No One Cared About the Facilities
At $250 per day, shooting at the facility was a bargain. Dr. Brooks, director of the Oregon state hospital, gave permission to film there, as long as the inmates could take part in the process.
Unfortunately, the cast and crew left the facility in shambles. Neither the head of the hospital nor the production team had imagined the wreck that was left behind after filming.
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.
The Director's Candid Style
Miloš Forman clandestinely let the film roll to catch actors in candid shots bringing to life the naturalistic style he was aiming for. It worked. Many candid scenes made the cut.
At one point, Forman caught an icy glare from Fletcher’s Nurse Ratchet. In the film, it’s aimed at McMurphy, but actually, she was giving director Forman the stink eye.
Blurred Lines
Dr. Dean Brooks was not only the facility director, but he also played the facility director in Cuckoo’s Nest. It was a large role and his only acting gig. At his request, nearly all patients played extras or were involved in the film’s production in some way.
Sadly, during the time of the filming, Dr. Brooks diagnosed actor William Redfield (pictured on the left) who was ill. He passed away just after the film was released.