Purple Rain ( film ) - wikipedia Purple Rain ( film ) Purple Rain Theatrical release poster Directed by Albert Magnoli Produced by Robert Cavallo Joseph Ruffalo Steven Fargnoli Written by Albert Magnoli William Blinn Starring Prince Apollonia Kotero Morris Day Olga Karlatos Clarence Williams III Music by Michel Colombier Cinematography Donald E. Thorin Edited by Albert Magnoli Production company Purple Films Distributed by Warner Bros. Release date July 27, 1984 ( 1984 - 07 - 27 ) Running time 112 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $7.2 million Box office $68.4 million Purple Rain is a 1984 American rock musical drama film directed by Albert Magnoli, written by Magnoli and William Blinn, and produced by Robert Cavallo, Joseph Ruffalo and Steven Fargnoli. The film stars Prince in his acting debut playing `` The Kid, '' a quasi-biographical character. Purple Rain was developed to showcase Prince 's talents and contains several concert sequences. The film grossed more than $68 million at the box office in the United States and over $80 million worldwide, thus making a large profit on its $7.2 million budget. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, the last to receive the award. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Development 3.2 Filming 4 Music 5 Release 5.1 Critical response 5.2 Box office 5.3 Home media 6 Accolades 7 Legacy 8 References 9 External links Plot `` The Kid '' is the talented but troubled frontman of his Minneapolis - based band The Revolution. To escape his difficult home life -- his father is verbally and physically abusive, and his mother is emotionally abusive -- he spends his days rehearsing and his nights performing at the First Avenue nightclub. First Avenue 's three house band slots are held by The Revolution, the flashy Morris Day and his group The Time, and Dez Dickerson and his group The Modernaires. Morris, aware that The Revolution 's guitarist Wendy and keyboardist Lisa are frustrated by the Kid 's unwillingness to play their compositions, lobbies Billy Sparks, the nightclub 's owner, to replace The Revolution with a girl group which Morris is already forming. He targets the Kid 's girlfriend Apollonia -- an aspiring singer and new arrival in Minneapolis -- to lead his group, and tries to persuade her that the Kid wo n't help her because he 's too focused on himself. She eventually joins Morris 's group, which Morris names Apollonia 6. When she reveals her partnership to the Kid, he becomes furious and slaps her, as his father had struck him earlier. At the club, the Kid responds to the internal band strife, the pressure to draw more crowds, and his strained private life with the uncomfortably personal `` Darling Nikki ''. His performance publicly humiliates Apollonia, who runs off in tears, and angers both Morris and Billy, worsening his situation. Billy confronts the Kid, castigating him for bringing his personal life onto the stage and warning him that he 's wasting his musical talent like his father did. The debut of Apollonia 6 is a success, and Billy warns the Kid that his First Avenue slot is at risk. The Kid seizes Apollonia from a drunken Morris and the two argue and fight ; Apollonia then abandons him. Returning home, he finds the house in tatters, with his mother nowhere to be found. When he turns on the basement light, his father -- who had been lurking in the basement with a loaded handgun -- shoots himself in the head. In a frenzy after a night of torment, the Kid tears apart the basement to release his anger, only to find a large box of his father 's musical compositions. The next morning, the Kid picks up a cassette tape of one of Wendy and Lisa 's compositions, a rhythm track named `` Slow Groove '', and begins to compose. That night at First Avenue, all is quiet in The Revolution 's dressing room until The Time stops by to taunt the Kid about his family life. Once on stage, the Kid announces that he will be playing `` a song the girls in the band wrote '', dedicated to his father -- revealed to be `` Purple Rain ''. As the emotional song ends, the Kid rushes from the stage and out the back door of the club, intending to ride away on his motorcycle. However, before he can mount his motorcycle, he realizes that the crowd is thrilled by his new song. The Kid returns to the club, to be greeted by the approval of his fellow musicians and the embrace of a teary - eyed Apollonia. The Kid returns to the stage for two encores with The Revolution, to the wild approval of the crowd ( even Morris ) ; overlaid scenes show the Kid visiting his father and mother in the hospital and sorting his father 's compositions in the basement, accompanied by Apollonia. A montage of all the songs plays as the credits roll. Cast Prince as The Kid Apollonia Kotero as Apollonia Morris Day as Morris Olga Karlatos as Mother Clarence Williams III as Father, a.k.a. `` Francis L. '' Jerome Benton as Jerome Billy Sparks as Billy Jill Jones as Jill Dez Dickerson as Dez Wendy Melvoin as Wendy Lisa Coleman as Lisa The Revolution as themselves The Time as themselves Apollonia 6 as themselves Production Development Purple Rain was written by Albert Magnoli and William Blinn, and produced by Prince 's managers Robert Cavallo, Joseph Ruffalo and Steven Fargnoli. Prince developed the concept during his 1999 Tour. The original script by Blinn was darker. Later Magnoli was brought aboard and rewrote it. The film was directed and edited by Magnoli in his feature film directorial debut. Prince intended to cast Vanity, leader of the girl group Vanity 6, but she left the group before filming began. Her role was initially offered to Jennifer Beals ( who turned it down because she wanted to concentrate on college ) before going to Apollonia Kotero, a virtual unknown at the time. Prince had seen her appearance on the February 1983 episode of Tales of the Gold Monkey, in which she played a saucy island girl who was sleeping with a German man of the cloth. Excluding Prince and his onscreen parents, almost every character in the movie is named after the actor who plays him or her. After the character change from Vanity to Apollonia, the script was drastically revised, and many dark scenes were cut. Some of these scenes include Prince and Apollonia having sex in a barn ( a concept which was the story behind the 1985 song `` Raspberry Beret '' ) ; Prince going to Apollonia 6 's rehearsal and engaging in a physical fight with the members of The Time ; and a scene which featured Prince 's mother talking to him about her shaky relationship with his father. In addition, many scenes such as the `` Lake Minnetonka '' scene, Apollonia first meeting Morris, and the railyard scene were cut down because of time constraints. Many clips from these scenes were featured, however, in the trailer for the movie as well as the `` When Doves Cry '' montage. Although Warner Bros. considered the film `` outrageous '' at the time, it was accepted for distribution after an internal debate. Music industry PR man Howard Bloom advocated for it. Filming Principal photography took place almost entirely in Minneapolis : the film features many local landmarks, including the Crystal Court of the IDS Center ( also shown in segments of the opening credits to The Mary Tyler Moore Show ) and the legendary First Avenue nightclub. First Avenue was paid $100,000 for use of the club in filming ; it was closed for 25 days. The Huntington Hotel, where Apollonia stayed, is located on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. In the film, it is supposed to be across the street from First Avenue. The motorcycle Prince rides in the film is a customized Hondamatic Honda CM400A. Music Main article : Purple Rain ( album ) The film is tied into the album of the same name, which spawned two chart - topping singles, `` When Doves Cry '' and the opening number `` Let 's Go Crazy '', as well as `` Purple Rain '', which reached number two. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. The soundtrack sold over 15 million copies in America alone, and 25 million worldwide. The film also coincided with spin - off albums by The Time ( Ice Cream Castle ) and Apollonia 6 ( their self - titled album ). `` Let 's Go Crazy '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` Jungle Love '' -- The Time `` Take Me with U '' -- Prince and the Revolution featuring Apollonia `` Modernaire '' -- Dez Dickerson and the Modernaires `` The Beautiful Ones '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` God ( Love Theme from Purple Rain ) '' -- Prince `` When Doves Cry '' -- Prince `` Computer Blue '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` Darling Nikki '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` Sex Shooter '' -- Apollonia 6 `` The Bird '' -- The Time `` Purple Rain '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` I Would Die 4 U '' -- Prince and the Revolution `` Baby I 'm a Star '' -- Prince and the Revolution Release Critical response The film was a commercial success. Purple Rain currently holds a 67 % rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 45 reviews, with the consensus : `` Purple Rain makes for undeniably uneven cinema, but it 's held together by its star 's singular charisma -- not to mention a slew of classic songs. '' It also holds a 52 / 100 rating on Metacritic. Box office The film was a box office success, grossing $68,392,977 in the United States. Home media Purple Rain was first released on DVD on February 3, 2004. The film was first released on Blu - ray on July 24, 2007 and was released on Blu - ray again with a new master on October 4, 2016 as part of the Prince Movie Collection. Accolades The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, currently the last to receive the award. It was nominated for two Razzie Awards : Worst New Star for Apollonia Kotero and Worst Original Song for `` Sex Shooter ''. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists : 2004 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Songs : `` Let 's Go Crazy '' -- Nominated 2006 : AFI 's Greatest Movie Musicals -- Nominated Legacy Purple Rain is the only feature film that Prince starred in but did not direct. A semi-sequel, Graffiti Bridge, was released in 1990. After Prince 's death on April 21, 2016, MTV aired the film following a music video marathon. VH1 also showed the movie the same night, as well as throughout the next couple of days. Due to the film 's parental and inappropriate content, both MTV and VH1 edited Purple Rain in order for the film to be shown on public television. Theater chains AMC and Carmike also announced that they would be screening the film at a limited number of theaters the following week. These special tribute screenings lasted from April 27 -- May 1, 2016. References Jump up ^ `` PURPLE RAIN ( 15 ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. July 5, 1984. Retrieved May 14, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Purple Rain ( 1984 ) - Box Office Mojo ''. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Prince ''. Rockhall. Jump up ^ Bomani Jones - ' Purple Rain : ' Still Brilliant 30 Years Later - essence.com. June 25, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, p. 118. Jump up ^ Jacob Kleinman. `` The Park Slope man who saved ' Purple Rain ' ! ''. The Brooklyn Paper. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain / First Avenue Agreement ''. Discussions.mnhs.org. Jump up ^ `` Vehicle 137249 Honda CB 400 A 1981 ''. Imcdb.org. Jump up ^ `` Those chart busters ''. Hindustantimes.com. Jump up ^ Purple Rain at Rotten Tomatoes Jump up ^ Purple Rain at Metacritic Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain ( DVD ) ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain ( Blu - ray ) ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain / Graffiti Bridge / Under the Cherry Moon ( BD ) ( 3pk ) ( Blu - ray ) ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Wilson, John ( 2005 ). The Official Razzie Movie Guide : Enjoying the Best of Hollywood 's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0 - 446 - 69334 - 0. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Songs Nominees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved August 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's Greatest Movie Musicals Nominees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved August 13, 2016. Jump up ^ Schwindt, Oriana. `` ' Purple Rain ' Is Not On Netflix, But It Will Air On MTV Thursday Night As Part Of Its Prince Takeover ''. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Vejnoska, Jill ( April 21, 2016 ). `` MTV showing Prince videos nonstop, to air `` Purple Rain '' Thursday night ``. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ `` VH1 to Air `` Purple Rain '' Throughout Weekend to Honor Prince ``. KWBE.com. ABC News Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Solis, Steph. `` Where to watch ' Purple Rain ' this weekend ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 24, 2016. External links Purple Rain on IMDb Purple Rain at the TCM Movie Database Purple Rain at Box Office Mojo Purple Rain at Rotten Tomatoes Purple Rain at Metacritic Films directed by Albert Magnoli Feature films Purple Rain ( 1984 ) American Anthem ( 1986 ) Tango & Cash ( additional scenes, uncredited, 1989 ) Street Knight ( 1993 ) Dark Planet ( 1997 ) Music videos Prince videography Prince and the Revolution Music from the Motion Picture Purple Rain Side 1 `` Let 's Go Crazy '' `` Take Me with U '' `` The Beautiful Ones '' `` Computer Blue '' `` Darling Nikki '' Side 2 `` When Doves Cry '' `` I Would Die 4 U '' `` Baby I 'm a Star '' `` Purple Rain '' Related articles Purple Rain ( film ) Purple Rain Tour Prince and the Revolution : Live Purplish Rain Prince albums discography Prince Discography Albums Singles Videography Unreleased projects Awards and nominations Associates Concert tours Prince Tour Dirty Mind Tour Controversy Tour 1999 Tour Purple Rain Tour Parade Tour Sign o ' the Times Tour Lovesexy Tour Nude Tour Diamonds and Pearls Tour Act I and II Interactive Tour The Ultimate Live Experience Love 4 One Another Charities Tour Jam of the Year Tour New Power Soul Tour Hit n Run Tour A Celebration One Nite Alone... Tour World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Per4ming Live 3121 21 Nights in London : The Earth Tour 20Ten Tour Welcome 2 Live Out Loud Tour Hit n Run Tour Piano & A Microphone Tour Filmography Purple Rain Under the Cherry Moon Sign o ' the Times Graffiti Bridge Videography Prince and the Revolution : Live Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection The Hits Collection 3 Chains o ' Gold Rave Un2 the Year 2000 Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas Video games Prince Interactive Stage productions Glam Slam Ulysses Billboards Associated companies Paisley Park Records NPG Records Related articles The Revolution The New Power Generation 3rdeyegirl The Time Vanity 6 Apollonia 6 The Family Madhouse Mazarati John L. Nelson Mayte Garcia Manuela Testolini NPG Music Club Minneapolis sound Purplish Rain Book : Prince Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Purple_Rain_(film)&oldid=800373046 '' Categories : 1984 films English - language films Prince ( musician ) 1980s drama films 1980s musical films Neo-noir American films American musical drama films American rock music films American rock musicals Films about interracial romance Films directed by Albert Magnoli Directorial debut films Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award Films set in Minnesota Films shot in Minnesota Warner Bros. films Films about domestic violence Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from March 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Português Русский Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 September 2017, at 03 : 59. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: who played prince's father in purple rain
Answer: Clarence Williams III