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TRIVIA

Ferris Bueller's Day Off Trivia

PG-13

1986

“

One Man's Struggle To Take It Easy

Trivia

Jeffery Jones is hilarious as Dean Ed Rooney...

Totally Trivia

Film facts for the 1986 Comedy movie starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones

Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Edie McClurg, Ben Stein, Del Close, Virginia Capers, Richard Edson, Larry Flash Jenkins, Kristy Swanson, Lisa Bellard, Max Perlich, Scott Coffey Update Cast

We believe the following trivia is all legit. If it's bogus or you have additional info, please update us.

Thanks to Mark Songer

Update

The restaurant where Ferris etc. go to eat is the same one John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd terrorized in "The Blues Brothers.

Thanks to Aynie Chen Demarco

Update

Jeanie and Ferris were twins. Ferris tells you he and Cameron graduate at the end of the year. Jeanie was also a senior.

Thanks to Andi

Update

It is also the same restaurant from St Elmo's Fire, where Kirby waits for Dale

Thanks to Jeanie / KennethP

Update

Almost all the license plates in Ferris Bueller's Day Off were named after other John Hughes movies. Ferris's mom's car says "VCTN," for "National Lampoon's VaCaTioN." His dads reads "MMOM," for "Mr. Mom." And his sisters says "TBC," for "The Breakfast Club."

On top of all that Mr. Rooney's car says "4FBDO," for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," but only made possible in the movies because in Illinois, only trucks can have plates that start with a number.

Thanks to Albert

Update

The plate of Cameron's dad's Ferrari reads NRVOUS "Nervous" The Ferrari also shares the garage with a classic MG F and Mercedes 300 convertable, all three (if the ferrari were real) are all very valuable classic collector cars. Also Illinois requires license plates on the front of all cars also, Ferris would have been pulled over for not having a front plate on the Ferrari.

250gtb kindly wrote in to add:

Two points re "must have a front plate in Illinois". In Illinois, antique cars only have to have the issued plates in the car, and can have a privately-designed plate on the rear only (no front plate). Also, I have run several sports cars with only a rear plate in Illinois (where I live). I have never been pulled over. I think cops assume you are from a state only requiring a rear plate.

Rewind Archive

Update

Scott Clifford asks:

I've always wondered what the story was behind this part of the movie: When they run the car in reverse, the miles don't back off. On almost any car made at that time, the miles would have backed off, but the Ferrari has a British-made Jaeger speedometer, which, I know from once disassembling one, has a ratchet mechanism that allows the odometer drums to move only in the forward direction. I've never seen this mechanism in anything but a Jaeger gauge. (Most newer cars have electronic speedometers which will put on miles in either the forward or reverse directions.) My guess is that John Hughes or someone he knows must have had the exact experience. There's just no way they could have pulled that detail out of the air. Any ideas?

But, Cormac Hassett wrote in to say:

The Ferrari with the Jaeger clock is a mistake as this was an English component and Ferrari only ever used Italian components so I'm fairly sure that driving in reverse would take miles off.

What is the truth? Well, Sam wrote in to add:

Could it be that the Ferrari's British Jaeger speedo was due to the fact that the Ferrari in question was actually a replica based on an MGB? That would explain a lot!

Thanks to Patrick Lee

Update

The "NRVOUS" license plate from the ferrari replica in this movie is now on display in the Orlando, FL PLANET HOLLYWOOD restaurant.

Thanks to Jaclyn M.

Update

The band in the parade is The Lockport Township High School band.

Thanks to Mike Schnell

Update

The ska-pop group "Save Ferris" got their name from the words on the water tower in this movie, a favorite of theirs.

Thanks to intothesea13

Update

The painting that Cameron is looking at that gets closer and closer, near the end of the museum montage, is by Georges Seurat, entitled, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte", a 19th century example of the Pointillism style of painting.

Thanks to Jess

Update

The band Rooney is named after the principal in the movie, Ed Rooney. They were called the Ed Rooney Band before dropping it to just Rooney.

Thanks to Rachel

Update

There are two places in the movie before the parade scene where Ferris actually sings the song that the actors are either humming or singing, Danke Schoen. First Ferris sings part of it in the shower at the beginning, and then the principal when he first rings the doorbell starts humming Danke Schoen. Jeanie also sings the song as she's leaving the police station with her mom after the parade.

Thanks to Tuwie

Update

Right after Ferris (and hiding Cameron) pick up Sloane from school in the red Ferrari, and Ed Rooney makes a phone call to Sloane's house to try to catch Ferris. The answering machine directs him to call another number, which is the "mortuary" which is really a phone in Cameron's room.

There is a U2 cover (10 inch LP single for New Year's Day) framed and hanging on the wall right behind the answering machine!

In the original script, there were two U2 references regarding how Cameron was a huge U2 fan, but those scenes did not make it to the final cut.

One of them was to have "Sunday Bloody Sunday" playing in the background as the camera pans Cameron's room right before Ferris calls him to come over.

The other was towards the end of the movie, in Cameron's garage, where he tells Ferris and Sloane that he is finally going to take a stand against his father, himself, his future, his present, and his past.

After his little spiel, Ferris is supposed to turn to the camera and say "This guy is a huge U2 fan" and then Sloane turns to the camera and smiles approvingly and applauds. Sloane's reaction was kept in, but they changed Ferris' line.

Thanks to ericb

Update

Richard Edson, who plays the parking garage attendant, has appeared in numerous movies including "Good Morning Vietnam", "Do the Right Thing", and the Jim Jarmusch classic "Stranger Than Paradise".

Richard stars as Billy Maharg, Christopher Lloyds sidekick hustler, and former lightweight boxer in Eight Men Out (another Chicago film)

He was also the original drummer for Sonic Youth and appears on their first album, an eponymous 5-song EP released in 1981.

Thanks to Joesph

Update

Alan Ruck's character of Cameron is very much like "Bill Shenk" in the Steve Martin movie "Cheaper by the Dozen" and may even be based upon him.

Thanks to Heather0814

Update

There is a quick blip of a police badge when Jeanie goes to the police department. The name on that badge is Shermer, which happens to be the city and name of High School in The Breakfast Club.

Thanks to LoverswithCassie

Update

Matthew Broderick and Jeffrey Jones were later reunited for the 1992 comedy "Out on a Limb."

Thanks to Bwichd

Update

John Hughes personally decorated Ferris' room reflecting his musical preferences. In Cameron's room we see a framed U2 poster over the answering machine during the "Cawthorn Bros. Mortuary" message.

In Ferris' room we can see a Bryan Ferry record over Ferris' shoulder as he sets his equalizer.

other posters:
Bryan Ferry "Slave To Love"
Simple Minds: Don't you forget about me
Cabaret Voltair: Microphonies
The Damned: Phantasmagoria
Killing Joke
Flesh For Lulu: Blue Sisters Swing
Flesh For Lulu: Baby Hurricane
Modern English

There are others that I can't identify.

As Ferris speaks to his father and Cameron on the phone, there is a poster over his right shoulder -to the left of The Damned poster- that reads.. Snake Charmer... Anyone.... Anyone..?

Update: a reader kindly wrote in to say that Snake Charmer is an Album by Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble, and The Edge...

Thanks to Denise

Update

Ferris' house is located in the Virginia Country Club area of Long Beach, California on Country Club Drive. The final scene where the school bus stops near a park is also in the same area of Long Beach, Los Cerritos Park.

-Update from Kevin Kitzul: The actual house in Long Beach does not have the same driveway seen in the movie. These scenes were shot at another location and made to appear in the film as the same location.

Thanks to J Rocklein

Update

Ferris's House can be see in !American Pie 2!.. When the Guys get a summer job Painting a House.. It's directly across the street from the House the guys are painting...

Thanks to Gary Moore

Update

The Cubs game Ferris, Cameron and Sloane watched in Wrigley Field was filmed during an actual game. It was the June 5, 1985 game against the Atlanta Braves. The foul ball Ferris caught was the actual game ball and not enacted for the movie.

Although the pizza shop clerk tells Mr. Rooney that the game was scoreless, the game was tied at two in the eleventh inning when the foul ball was caught. Two pitches later the same batter hit a game-winning, two run homer. The Cubs lost 4 to 2.

Thanks to Kevin Kitzul

Update

In 2007 movie "Kickin it Old Skool", Alan Ruck (Cameron), makes a comment to how he is "Still paying for that damn Ferrari."

A subtle reference to trashing his father's car in FBDO

Thanks to Anonymous

Update

Alan Ruck does business in Chicago to this very day, and oftentimes visits the John Hancock Observatory with his wife and young daughter.

Alan now has a private consulting business and, understandably, he does not like to be publicly recognized and does actively shun attention and will often refuse to sign autographs.

Rewind Archive

Update

In Ferris' room there is a small rocking chair with a picture of a horse's head on it. And also, Ferris has a moose head on his wall, but with a plastic pig snout on the nose.

Thanks to Jennifer

Update

When Mr. Rooney goes up to the girl in the arcade, mistaking her for Ferris, the sounds from the game in the background are from Pacman.

Thanks to Erik Bjorkdahl

Update

The restaurant where Ferris and Co. go to eat is a French restaurant and the name of the place, Chez Quis, is to make a pun for English speakers of French, suggesting, WHOSE HOUSE, with a bit of a stretch.

Thanks to Joney

Update

The restaurant name Chez Quis (pronouncing the s) refers to the fact that nearly every town of any size had a Shakey's in the fifties/sixties, always a popular teen hangout. At least in California.

Thanks to Dave Harris

Update

Early in the movie there is a shot of some kids talking to Ferris on the phone from school. One of the kids in the scene is wearing a varsity letter jacket. The jacket is green with white sleeves and has the letter "B" and the word "Groves". That is a letter jacket from a high school in Birmingham, Michigan (Groves HS). I wonder why this was used in the movie?

Reader Misopogon adds: "I'm a Groves alum, and the use of our jackets in this flick has been a source of pride for the school for a long time, but the reason for it is still murky.

Groves is famous for supplying a group of Hollywoodites, but they had nothing to do with Hughes. Bruce Campbell, the Raimi (Sam and Ted) brothers, and Bob Murawski all met at Groves. However, they are eight years younger than Hughes."

Thanks to Alicia

Update

In the parade, the main lady playing the accordian on the german float
looks just like Estelle Getty from "Mannequin".

Thanks to Kevin Allustiarti

Update

At the time of fliming, Alan Ruck, who played Cameron, was 29 years old. He was born in 1956. No-one believes it though!

Thanks to Jonathan Lim

Update

Louie Anderson has a brief appearance as a flower delivery man. He was also the voice on "Life with Louie," and host of "Family Feud".

Thanks to Jon

Update

Eric Stoltz was breifly considered for the role of Cameron.

Thanks to Jonathan Lim

Update

Kristy Swanson has a brief appearance as a student in the economics class.

Thanks to Summer

Update

Mia Sara, Ferris' girlfriend in the movie, went on to marry Sean Connery's son. Sadly Mia and Jason Connery divorced a few years ago and Mia is now with Brian Henson (Jim Henson's son).

Thanks to HawnGuy

Update

The spin off TV Show of Ferris Bueller starred the then unknown Jennifer Aniston playing the Jennifer Grey role.

Thanks to Wesley And Becky Parsons

Update

Matthew Broderick is now married to Sarah Jessica Parker and they have 3 kids, a son and twin daughters.

Thanks to Jennie

Update

In an earlier draft of the script, Ferris originally had two younger sibilings. A younger sister (Kimberly, 12) and a younger brother (Todd, 7).

Thanks to Rob Harris

Update

"My sister got a car for her birthday, I got a computer." Ferris then proceeds to hack into the school computer to change his sick days. You might think that it's the same computer he used in "War Games" to hack everything from his school grades to NORAD but you'd be wrong. In War Games, David Lightman is using an IMSAI 8080 with 8" disks, 300 baud acoustic coupler modem and monochrome (Green) CRT. Ferris uses an IBM PCjr. Easily noted from the front in it's white case and also, he's using a color paint program, with a mouse. PCjr's used cartridges and smaller (5 1/4") floppies.

Thanks to Jeanie

Update

Two cameo appearances by Hughes: his was actually the hand clicking the answering machine (not Cameron's), filmed after most of the crew went home... Also during a downtown scene, a crowd of people move in front of traffic, but Hughes is the one crawling under a car in the opposite direction.

Thanks to Greg

Update

There is also a third appearance by director John Hughes in the movie. The scene in the pizza parlor when Mr. Rooney asks the pizza chef the score of the Cubs baseball game, the man on the left watching the game is John Hughes.

Rewind Archive

Update

Sloane, Ferris' girlfriend, is based on a high school version of Nancy Hughes, John's wife. In the TV version in 1990, Ami Dolenz (the daughter of Mickey Dolenz from the Monkees) played Sloane.

Thanks to Jeanie

Update

A kiddie drawing of John Hughes created by his then 6 year-old son was proudly displayed on the Bueller's refrigerator as a personal touch. Ferris's room was almost an exact duplication of John's room, in his teenage years. The "Simple Minds" poster is also on the wall (they sang the theme in his other film, "The Breakfast Club").

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Bogus Trivia

There's often fake stuff floating round, y'know? -Like the 'ghost boy' that can allegedly be seen in "Three Men And A Baby".

But, nothing bogus that we know yet for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

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