The original title for the movie was Rat Pfink and Boo Boo but the title designer forgot to put the "ND" in the word "and". Since there was no money left to fix it, Steckler left the mistake in the final print.

The original title of the first 40 minutes of the film was called The Depraved.

The entire film was originally shot in black and white, and then processed with colored lights in different scenes. (For example, the first half of the movie is tinted blue.)

Rat Pfink a Boo Boo was shot without sound, with all dialog and sound effects dubbed in later.

The ape scene in Rat Pfink a Boo Boo was reportedly shot in Griffith Park, on the opposite side of the L.A. zoo. Legend has it that two park rangers patrolling the area mistook Kogar The Ape for an escaped bear and almost shot him with a shotgun before noticing the film crew!

A continuity error appears in the movie as Cee Bee is kidnapped: she is wearing shiny pants that zip in the back. After Rat Pfink and Boo Boo rescue her, she is seen wearing jeans.

Titus Moede (Boo Boo/Titus Twimbly) lined up the parade sequence at the movie's conclusion by calling the Canoga Park Chamber of Commerce to ask if he could be in the parade.

Hollywood actor and make up artist Bob Burns was the person in Kogar's ape suit.

Moody designed his own costume for the Boo Boo character, and would appear at matinee showings of Rat Pfink a Boo Boo dressed as his character.

The character name of Boo Boo came from the name of a softball team in Steckler's home town of Reading, PA called "The Boo-Boo's".

Ron Haydock and Steckler apparently went to Sears and Roebuck Co. to purchase the Rat Pfink costume. Haydock reportedly pulled out the ski mask from the shelf and thought it was perfect for his character. Rumor has it that actor Harry Shannon (he played Orson Welles' father in Citizen Kane, 1941) was standing next to them in the store while they bought the costume.

Rat Pfink a Boo Boo was shot around Steckler's house in Los Angeles, California.

Titus Moede recalls the motorcycle that Rat Pfink and Boo Boo ride off in was "hard to drive" and "the sidecar kept pulling to the right".

The film's editor and sound recordist Keith Wester went on to be nominated for several Academy Awards for his work on such films as The Perfect Storm (2000), The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998), and Waterworld (1995).

The basic storyline to Rat Pfink a Boo Boo is based on a true story: at the time, Steckler's wife Carolyn Brandt was receiving obscene phone calls at their home. Allegedly the phone would ring every time Steckler left the house and Carolyn would be home alone. Eventually, Steckler and Ron Haydock pretended to leave the house one afternoon and then traced the phone call back to a guy who lived in a nearby apartment complex. The situation inspired the phone calls Cee Bee received in the movie.

Steckler said that he only had "$25 to promote the film". Reportedly, the film was shot for "only $20 and a few cans of film".

Rat Pfink a Boo Boo was shot using a Bolex 16mm camera.

Steckler claims he would remake Rat Pfink if he "had a bigger budget (but not too big)".

Carolyn Brandt (Cee Bee) was Steckler's wife in real life.

Steckler claims each beach scene in Rat Pfink took two hours a piece to shoot.

Steckler reportedly had trouble with some theatre owners in the South for having an African American character in the movie.

by Millie de Chirico

Sources:
DVD commentary and DVD interview by director Ray Dennis Steckler
IMDB.com
Psychotronic Magazine
Filmthreat.com
411mania.com
The Bad Movie Report
Re/Search: Incredibly Strange Films
Allmovieguide.com