See Mick Rock’s Rare and Iconic ‘Rocky Horror’ Photos

Half a century has passed since The Rocky Horror Picture Show opened in theaters, only to close quickly and become a fixture of midnight screenings around the world and a bigger hit than anyone could have anticipated. The film has since become a signpost of the sexual revolution, thanks to its "Don't dream it, be it" message of inclusivity, and characters like Tim Curry's "sweet transvestite" Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the small-town squares played by Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick who become bisexual love maniacs, are now cinema icons. Part of the reason why they're so memorable is the photography of Mick Rock. At the request of director Jim Sharman, Rock, who is best known now for his portraits of David Bowie, Queen, and Lou Reed, visited the set to shoot whatever he wanted. So Rocky Horror's legacy wasn't frozen into a series of flat production stills, like pretty much every other movie, but captured live and in motion, like a rock & roll photoshoot. Rock would pose the actors, capture candid "backstage" shots, and generally bond with the talent in an unusual way for a movie. Those photos are now the subject of a new book, Rocky Horror: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Cult Classic, which collects some of Rock's most memorable shots from the film alongside rarely seen gems. The late photographer penned a foreword to the book, as did Richard O'Brien, who wrote the original play. Author Tim Mohr wrote a chronicle of the filming and collected observations from the film's many admirers, including Joan Jett, Billy Corgan, Elvira, and Courtney Love, among others. The gallery that follows includes many of Rock's most striking photos along with quotes from the book.