Trivia / Pink Flamingos

• Copiously Credited Creator: From the looks of it, the only thing Waters didn't do on the film was act in it (though he does narrate a few scenes).
• Creator Backlash:
  • Waters has stated that the only scene in the film he regrets is the unsimulated fellatio sequence between Divine and Danny Mills; he claims it was awkward to film because the two actors were friends. He also feels it is the most 'dated' part of the film; Deep Throat had just been released and this scene was Waters satirizing the rise of 'porno chic'.
  • Danny Mills allegedly regrets playing Crackers and has tried to disassociate himself from the film. It's unclear if he most regrets the sex scene with the chickens or the one with his mother. As a matter of fact, this was his only acting role, as any other appearances in films have been in documentaries. (Worth noting: his name is not in the credits.)
• The Danza:
  • Edith Massey as Edie.
  • Cookie Mueller as Cookie.
• Deleted Scene: In the deleted scenes, John Waters tells of a character named Patty Hitler whose scenes were cut from the film, Patty is a friend of Divine's and tells her where the Marbles live, she is also adorned in swastikas and other Nazi attire. Although her scenes are cut, you can still see her in the crowds of the birthday party scene.
• No Budget: The film was made on a budget of $10,000. A majority of the props were either found by dumpster diving or simply stolen. Divine was able to escape the cops at one point by claiming that he was a method actor preparing for a role as a shoplifter.
• Stillborn Franchise: A sequel entitled Flamingos Forever was written, but never filmed. It would've been set 15 years later, showing Babs' return to Baltimore with Cotton, Crackers, Miss Edie, and her new grandson Dwayne, an eight year old transvestite. Connie's sister and her husband would've been the antagonists, and the film would end with Babs and her family riding to Cape Canaveral on a giant turd. Troma had offered to finance the film, but Divine wanted no part as he was beginning to focus on more serious, male roles, and felt the initial shock value of the film had worn off. Divine was also hesitant about performing over-the-top stunts like an underwater pie-eating contest and having to carry Edie in a baby carrier at the start of the movie. After the deaths of Edith Massey and Divine himself, the film was canceled. However, Waters eventually released the initial script, along with Pink Flamingos and Desperate Living in his book Trash Trio.
• Uncredited Role: The Singing Asshole (the guy who lip-synced "Surfin' Bird" with his anus), personally requested to go uncredited, and Waters kept his promise to never reveal his identity. Reportedly, the individual only talked about it to close friends. Waters also claimed he at least got a kick out of pointing himself out to others at the premiere. Finally, in 2020, the Singing Asshole passed away, and his widow gave her permission to go public with the info. And so, all hail David E. Gluck!
• What Could Have Been: One scene from the original script called for Connie's hair to catch fire. While Mink initially agreed to do the stunt, she eventually changed her mind. Waters was thankful she backed out because the potential third-degree burns would've landed him in jail. The whole ordeal was referenced in Waters' later film Cecil B. Demented, where the titular Demented had Honey Whitlock set her hair on fire for his film.
• Write What You Know: Waters got the idea for the film by driving around and looking at trailer parks in his home town of Baltimore and wondering about the lives of the people who lived there.

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