FAQ

For a thorough analysis of the vitamin drink, see the article by Matos (Rosemary's Baby: The Devil is in... the Vitamin Drinks) published at Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 40:3, 356-378, DOI: 10.1080/10509208.2023.2173282.

Rosemary's Baby is a 1967 novel by American novelist Ira Levin (1929-2007). The novel was adapted for the movie by director Roman Polanski. Levin also wrote a sequel novel, Son of Rosemary (1997).

The Bramford is fictional. The exterior shown in the film is The Dakota, a historic, star-studded Central Park West building later famous as the residence of John Lennon and the site of his 1980 murder. The Dakota's managers would not allow filming inside the building, so interior scenes were shot at Paramount Studios. In the book, Levin locates the Bramford at 55th Street and 7th Avenue, which is where the historic Wyoming Apartments stand. This building, built in 1906, closely resembles the "old, black, and elephantine" structure described by Levin.

They are former tenants of the Bramford who contributed to the building's sinister reputation early in the 20th century. According to Rosemary's friend Hutch (Maurice Evans), the Trench Sisters were cannibals who "cooked and ate several young children" while Marcato practiced witchcraft and claimed to have conjured the devil. Hutch doesn't mention what Keith Kennedy and Pearl Ames did to earn their notorious reputations, but Guy recognizes their names. All of these characters are fictional and were created by Ira Levin.

In the book, Guy and Rosemary are "flush." Guy is still netting royalties from a series of Anacin commercials he had done in 1964, which earned him $18,000. He also has a recurring role on "Another World." He has a speaking role in a Yamaha commercial. Guy either makes enough money doing commercials for Yamaha or, as the landlord admits, he's unable to raise the rent beyond the 15% yearly increase. In the 1960s, New York was under rent control. A landlord could not raise the rent to market value each time a new tenant came in. The rent was increased 15% from the rent of the last tenant. If the elderly Mrs. Gardenia had lived in 7-E for a long time, the rent would not have been as high as it would have been with a succession of different tenants. Therefore, the rent might be fairly low. In any event, it's only 15% higher than what Mrs. Gardenia had paid.

ALSO: It wasn't really about "how could he afford it?" but the fact he did manage to arrange it. His deal with the Castevets was solely to move his career forward not because he shares the coven's beliefs. He ostensibly blames Rosemary's subtle manipulation (as he sees it) to move somewhere they could hardly afford as a reason for his actions.

"Snips and snails and puppy dog's tails", says Minnie facetiously. She tells Rosemary it's made of raw egg, gelatin, and herbs. Rosemary asks if that includes tannis root which Minnie acknowledges albeit in a minimalizing way. It is impossible to know if she's lying about any or all of the ingredients or if there's more in it than she's saying. Either is possible, even probable. The tannis root is probably bad enough. It turns out to be a fungus called Devil's Pepper.

Yes. While waiting in Dr. Sapirstein's office, Rosemary flips through an issue of Time Magazine with the cover, "Is God dead?" This is a real cover, dated April 8, 1966.

No. Films are rarely, if ever, filmed chronologically. In September 1967, Polanski shot several location scenes, including the scenes outside the Dakota and many of the climactic scenes set in summer -- e.g. Rosemary crossing Fifth Avenue, Rosemary in the phone booth, etc. Later, the cast and crew went to Los Angeles to shoot on set. Two months later, in November 1967, after the first snowfall, a second unit flew back East to shoot the Christmas scenes in front of Tiffany's window and the Time-Life building. Production wrapped soon thereafter.

No, it was already short. Mia Farrow had had it cut short on the set of her prime-time soap opera Peyton Place (1964) in 1966, shortly before marrying Frank Sinatra. During the first half of the film she wears a blonde fall with a flip created by Sydney Guilaroff, the famed hairdresser for Paramount. Vidal Sassoon set her real hair, amid much publicity, for the second half.

Appear is the wrong word. Tony Curtis plays Donald Baumgart, the actor who goes blind, a character we only hear over the telephone twice, the first time when Rosemary calls to express her sympathy and the second when she calls to pump him for information to confirm her suspicions about Guy.

Yes. See the soundtrack listing for this title.