The deeper message of the movie

If you haven’t seen Trading Places, it’s 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’s success is based on their environment or their personality.

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).

The Dukes completely wreck Louis’s life — taking away his money, job, and status — and hand it all to Billy Ray. But when Louis and Billy Ray figure out they’re 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’ll never forget.

It’s a sharp, funny movie about class, greed, and what really makes a person who they are. One of its deeper messages — being careful about judging others —resonates just as much today.

A tennis game inspired the screenwriters

Trading Places was 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’t stop competing with each other.

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.

Harris got the idea to turn this dynamic into a story and pitched the concept of brothers arguing over the “nature versus nurture” debate to his writing partner, Herschel Weingrod. The rest, as they say, is comedy gold.

A bikini picture changed everything

The story was originally meant to star comedy legends Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.

When that didn’t work out, director John Landis brought in Dan Aykroyd, who he’d worked with before, and Eddie Murphy, who was just starting to make waves in Hollywood with this being only his second movie.

”The only character in the script I had a problem with, because she’s such a fantasy, is Ophelia. The classic ‘hooker with a heart of gold’ — she’s such a fantasy that I thought how the fuck am I going to get away with this?’,” Landis said.

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’t on board at first. Back then, Curtis was primarily known for her scream-queen roles in horror films.

It would be Curtis’ 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.

“Nobody else wanted me. I guarantee you, John Landis was the only person who said, ‘She’s going to play this part.’ And without that moment I wouldn’t have now the career that I get to have,” Curtis shared.

John Landis later admitted that Curtis’ 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.

John Landis didn’t know who Eddie Murphy was

When the movie was being cast, director John Landis didn’t even know who Eddie Murphy was yet. Murphy’s breakout film 48 Hours (1982) hadn’t been released, but the studio had already previewed it and knew he was a star in the making.

Landis recalls being asked, “What do you think about Eddie Murphy for the role of Billy Ray Valentine?” To which he humorously responded, “Who’s Eddie Murphy?”

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.

He also said that making Trading Places was the most fun he’d ever had on a movie set. He joked that every film after that felt more like ”work.”

Ever heard this classic Eddie Murphy joke?

Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche were absolutely spot-on as the Duke brothers, Randolph and Mortimer, in Trading Places. These two wealthy and clueless elites drive the movie’s infamous social experiment with their scheming and arrogance, making them the perfect villains you love to watch get what they deserve.

Interestingly, Bellamy and Ameche reprised their roles as the Dukes in Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America (1988), where they make a hilarious cameo as homeless men. In a full-circle moment, Murphy’s character, Prince Akeem, gives them a generous sum of money to help them get back on their feet.

Oh, and here’s a fun tidbit: Trading Places was Bellamy’s 99th film and Ameche’s 100th. Eddie Murphy couldn’t resist joking, “Between the three of us, we’ve made 201 movies!” Classic Murphy humor!

A neat detail after 3 minutes

Comedies like Trading Places, especially from the ’80s, are a rare find these days. That perfect mix of humor and heart just hasn’t been replicated in decades. And here’s a fun twist: unlike most ’80s comedies, which are set in New York, this one takes place in Philadelphia.

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 — everything that embodies the idealism of America.

”I thought it was a good way to highlight that, especially in the opening scene when you see the legless black guy,” screenwriter Timothy Harris told Business Insider.

For the sharp-eyed viewer, there’s also another neat Easter egg in the opening montage.

If you look closely at around the 3-minute mark, you’ll spot the iconic Rocky statue. It was first seen in Rocky III (1982) in front of the Philadelphia Spectrum arena. These days, it’s hanging out at the bottom of the museum steps, where it’s become a huge part of Philly’s tourist scene.

The weather mystery in Trading Places

During the first fifteen days of filming in Philadelphia, the weather was so freezing that they had to shoot in a snow-covered city.

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.

The Curtis Institute of Music in Philapelphia – the building was used as the exterior of the Heritage Club where Winthorpe and Valentine first meet / Wikipedia

Landis wore a thick parka to stay warm while the actors had a space heater to keep cozy. And here’s the kicker — Landis was listening to their dialogue through a radio!

But, fast-forward to later scenes, and you’d think they filmed in a completely different place. Suddenly, Philadelphia’s streets were dry and snow-free.

One overhead shot of Constitution Hall even shows lush green grass and trees with leaves. Oops! Looks like the weather in Trading Places was as unpredictable as the plot twists…

The Eddie Murphy rule

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 — kind of like what the Duke brothers tried to pull off in Trading Places. Since the movie played a role in inspiring this rule, it’s now known as the ”Eddie Murphy Rule.”

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… without really understanding it himself!

A Hollywood legend’s comeback

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 Trading Places?

When John Landis found out that Don Ameche hadn’t made a film in thirteen years, his first reaction was to ask, “Has he passed away?”

Ralph Bellamy (1904 – 1991) and Don Ameche (1908 – 1993) / Getty Images

Landis specifically wanted Ameche for the film because he’d never played a villain before, and Trading Places offered the perfect opportunity for that. Despite being such a big name in Hollywood, Ameche admitted he wasn’t familiar with Eddie Murphy or Dan Aykroyd — two of the hottest comedians at the time.

The feeling was mutual, as both Murphy and Aykroyd confessed they didn’t know much about Ameche either! It’s a fun little piece of Hollywood history that shows the blending of generations and talents.

Religious beliefs made one scene hard

Don Ameche, a devout Roman Catholic and loyal Republican, had strong religious convictions that made him uncomfortable with swearing.

This became a challenge during the scene at the end of the movie, where he had to shout, “F**k him!” 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.

One line almost got cut

Eddie Murphy didn’t like some of the stereotypical lines in the original Trading Places script. He thought lines like ”jive turkey” and ”sucker” weren’t 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.

But one line almost got cut — Murphy’s line, “Who put their Kools out on my Persian rug?” The studio thought it could be seen as racist since Kool cigarettes were mostly marketed to African Americans, but Murphy kept it in anyway.

Hair switches sides

In Trading Places, several hilarious moments came about by accident, and it’s no surprise considering Eddie Murphy’s knack for improvisation.

For instance, Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche) having trouble catching the money clip wasn’t part of the plan, but the actors just rolled with it, staying in character, and it made it into the movie.

Here’s 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?

The truth about Inga from Sweden

Remember when Jamie Lee Curtis’ character, Ophelia, introduces herself as ”Inga from Sveden”? 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 ”Swedish” character!

The whole ”Swedish” disguise came about because Jamie Lee Curtis had trouble nailing the Austrian accent, so they decided to go with a Swedish twist instead.

How Jamie Lee Curtis felt about nude scene

The comedy marked Jamie Lee Curtis’ first nude scene, and she actually went on to do another topless scene later that same year in Love Letters (1983).

In a 1990 interview, Jamie Lee Curtis was pretty confident about her topless scene.

She even said, “My breasts are beautiful, and I gotta tell you, they’ve gotten a lot of attention for what is relatively short screen time,” when speaking to the Chicago Tribune.

But fast forward to 2022, and her perspective had changed a bit. Looking back, Curtis admitted, ”I was 21 years old and the part required Ophelia to take off her dress,” in an interview with People. ”Did I like doing it? No. Did I feel embarrassed that I was doing it? Yes.”

Now, at her current age, she couldn’t imagine doing a nude scene again: “I also am married for 37 years, I wasn’t married then. I’m a mother of children. Absolutely not,” Curtis.

Family ties and fashion fumbles

At around 58 minutes in the film, when Ophelia takes Louis to her apartment, you can spot that she’s wearing pantyhose. But later, when she removes her dress, she’s only in panties.

Also, did you know that Penelope’s (Kristin Holby) friend Muffy is actually played by Jamie Lee Curtis’ sister, Kelly Curtis? And her future brother-in-law, Nicholas Guest, makes an appearance as Harry! Pretty cool family connection!

The quiet tribute to John Belushi

The number on Dan Aykroyd’s mug shot, 74745058, is the same one given to John Belushi in The Blues Brothers (1980).

Aykroyd included this as a heartfelt homage to his late comedy partner who had passed away the year before. Additionally, Jim Belushi, John’s brother, made a cameo in the film as a circus performer dressed in an ape suit.

The scene that didn’t make the theatrical cut

I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to Trading Places, but turns out there’s a little hidden gem that didn’t make the original theatrical cut! There’s a scene that often pops up when the movie is shown on TV, probably to fill in that extra time between commercials.

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.

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…

Trading Places really was one of a kind, wasn’t 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’s a shame we don’t get that same magic today. But hey, thank goodness for the 80s and 90s!

Let’s keep the Trading Places spirit alive, because, let’s face it, it’s a classic we’ll always treasure.

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