134-404: Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod . Starring Dan Aykroyd , Eddie Murphy , Ralph Bellamy , Don Ameche , Denholm Elliott , and Jamie Lee Curtis , the film tells the story of an upper-class commodities broker (Aykroyd) and a poor street hustler (Murphy) whose lives cross when they are unwittingly made
268-723: A camp sensibility lay behind the successful Carry On films , while in America subversive independent film-maker John Waters made camp films for college audiences with his drag queen friends that eventually found a mainstream audience. The success of the American television show Saturday Night Live drove decades of cinema with racier content allowed on television drawing on the program's stars and characters, with bigger successes including Wayne's World , Mean Girls , Ghostbusters and Animal House . Parody and joke-based films continue to find audiences. While comedic films are among
402-418: A happy ending , with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the oldest genres in film, and it is derived from classical comedy in theatre . Some of the earliest silent films were slapstick comedies , which often relied on visual depictions, such as sight gags and pratfalls, so they could be enjoyed without requiring sound. To provide drama and excitement to silent movies, live music
536-540: A $ 3 million salary. This was considered a top-tier salary reserved for the most popular movie stars. Shortly after Trading Places ' release, Paramount Pictures signed Murphy to a $ 25 million five-film exclusive contract—one of the biggest deals ever with an actor at the time. The studio also agreed to finance his Eddie Murphy Productions studio. Murphy was among several young stars who emerged that year, including Matthew Broderick , Tom Cruise , and Michael Keaton , who were all in their 20s. This reflected
670-466: A European exchange student to fool Beeks was also improvised; Curtis used a mix of German attire with a Swedish accent because she could not perform a German accent. The first fifteen days of filming were spent in Philadelphia. Landis described the weather as freezing. While filming the scene where Randolph and Mortimer collect Valentine from jail, Landis was positioned in a towing truck that pulled
804-568: A Job " by the Silhouettes . The summer of 1983 (June–September) was predicted to surpass the previous year's record-breaking $ 1.4 billion in theater tickets sold. The season featured expected hits such as the third installment in the Star Wars series, Return of the Jedi , Superman III , and the latest James Bond film Octopussy . Over 40 films were scheduled for release over
938-589: A Musical or Comedy for Murphy who lost to Michael Caine 's performance in the comedy drama Educating Rita . At the 56th Academy Awards , Bernstein was nominated for Best Original Score ; he lost to Michel Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman , who scored Yentl . The 37th British Academy Film Awards named Elliott and Curtis the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress , respectively. Harris and Weingrod were nominated for Best Original Screenplay ; they lost to Paul D. Zimmerman for
1072-696: A bill was introduced into the House of Representatives and later the Senate by Senator George Felix Allen . In 2007 Boyd testified before the United States House Committee on the Judiciary about this legislation. As the organization was making headway by gathering Congressional supporters in 2007 it was revealed that some USDA Farm Services Agency employees were engaged in activities aimed at blocking Congressional legislation that would aid
1206-460: A cellmate. Trading Places also features the final theatrically released performance of Avon Long who plays the Dukes' butler Ezra. The gorilla is portrayed by mime Don McLeod. In the early 1980s, writer Timothy Harris often played tennis against two wealthy, but frugal brothers who regularly engaged in a competitive rivalry and betting. Following one session, Harris returned home exasperated with
1340-589: A clerk to collect agricultural statistics, the preparation of statewide reports about crops in different regions, and the application of chemistry to agriculture. Ellsworth was called the "Father of the Department of Agriculture." In 1849, the Patent Office was transferred to the newly created Department of the Interior . In the ensuing years, agitation for a separate bureau within the department or
1474-484: A futile plea to recoup their losses. The now-wealthy Valentine, Winthorpe, Ophelia, and Coleman vacation on a luxurious tropical beach, while Beeks and the gorilla are loaded onto a ship bound for Africa. As well as the main cast, Trading Places features Robert Curtis-Brown as Todd, Winthorpe's romantic rival for Penelope; Alfred Drake as the Securities Exchange manager; and Jim Belushi as Harvey,
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#17327824282371608-451: A gorilla being transported on the train. The four dress him in a gorilla suit and cage him with the real gorilla. They deliver the forged report to the Dukes in Beeks' place and collect the payment intended for him. After sharing a kiss with Ophelia, Winthorpe travels to New York City with Valentine, pooling the money with the life savings of Ophelia and Coleman to carry out their plan. On
1742-577: A higher standard of proof. In 2000, similar to Pigford v. Glickman , a class-action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Hispanic farmers alleging that the USDA discriminated against them in terms of credit transactions and disaster benefits, in direct violation of ECOA . As per the settlement, $ 1.33 billion is available for compensation in awards of up to $ 50,000 or $ 250,000, while an additional $ 160 million
1876-403: A mix of the high-concept nature of Trading Places with a Flashdance -inspired breakdancing or gym setting. Harris recalled people asking if the producer Aaron Russo or Katzenberg had created the idea and just paid him to write it. He said he knew it was a success because people were trying to take credit for it. Trading Places is considered responsible for launching, changing, or re-launching
2010-416: A normal harvest, the price of juice futures plummets. As the traders frantically sell their futures, Valentine and Winthorpe buy at the lower price from everyone except the Dukes, fulfilling the contracts they had short-sold earlier and turning an immense profit. After the closing bell, Valentine and Winthorpe explain to the Dukes that they made a wager on whether they could get rich and make the Dukes poor at
2144-649: A party-goer on New Year's Eve. The film has numerous cameos, including singer Bo Diddley as a pawnbroker; Curtis' sister Kelly as Penelope's friend Muffy; the Muppets puppeteers Frank Oz and Richard Hunt as, respectively, a police officer and Wilson, the Dukes' broker on the trading floor; and Aykroyd's former Saturday Night Live colleagues, Tom Davis and Al Franken , as train baggage handlers. Other minor roles include Ron Taylor as "Big Black Guy", American football player J. T. Turner as "Even Bigger Black Guy" who only says "Yeah!", and Giancarlo Esposito as
2278-401: A prostitute, Curtis jokingly remarked: "I'd love to say I went out and turned a couple of tricks on 42nd Street, but I didn't." Curtis had long hair when she was cast; costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis suggested cutting her hair shorter for the film. For the greedy Duke brothers, Ralph Bellamy was the first choice for Randolph. For Mortimer, Landis wanted to cast an actor famous in
2412-478: A separate department devoted to agriculture kept recurring. On May 15, 1862, Abraham Lincoln established the independent Department of Agriculture through the Morrill Act to be headed by a commissioner without Cabinet status. Staffed by only eight employees, the department was charged with conducting research and development related to "agriculture, rural development , aquaculture and human nutrition in
2546-552: A separate genre, but rather, provides a better understanding of the film. United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety , protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in
2680-420: A special edition was released containing a Blu-ray and digital version of the film, and behind-the-scenes featurettes. A limited-edition release of Bernstein's score was made available in 2011. Only 2,000 copies were released by La-La Land Records. Several publications have attempted to explain exactly how Valentine and Winthorpe make a large sum of money on the commodities market while simultaneously bankrupting
2814-436: A succession of moderately successful films. According to Murphy, he hired Landis to direct his 1988 comedy Coming to America to help support Landis's career. The pair had a falling out on the set of that film; even so, they collaborated again on Beverly Hills Cop III (1994). Harris and Weingrod were elevated to prominence as writers. They later sued Trading Places ' producer, Aaron Russo , for an agreed upon 0.5% of
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#17327824282372948-496: A true criticism of the system and its failings. She called it the American Dream in film form. Dave Kehr said that though the film pays homage to screwball comedies, it stripped the concept of all but the "crudest audience-gratification moments" and avoided exploration of the genre's moral conflicts. In Variety ' s review, the reviewer concluded that the middle segment of the film lacked humor. People said that
3082-678: A variety of forms at the hands of the USDA. The majority of these discriminatory actions have occurred through the Farm Service Agency , which oversees loan and assistance programs to farmers. In response to the Supreme Court's ruling of unconstitutionality of the Agricultural Adjustment Act , Congress enacted the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 , which established
3216-460: A white writer writing for a black person would use stereotypical dialogue like "jive turkey" and "sucker", and he could write his lines to sound authentic. Weingrod said the studio objected to Murphy's line, "Who put their Kools out on my Persian rug?" They believed it was racist because the Kool cigarette brand was targeted mainly at African Americans; Murphy restored the line. Ophelia pretending to be
3350-415: A wide release on Wednesday, June 8, 1983, across 1,375 theaters. The film earned $ 1.7 million leading into its opening weekend when it earned a further $ 7.3 million—an average of $ 5,344 per theater. Trading Places finished as the number three film of the weekend behind Octopussy ($ 8.9 million), also making its debut that weekend, and Return of the Jedi ($ 12 million), which
3484-474: A young but increasingly popular Murphy in his second feature-film role. Landis also cast Curtis against the intent of the studio, Paramount Pictures ; she was famous mainly for her roles in horror films, which were looked down upon at the time. Principal photography took place from December 1982 to March 1983, entirely on location in Philadelphia and New York City . Elmer Bernstein scored
3618-653: Is committed to working with other agencies to ensure these mainstream benefits have been accessed by those experiencing homelessness. The USDA also is concerned with assisting farmers and food producers with the sale of crops and food on both the domestic and world markets. It plays a role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries. This aid can go through USAID , foreign governments, international bodies such as World Food Program , or approved nonprofits. The Agricultural Act of 1949 , section 416 (b) and Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 , also known as Food for Peace , provides
3752-605: Is framed as a thief, drug dealer, and philanderer by Clarence Beeks, a man on the Dukes' payroll. He is fired from Duke & Duke, his bank accounts are frozen, he is denied entry to his Duke-owned home, and is vilified by his friends and Penelope. Winthorpe is befriended by Ophelia, a prostitute who helps him in exchange for a financial reward once he is exonerated to secure her own retirement. The Dukes post bail for Valentine, install him in Winthorpe's former job, and grant him use of Winthorpe's home. Valentine becomes well versed in
3886-825: The American Farm Bureau Federation . It represented the largest commercial growers before Congress. As late as the Great Depression , farm work occupied a fourth of Americans. Indeed, many young people who moved to the cities in the prosperous 1920s returned to the family farm after the depression caused unemployment after 1929. The USDA helped ensure that food continued to be produced and distributed to those who needed it, assisted with loans for small landowners, and provided technical advice. Its Bureau of Home Economics , established in 1923, published shopping advice and recipes to stretch family budgets and make food go farther. On August 27, 2018,
4020-537: The Congress and local agricultural societies. In 1839, Congress established the Agricultural Division within the Patent Office and allotted $ 1,000 for "the collection of agricultural statistics and other agricultural purposes." Ellsworth's interest in aiding agriculture was evident in his annual reports that called for a public depository to preserve and distribute the various new seeds and plants,
4154-668: The ECOA and the APA . This case relied heavily on its predecessor, Pigford v. Glickman , in terms of the reasoning it set forth in the lawsuit. Eventually, a settlement was reached between the plaintiffs and the USDA to the amount of up to $ 760 million, awardable through individual damages claims. These claims could be used for monetary relief, debt relief, and/or tax relief. The filing period began June 29, 2011 and lasted 180 days. Track A claimants would be eligible for up to $ 50,000, whereas Track B claimants would be eligible for up to $ 250,000 with
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4288-690: The House of Representatives and Senate passed separate bills giving Cabinet status to the Department of Agriculture and Labor, but the bill was defeated in conference committee after farm interests objected to the addition of labor. Finally, in 1889 the Department of Agriculture was given cabinet-level status. In 1887, the Hatch Act provided for the federal funding of agricultural experiment stations in each state. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 then funded cooperative extension services in each state to teach agriculture, home economics , and other subjects to
4422-526: The National Mall between 12th Street and 14th SW, the department had offices for its staff and the entire width of the Mall up to B Street NW to plant and experiment with plants. In the 1880s, varied advocacy groups were lobbying for Cabinet representation. Business interests sought a Department of Commerce and Industry , and farmers tried to raise the Department of Agriculture to Cabinet rank. In 1887,
4556-485: The Rolls-Royce carrying Ameche, Bellamy and Murphy. Landis wore a thick parka to stay warm, and the actors had a space heater in their vehicle; Landis listened to their dialogue via radio. Describing the filming of the scene, Landis recalled a jovial discussion between Ameche, Bellamy, and Murphy: Bellamy said that Trading Places was his 99th film; Ameche said it was his 100th. Murphy informed Landis that "between
4690-598: The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) which provided service to private landowners and encouraged subsidies that would relieve soil from excessive farming. The SCS in its early days were hesitant, especially in Southern jurisdictions, to hire Black conservationists. Rather than reaching out to Black students in universities for interviews and job opportunities, students had to reach out for the few opportunities granted to Black conservationists. As part of
4824-646: The United States and providing nourishment as well as nutrition education to those in need are run by the Food and Nutrition Service . Activities in this program include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , which provides healthy food to over 40 million low-income and homeless people each month. USDA is a member of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness , where it
4958-415: The fourth-highest-grossing film of 1983 , behind Paramount Studio's surprise hit, the romantic drama Flashdance ($ 90.46 million), the comedy-drama Terms of Endearment ($ 108.4 million), and Return of the Jedi ($ 309.2 million). Estimates by industry experts suggest that as of 1997, the box office returns to the studio —minus the theaters' share—was $ 40.6 million. Outside of
5092-418: The "Looking Good, Feeling Good" edition) was released in 2007 on DVD, Blu-ray , and HD DVD . This edition included deleted scenes, details on the film's production, including discussions with the cast and crew, 1983 promotional interviews, and interviews with financial experts about the film. The film was also released in a pack that included Coming to America . To celebrate the film's 35th-anniversary in 2018,
5226-413: The "likable" film owed a debt to the screwball comedy genre. She continued, "Preston Sturges might have made a movie like Trading Places – if he'd had a little less inspiration and a lot more money." Gary Arnold said the film was too inconsistent to be compared to those older films. Vincent Canby said that the screwball style had been updated for the "existential hipness" of the 1980s, but the film lacked
5360-465: The 16-week period. Studios had to strategize their releases to avoid damaging their own films' performances by pitting them against better-performing competition. Paramount Studios opted to release Trading Places at the start of summer, as those films expected to do well would benefit from being in theaters longer during this busy period. Comedy films were considered counterprogramming that attracted audiences who had already seen, or were not interested in,
5494-690: The 1930s or 1940s who was not associated with playing a villain. His first choice was Ray Milland , but the actor was unable to pass a physical test to qualify for insurance while filming. As the start date for filming loomed, Landis thought of Don Ameche. The casting director claimed that Ameche was dead. Landis was skeptical of this and contacted the Screen Actors Guild in an attempt to locate him. They confirmed that Ameche had no agent, and his royalty payments were being forwarded to his son in Arizona . Landis accepted this as evidence that Ameche
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5628-470: The 1964 Civil Rights Act , the USDA formally ended racial segregation among its staff. In the 1999 Pigford v. Glickman class-action lawsuit brought by African American farmers, the USDA agreed to a billion-dollar settlement due to its patterns of discrimination in the granting of loans and subsidies to black farmers. In 2011, a second round of payouts, Pigford II, was appropriated by Congress for $ 1.25 billion, although this payout, far too late to support
5762-615: The 1980s, he went on to star in the blockbuster phenomenon Ghostbusters (1984), Spies Like Us (1985) and Dragnet (1987). He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Trading Places is considered Curtis's breakout performance, allowing her to move into films outside the horror genre; actor John Cleese cast Curtis in the 1988 heist comedy A Fish Called Wanda specifically because of her performance in Trading Places . Curtis said Landis had "single-handedly changed
5896-521: The 1982 black comedy The King of Comedy . As predicted, the 1983 summer film season broke the previous year's record with over $ 1.5 billion worth of tickets sold. It was seen as a substantial increase in spite of increased ticket prices. Even so, the year was a mixture of unexpected successes and disappointments. Films like Superman III and the action comedies Smokey and the Bandit Part ;3 and Stroker Ace had failed at
6030-460: The Dukes are doing and join in buying futures. This demand significantly inflates the price to $ 1.42 per pound—each future represents several pounds of FCOJ. Winthorpe and Valentine begin selling futures at this inflated price, believing it to be the peak price; the contracts will require them to supply FCOJ in April. Anticipating that the crop report will cause the value of FCOJ to rise far above $ 1.42,
6164-437: The Dukes' grandniece Penelope Witherspoon—and poor black street hustler Billy Ray Valentine. Valentine is arrested at Winthorpe's insistence after the latter assumes he is being robbed. Holding opposing views on the issue of nature versus nurture , the Dukes make a wager and agree to conduct an experiment to observe the results of switching the lives of Valentine and Winthorpe, two people in contrasting social strata . Winthorpe
6298-406: The Dukes, Winthorpe and Valentine decide to foil the brothers' plan to obtain the report early and use it to corner the market on frozen concentrated orange juice. On New Year's Eve, the four board Beeks' train in disguise, intending to switch the original report with a forgery that predicts low orange crop yields. Beeks uncovers their scheme and attempts to kill them, but is knocked unconscious by
6432-433: The Dukes. The fake crop report created by Valentine and Winthorpe indicates to the Dukes that the orange crop will be poor, making the limited stock more valuable. The Dukes attempt to buy up as many Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ) futures contracts as possible to corner the market—effectively owning a substantial enough number of contracts that they are able to control the price of FCOJ. The other traders realize what
6566-523: The FNS budget is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the 'Food Stamp' program), which is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance. The United States Forest Service is the largest agency within the department, which administers national forests and national grasslands that together comprise about 25% of federal lands . The USDA is divided into eight distinct mission areas, each of which have at least one agency dedicated to
6700-403: The Jedi ($ 11.1 million). While the film never claimed the number one box office ranking, it spent seventeen straight weeks among the top ten-highest-grossing films. By September, it was the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year with $ 80.6 million, and by the end of its theatrical run, Trading Places earned an approximate box office gross of $ 90.4 million. It finished as
6834-592: The NBFA would later call the agreement incomplete because more than 70,000 were excluded. Nevertheless, the settlement was deemed to be the largest-ever civil rights class action settlement in American history. Lawyers estimated the value of the settlement to be more than $ 2 billion. Some farmers would have their debts forgiven. Judge Friedman appointed a monitor to oversee the settlement. Farmers in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia were among those affected by
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#17327824282376968-546: The USDA announced it would be providing U.S. farmers with a farm aid package totaling $ 4.7 billion in direct payments to American farmers. This package is meant to offset the losses farmers are expected to incur from retaliatory tariffs placed on American exports during the Trump tariffs . On 7 February 2022, the USDA announced the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a $ 1 billion program that will test and verify
7102-462: The USDA filed in federal court in 1997. An attorney called it "the most organized, largest civil rights case in the history of the country." Also in 1997, black farmers from at least five states held protests in front of the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Protests in front of the USDA were a strategy employed in later years as the black farmers sought to keep national attention focused on
7236-558: The USDA loan process was unfair to minority farmers, had claimed it was hard to determine the effect on such farmers. In 2006 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report highly critical of the USDA in its handling of the black farmers cases. NBFA continued to lobby Congress to provide relief. NBFA's John Boyd (farmer) secured congressional support for legislation that would provide $ 100 million in funds to settle late-filer cases. In 2006
7370-453: The USDA] to present documentary evidence that they had been unfairly treated or had even tried to farm." Lack of documentation is an issue complicated by the USDA practice of discarding denied applications after three years. In 1999, Native American farmers , discriminated in a similar fashion to black farmers, filed a class-action lawsuit against the USDA alleging loan discrimination under
7504-526: The United Kingdom. G. Gordon Liddy , a central figure in the Watergate political scandal of the early 1970s, was offered the role of corrupt official Clarence Beeks. Liddy was interested in the offer until he learned that Beeks becomes the romantic partner of a gorilla. Paul Gleason took the role; his character reads a copy of Liddy's autobiography Will while riding the train. Don McLeod portrayed
7638-641: The United States and Canada, Trading Places is estimated to have earned a further $ 30.2 million, bringing its worldwide gross to $ 120.6 million. Trading Places received generally positive reviews from critics. Reviewers compared it to the socially conscious comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, like My Man Godfrey (1936), Easy Living (1937), Christmas in July (1940), and Sullivan's Travels (1941) by directors like Preston Sturges, Frank Capra, and Gregory La Cava . Janet Maslin said that
7772-457: The United States and internationally. It is headed by the secretary of agriculture , who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet . The current secretary is Tom Vilsack , who has served since February 24, 2021. Approximately 71% of the USDA's $ 213 billion budget goes towards nutrition assistance programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The largest component of
7906-570: The United States. In 1829, by request of James Smithson out of a desire to further promulgate and diffuse scientific knowledge amongst the American people, the Smithsonian Institution was established, though it did not incorporate agriculture. In 1837, Henry Leavitt Ellsworth became Commissioner of Patents in the Department of State . He began collecting and distributing new varieties of seeds and plants through members of
8040-546: The action thriller Sudden Impact . Paramount signed an exclusive deal to show its movies, including Trading Places , on the Showtime TV network for approximately $ 500 million; this was seen as an attempt by Paramount to damage the network monopoly held by HBO that the studio saw as financially unfavorable. Trading Places was first released on DVD in October 2002. A Special Collector's Edition (also known as
8174-463: The actors and the writing, adding that Murphy and Aykroyd made a "perfect" team. Canby said that Murphy demonstrated why he was the most successful comedian in the last decade. Several reviewers compared his role to that in 48 Hrs. ; Arnold said that Trading Places was evidence that Murphy's successes were not a fluke, and that Murphy demonstrated an "exhilarating comic authority". Canby said that Trading Places gave Murphy an opportunity to demonstrate
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#17327824282378308-475: The agency's history its personnel have discriminated against farmers of various backgrounds, denying them loans and access to other programs well into the 1990s. The effect of this discrimination caused a reduction in the number of African American farmers in the United States. Though African American farmers have been the most hit by discriminatory actions by the USDA, women, Native Americans , Hispanics , and other minorities have experienced discrimination in
8442-505: The area in grim terms as crime-ridden, where everyone either had a gun pointed at them or had been raped. Harris and Weingrod researched the commodities market for the script. They learned of financial market incidents, including Russian attempts to corner the wheat market and the Hunt brothers' efforts to corner the silver market on what became known as Silver Thursday . They thought trading orange juice and pork bellies would be funnier because
8576-551: The association would limit her future career prospects. She had turned down a role in the horror film Psycho II (1983) because of this. Her mother, Janet Leigh , had famously starred in Psycho (1960). Curtis had performed recently in the slasher film Halloween II (1981) as a favor to director John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill ; she was paid $ 1 million for that role, but received only $ 70,000 for Trading Places . When asked if she had researched her role as
8710-549: The benefits of climate-friendly agricultural practices. In October 2022, the USDA announced a $ 1.3 billion debt relief program for about 36,000 farmers who had fallen behind on loan payments or facing foreclosures. The provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 set aside $ 3.1 billion to help such farmers with high-risk operations caused by USDA-backed loans. USDA's offices and agencies are listed below, with full-time equivalent staff levels according to
8844-585: The black farmers. Barack Obama , then a U.S. Senator, lent his support to the black farmers' issues in 2007. A bill co-sponsored by Obama passed the Senate in 2007. In early June 2008 hundreds of black farmers, denied a chance to have their cases heard in the Pigford settlement, filed a new lawsuit against USDA. The Senate and House versions of the black farmers bill, reopening black farmers discrimination cases, became law in June 2008. Some news reports said that
8978-413: The box office. Aykroyd agreed to take a pay cut for the role. The studio also objected to the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis. At the time she was seen as a " scream queen ", primarily associated with low-quality B movies . Landis had worked previously with Curtis on the horror documentary Coming Soon , for which she had served as the host. She wanted to move away from horror films as she was conscious that
9112-509: The box office. The science fiction comedy The Man with Two Brains featuring an established star in Steve Martin had also underperformed. Conversely, Flashdance was an unexpected hit and the third highest-grossing film of the year, despite a negative critical reception. In September, The New York Times wrote that Trading Places was the only film of the fifteen top-grossing films that could be recommended without reservation. The film
9246-481: The business, using his street smarts to achieve success, and begins to act in a well-mannered way. During the firm's Christmas party, Winthorpe plants drugs in Valentine's desk, attempting to frame him, and brandishes a gun to escape. Later, the Dukes discuss their experiment and settle their wager for $ 1. They plot to return Valentine to the streets, but have no intention of taking back Winthorpe. Valentine overhears
9380-456: The careers of its main cast, who each appeared in several other films throughout the 1980s. In particular, Murphy became one of the highest-paid and most sought after comedians in Hollywood. In the years since its release, the film has been praised as one of the greatest comedy films and Christmas films ever made despite some criticism of its use of racial jokes and language. In 2010, the film
9514-476: The careers of many of its stars. Murphy's success was significant. He rose from a TV comedian to a superstar with two of the most successful films of the year. Industry experts voted him as the biggest box-office star after Clint Eastwood . No other African-American actor had achieved a comparable level of success before him. It was reported that Murphy earned up to $ 1 million for Trading Places , but by his third film, Beverly Hills Cop (1984), he commanded
9648-410: The central cast and the film's revival of the screwball comedy genre prevalent in the 1930s and 1940s while criticizing Trading Places for lacking the same moral message of the genre while promoting the accumulation of wealth. It received multiple award nominations including an Academy Award for Bernstein's score and won two BAFTA awards for Elliott and Curtis. The film also launched or revitalized
9782-405: The commodities trading floor , the Dukes invest heavily in buying frozen concentrated orange juice futures contracts , legally committing themselves to purchase the commodity at a later date. Other traders follow their lead, driving the price up; Valentine and Winthorpe short-sell juice futures contracts at the inflated price. Following the broadcast of the actual crop report and its prediction of
9916-403: The conversation and seeks out Winthorpe, who has attempted suicide by overdosing. Valentine, Ophelia, and Winthorpe's butler Coleman nurse him back to health and inform him of the experiment. Watching a television news broadcast, they learn that Beeks is transporting a secret United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on orange crop forecasts. Remembering large payments made to Beeks by
10050-441: The course of my life by giving me that part." After not having worked in film for more than a decade, Ameche followed Trading Places with the 1985 comedy-drama Cocoon , for which he won his first and only Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Landis continued to work as a director but suffered setbacks following a lawsuit over the accidental deaths of several actors on a segment he directed for Twilight Zone: The Movie and
10184-459: The cultural issues of their time. Landis wanted his film to reflect these concepts in the 1980s; he said the main updates were the addition of swearing and nudity. Landis admitted that it took him a while to understand how Trading Places ' finale worked. Trading Places was developed with the intent to cast comedy duo Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder as Valentine and Louis Winthorpe III respectively. The pair were in high demand following
10318-577: The day of filming. The scene where Valentine and Winthorpe enact their plan against the Dukes was filmed at the COMEX commodity exchange located inside 4 World Trade Center . The lack of windows gave the appearance the floor was situated below ground, but it was actually on a high floor. The scene was scripted to take place at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange , but the filmmakers were unable to secure permission to film there. The scene
10452-440: The details. The script was sold to Paramount Pictures under the title Black and White . Then-Paramount executive Jeffrey Katzenberg offered the project to director John Landis . Landis disliked the working title, but favorably compared the script to older screwball comedies of the 1930s by directors like Frank Capra , Leo McCarey , and Preston Sturges , which often satirized social constructs and social classes, reflecting
10586-470: The ending was perfectly presented, but Arnold considered it to be confusing and reliant on the audience's knowledge that the "heroes" were being heroic to compensate for a lack of clarity in their actions. He continued that even as a farcical film, the events were too unbelievable. Roger Ebert said the ending was inventive for not involving a "manic chase". He appreciated that Trading Places did not rely on obvious racial plot points or employ sitcom tropes for
10720-584: The estimated FY2023 appropriation, as reported in USDA's FY2024 Congressional Budget Justification. Secretary of Agriculture Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary for Rural Development Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Under Secretary for Food Safety Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Allegations have been made that throughout
10854-431: The expertise by introducing sampling techniques. Professional economists ran a strong Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Most important was the agricultural experiment station system, a network of state partners in the land-grant colleges, which in turn operated a large field service in direct contact with farmers in practically every rural county. The department worked smoothly with a nationwide, well-organized pressure group,
10988-420: The fact that average audiences were aging and now in their late teens to late 20s, and led to a shift in focus away from making films targeted mainly at children. His rapid rise to fame led to Murphy leaving Saturday Night Live the following year; he said he had grown to dislike the job and felt he was resented for his success. After a series of failures, Trading Places revitalized Aykroyd's career. Throughout
11122-515: The film industry due to their popularity. In The Screenwriters Taxonomy (2017), Eric R. Williams contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character, and story, and therefore, the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, his taxonomy argues that comedy is a type of film that contains at least a dozen different sub-types. A number of hybrid genres have emerged, such as action comedy and romantic comedy . The first comedy film
11256-401: The film, using Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 's opera buffa The Marriage of Figaro as an underlying theme. Trading Places was considered a box-office success on its release, earning over $ 90.4 million to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1983 in the United States and Canada, and $ 120.6 million worldwide. It also received generally positive reviews, with critics praising both
11390-482: The financial investment the production had made filming in the city, the mayor's office agreed to accommodate Landis' request; the studio paid for any expenses incurred. The New York Times reported that for years the Corrections Department had failed to deliver prisoners on time for trials and arraignments; despite this, they moved nearly 300 prisoners through the 12th-floor before 9 a.m. on
11524-572: The gorilla; he had already become popular for his performances as a gorilla in American Tourister commercials, which led to film appearances. Principal photography began on December 13, 1982. The budget was estimated to be $ 15 million. Filming took place on location in Philadelphia and New York City . Robert Paynter and Malcolm Campbell served, respectively, as the film's cinematographer and editor. The script underwent minor changes throughout filming; some improvisation
11658-666: The legal basis of such actions. The USDA is a partner of the World Cocoa Foundation . The standard history is Gladys L. Baker, ed., Century of Service: The first 100 years of the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1963). Early in its history, the American economy was largely agrarian . Officials in the federal government had long sought new and improved varieties of seeds, plants and animals for import into
11792-460: The lower price of 29 cents a pound. The difference is their profit. Effectively, they have sold FCOJ which they do not have at a high price and bought it back at a lower price, earning them a profit and eliminating the need to fulfil any contracts. Meanwhile, the Dukes have bought a significant number of FCOJ futures, around 100,000 contracts or 1.5 million pounds of FCOJ and have been unable to sell any of them. When trading closes, they must meet
11926-450: The major film releases that were mainly focused on science-fiction and superheroes. Trading Places was released between Return of the Jedi in May and Superman III in mid-June. While sequels were expected to do well having the advantage of a built-in audience, Trading Places was predicted to be successful based on its cast. In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, Trading Places received
12060-550: The many who desperately needed financial assistance during 1999 lawsuit, only comes out to around $ 250,000 per farmer. A March 17, 2006 letter from the GAO about the Pigford Settlement indicated that "the court noted that USDA disbanded its Office of Civil Rights in 1983, and stopped responding to claims of discrimination." Following long-standing concerns, black farmers joined a class action discrimination suit against
12194-524: The margin call—essentially a deposit—for holding the futures contracts. In addition to their basic financial loss from buying futures at up to $ 1.42 that are now worth only 29 cents, the margin call for holding the futures gives them a total loss of $ 394 million, which they do not have, requiring the sale of all of their assets. Comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor . These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have
12328-511: The most general and comprehensive sense of those terms". Agriculturalist Isaac Newton was appointed to be the first commissioner. Lincoln called it the "people's department", since over half of the nation, at the time, was directly or indirectly involved in agriculture or agribusiness . In 1868, the department moved into the new Department of Agriculture Building in Washington, designed by famed D.C. architect Adolf Cluss . Located on
12462-754: The most popular with audiences at the box office, there is an 'historical bias against a close and serious consideration of comedy' when it comes to critical reception and conferring of awards, such as at the Academy Awards . Film writer Cailian Savage observes "Comedies have won Oscars, although they’ve usually been comedy-dramas, involved very depressing scenes, or appealed to stone-hearted drama lovers in some other way, such as Shakespeare in Love ." According to Williams' taxonomy , all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) sub-genres. This combination does not create
12596-553: The musical comedy film The Blues Brothers (1980); the experience had been positive. Landis said, "he could easily play [Winthorpe] ... you tell him what you want, and he delivers. And I thought he'd be wonderful." Paramount Pictures was less enamored with Aykroyd; executives believed that he performed better as part of a duo, as he had working with John Belushi . They felt that Aykroyd working alone would be akin to Bud Abbott , half of Abbott and Costello , working without Lou Costello and Aykroyd's recent films had fared poorly at
12730-492: The new law could affect up to 74,000 black farmers. In October 2008, the GAO issued a report criticizing the USDA's handling of discrimination complaints. The GAO recommended an oversight review board to examine civil rights complaints. After numerous public rallies and an intensive NBFA member lobbying effort, Congress approved and Obama signed into law in December 2010 legislation that set aside $ 1.15 billion to resolve
12864-407: The other brokers purchase heavily from the pair. Once the real crop report is published indicating that the orange crop will be normal and there will be no shortage of FCOJ, the value of the futures plummets as the traders desperately attempt to sell their futures and limit their financial losses. Winthorpe and Valentine then buy back the futures from the traders—except for the Dukes' trader Wilson—at
12998-551: The outstanding black farmers' cases. NBFA's John W. Boyd Jr., attended the bill-signing ceremony at the White House. As of 2013, 90,000 African-American, Hispanic, female and Native American farmers had filed claims. It was reported that some had been found fraudulent, or transparently bogus. In Maple Hill , North Carolina by 2013, the number of successful claimants was four times the number of farms with 1 out of 9 African-Americans being paid, while "claimants were not required [by
13132-479: The pair's conflict and concluded that they were "awful" people. The situation gave him the idea of two brothers betting over nature versus nurture in terms of human ability. Harris shared the idea with his writing partner Herschel Weingrod , who liked the concept. Harris also drew inspiration for the story from his own living situation; he lived in a rundown area near Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles . He described
13266-644: The plight of the black farmers. Representatives of the National Black Farmers Association met with President Bill Clinton and other administration officials at the White House . And NBFA's president testified before the United States House Committee on Agriculture . In Pigford v. Glickman , U.S. Federal District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman approved the settlement and consent decree on April 14, 1999. The settlement recognized discrimination against 22,363 black farmers, but
13400-713: The pompous elites of the financial industry. The Marriage of Figaro concerns the story of a servant who is wronged by his wealthy employer, Count Almaviva, and takes his revenge by unraveling the count's own machinations. Bernstein created his own arrangements of the music to reflect the differing emotions of each scene. The overture of Marriage of Figaro plays over the film's opening. The score also includes arrangements of Pomp and Circumstance Marches by Edward Elgar , and Mozart's Symphony No. 41 . Trading Places features songs including: " Do You Wanna Funk " by Sylvester and Patrick Cowley , " Jingle Bell Rock " by Brenda Lee , " The Loco-Motion " by Little Eva , and " Get
13534-512: The producer profits share, estimated to be worth $ 150,000; the outcome of this lawsuit is unknown. In the early 1980s, the VCR home video market was gaining popularity rapidly. In previous years, VHS sales were not a revenue source for studios, but by 1983 they could generate up to 13% of a film's total revenue; the North American cassette rights could generate $ 500,000 alone. Trading Places
13668-411: The public would be unaware such mundane items were traded. Harris consulted with people in the commodities business to understand how the film's finale on the trading floor would work. The pair determined that the commodities market would make for an interesting setting for a film, as long as it was not about the financial market itself. They needed something to draw the audience in. It was decided to set
13802-485: The public. With these and similar provisions, the USDA reached out to every county of every state. By the year 1933, the department was well established in Washington and very well known in rural America. In the agricultural field the picture was different. Statisticians created a comprehensive data-gathering arm in the Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates. Secretary Henry Wallace, a statistician, further strengthened
13936-476: The range of his abilities in a "lithe, graceful, uproarious" performance. Reviewers agreed that the film featured Aykroyd's best performance to date. People said that if audiences had given up on Aykroyd following the failures of Neighbors (1981) and Doctor Detroit (1983), his career was revitalized by Trading Places . Canby said that Aykroyd gave a more consistent performance than in his previous roles. He said that Aykroyd had demonstrated that his success
14070-456: The role. Arnold called the role "stale" and "predictable" but felt Curtis offered an "infectious" humor that earns the audience's support. People said that she had a significant appeal, and Kempley called her both "curvaceous" and "vivacious". Canby said that in her first major non-horror role, Curtis performed with "marvelous good humor". Kehr criticized Landis for often turning his heroines into "busty bunnies", and said that he had treated Curtis
14204-438: The same morality tale the genre often espoused that money is not important. Instead, the characters do not dismantle or expose the corruption of the financial system, they just take revenge on the Dukes, obtaining extreme wealth in the process. Even so, he concluded the film was one of the best American comedies released in a long time. Maslin agreed that the film was too enamored with the wealthy institutions it satirized to provide
14338-400: The same time, and Winthorpe pays Valentine his winnings of $ 1. When the Dukes prove unable to pay the $ 394 million required to satisfy their margin call , the exchange manager orders their seats sold and their corporate and personal assets confiscated, effectively bankrupting them. Randolph collapses holding his chest and Mortimer shouts at the others, demanding the floor be reopened in
14472-495: The same way. Ebert called Bellamy and Ameche's casting a "masterstroke". Canby said the pair had well-written roles that were supported by their comic performances. He continued that Ameche was as funny in Trading Places as he was always meant to be. People said that the film works because Landis demonstrated a "remarkable" restraint. Canby said Landis had shown that he could direct a precise comedy as well as special effects-laden fare. Arnold disagreed saying Landis' comedic timing
14606-507: The score for Trading Places . He and Landis had collaborated previously on several films including The Blues Brothers and the horror-comedy An American Werewolf in London (1981). Landis conceived of the idea to use the opera buffa The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as the underlying theme for the score. He had used classical music in his previous films to represent the upper classes and felt that it would be fitting for
14740-505: The settlement. The NBFA's president was invited to testify before congress on this matter numerous times following the settlement, including before the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture on September 12, 2000, when he testified that many farmers had not yet received payments and others were left out of the settlement. It was later revealed that one DoJ staff "general attorney" was unlicensed while she
14874-485: The social-status swaps of Winthorpe and Valentine. He commended the focus on developing each character so that they were funny because of their individual quirks and personalities. He concluded that this required a deeper script than would normally be developed for a comedy. The cast were all generally praised. Maslin called it a strange but well-cast film representing multiple Hollywood generations. Ebert said that what could have been stereotypical characters were elevated by
15008-430: The story in Philadelphia because of its connections to the founding of the United States, the American dream and idealism and the pursuit of happiness. This was tempered by introducing Billy Ray Valentine as a black man begging on the street. The pair knew that the method of Winthorpe's and Valentine's financial victory could be confusing, but hoped that audiences would be too invested in the characters' success to care about
15142-479: The subjects of an elaborate bet to test how each man will perform when their life circumstances are swapped. Harris conceived the outline for Trading Places in the early 1980s after meeting two wealthy brothers who were engaged in an ongoing rivalry with each other. He and his writing partner Weingrod developed the idea as a project to star Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder . When they were unable to participate, Landis cast Aykroyd—with whom he had worked previously—and
15276-427: The success of their comedy film Stir Crazy (1980). When Pryor was severely injured after setting fire to himself while freebasing cocaine, the decision was made to cast someone else. Paramount Pictures suggested Eddie Murphy. The studio was initially unhappy with Murphy's performance in his first film, the as-then-unreleased action-comedy 48 Hrs. (1982)—a film also conceived as a Pryor project. However, that film
15410-496: The theme of the mission area: Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) Food Safety (FS) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Rural Development (RD) Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs (TFAA) Many of the programs concerned with the distribution of food and nutrition to people of
15544-712: The three of us we've made 201 films!" Filming locations in Philadelphia included townhouses in Center City that served as the Winthorpe home exterior, and the Philadelphia Mint (now the Community College of Philadelphia ) which served as the police station's exterior. The exterior and lobby of the Wells Fargo Building serve as the respective exterior and lobby of Duke & Duke. The Duke & Duke upstairs offices were filmed inside
15678-714: The upstairs of the Seventh Regiment Armory in New York. Murphy's character, pretending to be crippled, is introduced in Rittenhouse Square . The nearby Curtis Institute of Music , shown as the exterior of the Heritage Club, is seen adjacent to Rittenhouse Park in the film's opening. The interior was filmed at the then-abandoned New York Chamber of Commerce Building . Independence Hall is also featured. During filming in Philadelphia, Murphy
15812-512: The use of comedy film to make social statements by building their narratives around sensitive cultural, political or social issues. Such films include Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb , Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and The Graduate . In America, the sexual revolution drove an appetite for comedies that celebrated and parodied changing social morals, including Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Fanny Hill . In Britain,
15946-414: Was L'Arroseur Arrosé (1895), directed and produced by film pioneer Louis Lumière . Less than a minute long, it shows a boy playing a prank on a gardener. The most notable comedy actors of the silent film era (1895–1927) were Charlie Chaplin , Harold Lloyd , and Buster Keaton , though they were able to make the transition into “ talkies ” after the 1920s. Film-makers in the 1960s skillfully employed
16080-515: Was also encouraged. Changes were normally discussed in advance, but on other occasions, ad-libbed dialogue was considered funny enough to keep. Examples of ad-libs retained in the film include Valentine comparing Randolph to Randy Jackson of The Jackson 5 and demonstrating his "quart of blood" technique in jail. Murphy liked Trading Places ' script; he felt it was unlike 48 Hrs. , which he said had been saved by director Walter Hill . Even so, he changed many of his own lines because he said that
16214-610: Was deceased. However, after hearing of Landis' search, one of the Paramount Studios' secretaries mentioned that they saw Ameche regularly on San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica, California . Landis called directory assistance to locate a "D. Ameche" in the area and made contact. Ameche had not featured in a film for over a decade; when asked why, he said that no one had offered him film work. The studio did not want to pay Ameche what Milland had been offered; as Ameche
16348-425: Was financially independent and in no need of work, he refused to take the part until he received equal pay. Landis claimed that the studio reduced the film's budget, frustrated at Ameche's casting after a long absence from film work. John Gielgud and Ronnie Barker were considered for the role of Winthorpe's butler, Coleman. Barker refused to act if it involved filming more than 7 miles (11 km) from his home in
16482-421: Was handling black farmers' cases. NBFA called for all those cases to be reheard. The Chicago Tribune reported in 2004 that the result of such longstanding USDA discrimination was that black farmers had been forced out of business at a rate three times faster than white farmers. In 1920, 1 in 7 U.S. farmers was African-American, and by 2004 the number was 1 in 100. USDA spokesman Ed Loyd, when acknowledging that
16616-531: Was in its third week of release. The film retained the number three position in its second weekend with a further gross of $ 7 million, behind Return of the Jedi ($ 11.2 million), and the debuting Superman III ($ 13.3 million). In its third weekend, it fell to fifth place with $ 5.5 million, behind the debuting science-fiction horror Twilight Zone: The Movie ($ 6.6 million) and sex comedy Porky's II: The Next Day ($ 7 million), Superman III ($ 9 million), and Return of
16750-455: Was less precise than in his previous work and that he lacked the skill to handle the source material properly. People said that Harris and Weingrod had developed a well-written script, but Arnold said they had failed to update the screwball genre to tackle social contrasts in a similar way. At the 41st Golden Globe Awards in 1984, the film received two nominations: Best Musical or Comedy (losing to romantic drama Yentl ) and Best Actor in
16884-466: Was not dependent upon his partnership with John Belushi. Arnold said that Aykroyd worked best when he shared a central role with another star. Rita Kempley said that his relationship with Murphy was just as enjoyable as his one with Belushi. Variety noted that the supporting cast in Bellamy, Ameche, Elliott and Curtis were essential to the film. Reviewers said that Curtis brought a deft comic ability to
17018-547: Was opposed to using foul language and often apologized in advance to his crewmates for what he was scripted to say; he only performed one take of his final scene where he shouts "fuck him", referring to Randolph. The final scene shot was of the main characters celebrating on a beach; this was filmed on Saint Croix island in the United States Virgin Islands . Principal photography concluded on March 1, 1983, after 78 days. Elmer Bernstein composed
17152-417: Was played in sync with the action on the screen, on pianos, organs, and other instruments. When sound films became more prevalent during the 1920s, comedy films grew in popularity, as laughter could result from both burlesque situations but also from humorous dialogue . Comedy, compared with other film genres , places more focus on individual star actors, with many former stand-up comics transitioning to
17286-608: Was referenced in Congressional testimony concerning the reform of the commodities trading market designed to prevent the insider trading demonstrated in Trading Places . In 1988, Bellamy and Ameche reprised their characters for Murphy's comedy film Coming to America . Brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke own a commodities brokerage firm, Duke & Duke Commodity Brokers, in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . They witness an encounter between their managing director—the well-mannered and educated Louis Winthorpe III, engaged to
17420-399: Was released on VHS in May 1984, priced at $ 39.95. Paramount distributed its own cassettes and priced them significantly lower than the standard $ 80 price to promote home user VCR adoption. A successful film was expected to earn between $ 5 million and $ 10 million on the home video market. In the rental market, Trading Places was one of the more popular releases in May, alongside
17554-564: Was shot over approximately 3–4 hours a day over two days. It was scheduled to take place during a weekday, but Aykroyd's and Murphy's presence on the floor distracted the active traders and over $ 6 billion of trading had to be halted; filming was rescheduled for a weekend. A majority of the people on screen are actual traders, along with some extras. Landis said the traders in the film were less physically rough with each other than they were during normal trading. Landis also performed some guerrilla filmmaking there for additional footage. Ameche
17688-564: Was so popular that a police officer had to be stationed outside of his trailer to control the crowds. Filming moved to New York City in January 1983; many of the interior scenes were filmed there. In late January, two holding cells on the 12th-floor of the New York Supreme Court building at 100 Centre Street were taken over for filming. Empty lockups in police administration buildings would normally be in use but because of
17822-514: Was well received by preview test audiences, leading the studio to reverse its opinion. Landis was unaware of Murphy, who had been gaining fame as a performer on Saturday Night Live . After watching Murphy's audition tapes, Landis was impressed enough to travel to New York City to meet with him. Murphy said that he was paid $ 350,000 for the role; it was reported that the figure was as high as $ 1 million. Landis wanted Dan Aykroyd to serve as Murphy's co-star. He had worked previously with Aykroyd on
17956-403: Was well-received critically and considered a significant commercial success, along with Flashdance and Return of the Jedi . Then-production vice president of MGM/UA studio Peter Bart described it as a "gimmick" film that focused on a " high-concept " over story and characterization. Bart believed its success triggered a negative trend that resulted in him receiving numerous film pitches—often
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