WHY?

Isn't it strange he relinquished control
over such an integral promotional scheme?

Being such a control freak of his music and image, was it because WB was footin the bill? And, since he had no history with the movie industry , he had to suck it up and let them run things?

Or his script was too bizarre and underdeveloped to be used?

yes, and some people like cucumbers pickled.

I wrote Purple Rain.

squirrelgrease said:

"...and IIIII HELPED!"

robertes71 said:

P didn't write Purple Rain. Was his ideas used? Of course. But did he write the actual screenplay? No.

He didn't? wow!

luvsexy4all said:

Strange? As we now know, Prince can't write a screenplay and he obviously realized this himself at the time... so are you suggesting, he should have tanked his only chance at stardom?


BTW, WB did NOT 'foot the bill'.

jtfolden said:

haha... I don't think his idea for "The Kid" to be a drug addict wouldn't have gone over very well. But the guy's mind works in the bizarrest (is that even a word ?) ways, so I can't say that I'm surprised.
I'm admitting he didn't write it is just being truthful. He proved ideas for it, but he didnt write the script and such. But the fact he's happy with it is great cuz I'm certainly happy with it.


If it weren't for the 2nd half of the movie, I wouldn't have seen him for the musical genius he is (we're going back a year or so here) and eventually have come here.

If you don't have it already, get it and watch the Purple Rain Special Edition 2 disc dvd. It talks about it.

jtfolden said:

sure they did. According to Per Nilsen's DMSR, it was WB Records Chairman Mo Ostin who loaned his management the money for production. And WB spent millions of dollars making sure it was a success. It probably couldn't have been done without them.

paisley16 said:

Eeh, not exactly... but maybe I should be more specific. Ostin lent them money to greenlight the project but as they went into production they neither had the support of the Warner Film Division or a distributor agreement - nothing. Ostin was part of the music division, and the music division doesn't deal in movies. If something had gone horribly awry then PR might have ended up an extremely expensive long form music video.

Prince's camp was the one running the show. It wasn't until the very end, indeed at the time of the WRAP PARTY, after primary filming had finished, that Cavallo and Fargnoli FINALLY got complete financial support from WB and commitmentment to distribute it. Until that point, WB proper really didn't have anything directly to do with it. I'm sure this unstable situation helped make doubly sure that the film would be a high quality product.

jtfolden said:

gotcha. that is correct.
My point was that there was a WB connection from the beginning- providing the cash. I also think it's important to recognize that Prince may not have become the superstar he is w/o WB. I support what he has done, to be "free", but the money he made with WB allows him to do that. It is not as simple for new acts starting out. I also worry that younger folks don't understand what the music industry once was...and the efforts and dollars spent to develop (and promote) acts into the stars we have with us today. I could go on with my disappointment and worries about the music industry of today, but I guess that's another thread. (John Mellencamp lays it out pretty good in a recent "Hangin With" episode. On one hand, he sounds a bit like Prince, disillusioned, but he also understands the changes in the business and wants his music heard. Prince will on one hand say he doesn't need the business to make money, he just wants to make music, but then brag how he makes more money now selling less records. )

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Wait! who wamted him 2 b a drug addict?

Honestly Lets go back to 1983.

Prince was a 25 year old kid... & he was Black. He was going to be the LEAD in a major film from a major company!!

Spike Lee said he got into making movies because of Purple Rain. When he saw a ALL Black Cast for a major mainstream movie with a Black artist with his name over the title. He knew he had a chance to get his films made.

so They werent going to let him write the movie too!! Remember the time.

But Prince basically wrote the treatment for the film.

KidaDynamite said:

that was Prince's idea... that's why I said it wouldn't have worked.

jtfolden said:

ONLY chance at stardom?

I never said he SHOULDNT have gone along with the program, I was merely speculating
about his control issues.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Where did you get this info?

And he didn't direct it either. And it was a huge success. hmm...

jtfolden said:

People will probably get me with pitchforks for this, but wikipedia's page said something like
"one of his earlier ideas was for his character to be a drug addict"

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

U ..


Im kidding .. lol ..

Well, he's a musician first. To come out and be a musician and a scriptwriter would just be careerist....

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Hmmm, I'll have to look at that because I've never heard that before and it sounds rather un-Prince like given that PR was supposed to be semi-autobiographical. If they don't have a source listed then it's hard to say where that comes from.

Edit To Add: Yeah, I just checked that out and there's no source listed for that info so I edited the page and request one. There's been quite a few bits of misinformation about Prince on Wikipedia but I try to correct it and source it as I see it. I'm not saying this info is wrong or right, I just don't remember ever hearing that part of it before.
[Edited 5/9/07 18:55pm]