It Made Bank
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” opened as the second-highest-grossing film in November of 1975 at the Sutton and Paramount Theatres in NYC. It went on to be the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time.
In Sweden, it played continuously for 12 years, from 1975 to 1987, a standing record. It is United Artists’ biggest success. Until today, no one has reproduced the feelings and overall impact the movie had on viewers.
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.
Oscar Winner
The late Louise Fletcher made Oscar history when she thanked her deaf parents. She signed, “I want to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true.”
Afterward, she heard from countless adoring deaf fans from around the country who expressed overwhelming affinity with her gesture. She won the Best Actress Award for her unsurpassable role as the nasty Nurse Ratchet.
Oscars for All
The late Louise Fletcher was not the only one to earn an Oscar thanks to this movie. Jack Nicholson won Best Actor, Forman won Best Director, Best Picture went to Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz, and Best Adapted Screenplay went to Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman.
Scoring all five major Academy Awards, Cuckoo’s Nest made history at the 48th Oscar ceremony, matching the success of Frank Capra’s "It Happened One Night". "Silence of the Lambs" would follow suit.