The Mortville extras are mostly homeless people who were bussed in for the day. The crew had to work fast to get shots of them before they wandered off.
Some viewers who are angered by the scene of the baby in the fridge become even more outraged when they learn that the scene in the film is take two.
Divine was intended to play the role of Mole McHenry (played by Susan Lowe), but he was in a play for which he had a long-term contract, making him unavailable. David Lochary was also intended to act in the film, but he was under the influence of PCP at the time. Lochary would die months after the film was released.
The large breasts that are thrust at Peggy Gravel through a pair of glory holes are those of Liz Renay.
John Waters: [manson] There is a portrait of Charles Manson in Queen Carlotta's cardboard castle. Also, Muffy St. Jacques cries out "Squeaky Fromme, where are you when we need you?!?" after enduring more humiliation by Carlotta. Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, aka "Squeaky", was a Manson follower who tried to assassinate US President 'Gerald Ford' in 1975.