{"id":7853,"date":"2025-01-28T15:58:25","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=7853"},"modified":"2025-01-28T15:58:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:58:28","slug":"trading-places-the-top-bloopers-you-didnt-catch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/7853","title":{"rendered":"Trading Places: The top bloopers you didn\u2019t catch"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For me, Trading Places is the greatest and one of the most underrated Christmas movies of all time.\n

It\u2019s almost criminal we never got to see more of Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd working together, they had such great chemistry. And let\u2019s not forget 25-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis \u2014 the smoking hot and a phenomenal actress delivered some unforgettable scenes.\n

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But did you know that several hilarious moments in the film happened completely by accident?
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\nIf any other actors had been cast in\u00a0Trading Places, it simply wouldn\u2019t have worked. It\u2019s like a rare alignment of the planets \u2014 everything came together perfectly. From Eddie Murphy\u2019s comedic genius to Dan Aykroyd\u2019s sharp performance and\u00a0Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019s\u00a0unforgettable presence at just 25 years old (yes, she was\u00a0smokin\u2019 hot), this movie is nothing short of brilliant.\n
Released nearly 40 years ago, it remains a timeless classic. Can you believe that? Four decades later, you\u2019d think a movie of that age would feel dated, yet\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0still feels fresh every time. Many fans even make it a Christmas tradition, proving its enduring charm.\n
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Stay tuned as we dive into behind-the-scenes stories, unexpected bloopers, and little-known facts that make\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0the comedy masterpiece it is today.\n
The deeper message of the movie\n
If you haven\u2019t seen\u00a0Trading Places, it\u2019s a classic comedy from 1983 about a wild social experiment. Two rich brothers, Randolph and Mortimer Duke, make a bet to see if a person\u2019s success is based on their environment or their personality.\n
To test their theory, they swap the lives of their spoiled, wealthy employee, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd), with a fast-talking street hustler, Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy).\n
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The Dukes completely wreck Louis\u2019s life \u2014 taking away his money, job, and status \u2014 and hand it all to Billy Ray. But when Louis and Billy Ray figure out they\u2019re being played, they join forces with a clever woman named Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) to get back at the Dukes and teach them a lesson they\u2019ll never forget.\n
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It\u2019s a sharp, funny movie about class, greed, and what really makes a person who they are. One of its deeper messages \u2014 being careful about judging others \u2014resonates just as much today.\n
A tennis game inspired the screenwriters\n
Trading Places\u00a0was written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod, and the idea came to life in the early 1980s when Harris met two wealthy (and incredibly cheap) brothers who couldn\u2019t stop competing with each other.\n
Screenwriter Timothy Harris shared that he used to play tennis with two brothers who were both doctors. They were incredibly annoying to play with because they constantly argued, not just about the game, but about everything.\n
Harris got the idea to turn this dynamic into a story and pitched the concept of brothers arguing over the \u201cnature versus nurture\u201d debate to his writing partner, Herschel Weingrod. The rest, as they say, is comedy gold.\n
A bikini picture changed everything\n
The story was\u00a0originally meant to star\u00a0comedy legends Richard Pryor and\u00a0Gene Wilder.\n
When that didn\u2019t work out, director John Landis brought in Dan Aykroyd, who he\u2019d worked with before, and Eddie Murphy, who was just starting to make waves in Hollywood with this being only his second movie.\n
\u201dThe only character in the script I had a problem with, because she\u2019s such a fantasy, is Ophelia. The classic \u2018hooker with a heart of gold\u2019 \u00a0\u2014 she\u2019s such a fantasy that I thought how the fuck am I going to get away with this?\u2019,\u201d Landis said.\n
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John Landis made a daring move when he approached Jamie Lee Curtis for Ophelia. He had her in mind for the role, but the studio wasn\u2019t on board at first. Back then, Curtis was primarily known for her scream-queen roles in horror films.\n
It would be Curtis\u2019 first major big-budget film, a real A-list opportunity that gave her the chance to show she could do more than just outrun a slasher in a hockey mask.\n
\u201cNobody else wanted me. I guarantee you, John Landis was the only person who said, \u2018She\u2019s going to play this part.\u2019 And without that moment I wouldn\u2019t have now the career that I get to have,\u201d Curtis\u00a0shared.\n
John Landis later admitted that Curtis\u2019 decision to do a topless scene helped change the minds of the Paramount executives. After seeing a photo of her in a bikini, they were convinced it would help make the movie more marketable.\n
John Landis didn\u2019t know who Eddie Murphy was\n
When the movie was being cast, director John Landis didn\u2019t even know who Eddie Murphy was yet. Murphy\u2019s breakout film\u00a048 Hours\u00a0(1982) hadn\u2019t been released, but the studio had already previewed it and knew he was a star in the making.\n
Landis recalls being asked, \u201cWhat do you think about Eddie Murphy for the role of Billy Ray Valentine?\u201d To which he humorously responded, \u201cWho\u2019s Eddie Murphy?\u201d\n
The movie played a huge role in making Eddie Murphy one of the highest-paid and most sought-after comedians in Hollywood. Murphy mentioned that he was paid $350,000 for his role, though some reports claimed it was as high as $1 million.\n
He also said that making\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0was the most fun he\u2019d ever had on a movie set. He joked that every film after that felt more like \u201dwork.\u201d\n
Ever heard this classic Eddie Murphy joke?\n
Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche were absolutely spot-on as the Duke brothers, Randolph and Mortimer, in\u00a0Trading Places. These two wealthy and clueless elites drive the movie\u2019s infamous social experiment with their scheming and arrogance, making them the perfect villains you love to watch get what they deserve.\n
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Interestingly, Bellamy and Ameche reprised their roles as the Dukes in Eddie Murphy\u2019s\u00a0Coming to America\u00a0(1988), where they make a hilarious cameo as homeless men. In a full-circle moment, Murphy\u2019s character, Prince Akeem, gives them a generous sum of money to help them get back on their feet.\n
Oh, and here\u2019s a fun tidbit:\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0was Bellamy\u2019s 99th film and Ameche\u2019s 100th. Eddie Murphy couldn\u2019t resist joking, \u201cBetween the three of us, we\u2019ve made 201 movies!\u201d Classic Murphy humor!\n
A neat detail after 3 minutes\n
Comedies like\u00a0Trading Places, especially from the \u201980s, are a rare find these days. That perfect mix of humor and heart just hasn\u2019t been replicated in decades. And here\u2019s a fun twist: unlike most \u201980s comedies, which are set in New York, this one takes place in Philadelphia.\n
There was actually a reason they chose to film in Philadelphia. The city had a strong connection to the founding of the country, the Constitution, and the idea that everyone is entitled to the pursuit of happiness \u2014 everything that embodies the idealism of America.\n
\u201dI thought it was a good way to highlight that, especially in the opening scene when you see the legless black guy,\u201d screenwriter Timothy Harris told Business Insider.\n
For the sharp-eyed viewer, there\u2019s also another neat Easter egg in the opening montage.\n
If you look closely at around the 3-minute mark, you\u2019ll spot the iconic Rocky statue. It was first seen in\u00a0Rocky III\u00a0(1982) in front of the Philadelphia Spectrum arena. These days, it\u2019s hanging out at the bottom of the museum steps, where it\u2019s become a huge part of Philly\u2019s tourist scene.\n
The weather mystery in\u00a0Trading Places\n
During the first fifteen days of filming in Philadelphia, the weather was so freezing that they had to shoot in a snow-covered city.\n
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In one scene where Randolph and Mortimer pick up Valentine from jail, director John Landis had to sit in a towing truck, pulling the Rolls-Royce with Don Ameche, Ralph Bellamy, and Eddie Murphy inside.\n
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The Curtis Institute of Music in Philapelphia \u2013 the building was used as the exterior of the Heritage Club where Winthorpe and Valentine first meet\u00a0\n
Landis wore a thick parka to stay warm while the actors had a space heater to keep cozy. And here\u2019s the kicker \u2014 Landis was listening to their dialogue through a radio!\n
But, fast-forward to later scenes, and you\u2019d think they filmed in a completely different place. Suddenly, Philadelphia\u2019s streets were dry and snow-free.\n
One overhead shot of Constitution Hall even shows lush green grass and trees with leaves. Oops! Looks like the weather in\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0was as unpredictable as the plot twists\u2026\n
The\u00a0Eddie Murphy\u00a0rule\n
In 2010, a rule was added to the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act, aimed at regulating financial markets and preventing people from using insider information to manipulate the market \u2014 kind of like what the Duke brothers tried to pull off in\u00a0Trading Places. Since the movie played a role in inspiring this rule, it\u2019s now known as the \u201dEddie Murphy Rule.\u201d\n
Funny enough, Eddie Murphy admitted that during the chaotic commodities exchange scene in the film, he was just following the script. He had no clue what was going on because, as he put it, commodities trading was way too confusing for him. So, in a way, Eddie helped teach the world about market manipulation\u2026 without really understanding it himself!\n
A Hollywood legend\u2019s comeback\n
Don Ameche, a Hollywood icon since the 1930s, usually starred as the dapper, mustached leading man. But did you know that the veteran actor had taken a 13-year break from acting before appearing in\u00a0Trading Places?\n
When John Landis found out that Don Ameche hadn\u2019t made a film in thirteen years, his first reaction was to ask, \u201cHas he passed away?\u201d\n
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Ralph Bellamy (1904 \u2013 1991) and Don Ameche (1908 \u2013 1993) \/ Getty Images\n
Landis specifically wanted Ameche for the film because he\u2019d never played a villain before, and\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0offered the perfect opportunity for that. Despite being such a big name in Hollywood, Ameche admitted he wasn\u2019t familiar with Eddie Murphy or Dan Aykroyd \u2014 two of the hottest comedians at the time.\n
The feeling was mutual, as both Murphy and Aykroyd confessed they didn\u2019t know much about Ameche either! It\u2019s a fun little piece of Hollywood history that shows the blending of generations and talents.\n
Religious beliefs made one scene hard\n
Don Ameche, a devout Roman Catholic and loyal Republican, had strong religious convictions that made him uncomfortable with swearing.\n
This became a challenge during the scene at the end of the movie, where he had to shout, \u201cF**k him!\u201d at a group of Wall Street executives. True to his principles, Ameche insisted on doing the scene in one take, refusing to repeat the line for a second shot.\n
One line almost got cut\n
Eddie Murphy didn\u2019t like some of the stereotypical lines in the original\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0script. He thought lines like \u201djive turkey\u201d and \u201dsucker\u201d weren\u2019t realistic. He explained that a white writer writing for a black person would use stereotypical dialogue. So, he changed many of his lines to make them sound more natural.\n
But one line almost got cut \u2014 Murphy\u2019s line, \u201cWho put their Kools out on my Persian rug?\u201d The studio thought it could be seen as racist since Kool cigarettes were mostly marketed to African Americans, but Murphy kept it in anyway.\n
Hair switches sides\n
In\u00a0Trading Places, several hilarious moments came about by accident, and it\u2019s no surprise considering Eddie Murphy\u2019s knack for improvisation.\n
For instance, Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche) having trouble catching the money clip wasn\u2019t part of the plan, but the actors just rolled with it, staying in character, and it made it into the movie.\n
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Here\u2019s another fun detail: When Mortimer Duke is signing the paychecks, one of the shots is actually flipped horizontally. At first, he signs with his left hand, then switches to his right, and then back to his left. Oh, and his part in his hair switches sides too! Has anyone else caught this little mix-up?\n
The truth about Inga from Sweden\n
Remember when Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019 character, Ophelia, introduces herself as \u201dInga from Sveden\u201d? Well, there was some behind-the-scenes confusion. Her co-stars noticed she was wearing lederhosen, which is actually traditional in German-speaking countries, and thought it was a little odd for a \u201dSwedish\u201d character!\n
The whole \u201dSwedish\u201d disguise came about because Jamie Lee Curtis had trouble nailing the Austrian accent, so they decided to go with a Swedish twist instead.\n
How Jamie Lee Curtis felt about nude scene\n
The comedy marked Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019 first nude scene, and she actually went on to do another topless scene later that same year in\u00a0Love Letters\u00a0(1983).\n
In a 1990 interview, Jamie Lee Curtis was pretty confident about her topless scene.\n
She even said, \u201cMy breasts are beautiful, and I gotta tell you, they\u2019ve gotten a lot of attention for what is relatively short screen time,\u201d when speaking to the Chicago Tribune.\n
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But fast forward to 2022, and her perspective had changed a bit. Looking back, Curtis admitted, \u201dI was 21 years old and the part required Ophelia to take off her dress,\u201d in an interview with\u00a0People. \u201dDid I like doing it? No. Did I feel embarrassed that I was doing it? Yes.\u201d\n
Now, at her current age, she couldn\u2019t imagine doing a nude scene again: \u201cI also am married for 37 years, I wasn\u2019t married then. I\u2019m a mother of children. Absolutely not,\u201d Curtis.\n
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Family ties and fashion fumbles\n
At around 58 minutes in the film, when Ophelia takes Louis to her apartment, you can spot that she\u2019s wearing pantyhose. But later, when she removes her dress, she\u2019s only in panties.\n
Also, did you know that Penelope\u2019s (Kristin Holby) friend Muffy is actually played by Jamie Lee Curtis\u2019 sister, Kelly Curtis? And her future brother-in-law, Nicholas Guest, makes an appearance as Harry! Pretty cool family connection!\n
The quiet tribute to John Belushi\n
The number on Dan Aykroyd\u2019s mug shot, 74745058, is the same one given to John Belushi in\u00a0The Blues Brothers\u00a0(1980).\n
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Reddit\n
Aykroyd included this as a heartfelt homage to his late comedy partner who had passed away the year before. Additionally, Jim Belushi, John\u2019s brother, made a cameo in the film as a circus performer dressed in an ape suit.\n
The scene that didn\u2019t make the theatrical cut\n
I thought I\u2019d seen it all when it comes to\u00a0Trading Places, but turns out there\u2019s a little hidden gem that didn\u2019t make the original theatrical cut! There\u2019s a scene that often pops up when the movie is shown on TV, probably to fill in that extra time between commercials.\n
So, after Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason) chats with the Dukes on the phone, and Billy Ray (Eddie Murphy) eavesdrops on their scheme, things take a turn. In the original version, Beeks heads straight from the phone booth to the Amtrak platform with the crop report briefcase in hand.\n
But in the added scene, we get a behind-the-scenes look where Beeks is off to a secured vault, where he knocks out a security guard and cracks open a safe deposit box to get those reports. I mean, talk about some extra shady business going on behind the curtain\u2026\n
Trading Places\u00a0really was one of a kind, wasn\u2019t it? Movies like this, filled with unforgettable characters, hilarious moments, and a perfect mix of humor and social commentary, seem like a thing of the past. It\u2019s a shame we don\u2019t get that same magic today. But hey, thank goodness for the 80s and 90s!\n
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Let\u2019s keep the\u00a0Trading Places\u00a0spirit alive, because, let\u2019s face it, it\u2019s a classic we\u2019ll always treasure.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For me, Trading Places is the greatest and one of the most underrated Christmas movies of all time. It\u2019s almost criminal we never got to see more of Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd working together, they had such great chemistry. And let\u2019s not forget 25-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis \u2014 the smoking hot and a phenomenal […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7855,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7853\/revisions\/7855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}