Actress Raquel Welch did not play in this film, but she still made an important appearance. Her image on the poster of ‘One Million Years B.C.’ was adored by all the inmates in the cinematic prison.
While she no longer wore the prehistoric bikini seen in the poster, Welch was a big fan of ‘The Shawshank Redemption’.
Becoming Andy
Tim Robbins knew he had to work hard in order to walk a mile in a prisoner's shoes. To prepare for this role and get into Andy's mindset, Robbins went into solitary confinement.
Sure, he went into confinement willingly and had no warden to boss him around, but we still salute him for the commitment.
King's Inspiration
Stephen King is known for his troubling body of work. He deals with topics that are often unpleasant, to say the least. Looking at some of his best-known works like 'Cujo', 'It', and 'The Shining' will have you wondering where he gets all the troubling ideas.
Well, as far as 'Shawshank' is concerned, King put it together based on his recollection of old prison films he watched as a kid. We can't vouch for the source of inspiration to all of his works, though...
The Canzonetta Sull'aria
In the scene that shows Andy turning up the volume on a classical music piece, the melody in the background is 'Canzonetta Sull'aria'. For those of you who don't know, it is a Mozart piece taken from 'The Marriage of Figaro'.
Originally, the music was supposed to just be playing in the background, bit Robbins had another idea. He is the one who thought about Andy turning up the volume and drawing more attention.
Remembering Allen Greene
Those of you who actually stay until the end of a film's credits will notice that 'The Shawshank Redemption' is dedicated to Allen Green. Who is he? We're glad you asked.
Greene was Darabont's agent, and the two were also close friends. Sadly, Greene passed away from AIDS complications shortly before the film was completed. The dedication was Darabont's gesture in Greene's memory.