Screenplay Games: Movie Line Newsletter Vol. 5

This is volume 5 of what we hope are interesting bits of motion picture trivia, legend and other useless stuff brought to you by Movie Time! the game of memorable movie quotes. This information was compiled from numerous sources and is offered to customers and supporters of Movie Time! to make their game playing more enjoyable.

Movie Trivia Facts

My friend, Matt, asked me about this bit of trivia he had heard about Young Guns (1988). I have confirmed it and tell you that the mustachioed cowboy hiding behind a barricade in the street during a shootout scene is Tom Cruise just having some fun working as an extra.

The Great Escape (1963) also had an interesting use of an extra. One of the more memorable scenes involved Steve McQueen's motorcycle riding while being chased by Nazis, also riding motorcycles. McQueen did most of his own riding (but not the fence jump). He also changed costumes and rode with the other extras as one of the Nazis chasing himself.

Richard Dreyfuss says that his first day of work on Jaws (1975) he reported to director Steven Spielberg who was pouring water down the throat of an actress who was screaming for help. This would be the audio for the shark's first victim, Crissie Watkins.

The scene in Jaws that made us all jump and scream (when the head of victim Ben Gardner popped out from a hole in his boat) was not in the original filming. Spielberg decided we needed one more jolt so he shot this gruesome extra footage in the film editor's swimming pool.

The mechanical shark (named "Bruce" after Spielberg's lawyer) used for many of the sequences was never water tested before it was placed into service where it quickly sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Then the blue hydraulic tubes broke free and flailed around like a bunch of hissing snakes.

We just watched Sweet Home Alabama again. Here are some interesting tidbits. The ending is different than originally filmed. Test audiences we horrified at the original ending that had lightning striking Melanie and Jake while they were kissing on the beach. This brought the story full circle but producers did not want a disturbing ending to this cute little tale.

If the downtown set of Pleasantville (1998) looks familiar, it is the same downtown seen in Back to the Future (1985).

In high school, Tobey Maguire (Spider-man, Pleasantville) wanted to become a chef but his mother offered him $100 to study drama rather than home economics. He was paid $4 million for Spider-man and will make $26 million if there are 2 sequels. Spider-man II is currently in production.

My friend, Janie, reports that schoolmate Randy Quaid (Independence Day, Vegas Vacation) chose to study drama at Houston's Bellaire High School because it was in the only air conditioned building in the complex. Randy, older brother of Dennis Quaid, worked as a janitor when he arrived in Hollywood but soon got acting work and within two years was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor oscar for The Last Detail (1973).

Input :

If there is any movie or personality trivia you would like us to look into, send an e-mail with the request and we will see what we can find. If you have heard some interesting movie trivia that you would like to share with the other Movie Time! people, send it to us and we will distribute it.

Famous Movie Lines:

In what movie will you hear Patricia Neal say, "Gort! Klaatu, barada, nikto."?

In what movie will you Estelle Reiner say, "I'll have what she's having."?

In what movie will you hear Michael J. Fox say, "Who are you calling, sir?" And Michael Douglas replies, "I'm calling the International Brotherhood of It's None of Your Damn Business."?

In what movie will you hear Myrna Loy say, "Waiter, will you serve the nuts? I mean, will you serve the guests, the nuts?"

Play the Movie Quiz Game Online.