Chicago-area high school discovers original first draft of The Breakfast Club during move

An Illinois school district found an original draft of "The Breakfast Club" while moving
(Image credit: Twitter/@chicagotribune)

Staff of Maine Township High School District 207, in a northwest suburb of Chicago, were moving to a building next door when they made an unexpected discovery:

As to how Maine South High School came to have an original first draft, that's no mystery: Much of the iconic film was shot during the spring of 1984 inside Maine North High School, closed in 1981. The movie's library set was built inside the North Maine gym. Scribbled on the manuscript is "Reviewed and approved by Dr. Murphy," referring to then-Superintendent John Murphy; school district officials typically looked over scripts before allowing movies to be filmed on school property.

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Among changes between the script and the final movie: The original name was "Saturday Breakfast Club," and Molly Ringwald's character had a different name. Read more about the discovery, just in time for the film's 30th anniversary, at the Chicago Tribune.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.