A Rigid Writer
Author Ken Kesey was a stubborn guy. He absolutely refused to view the film after the producers decided against using Chief Bromden as the narrator. He was so angry he sued. He won just over 2% of the proceeds. Kesey’s novel was inspired by spending time working as an attendant at a VA hospital mental ward in Palo Alto. It was also inspired by his experiences as a graduate student when he participated as a paid lab rat to take illegal medication for a study by the U.S. Army.
As a nonconformist, he was part of the counterculture and frequented gigs like the Trips Festival. Kesey believed psychedelic substitutes are the gateway to individual liberation.
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.
Fox Found It Too Disturbing
The quest to find a distributor stalled at 20th Century Fox. To finance it, the movie company required a significant change. They wanted a happy ending.
Though the producers were desperate for a studio, they flatly refused to alter the final scene depicting McMurphy’s devastating lobotomy. Finally, United Artists stood up to the plate.
The Producers Got Scared
Sydney Lassick was a cast member who succumbed to the stress of staying in character at a mental ward. Lassick, who played Charlie Cheswick, dove into his part so deeply that the producers feared for his sanity.
They were told not to worry about his erratic behavior; medications were on hand. During one scene, Lassick, viewing from the sidelines, flipped out so uncontrollably that he had to be removed from the set.
Reunited
Cuckoo’s Nest scripted Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd for the parts of Martini and Max as unknowns. Together, they would hit it big with "Taxi" in 1978. They worked together once again on "Man on the Moon" (1999), another film directed by Miloš Forman.
When you come across such chemistry between two actors, it only makes sense to team them up again for future productions. Success is guaranteed.