Friday the 13th Behind The Scenes

Several death scenes were trimmed in the UK to avoid an '18' rating.

The first victim Barry (Willie Adams) also worked on the film as a production assistant.

The film makers really tried to get Sally Field to play Alice, but once they realized they couldn't, they went with Adrienne King.

Betsy Palmer was cast because she was a wholesome actress and the film makers thought that no one would think that she was the killer.

The scene with Jason popping out of the water was just a joke/dream, the producer's never planned on any sequel, or any series based on Jason. In fact Victor Miller (the writer) claims he didn't write the scene and refuses to watch the other films due to this "error". Sean Cunningham has said that "Jason started as a gimmick at the end of that first one. Having him lurch out of the water was a way of going out with a strong visual image... I didn't know that Jason would be stalking summer camps for the next ten years. I really had no idea."

In the scene where Brenda is thrown through the window, you'd think it was the actress who played Brenda all through the film, right? Well if you thought that you're wrong. It was actually Tom Savini dressed up as Brenda.

On the set of this film, Noel Cunningham, Sean Cunningham's son, met Adam Marcus, who was on the set to fetch things for Sean. Years later, Adam Marcus directed Jason Goes To Hell.

The sound so many people think they hear as "Ch, Ch, Ch," or "Sh, Sh, Sh" is actually "Ki, Ki, Ki; Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma". Harry Manfredini created it after he knew of the scene where Mrs. Voorhees is saying "Kill her Mommy". I learned this information at the offical Camp Blood Home of Jason Voorhees website

Make-up man, Tom Savini, was brought in to do the special effects because the producers admired his work in "Dawn of the Dead". Tom later returned to the series on "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter". He also did stunts for the film !!

The fake ending scene, in which Alison is being attacked by Jason was shot 3 times - Once in Sept., then in Oct. & finally in Nov. when it was only 28 degrees outside!

Betsy Palmer was reluctant to do the film at first (she read the script & allegedly said it was a "piece of sh*t"), but gave in when her demands were agreed to, that she get paid enough to get a brand new Mercedes she had had her eye on. She did mostly Broadway before this gig. She states that, to this day, her role in Friday the 13th, is the project she gets the most fan mail from.

Two books are pretty good: "Making Friday the 13th, the Legend of Camp Blood", by David Grove (I contributed several photos and emailed him several news tips), and "a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845763432/fastrewind-20" target="_Blank">Crystal Lake Memories, The Complete History of Friday the 13th", by Peter Bracke. "Memories" is much more comprehensive, but both are good.

When Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer were filming the fight scenes. At one point Palmer really slapped King, causing her to burst into tears. Palmer appologised, saying that was the way they did it on stage, but Cunnigham explained they'd add the slap sound in later with special effects.

All of the young actors were straight out of stage school, and this was their first movie. There was said to be a lot of enthusiasm on the set.

Betsy Palmer (Mrs. Voorhees) was padded out and had to wear lots of layers of clothes to bulk her up, because director Cunnigham wanted her to look more masculine.

The movie was filmed at a real summer camp for boys. It was deserted because it wasn't filmed in the summer. The building still stands now and is still a summer camp.

To get their roles the younger actresses had to read the monologue that's said to Kevin Bacon's character in the movie, about the nightmare and the rain turning to blood.

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