Back to School
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Back to School is a 1986 movie starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, William Zabka, Sam Kinison, and Robert Downey, Jr. The plot centers on a wealthy but uneducated father (Dangerfield) who goes to college to show solidarity with his troubled son (Gordon) and learns that he can't buy his education.
Author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. has a cameo as himself. Danny Elfman, who composed the film's score, also plays himself in a cameo, along with his band Oingo Boingo.
The University of Wisconsin was used as a backdrop for the movie, although it was called simply "Grand Lakes University".
Trivia
- Most of the outdoor scenes at the college were shot on location at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- The original music score for the movie was composed by band leader Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo. The band was featured performing their song "Dead Man's Party" at Thornton Melon's dorm party.
- The producers originally wanted Jim Carrey to play Rodney's history professor, but ultimately decided he was too young for the part.
- Alice Cooper's song "The Great American Success Story" was apparently intended to be the theme song. Its lyrics summarize the plot and include Dangerfield's signature quip "he don't get no respect", and the chorus contains the title phrase. The song was not used in the film, and there is no mention of the connection in the liner notes of the album.
- One of the last shots in the opening montage is of Rodney Dangerfield golfing. This was taken directly from his first film, Caddyshack.
- The room in which Thornton Mellon takes his three-hour oral exam is the same room in which Alex Owens makes her successful dance audition in Flashdance.
- The song playing at Chaz's fraternity party (before the girls abandon it for Melon's) is "Everybody's Crazy", a song from Michael Bolton's days as a metal singer.
- Due to Dangerfield's contractual obligations with the Miller Brewing Company and his appearances in Miller Lite beer commercials at the time, only Miller beer was allowed to be shown in certain scenes (including when Dangerfield goes to get a beer out of the refrigerator during the party at his house and during the large party at the college when the police arrive with extra beer).
- Although Ned Beatty's character is called "Dean Martin" throughout the movie, his actual name is identified only once as David.
- The nickname of the Grand Lakes University swim team is called "Hooters"
- A menu item at the tex-mex restaurant Moe's Southwest Grill is called "The Triple Lindy" in honor of the dive Mellon did.
Soundtrack
- Although the soundtrack is no longer available through media outlets some of the songs that appear on the soundtrack, which are also available on the album are the following:
1. Back to school
Jude Cole
2. Educated girl
Bobby Caldwell
3. Learnin' and livin'
Tyson & Schwartz
4. Everybody's crazy
Michael Bolton
5. I'll never forget your face
Philip ingram
6. Twist and shout
Rodney Dangerfield
7. Dead man's party
Oingo Boingo
8. On my way
Tyson & Schwartz
9. Respect
Aretha Franklin
Album Information:
MCA Records MCA-6175
Country
United States
Format
LP
Release Date
1986
UPN
0-7673-26175-1-9
External Links
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