History Trivia / ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld

* StillbornFranchise: During the 1970s, Creator/StanleyKramer considered reuniting much of the film's cast for a proposed movie titled ''The Sheiks of Araby''. ''It's a Funny, Funny World'', a sequel of sorts, was also proposed.

* EnsambleDarkHorse: Creator/PeterFalk as the irritable cab driver is one of the most popular and memorable characters in the film, even though he doesn't appear until just before the climax of the film. He practically becomes a main character by the finish.

* EnsambleDarkhorse: Creator/PeterFalk as the irritable cab driver is one of the most popular and memorable characters in the film, even though he doesn't appear until just before the climax of the film. He practically becomes a main character by the finish.

* MissingEpisode: The footage of several of the scenes that were cut between the premiere and the general release has been lost, to the point that even the Criterion Collection version (which includes footage that was cut ''before'' the premiere) is five minutes short, and several scenes only exist as audio over production stills. These include Melville first getting the idea to use the blow torch on the hardware store basement door, Sylvester's girlfriend trying to stop him from driving off in her husband's car, and Culpeper having a phone conversation with Jimmy the Crook (Creator/BusterKeaton) to make the arrangements to flee to Mexico by boat.

** As is the location where the "Big W" was located. All that is left of the palm trees in question are some stumps in the ground.

* WrittenInInfirmity: Arnold Stang broke his left forearm just days before his scenes were shot. In all shots he wears a garage workman's gloves on both hands and his left arm is always crooked, and held in place by a cast concealed under his garage uniform.

* FatalMethodActing: Averted. Creator/PhilSilvers, while filming the scene where he drives his car into the river, nearly drowned because he couldn't swim.

* MoneyDearBoy: Creator/EdieAdams almost didn't accept the role of Monica because her husband Creator/ErnieKovacs had been killed in an auto accident a few months earlier. However, she did accept because Kovacs had died deeply in debt and she had vowed to pay off all of her husband's creditors – a pledge she fulfilled by accepting this and all other roles she was offered after his death.

* MoneyDearBoy: Creator/EdieAdams almost didn't accept the role of Monica because her husband Creator/ErnieKovacs had been killed in an auto accident a few months earlier. However, she did accept because Kovacs had died deeply in debt and she had vowed to pay off all of her husband's creditors--a pledge she fulfilled by accepting this and all other roles she was offered after his death.

** Creator/StanleyKramer was a director best known for dramas regarding social issues (''Literature/OnTheBeach'', ''Theatre/InheritTheWind'', ''Film/JudgmentAtNuremberg'', etc.). Although admittedly the film, on top of being a superb slapstick comedy, is a very effective social satire on greed. Additionally, many of the cast were better known for being stand-up comedians or sitcom stars, as opposed to "pratfall" comics.

** Played straight with Creator/ArnoldStang and Marvin Kaplan, who'd previously voiced Top Hat and Choo-Choo respectively on ''WesternAnimation/TopCat''.

* WorkingTitle: The film was originally titled ''Where, But In America?'', then later changed to ''One Damn Thing After Another'', then finally became ''It's a Mad World'', with writer William Rose and Creator/StanleyKramer adding additional ''Mads'' to the title as time progressed. Kramer considered adding a fifth "Mad" to the title before deciding that it would be too much, but later regretted not doing so. Other titles included ''So Many Thieves'' and ''Something a Little Less Serious''.

*** Creator/PeterSellers as Algernon Hawthorne. Sellers wanted too much money, leading Stanley Kramer to hire the next best thing (Terry-Thomas).

*** Creator/JackBenny's cameo role was originally offered to [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]], but he turned it down, not wanting to work without Oliver Hardy, who had died in 1957. A long shot of the character had already been filmed with a stand-in wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny is seen wearing a bowler hat despite his never having worn one as part of his regular work.

*** Creator/JackBenny's cameo role was originally offered to [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]], but he turned it down, not wanting to work without Oliver Hardy, who had died in 1957. A long shot of the character had already been filmed with a stand-in wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat. This is why Benny is seen wearing a bowler hat despite his never having worn one as part of his regular work.

* PromotedFanboy: Of a sort — Creator/PeterFalk had said that he had long been a fan of Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, and was overjoyed to work alongside him in this film.

** There were also minor straight roles played by comic actors: Creator/NormanFell is one of the cops who interrogates them in the beginning, Andy Devine and Creator/StanFreberg are the sheriff and his deputy Culpeper is on the phone with early in the movie, Creator/CarlReiner and Jesse White are the air traffic controllers, Zasu Pitts is the switchboard operator, Joe E. Brown is the man giving a speech at the end, and Ben Blue is the pilot with the ancient plane.

** There were also minor straight roles played by comic actors - Norman Fell is the cop who interrogates them in the beginning, Andy Devine and Stan Freberg are the sheriff and his deputy Culpeper is on the phone with early in the movie, Creator/CarlReiner and Jesse White are the air traffic controllers, Zasu Pitts is the switchboard operator, Joe E. Brown is the man giving a speech at the end, and Ben Blue is the pilot with the ancient plane.