The story opens in flashback with a young child's accidental death. Although it is their game that caused the accident, four other children swear a pact of secrecy, vowing never to tell anyone what really happened. Unknown to them the incident has been witnessed.
It is now six years later, Alex (Michael Tough) and Kim Hammond (Jamie Lee Curtis), the brother and sister of the dead child are now in high school. Although the years have passed, Robins gruesome death still haunts the family.
It's the day of the high school prom, which holds special significance for the Hammond family this year. Raymond Hammond (Leslie Nielsen), the high school principal, will crown his daughter Kim and her boyfriend Nick (Casey Stevens) Queen and King of the Prom. Coincidentally it is also the anniversary of Robin Hammond's death
High school life is still much the same as it always was, with rivalries and loyalties, the excitement of young love, and even moral dilemma. The atmosphere is charged with a special excitement on this day, the highlight of the school year.
Several strange incidents occur during the day--anonymous phone calls and unsigned notes are received by some of the students. It becomes apparent that someone is planning to disrupt the evening's celebrations.
Not until Kim and Nick are about to be crowned Queen and King of the Prom does the real horror begin. When a sinister figure is seen lurking in the shadows, a number of people fall suspect.
In the auditorium, now a throbbing disco setting, the unaware students dance to the deafening beat while the mystery killer methodically moves through the dark halls of the school avenging the death of young Robin. Those four children, now young adults, will pay for their fatal game.
The makers cast primarily Canadians. Jamie Lee Curis, hot off of Halloween and The Fog was cast as Kim Hammond. This was the first movie that was ever offered to her, and even though in later years she referred to this movie as "Disco Death", she was happy at the idea of "playing pretty". She has said that the script she read and agreed to didnt have any killer stuff in it(!!??)
Leslie Nielsen was happy to return to his native land. This would be one of his last serious roles before becoming the comic legend he is now.
Casey Stevens was cast as Nick McBride, Kims boyfriend and most popular boy in school. Casey was told that dancing would be part of the requirements, he lied and told them he was a great dancer, then raced to get dance lessons. Casey died of an AIDS-related illness in the late-1980's.
Eddie Benton was cast in the pivotal role of Wendy Richards, the beautiful bitch who has a score to settle. Wendy turned out to be the most popular character in the film. She has a line that was used in all four "Prom Night" films, and has become a popular catch-phrase: "Its not who you go with honey, its who takes you home" She later changed her name to Ann-Marie Martin and married the famous director/author Michael Crichton. She later helped write the movie "Twister"
Producer Peter Simpson's son, Brock appeared as young Nick, and has been in all four "Prom Night" films.
Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch's Jan) auditioned for the role of Kim
The movie was filmed in and around the city of Toronto in September, 1979. The school used was the Don Mills Collegiate, and the bluffs were at the Scarborough Bluff Escarpment. The creepy building in the first scene was an abandoned jail, north of Toronto.
The movie was released July 18th, 1980. The budget was $1,300,000 and took in $14,796,236 in its release. It was a huge success in Canada.
