History Trivia / MidnightCowboy

* RomanceOnTheSet: It was during the making of this film that John Schlesinger met his long-time partner, the photographer Michael Childers, whom he hired as his assistant.

** There is some dispute over the scene, though. Director John Schlesinger claimed that the taxi was driven by a stunt driver who was supposed to [[EnforcedMethodActing elicit such a reaction]] from Hoffman, while Hoffman has always maintained that the whole thing was unscripted. Since, if Hoffman is to be believed, he's ad libbed every line in every movie he's been in, his claim should probably be taken with a grain of salt. However, the fact that traffic wasn't closed and it was filmed with hidden cameras certainly gives more credibility to Hoffman than the director.

** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/MichaelSarrazin and Music/ElvisPresley (no, really) were all considered for the role of Joe Buck.

** Before production started, Creator/SalMineo tried but failed to buy the rights to the original novel, wanting to produce a film version with himself as Rizzo.

** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/RobertRedford and Music/ElvisPresley (no, really) were all considered for the role of Joe Buck.

* ThrowItIn: The SignatureLine of "I'm walkin' here!" was unscripted. Because of the low budget, they didn't have permits to close New York streets and had to film with hidden cameras. In that particular scene, a taxi ran the red light and almost ran over Creator/DustinHoffman and Creator/JonVoight. Hoffman almost said "I'm actin' here" before remembering to stay in character (though does forget the accent and limp). Fortunately, this adds to the "[[WelcomeToTheBigCity welcome to New York]]" feel of the film, and hints there's more to Ratso than it appears.

* DeletedScene: There was originally a scene where one of Joe's fellow bus passengers (played by M. Emmet Walsh) tells him a dirty story, but this was cut due to censorship considerations. The movie initially received an X-rating anyway.

* RealSongThemeTune: Music/HarryNilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'".

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* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #36
** AFIS100Years100Songs:
*** #22, "Everybody's Talkin'"
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
*** #27, "I'm walking here! I'm walking here!"
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #43

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/RobertRedford, Michael Sarrazin, and Music/ElvisPresley (no, really) were all considered for the role of Joe Buck. Robert Blake was offered the role of Rizzo but declined.
** Before production started, Sal Mineo tried but failed to buy the rights to the original novel, wanting to produce a film version with himself as Rizzo.

** A longtime aide to John Schlesinger reported that the director wanted to include an overt sex scene between Joe and Ratso but was overruled.

* BigNameFan: Almost no one would expect an X-rated (originally; later lowered to R) film to be among the favorites of someone as pious as UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter. And yet Carter frequently [[http://www.businessinsider.com/presidents-favorite-movies-2016-8#jimmy-carter-many-from-all-the-presidents-men-to-midnight-cowboy-8 screened the film in the White House]].

* ThrowItIn: The SignatureLine of "I'm walkin' here!" was unscripted. Because of the low budget, they didn't have permits to close New York streets and had to film with hidden cameras. In that particular scene, a taxi ran the red light and almost ran over Creator/DustinHoffman and Creator/JonVoight. Hoffman almost said "I'm actin' here" before remembering to stay in character (though does forget the accent and limp). Fortunately, this adds to the "welcome to New York" feel of the film, and hints there's more to Ratso than it appears.

** A longtime aide to John Schlesinger reported that the director wanted to include an overt sex scene between Creator/JonVoight and Creator/DustinHoffman, but was overruled.

* DeletedScene: The bus scene originally had M. Emmet Walsh telling a dirty story to Creator/JonVoight, but this was cut due to censorship considerations. The movie initially received an X-rating anyway.

* DeletedScene: In the bus scene M. Emmet Walsh told a dirty story to Creator/JonVoight, but the scene was cut because of censorship considerations. The movie initially received an X-rating anyway.

** A long time aid to John Schlesinger reported that the director wanted to include an overt sex scene between Creator/JonVoight and Creator/DustinHoffman, but was overruled.

* MethodActing: Creator/DustinHoffman put so much effort into Rizzo's coughing fits that he coughed up blood.

** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord, Michael Sarrazin, and Music/ElvisPresley (no, really) were all considered for the role of Joe Buck. Robert Blake was offered the role of Rizzo but declined.