Behind The “Screen”
Grab your popcorn, movie nerds—cinema's interesting behind-the-scenes are about to spill. The following film facts will definitely take you on a wild ride through Hollywood's most memorable moments. So, why wait?
Skywalker's Original Name
Luke Skywalker was initially called "Luke Starkiller" in the first drafts of the Star Wars script. However, George Lucas changed the name because "Starkiller" had some pretty bad vibes, mainly due to the notorious Charles Manson and his actions.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker by SWFT
Bogart's Wardrobe
Unlike his co-stars, who had their costumes supplied by the studio, Bogart picked out his own clothes for The Maltese Falcon. His character, a private detective named Sam Spade, is introduced wearing a dark chalk-stripe flannel double-breasted suit.
The Maltese Falcon | The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of | Warner Classics by Warner Bros. Classics
Hamburger Phone in Juno
Remember seeing that quirky hamburger phone? As per reports, the film’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody, included this whimsical item in the movie because she had a similar hamburger phone during her childhood. She fondly recalls using it at home.
Juno tells Leah - Clip 3 of 19 - JUNO film (2007) by Film Studies Fundamentals
Fishburne's “Apocalypse” Deception
Laurence Fishburne, born on July 30, 1961, snagged the role of Tyrone "Mr. Clean" Miller in Apocalypse Now when he was just 14. To get the part, he obviously told a little lie about his age and said he was 16 years old instead.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fishburne's “Apocalypse” Deception (Cont.)
The movie began production in March 1976 and took a few years to finish. By the time it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979, Fishburne had already turned 18. He was influenced by notable actors such as Marlon Brando during filming.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Miyazaki's Environmental Message
So, Miyazaki's inspiration for the "Stink Spirit" scene in Spirited Away came from a personal experience he had while participating in a river cleanup. During this event, he and others pulled a bicycle out of a polluted river, which greatly impacted him.
EL VIAJE DE CHIHIRO - Clip #2 Español " El baño " by Vértigo Films
Miyazaki's Environmental Message (Cont.)
In the movie, when Chihiro encounters the Stink Spirit, she finds out that it is actually a River Spirit overwhelmed by debris. This symbolizes the consequences of neglecting nature and the importance of environmental management.
EL VIAJE DE CHIHIRO - Clip #2 Español " El baño " by Vértigo Films
Nance Names The Baby
Remember “Spike”? In Eraserhead, the unsettling baby character, often called "Spike," was nicknamed by actor Jack Nance. This prop is central to the movie's narrative and has become memorable for its disturbing appearance. However, its creation is still a mystery.
cute baby laughs, eraserhead (1977) by tsoidone
Chevy Chase Declines Beauty
Apparently, Chevy Chase turned down the role of Lester Burnham in American Beauty. This decision ultimately led to Kevin Spacey winning an Oscar for the performance. Anyway, Chase declined the role because he believed it would negatively impact his family-friendly image.
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hoffman's Window Moment
During his audition for The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman had a memorable encounter when producer Joseph E. Levine mistook him for a window cleaner. In a humorous twist, Hoffman held on to the misunderstanding and, in character, pretended to clean a window.
Lansbury's Single Take
The lovely Lansbury nailed the title song for Beauty and the Beast in just one take, even though she had some doubts at first. Basically, she was quite apprehensive about recording the ballad due to her aging voice and the unfamiliar style of the song.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Kubrick's Visual Victory
Did you know that Kubrick won his only Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey? Despite being nominated for thirteen Oscars throughout his career, this one win shows the unusual recognition of his work in visual effects rather than directing or writing.
Phillip A. Harrington, Wikimedia Commons
Gosling Masters Piano
You must remember the character of Sebastian Wilder in La La Land. Well, it involved a lot of preparation, particularly in learning to play the piano. Gosling underwent training for about three to four months, dedicating hours each day to master those jazz pieces.
La La Land 2016 1080p Piano scene Christmas Eve by Jerome Ratunil
Gosling Masters Piano (Cont.)
Gosling's commitment was so thorough that he performed all the piano scenes without the use of CGI or hand doubles. This was confirmed by director Chazelle, who stated, "There's no hand replacements... no piano double at all in any shot of the movie”.
La La Land 2016 1080p Piano scene Christmas Eve by Jerome Ratunil
Bogart's Height Solution
To create the illusion of height in Casablanca, Bogart, who was about 5 feet 8 inches, used various tricks to appear taller than his co-star Ingrid Bergman, who was approximately 5 feet 9 inches. During scenes together, Bogart would stand on blocks or sit on cushions.
Casablanca | 4K Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment by Warner Bros. Entertainment
Alternate Ending of The Princess Bride
So, Rob Reiner actually filmed a different ending for The Princess Bride, where the main characters—Westley, Buttercup, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik, are shown hanging in the air on white horses. This scene was intended to extend the fantasy of the story visually.
Alternate Ending of The Princess Bride (Cont.)
However, this ending was ultimately cut from the final film. Reiner believed that the existing conclusion, which talks about the emotional connection between the boy and his grandfather, was a more powerful way to conclude the story.
The Princess Bride (1987) Ending Scene by Ricknee 4Ever
Bram Stoker's Widow
Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker's widow, played an important role in the legalities surrounding the unauthorized adaptation of her husband's novel Dracula. This led to the making of Nosferatu. After Stoker's death in 1912, Florence became the holder of all rights to his literary works.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Bram Stoker's Widow (Cont.)
Despite the filmmakers' attempts to alter character names and plot details, Florence Stoker considered Nosferatu a blatant infringement of her husband's copyright. She started a campaign against Prana Film, the company behind Nosferatu, supported by the British Incorporated Society of Authors.
J.-H. Janßen, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Forrest Gump's Rally Speech
In Forrest Gump, an iconic scene occurs during a rally where Forrest is invited to speak about his experiences in the Vietnam War. As he begins to address the crowd, the microphone is accidentally unplugged, leaving the audience (and viewers) wondering what he actually said.
Forrest Gump's Rally Speech (Cont.)
According to Tom Hanks (Forrest), the improvised line that captured his thoughts was: “Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don’t go home at all. That’s a bad thing. That’s all I have to say about that”.
Kelly Dances Sick
What’s quite intriguing is that Gene Kelly famously shot the "Singin' in the Rain" dance sequence while literally suffering from a 103°F fever. This amazing feat took place during the production of the 1952 musical, where he performed in harsh, wet conditions.
Kelly Dances Sick (Cont.)
\His wife, Patricia Ward Kelly, even confirmed that he was quite ill during the shoot. She said he would often lie in the sun to help recover between takes. The extensive use of water caused Kelly's wool suit to shrink during filming.
Tarantula in Home Alone
This might come as a surprise, but in Home Alone, the scene where Daniel Stern's character, Marv, has a tarantula crawl across his face features a real spider named Barry. During the filming, Stern agreed to let the live tarantula scuttle on his face for authenticity.
Spider Attack Scene - HOME ALONE (1990) Movie Clip by Entertainment Access
Tarantula in Home Alone (Cont.)
Of course, there were some initial apprehensions, but then Stern went on to work with a "tarantula wrangler," who introduced him to Barry and explained the spider's behavior. This allowed Daniel Stern to adjust before rolling the camera.
Spider Attack Scene - HOME ALONE (1990) Movie Clip by Entertainment Access
DiCaprio's Role Rejection
Everyone’s favorite, Leonardo DiCaprio, turned down the role of Max Dennison in Hocus Pocus despite being offered more money than he “ever dreamed of" for the part. Instead, he chose to pursue the indie film What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
DiCaprio's Role Rejection (Cont.)
Luckily for him, he went on to win an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. DiCaprio's decision was influenced by his desire to play a role that would impact his career trajectory, even though he had not yet auditioned for Gilbert Grape at the time.
Colin Chou, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Toto VS. Munchkins Salaries
In The Wizard of Oz, there was a disparity in salaries between the character Toto, played by the dog Terry, and the Munchkin actors. Toto earned $125 per week, which was pretty much higher than the Munchkin performers, who made around $25 per week.
NBC Television Network, Wikimedia Commons
Scheider's Boat Quote
That famous line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" from Jaws was improvised by Roy Scheider during filming. However, the phrase has deeper origins, rooted in an inside joke among the crew. It emerged from frustrations regarding the small support boat used during production.
Wilson's Piano Secret
Dooley Wilson, who played Sam in Casablanca, was actually a drummer and not a pianist. While filming, he pretended to play the piano and sang the famous song "As Time Goes By”. The actual piano accompaniment was performed by studio pianist Jean Plummer.
Schrader's Quick Script
So, Schrader wrote the script for Taxi Driver in about two weeks while staying at an ex-girlfriend’s place. This rapid writing process was essentially fueled by his personal struggles and emotional turmoil, which he channeled into the script.
Che, Petr Novák, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Schrader's Quick Script (Cont.)
Schrader even described the experience as cathartic, stating that the story was ready to burst from him, reflecting his feelings of isolation at the time. He mentioned that he wrote continuously, without distinguishing between the pain in his life and that expressed in his work.
Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Indiana Jones' Dog Namesake
The main characters in Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom were named after George Lucas’s and Steven Spielberg’s dogs. The character Willie Scott, played by Kate Capshaw, was named after Lucas's dog, while Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) was named after Spielberg's dog.
The White House, Wikimedia Commons
Bill Murray As Batman?
It is said that Ivan Reitman suggested getting Bill Murray to play Batman and Eddie Murphy as Robin in an early idea for a Batman movie before Tim Burton’s version came out in 1989. Although the idea generated interest, it never truly materialized.
Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bill Murray As Batman? (Cont.)
Murray later explained that talks about the roles were just in the early stages and that he and Murphy had a pretty chill chat about it. Murphy even joked about wanting to be Batman instead. He said, "I don’t want to be the Boy Wonder to anybody”.
David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Godfather's Dinner
The cast of The Godfather participated in a distinct bonding experience that largely contributed to the film's familial dynamics. It was director Francis Ford Coppola who organized a dinner at Patsy's Italian restaurant in New York.
Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Godfather's Dinner (Cont.)
Here, the core cast gathered to meet Marlon Brando for the first time. During the dinner, Brando sat at the head of the table, with Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Talia Shire among those present. Each actor naturally fell into their character's persona.
None visible/Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Nicholson's Cheese Trauma
To get Jack Nicholson into character for The Shining, director Kubrick reportedly fed him cheese sandwiches, which he disliked, for two weeks. The reason for this choice was that the actor really couldn’t stand cheese sandwiches.
Willis Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Nicholson's Cheese Trauma (Cont.)
So, Kubrick thought it would bring out the frustration and breakdown of Jack Torrance, the character played by Nicholson, throughout the film. This method of psychological manipulation is consistent with Kubrick's reputation for pushing actors to their limits.
The Shining | 4K Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment by Warner Bros. Entertainment
Showgirls’ Razzie Acceptance
Paul Verhoeven made history at the 1996 Golden Raspberry Awards by becoming the first director to attend the ceremony and accept a Razzie award in person for his film Showgirls. It received about seven Razzies, including Worst Picture and Worst Director for Verhoeven himself.
Maximilian Bühn, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Showgirls’ Razzie Acceptance (Cont.)
During the ceremony, held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Verhoeven accepted the tongue-in-cheek nature of the awards. He said, “I got seven awards for being the worst, and it was more fun than reading the reviews (for Showgirls) in September”.
Army Of Darkness Title Change
Sam Raimi's film Army of Darkness, the third installment in the Evil Dead series, originally had a different title in mind: “Evil Dead III”. However, Universal Pictures rejected this title, preferring a standalone name that could appeal to audiences unfamiliar with the previous films.
Army of Darkness | MODERN TRAILER by Retro Danger
Army Of Darkness Title Change (Cont.)
Even though Army of Darkness was adopted as the official title, it's interesting to note that some editions, like the UK DVD edition, still use "Evil Dead III" as a subtitle. This emphasizes the film's roots in Sam Raimi's original idea.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Marilyn Monroe's Last Film
The Misfits, released in 1961, is known for being the final completed film of Marilyn Monroe. Directed by John Huston, the film tells the story of a divorcée named Roslyn (Monroe), who becomes romantically involved with an aging cowboy, Gay Langland (Gable).
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