MovieChat Forums > Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Discussion > Ears

Ears

posted 18 years ago by MrFaberge
6 replies | jump to latest

I read somewhere the title was going to be 'Prick Up Your Arse' but the censors wouldn't let it through.

However, Ears is a anagram arse, so this was a more favoured title.

Has anyone else heard this?

[–] yodellingassassin 18 years ago

Nope. But it is an entertaining theory....

[–] peacock_and_chips 18 years ago

According to Prick Up Your Ears (the book), it comes from Kenneth's suggestion for a title for Joe's work-in-progress about Edward II. I think it was always going to be that anagram, something the censors couldn't technically object to without exposing their own dirty minds.

Ho ho ho, a cheap sexual allusion, makes the world go round!

[–] Scapercat 18 years ago

Yes I heard that too! It was my Grandmother who brought it up and my mother said the same thing. I don't know if it's actually true or not, could be an urban legend or maybe not.

[–] grindhouseguru 17 years ago

I read that in a review too! Cracked me up. I just bought the DVD yesterday and have yet to watch it. I think Gary Oldman is a terrific actor so thought I'd check it out. Imagine if they reissued it as "Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Arse" or in 2037 for the 50th Anniversary DVD release "Gary Oldman's Prick Up Your Arse"!with a new tagline "Gazza's put his arse on the line- and a huge cock-up's bound to come!" They could pair it with the old Dirk Bogarde movie "Victim" (around 1967, I think? the first movie in history to use the word "homosexual"). "TWO MOVIES THAT PLOUGHED NEW GROUND! BACK TO BACK!" the posters will practically scream! Imagine all the religious fanatics that would wind up! Hilarious. BTW: I think Oldman is a terrific actor- he was superb in "Dracula" & I loved "Romeo Is Bleeding", he also made "Sid & Nancy" worth watching. And who could forget his appearance on "Friends" where he plays a highly respected actor who keeps spitting in Joey's face during rehearsals?

[–] Doug_McGrave 17 years ago

I believe it's a double play on words. Both because of the anagram and also becasue the title sounds a bit like prick up your rears. The title, as with other Orton titles, was the idea of Kenneth Halliwell.

[–] puirt-a-beul 17 years ago

The title, as with other Orton titles, was the idea of Kenneth Halliwell.

I've never been a great fan of Joe Orton, though I understand his value to British theatre for having shattered some of the social constrictions of the time, but it was interesting to read in John Lahr's book just how much Halliwell contributed to Orton's success.

Their mutual end was disastrous and sad, but I think it was obvious their relationship was self-destructing. I wonder what might have happened if they had survived long enough to split up -- Orton is seen as a shining star, but I think it was obvious he was really part of a binary system.