March 12 - Jim Sharman

Happy 75th Birthday, Jim Sharman! Born today in 1945 as James David Sharman, this Australian screenwriter, producer and film/stage director has more than seventy productions to his credit. 

He is renowned in Australia for his work as a theatre director from the 1960s to the present. 

  

Sharman is best known internationally as the co-writer and director of the 1973 theatrical hit The Rocky Horror Show. 

He is also best known for adapting the musical into a film two years later. 

This was the film of which Sharman is best known for co-writing and directing, being the cult 1975 American sci-fi/comedy musical horror film 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'.

Sharman co-wrote the film along with English-New Zealand actor, writer, musician and television presenter Richard O'Brian (known professionally as Richard Smith) based off of his play. He also co-starred in the film as Riff Raff, a handyman. Lou Adler ('Up in Smoke') served as co-producer.

Six years later, Sharman followed 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' up with the 1981 American dark comedy musical independent film 'Shock Treatment'.

Although largely critically panned on initial release, it soon became known as a midnight movie when audiences began participating with the film at the Waverly Theater in New York City, New York in 1976.  

Audience members returned to the cinemas frequently and talked back to the screen and began dressing as the characters, spawning similar performance groups across the United States.  

At almost the same time, fans in costume at the King's Court Theater in Pittsburgh began performing alongside the film. This "shadow cast" mimed the actions on screen above and behind them, while lip-syncing their character's lines.  

Still in limited release forty-five years after its premiere, it is the longest-running theatrical release in film history. It is often shown close to Halloween. 

Today, the film has a large international cult following and has been considered by many as one of the greatest musical films of all time.  

In 2005, ‘The Rock Horror Picture Show’ was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. 

  

Sharman has been active from 1972–present. 

  

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