History Trivia / ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld

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

* ThoseTwoActors: {{Subverted}}. The film features several pairs of actors known for working together who ironically share no scenes -- among them, Creator/JackBenny and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Creator/PhilSilvers and Paul Ford, Creator/SidCaesar and Creator/CarlReiner, Alan Carney and Wally Brown, Leo Gorcey and Stanley Clements, and Creator/BusterKeaton and Creator/JimmyDurante.

** Creator/StanleyKramer was a director best known for dramas regarding social issues (''Literature/OnTheBeach'', ''Theatre/InheritTheWind'', ''Film/{{Judgment at Nuremberg}}'', 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.

** 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.

* 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/JackBenny was originally tabbed to play Captain Culpepper. After Creator/SpencerTracy got the part instead, Benny wound up having an uncredited cameo.

** Among the deleted scenes in Culpepper's office were a series of telephone conversations with a "Dr. Chadwick" and an "Uncle Mike." The roles were respectively played by Elliott Reid and Morey Amsterdam.

** 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 Culpepper 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.

** Cliff Norton and King Donovan respectively played a detective and an airport official that appear at the Rancho Canejo airport. Neither role made it into the finished film. Strangely, Norton's name remained in the opening credits.

*** 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.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/StanleyKramer was a director best known for dramas regarding social issues (''Literature/OnTheBeach'', ''Theatre/InheritTheWind'', ''Film/{{Judgment at Nuremberg}}'', 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.

*** In addition to Creator/BusterKeaton, two other greats from the days of silent comedy -- Creator/HaroldLloyd and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] -- were offered cameo roles. It is believed by some that Lloyd was to have played the Santa Rosita mayor and Laurel the man in the desert (ultimately portrayed by Creator/JackBenny) who offers to help the Finch-Marcus team. Both turned down the roles; Lloyd was happily retired, while Laurel refused to work without deceased comedy partner Oliver Hardy. By the time the latter happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny wears it despite his never having a hat as part of his regular work.

*** Creator/EdWynn as The Chief of the Kramer Fire Department.

*** In addition to Creator/BusterKeaton, two other greats from the days of silent comedy -- Creator/HaroldLloyd and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] -- were offered cameo roles. It is believed by some that Lloyd was to have played the Santa Rosita mayor and Laurel the man in the desert (ultimately portrayed by Jack Benny) who offers to help the Finch-Marcus team. Both turned down the roles; Lloyd was happily retired, while Laurel refused to work without deceased comedy partner Oliver Hardy. By the time the latter happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny wears it despite his never having a hat as part of his regular work.

** According to Nicholas Georgiade, he was to have another scene in which his character had a police radio conversation with Captain Culpeper. The scene was ultimately not filmed.

** 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 Culpepper is on the phone with early in the movie, Carl Reiner 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.
** Both Peter Falk (the cab driver) and Sterling Holloway (the fire chief) became iconic for their mellow comic roles, while here their characters get realistically hoarse and surly with the antics of the treasure hunters.

* ThoseTwoActors: {{Subverted}}. The film features several pairs of actors known for working together who ironically share no scenes -- among them, Creator/JackBenny and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Creator/PhilSilvers and Paul Ford, Creator/SidCaesar and Creator/CarlReiner, Alan Carney and Wally Brown, Leo Gorcey and Stanley Clements, and Creator/BusterKeaton and Jimmy Durante.

*** [[Creator/MarxBrothers Groucho Marx]] was originally written in as a doctor that would have appeared at the end of the film to deliver the final punchline. The role was written out, but Groucho was offered a cameo role. He ultimately never appeared in the film. In a letter to a fan, Groucho jokingly said that he was to have played the Ethel Merman role.

** Creator/DonKnotts originally shot a second scene in which he tries to use a telephone in a diner. Also featured in the scene was Barbara Pepper. The sequence was not used in the finished film.

* AFIS100Years100Laughs: #40

** Creator/JackBenny was originally tabbed to play Captain Culpepper. (After Creator/SpencerTracy got the part instead, Benny wound up having an uncredited cameo).

** In a bit of clever casting Creator/BusterKeaton was originally supposed to have played [[IronicNickname Smiler Grogan]], while Jimmy Durante was to have portrayed [[TheDanza Jimmy the Crook]]. The roles were later switched.

* ThoseTwoActors: {{Subverted}}. The film features several pairs of actors known for working together who ironically share no scenes -- among them, Jack Benny and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Creator/PhilSilvers and Paul Ford, Creator/SidCaesar and Creator/CarlReiner, Alan Carney and Wally Brown, Leo Gorcey and Stanley Clements, and Creator/BusterKeaton and Jimmy Durante.

* 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.

** Jack Benny was originally tabbed to play Captain Culpepper. (After Creator/SpencerTracy got the part instead, Benny wound up having an uncredited cameo).

* ThoseTwoActors: {{Subverted}}. The film features several pairs of actors known for working together who ironically share no scenes--among them, Jack Benny and Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Creator/PhilSilvers and Paul Ford, Creator/SidCaesar and Carl Reiner, Alan Carney and Wally Brown, Leo Gorcey and Stanley Clements, and Creator/BusterKeaton and Jimmy Durante.

*** Others offered roles include [[Creator/AbbottAndCostello Bud Abbott]], Creator/GeorgeBurns.

*** In addition to Creator/BusterKeaton, two other greats from the days of silent comedy --Creator/HaroldLloyd and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] -- were offered cameo roles. It is believed by some that Lloyd was to have played the Santa Rosita mayor and Laurel the man in the desert (ultimately portrayed by Jack Benny) who offers to help the Finch-Marcus team. Both turned down the roles; Lloyd was happily retired, while Laurel refused to work without deceased comedy partner Oliver Hardy. By the time the latter happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny wears it despite his never having a hat as part of his regular work.
*** Despite Creator/DonRickles' later joking about the fact that he never appeared in the film, Stanley Kramer once claimed that Rickles was turned down because of scheduling conflicts.

*** In addition to Creator/BusterKeaton, two other greats from the days of silent comedy - Creator/HaroldLloyd and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] - were offered cameo roles. It is believed by some that Lloyd was to have played the Santa Rosita mayor and Laurel the man in the desert (ultimately portrayed by Jack Benny) who offers to help the Finch-Marcus team. Both turned down the roles; Lloyd was happily retired, while Laurel refused to work without deceased comedy partner Oliver Hardy. By the time the latter happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny wears it despite his never having a hat as part of his regular work.

*** Others offered roles include [[Creator/AbbottAndCostello Bud Abbott]], Creator/GeorgeBurns, Creator/JudyGarland, Creator/JudyHolliday, and Creator/ErnieKovacs. (To this day, many believe Kovacs was slated to play the role of Melville Crump, thereby teaming with his real-life wife Edie Adams; however, WordOfGod said that this was never the case.)

*** Creator/JackieGleason and Creator/RedSkelton as two of the main players. Skelton passed due to his television commitments. He eventually agreed to do a cameo, but was refused by Stanley Kramer after requesting too much money.
*** Creator/LucilleBall, Imogene Coca, Martha Raye, and Joan Davis as some of the main players' female companions.
*** Creator/MaeWest or Sophie Tucker as mother-in-law Mrs. Marcus.
*** Donald O'Connor as Benjy Benjamin.
*** Creator/PeterSellers as Englishman Algernon Hawthorne. Sellers wanted too much money, leading Stanley Kramer to hire the next best thing (Terry-Thomas).
*** Arnold Stang's fellow service station attendant was originally offered to former [[Film/TheThreeStooges Three Stooges]] member Joe Besser. Besser, then playing the role of Jillson the maintenance man on ''The Joey Bishop Show'', was forced to turn down the role after Bishop and Danny Thomas refused to let him out of his contract. The role was then offered to Jackie Mason, and finally to Stang's fellow ''WesternAnimation/TopCat'' voice artist Marvin Kaplan.
*** ''Series/TheUntouchables''' Paul Picerni as one of the detectives at Smiler Grogan's crash site. When Picerni proved unavailable, series costar Nicholas Georgiade was cast instead.

*** Jack Paar in the Jerry Lewis role.
*** Barbara Heller as the biplane pilot's wife.

*** Howard Morris was booked to appear in the film. He ultimately filmed no scenes. It's believed that he was considered as a back-up for the role of the nervous man, in the event that Creator/DonKnotts was unavailable.

*** Another comic offered a cameo appearance was Ed Wynn, who was to have played the fire chief that appears towards the end of the film (Wynn having starred in the ''Texaco Fire Chief'' radio program in the early 1930s). The part eventually went to fellow Creator/{{Disney}} regular Creator/SterlingHolloway instead.

*** Others offered roles include [[Creator/AbbottAndCostello Bud Abbott]], Edward Brophy, Wally Brown, Creator/GeorgeBurns, Creator/JudyGarland, Creator/JudyHolliday, and Creator/ErnieKovacs. (To this day, many believe Kovacs was slated to play the role of Melville Crump, thereby teaming with his real-life wife Edie Adams; however, WordOfGod said that this was never the case.)

* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: Peter Falk improvised much of his dialog in the cab scene.

*** Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton as two of the main players. Skelton passed due to his television commitments. He eventually agreed to do a cameo, but was refused by Stanley Kramer after requesting too much money.

*** Jack Benny was originally tabbed to play Captain Culpepper. (After Spencer Tracy got the part instead, Benny wound up having an uncredited cameo).

*** Creator/PhilSilvers was originally suggested for another one of the main roles.

*** In a bit of clever casting Creator/BusterKeaton was originally supposed to have played [[IronicNickname Smiler Grogan]], while Jimmy Durante was to have portrayed [[TheDanza Jimmy the Crook]]. The roles were later switched.
*** In addition to Keaton, two other greats from the days of silent comedy - Creator/HaroldLloyd and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] - were offered cameo roles. It is believed by some that Lloyd was to have played the Santa Rosita mayor and Laurel the man in the desert (ultimately portrayed by Jack Benny) who offers to help the Finch-Marcus team. Both turned down the roles; Lloyd was happily retired, while Laurel refused to work without deceased comedy partner Oliver Hardy. By the time the latter happened, a long shot of the character had already been filmed wearing Laurel's trademark bowler hat, which is why Benny wears it despite his never having a hat as part of his regular work.

*** Another comic offered a cameo appearance was Ed Wynn, who was to have played the fire chief that appears towards the end of the film (Wynn having starred in the ''Texaco Fire Chief'' radio program in the early 1930s). The part eventually went to fellow Creator/{{Disney}} regular Sterling Holloway instead.

* AllStarCast: Virtually every major comedic actor from the early 1960s stars, and everyone from Creator/JerryLewis to Creator/TheThreeStooges makes an appearance. Over five minutes of opening credits detail a parade of celebrity appearances.

* {{Defictionalization}}: The area where Grogan sailed right out there on California State Route 74 is now known as Smiler's Point, a sought-after location for fans.

** Among the deleted scenes in Culpepper's office were a series of telephone conversations with a "Dr. Chadwick" and an "Uncle Mike." The roles were respectively played by Elliot Reid and Morey Amsterdam.