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 | Commodities | Criminal | Broker | Beggar

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

Colour:

Colour (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:

Continuity: During the scene at the restaurant, when the man begins telling Valentine the 'S Car Go' joke, Randolph and Mortimer are eating dessert. When the joke is over, the two are now eating dinner.

Quotes:

[offering Billy Ray a sip from his flask; Coleman dressed as a priest, Billy Ray in African garb]
Coleman: Would you like a sip of whiskey?
Billy Ray Valentine: I do not drink, it is against my religion!
Coleman: Religion is a good thing I say, taken in moderation.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Pomp and Circumstance March op.39 No.1

A very entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended movie…

`Trading Places' is one of the best movies and one of the best comedies that I have had the privilege of viewing and almost every aspect of this movie is done to the highest excellence and the highest quality. I have always considered that some of the most entertaining and enjoyable movies came out during the 1980s and `Trading Places' definitely falls within this category.

Everything is a success with this movie –the high quality of acting from both the main actors and the supporting cast, the wonderful humour and engaging dialogue contained within the script, the development of the plot, the music selection provided for the various scenes and even the atmosphere and scenery contained in the movie. Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd are particularly outstanding in their various roles –and keep the excellent performances up in their reversal of roles. Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche and Denham Elliot also provide their characters with a great amount of depth and dimension and make what would have already been a wonderful comedy success even more entertaining. The only very minor criticism is that Jamie Lee Curtis is meant to portray a prostitute in this movie. Jamie Lee Curtis is much too high quality of an actress for the role of a prostitute and I think if the emphasis had been on her character's profession it would have weakened her contribution to the movie. But thankfully the writers and producers recognized that she shouldn't be portrayed in a one-dimensional role and her truly wonderful and highly excellent acting abilities shone through during the whole movie.

The script flowed naturally and had an edge to it that made it both entertaining and intriguing. Even though the storyline and outcome was slightly predictable, the scriptwriters succeeded in keeping you interested and keeping you entertained as the sequence of events unfolded. The humour contained in the movie is genuinely entertaining and doesn't sound forced or strained in the same way that it does in some other movies. Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy make a thoroughly wonderful team and I hope they someday consider doing another movie together. I think the 1980s marked the high point of Eddie Murphy's career and this was one of the movies that cemented his reputation as a great comedian.

I couldn't recommend this movie highly enough. A truly great comedy masterpiece and classic.