must be some kind of a Halloween skit before the actual movie began.

Yea, I remember the first time I saw it..... no actually thats a lie, I dont remember it at all.
It used to play at a handful of theaters around town. Each theater brought with it a unique experience.

At the theater is Southfield there was a few guys that went in drag every Saturday night and when the Sweet Transvestite scene would come on... they would put on a hell of a show....