Trivia for
Strictly Ballroom (1992) More at IMDbPro »

• The film began life as an improvised play, which was later performed at the Sydney Theatre Company in Australia. As a child, director Baz Luhrmann participated in the sorts of ballroom dancing competitions shown in the movie.
  
  
• First part of the Red Curtain Trilogy. Followed by Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001).
  
  
• There are only a few professional dancers among the principal cast, including Paul Mercurio, Antonio Vargas, Sonia Kruger, and Leonie Page.
  
  
• Antonio Vargas wore all his own clothes throughout the shoot.
  
  
• Director Cameo: [Baz Luhrmann] the guy whom Scott pushes past while looking for Fran at the Pan Pacifics; he is carrying a silver dress over his shoulder.
  
  
• Cameo: [John 'Cha Cha' O'Connell] tryout Coach #3, Guest at the fiesta.
  
  
• Rank Films snapped up the UK release rights at the Cannes Film Festival for a million pounds. In cash.
  
  
• Tara Morice was almost never cast as Fran, even though she played the character in the stage version, because the financial backers were reluctant to cast a non-dancer in the role.
  
  
• The flashback about Doug's past was originally planned as being realistic but due to budget constraints, the makers had to change it to the present cartoon version.
  
  
• The trophies in Kendall's Dance Studio were real trophies borrowed from dance studios.
  
  
• Tara Morice had pimples painted onto her face during her 'ugly-duckling' phase.
  
  
• The first scene filmed was the big finale at the dance competition. It was filmed at a real dance competition during the 1-hour lunch break.
  
  
• Baz Luhrmann appeared in the original stage play.
  
  
• The film makers had to beg Coca-Cola to allow them to have the sign on top of the studio. The company ended paying a bit for the cost of the sign but not the whole price.
  
  
• Fran's house was a set built on to an existing railway station.
  
  
• The film makers had to hire a train to pass by Fran's house twice. The shot was the most expensive one in the entire film.
  
  
• The flamenco shoes were imported from Spain.
  
  
• The most expensive costume was the jacket worn by Scott during the grand finale. It took over six weeks to make. Some of the ornaments were imported from Spain.
  
  
• During a shoot in Fran's house, a real food inspector came onto the set and demanded paperwork because he thought it was a real shop.
  
  
• The film received a 15-minute standing ovation when it played at the Cannes Film Festival.
  
  
• 'Pat Thomson', who plays Scott's mother, died before the film's premier.
  
  
• Paul Mercurio danced the final sequence with a sprained ankle.
  
  
• Only movie from Baz Luhrmann's "Red Curtain"-Triology to not receive an Oscar-nomination.
  
  
• This film was a major inspiration in the creation of the reality TV shows "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) in the U.S., "Strictly Come Dancing" (2004) in the U.K., and their counterparts.
  
  

Related Links