The Therapeutic Power of Acting
One incredible story happened while filming. One patient who was hired to take part in the movie had a stutter. It was something he was born with and had for his entire life. The responsibility that came along with the role, overwhelmed him in the best way possible.
Not only did this boost his confidence, but his stutter almost disappeared when he was saying his lines in the movie. After the shooting was over, the actor remained in the hospital, and believe it or not, his stutter never returned.
Read All About It
There was one incident in the movie that made the real-life headlines. During filming, a technician left one of the hospital windows open leading to a real patient, climbing over the bars and trying to escape. This resulted in him injuring himself.
The following day, The Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon reported the incident and titled the article "One flew OUT of the cuckoo's nest".
Behind the Scenes
As real patients took part in the movie, the awareness of being filmed would have interfered with its authenticity. The cameraman knew what to do to capture reality and many of the scenes were shot without people knowing.
When everyone around him thought he was playing around with angles and lighting, he was actually filming the surroundings, and later on, these snaps were added to the movie. This way he managed to bring reality onto the screen and turn the creation into a masterpiece.
Nurse Ratchet Went Crazy
As Nurse Ratchet, Louise Fletcher , who sadly passed away in September 2022, stayed in character diligently, refusing to hang out with the “patients.” The isolation got to her, so, one day, she did a crazy thing to prove she wasn’t really so mean and prudish.
Posing half-naked, she said she “re-enacted that Betty Grable wartime poster, looking over my shoulder” and snapped the photo. The entire cast got a signed copy.
DeVito and His "Friend"
Lonesomeness caused Danny DeVito to invent an imaginary friend. Worried about his mental health, he consulted Dr. Dean Brooks, the hospital’s actual superintendent, who told him there is nothing to worry about as long as he knows his imaginary friend is fictional.
DeVito played his character in the stage production, so it was an easy call to cast him as Martini. His performance was overwhelming in a way that the fine line between fiction and reality became blurry.