The Dakota Building on Manhattan's Upper West Side was renamed The Bramford for the film.
It was on the set of this film that Mia Farrow received divorce papers from then-husband Frank Sinatra.
There was a popular belief that Alfred Hitchcock was originally offered the chance to direct this movie. This has been deemed false. The director was never approached.
There is a popular rumor that Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey gave technical advice and portrayed Satan in the impregnation scene. This is false - LaVey had no involvement with the film.
Oscar-nominated editor Sam O'Steen would later direct the sequel, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976) (TV).
Directed by Roman Polanski, whose pregnant wife, the actress Sharon Tate, was in 1969 murdered by Charles Manson and his followers, who titled their death spree "Helter Skelter" after the 1968 song by The Beatles, whose leader, 'John Lennon' , who would one day live (and in 1980 be murdered) in the Manhattan apartment building called The Dakota - where Rosemary's Baby had been filmed.
There is a heatedly disputed rumor that Sharon Tate appears unbilled at the party Rosemary gives for her "young" friends.
Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby.
This was Roman Polanski's very first adaptation, and it is very faithful to the novel. Pieces of dialog, color schemes and clothes are taken verbatim.
William Castle acquired the movie rights to the novel. Robert Evans of Paramount agreed to green-light the project if Castle did not direct. This was due to Castle's fame and reputation as a director of low budget horror films. Castle was allowed to make a prominent cameo appearance.
According to Mia Farrow, the scenes where Rosemary walks in front of traffic were spontaneous and genuine. Roman Polanski is reported to have told her that "nobody will hit a pregnant woman."
This film, along with Repulsion (1965) and Locataire, Le (1976), forms a loose trilogy by Roman Polanski about the horrors of apartment/city dwelling.
This was Roman Polanski's first American film. His first American film was going to be Downhill Racer (1969), but Robert Evans of Paramount decided that "Rosemary's Baby" would be more suited to Polanski.
Director Roman Polanski originally wanted Tuesday Weld to play Rosemary and Robert Redford to play Guy. Redford was busy shooting Downhill Racer (1969) and head of production Robert Evans preferred Mia Farrow to Weld. Jack Nicholson had also been shortly considered for the role of Guy Woodhouse.
Mia Farrow actually ate raw liver for a scene in the movie.
Roman Polanski was so faithful to the novel that he asked Ira Levin the date of the issue of the New Yorker in which Guy Woodhouse sees a shirt he wants. Levin confessed that he had made up the detail.
The last movie of special effects creator Farciot Edouart.
The devil costume that Anton LaVey was falsely rumored to have worn in the impregnation scene was later re-used in the film Asylum of Satan (1975). A small woman had difficulty fitting into the tiny suit.
Cameo: [William Castle] man near phone booth.
Cameo: ['Tony Curtis' ] voice on phone of the actor who is struck blind by a witch's curse so that Rosemary's husband can get an acting job.
Rosemary (Mia Farrow) says to Terry Ginoffrio (Angela Dorian), "I thought you were Victoria Vetri, the actress," to which Terry responds, "Everyone says that, but I don't see the resemblance." Victoria Vetri is Angela Dorian's real name.
Members of the cast and crew were visited on the set by 'Joan Crawford' and Van Johnson.
According to "Kenneth Anderson" , author of "Rosemary's Baby Book: The Making of the Film that Changed Horror Films Forever", "Lauren Bacall" , who was living at the Dakota at the time, would often come outside and watch the filming with the other tenants.
Jane Fonda was offered the role of Rosemary but turned it down to film Barbarella (1968) in Europe. Tuesday Weld was second choice (and Polanski's own preference) but refused to test for the role.
According to John Parker's recent biography of Jack Nicholson, Polanski originally offered the role of Guy to Warren Beatty but he turned it down saying it wasn't big enough. Robert Redford was then approached but was in a dispute with Paramount studios at the time. Robert Evans suggested Jack Nicholson to Polanski but, after their meeting, Polanski stated that "for all his talent, his sinister appearance ruled him out".
Production chief Robert Evans has admitted that he simply used an offer to direct Downhill Racer (1969) to lure Roman Polanski from Europe. It was his intention to have Polanski direct this film all along.
