10 Things You Might Not Know About ‘A Clockwork Orange’
Everyone remembers the famous scene in A Clockwork Orange where Malcolm McDowell is straightjacketed and his eyes are pried open while he’s forced to watch violent movies. But did you know that the doctor in the scene was an actual physician who was there to keep McDowell’s eyes from drying out? That’s just one of the facts packed into the latest episode of You Think You Know Movies, which takes you into the deranged future of A Clockwork Orange.
Supposedly, McDowell wasn't the original choice to play the part of Alex; before Stanley Kubrick signed on to direct A Clockwork Orange the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger was considered the frontrunner for the role. Kubrick’s only choice for the part, though, was McDowell; he loved him in the 1968 film If... The original cut of Clockwork Orange earned an X-rating from the MPAA; Kubrick later cut the film down to earn the R it holds today. (Of course, the film’s history in England is even rockier.)
“You Think You Know Movies?” is a ScreenCrush original series that dives deep into the cinematic worlds of your favorite movies and freeze frames a few tidbits you might not have known. We’ve already tackled Star Wars, The Avengers and Spider-Man, but now it’s time to get ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence with these Stanley Kubrick facts!
Watch more installments of ‘You Think You Know Movies?’ below and let us know what movies we should cover next.