Prince (March 11, 1984) – “Purple Rain” Editing, Apollonia Scene, and More

Purple Rain has been edited down to under two hours, but Prince still needs to film one remaining scene with his on-screen love interest, Apollonia (née Patty Kotero). Additional notes on Apollonia’s background, a song sent to Sheena Easton, Wendy Melvoin’s connection to Prince’s band, and Prince and the Revolution topping the Village Voice critics’ poll.

Publication: Minneapolis Star and Tribune

Date: Sunday, March 11, 1984 Country: United States Section: Entertainment / Prince Update column

THE STORY

The brief reports that Purple Rain is in advanced post-production (already cut to under two hours), with Prince scheduled to shoot one final scene opposite Apollonia. It notes that Apollonia replaced Vanity (who reportedly wanted more money) and mentions her prior casting in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (which was ultimately scrapped).

Additional items include: Prince sending a song to Sheena Easton at her request; background on new band member Wendy Melvoin (keyboardist, daughter of prominent musician Mike Melvoin, with sister Susannah also in the arts); and Prince and the

Revolution being the only Twin Cities act featured in the Village Voice’s nationwide best-of-1983 poll of 207 critics, with “Little Red Corvette” tying for fourth-favorite single.

CONTEXT AND NOTES 

By March 1984, Purple Rain was in the final stages of editing and pick-up shots. This update shows the film transitioning toward completion ahead of its summer 1984 release. The mention of Apollonia and the Revolution reflects the evolving lineup and ongoing creative activity around Prince.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Post-production update on Purple Rain + related Prince news Era: Early 1984 (post-filming / pre-release)

Tone: Chatty, informative local fan update

Photography: None in these clippings Visual Motifs: Standard concise news brief / column format

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

• Purple Rain nearing final form (under 2 hours) with one last scene to shoot

• Continued local interest in Prince’s projects and collaborators (Apollonia, Wendy Melvoin, Sheena Easton)

• Critical acclaim building for Prince’s 1983 output heading into the Purple Rain era

RELATED MATERIAL

This continues the timeline after the February 1, 1984 wrap confirmation and the January 8 awards/filming update.

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

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