Random fun facts in a random order Pt1

In 1923, Mark Sennett, Harry Chandler, and the Los Angeles Times put up the “Hollywoodland” (later shortened to “Hollywood”) sign to publicize a real estate development. The sign cost $21,000.

When Horace and Daeida Wilcox founded Hollywood in 1887, they hoped it would become a religious community. Prohibitionists, they banned liquor from the town and offered free land to anyone willing to build a church.

Originally, the term “movies” did not mean films, but the people who made them. It was generally used with disdain by early Hollywood locals who disliked the “invading” Easterners.

The first nude scene in a major motion picture was of swimmer and actress Annette Kellerman (1887-1975) in A Daughter of the Gods (1916).

The first film to receive an X rating under the Motion Picture Association of America system of classification was the anti-establishment Greetings (1968) with Robert de Niro, though it later received an R.

The famous “burning of Atlanta” scene in Gone with the Wind (1939) consisted of burning the old sets from King Kong (1933), The Last of the Mohicans (1936), and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936).

The first movie to be filmed in Technicolor was Becky Sharp (1934).

The first movie to gross over $100 million was Jaws (1975).

The shortest dialogue script since the introduction of talkies was written for Mel Brook’s Silent Movie (1976), which has only one spoken word throughout: “Non.”

Disney turned down the chance to make Backto the Future claiming the mother/son relationship was too risqué.

The idea for the poster for TheUsual Suspects came before any script or story.

Like Facebook, StarWars was originally prefixed by the definite article ‘The’. Much cleaner without it.

GeorgeLucas’ dog was named Indiana.

DanAkroyd’s original script for Ghostbusters was set in a future where Ghostbusters were everyday figures of society like paramedics and firemen.

In the Stephen King novella for TheShawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s Red is described as a white Irishman. The script sees Red sarcastically quip, “Maybe it’s cause I’m Irish” as a nod to the change.

Among Patrick Bateman’s neighbours in the novel of American Psycho is one Tom Cruise

ChristianBale based elements of his performance as PatrickBateman on Tom Cruise after seeing an interview with the diminutive star. According to director Mary Harron, Bale said he saw “this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes”.

Ripley’s daughter in the Special Edition of Aliens is played by Sigourney Weaver’s mum.

Author Peter Benchley plays the role of a TV reporter in Jaws. Benchley was reportedly thrown off set after continually arguing with Spielberg about the film’s ending.

While everyone knows Viggo Mortensen replaced Stuart Townsend at the last minute for Aragorn, the beardy ranger had no intention of joining Jackson and co until his son begged him to do it.

There’s a 20 year age gap between Sam Neill and Laura Dern in JurassicPark, with Laura aged only 26 during filming.

Meanwhile, only 12 years separates father/son duo Sean Connery and Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones franchise.

The many parts turned down by Sean Connery include roles in TheMatrix, The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Indy IV and BladeRunner.