Trading Places (1983)

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Timothy Harris (written by) &
Herschel Weingrod (written by)

Release Date:

8 June 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They're not just getting rich... They're getting even.

Plot:

A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Plot Keywords:

Bet | Criminal | Broker | Commodities | Millionaire

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Denholm Elliott	...	Coleman
Dan Aykroyd	...	Louis Winthorpe III
Maurice Woods	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Richard D. Fisher Jr.	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Jim Gallagher	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Anthony DiSabatino	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Bonnie Behrend	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Sunnie Merrill	...	Duke & Duke Employee
James Newell	...	Duke & Duke Employee (as Jim Newell)
Mary St. John	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Bonnie Tremena	...	Duke & Duke Employee
David Schwartz	...	Duke & Duke Employee
Ralph Bellamy	...	Randolph Duke
Don Ameche	...	Mortimer Duke
Tom Degidon	...	Duke Domestic

Also Known As:

Black or White (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | Netherlands:6 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:S | Norway:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #26982) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

When explaining how their business works we can see a portrait of the Marquis De Lafayette over the right shoulder of Randolph Duke.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the large room when framing Louis, everyone is instructed to place the contents of the jacket pocket of the person to their right on the table. The people lining the walls have no such tables. The people on the right end have nobody emptying their left pockets.

Quotes:

[approaching the New York Commodities Exchange]
Louis Winthorpe III: Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat. Buy low, sell high. Fear? That's the other guy's problem. Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the absolute carnage you are about to witness. Super Bowl...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tripping the Rift: Power to the Peephole (#1.8)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Pomp and Circumstance March op.39 No.1

Hugely funny film - Eddie Murphy's finest moment

Right from the opening credits, this film shows quality. It stands above other comedies due to the lack of filler material - every line is memorable. The cast is great; the two leads make the most of their characters (both as brokers and bums) but never overstep the mark, thanks partly to the tight editing. The plot becomes a little bizarre, but by that time you're already hooked, and the ending of the film is pure joy. To my mind, no recent comedy has been this good; it mixes high and low brow jokes without resorting to toilet humour, it doesn't pull any punches (spot the social commentary), the performances are masterful and the script achieves depth without sacrificing the one-liners or slowing the pace.