25 Fascinating Facts About "The Shawshank Redemption"

In celebration of actor Tim Robbins' recent birthday, let's revisit the film that has held the top spot on IMDb for over a decade. Here are 25 intriguing facts about *The Shawshank Redemption* that highlight its remarkable production and lasting impact.

In celebration of actor Tim Robbins' recent birthday, let's revisit the film that has held the top spot on IMDb for over a decade. Here are 25 intriguing facts about *The Shawshank Redemption* that highlight its remarkable production and lasting impact.

Extended Filming for the Baseball Scene

The filming of the first conversation between Andy and Red in the prison yard, where Red tosses a baseball, took nine hours. Morgan Freeman spent the entire time throwing the ball without a single complaint. The next day, he arrived on set with his arm in a sling.

Perfect Timing with the Raven

In the scene where Andy is assigned as Brooks' assistant and heads to the library, Tim Robbins had to time his line, "Hey, Jake, where's Brooks?" perfectly to avoid the raven croaking in the middle of his dialogue. Robbins studied the bird's behavior to select the ideal moment, earning praise from director Frank Darabont.

Unexpected Box Office Success

Despite its modest box office performance, *The Shawshank Redemption* became one of the highest-grossing films in the history of VHS and DVD rentals.

Family Cameos

In the parole hearing scene, the young man in the photograph is not Morgan Freeman but his younger son, Alfonso. Alfonso also played a minor role as an inmate shouting "Fresh fish! Fresh fish! We’re gonna get you!" A year later, Alfonso appeared in the film *Se7en* as a fingerprint expert.

Brooks' Crime

Though not explicitly stated in the film, Brooks is imprisoned for the murder of his wife and daughter after a series of poker losses.

Stephen King's Special Gesture

Stephen King sold the film rights to his novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" for $5,000 but never cashed the check. Years later, King framed the check and sent it back to Frank Darabont with the note: "In case you need the money. Love, Steve.

Casting Considerations

Several actors were considered for the role of Andy Dufresne, including Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp, and Charlie Sheen. Hanks declined due to his commitment to *Forrest Gump*, and Costner preferred to work on *Waterworld*.

Red's Potential Portrayals

Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford were all considered for the role of Red. Although the original character in the novella is a middle-aged Irishman with graying red hair, Darabont envisioned Morgan Freeman for the role due to his gravitas, demeanor, and deep voice.

Rob Reiner's Offer

Rob Reiner was so impressed with Frank Darabont's script that he offered $2.5 million for the rights, intending to direct it himself. Darabont seriously considered the offer but decided to direct the film, viewing it as his "chance to do something truly great."

Initial Box Office Struggles

With initial earnings of $18 million, the film failed to cover its production costs. After receiving an Oscar nomination, it earned an additional $10 million but was still considered a box office disappointment.

Adding Realism

Clancy Brown, who played Captain Byron Hadley, was offered help by real correctional officers to add authenticity to his character. Brown declined, as he didn’t want to associate real prison staff with a negative character.

Title Concerns

The decision to shorten the title from "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" was partly because Hollywood thought it was a biographical film about Rita Hayworth. This led to several actresses and models requesting auditions for the main role.

Ted Turner's Deal

After the film gained popularity, Ted Turner sold the TV rights to his network, TNT, for a significantly lower price than usual. This low cost allowed the film to be frequently broadcast on TNT.

Animal Welfare

During the scenes with Jake, Brooks' raven, the American Humane Association monitored the filming closely. They insisted on replacing live larvae with those that had died of natural causes, ensuring no harm came to the animals.

Red's Crime Explanation

In the film, Red's explanation of his imprisonment is vague. In the novella, Red is serving three life sentences for murdering his wife and the wife and son of his neighbor. He tampered with his car's brakes to kill his wife for insurance money, not anticipating she would have two passengers.

Darabont's Hands

The hands loading the revolver in the early scenes, and the ones carving Andy's name on the wall, actually belong to Frank Darabont. These close-ups were shot during post-production as Darabont wanted the shots to be exactly as he envisioned them.

Filming Location

The exteriors were filmed in a decommissioned prison in Mansfield, Ohio, which required extensive repairs before shooting. However, most interiors were filmed on a soundstage, as building replicas was cheaper than repairing the actual facility.

Sound Issues

The prison was situated under the flight path of a C-130 Hercules from the Ohio National Guard, causing various sound issues during filming.

Casting Extras

Many local residents expressed interest in being extras, but their availability was limited to one day or less, which posed challenges for shooting a prison film. Consequently, extras were recruited from a nearby dormitory, including some who were former inmates.

Home Video Success

Despite poor theatrical performance, Warner Brothers sold 320,000 copies of the film to U.S. video rental stores. According to an official spokesperson, this number significantly exceeded the box office results.

Opera Song

The opera piece Andy plays over the loudspeakers is "Canzonetta sull’aria" from Mozart's *The Marriage of Figaro*.

Figaro's Plot

Red says he has no idea what the women in *The Marriage of Figaro* are singing about. In reality, they are writing a letter to one of their husbands, inviting him to a rendezvous with another woman to expose his infidelity.

Bus Passenger

The man sitting behind Gil Bellows (Tommy Williams) on the bus is Dennis Baker, a former warden of the Ohio correctional facility where the film was primarily shot.

Shawshank References

Shawshank Prison is a key location in Stephen King’s works set in Maine. Although it is only directly mentioned in this story, several other books and stories reference characters sentenced to Shawshank. It is also mentioned in King’s *Dolores Claiborne* (1995), where Dolores (played by Kathy Bates) threatens her husband with imprisonment in Shawshank.

Taiwan Release

In Taiwan, the film was released under the title "1995: Fantasy" (it premiered in 1995 there), leading many viewers to mistakenly believe it was an action film.

These facts reveal the depth and complexity of *The Shawshank Redemption*, a film that continues to captivate audiences and stand the test of time.