The Silence of the Lambs Was Almost Someone Else's Movie
A free rights deal, a director who said yes to a book, and a mask maker from New Jersey helped turn Thomas Harris's novel into an unlikely classic.
Anthony Hopkins al Tuscan Sun Festival di Cortona — Elena Torre from Viareggio, Italia (edited by User:LeeGer), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch The Silence of the Lambs ↓A Rights Hand-Me-Down
The Hannibal Lecter character nearly stayed buried after Manhunter flopped. Producer Dino De Laurentiis, who had made that earlier adaptation, handed the rights over to Orion Pictures for free, effectively clearing the way for a new take. The project had already lost one marquee name when Gene Hackman pulled out of a plan to both direct and star, reportedly after his own children asked him to stop making violent movies. Into that uncertain space stepped Jonathan Demme, who committed to direct after reading only the novel, even before screenwriter Ted Tally had finished his script.
Casting What-Ifs
Clarice Starling almost went to Michelle Pfeiffer, who passed on the part saying she got nervous about the subject matter. Anthony Hopkins came aboard with a famously wrong first impression, initially thinking the book was a children's story when his agent described it, and only changing his mind after reading the first ten pages.
Jodie Foster " Baltimore the city that reads " — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Building the Monsters
Hopkins built Lecter from odd, precise references, drawing on the calm menace of the HAL 9000 computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the vocal cadence of writer Truman Capote. The physical shell was surprisingly local, the iconic cage mask created by Ed Cubberly, a Frenchtown New Jersey mask maker previously known for NHL goalkeeper masks. On the other side of the investigation, Scott Glenn prepared for Jack Crawford by listening to audio recordings of serial killers Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, including details of their crimes. The material moved him to tears and reportedly shifted his views on the death penalty.
Borrowed Dread
The film's sense of place leaned on real horror. The basement and pit set used for Buffalo Bill was inspired by the actual kidnappings and murders committed by Gary M. Heidnik. The Victorian house that stood in for Bill's residence in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania later became a footnote of fandom, selling for $195,000 in 2016 after sitting on the market for nearly a year. It is a reminder that the images Demme assembled still live on in brick and wood long after the cameras left.