Trivia

In the final shootout sequence, Al Pacino grabs the gun by the barrel. Although only blanks were used, his hand was badly burned, and production had to be shut down for a few weeks.

There was a huge controversy in the city of Miami during the making of the film over whether the producers should be allowed to shoot in the city. The Miami Tourist Board decided not to allow filming, as they were afraid the movie would discourage tourism to Miami, particuarly as it showed Miami's latest Cuban immigrants as gangsters and drug dealers.

The word "yeyo" is used by Tony Montana (Al Pacino) as a slang word for cocaine. This word was not in the script, and was ad-libbed by Pacino during the first drug deal scene (chainsaw scene), and Brian De Palma liked it enough to keep using it throughout the film. Pacino learned the word while learning the Cuban accent.

In the scene where Tony is in the bathtub watching TV, he says to Manny, "Look at dem pelicangs fly." This line was what Al Pacino practiced with a language coach to get the Cuban accent right.

The original idea was to make this film a remake of Scarface, which took place in Chicago, but this proved to be impossible due to budget constraints.

Oliver Stone named Tony Montana after his favorite football player, Joe Montana.

When director Brian De Palma submitted the film to the MPAA they gave it an "X rating". He then made some cuts and resubmitted it a second time; again the film was given an "X rating" (one of the reasons apparently being that Octavio the clown was shot too many times). He yet again made some further cuts and submitted it a third time; yet again it was given an "X". De Palma refused to cut the film any further to qualify it for an R. He and producer Martin Bregman arranged a hearing with the MPAA. They brought in a panel of experts, including real narcotics officers, who stated that the film was an accurate portrayal of real life in the drug underworld and should be widely seen. This convinced the 20 members of the ratings board to give the third submitted cut of the film an "R rating" by a vote of 18-2. However De Palma surmised that if the third cut of the film was judged an "R" than the very first cut should have been an "R" as well. He asked the studio if he could release the first cut but was told that he couldn't. However since the Studio execs really didn't know the differences between the different cuts that had been submitted, De Palma released the first cut of the film to theaters anyway. It wasn't until the film had been released on videocassette months later that he confessed that he had released his first unedited and intended version of the film.

Steven Bauer is the only actual Cuban in the principal cast. Among the other principal cast members who portray Cubans, Al Pacino, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Robert Loggia are Italian-American; Miriam Colon is Puerto Rican, and F. Murray Abraham (whose character is of unspecified Hispanic or Latino descent) is Assyrian and Italian-American. Additionally, Angel Salazar, who plays Chi-Chi in the supporting cast is Cuban-American. Both Bauer and Salazar were often consulted by their co-stars and director Brian De Palma for advice on Cuban attitudes and culture.

The cocaine used throughout the shooting of the film was supposed to be dried milk, but that couldn't be used because it didn't fit well when the scene was shot. Director Brian De Palma refuses to admit what substance was ultimately used for cocaine out of fear that it would destroy the illusion of realism.

Miriam Colon, who plays Tony's mother, is only four years older than Al Pacino.

One of the last four-track magnetic stereo releases (if not the last).

Although Tony Montana is supposed to be Cuban, making his first language Spanish, he only speaks one line of Spanish during the entire movie.

Tony's "little friend" is an M16 assault rifle with an M203 40mm grenade launcher attached to the barrel.

The Spanish title of the film, "El Precio del Poder", literally translates to "The Price of Power".

Tony Montana's frequent epithet "maricón" is a homophobic slur, equal to "faggot" in English.

Rosanna Arquette, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Melanie Griffith, Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner and Jodie Foster all turned down the role of Elvira Hancock. Brooke Shields was also offered the role, but her mother Teri Shields made her turn the offer down.

Kay Lenz and Kristy McNichol both reportedly wanted the role of Elvira, but Brian De Palma turned them down.

Producer Martin Bregman, in the book 'Scarface Nation', revealed that Glenn Close was the original choice for the role of Elvira, but he was dissatisfied because he thought she would be "only half a hooker".

Reportedly, John Travolta met with Al Pacino in New York in 1981 about appearing in this movie. Travolta did not end up doing this movie.

This film has been an influence on hip-hop culture and rap music since the late 1980s. The Houston-area rap group The Geto Boys sampled several lines into their rap songs, and one rapper (Brad Jordan aka Scarface, now the CEO of Def Jam South) in the group took the name of this film as his stage name. Many rappers, including Sean Combs claim this is their favorite film.

The international corporation set up by Saddam Hussein to launder money from his various enterprises was called Montana Management after the Scarface main character.

Gina Montana (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) actually makes her first appearance during the beach scene. At 44:20, Manny Ribera (Steven Bauer) is seen observing a women from behind. That women is none other than Gina Montana. Director Brian De Palma states that the appearance is supposed to overshadow Gina's promiscuity.

According to producer Martin Bregman, the only shot removed from the "chainsaw scene" was that of a dismembered arm hanging from the shower curtain rod as the camera pans over to Hector, thereby establishing his line "And now the leg, huh?" The arm is visible in a production photo of actor Al Israel (Hector).

Sigourney Weaver was considered for the role of Elvira Hancock.

When Tony Montana dies, the globe says, "The World is Yours", which is what flashed on a billboard when Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) died in the original Scarface.

When Sosa (Paul Shenar) slams the phone down just before the final shootout, there is the faint sound of a ricocheting gunshot under the "slam".