History Trivia / MidnightCowboy

* RetroactiveRecognition: M. Emmet Walsh and Bob Balaban make their film debuts.

* CreatorCameo: Waldo Salt, who wrote the screenplay for the film, is briefly seen as a TV talk-show host.
* DeletedScene: In the bus scene M. Emmet Walsh told a dirty story to 'Jon Voight' (qv), but the scene was cut because of censorship considerations. The movie initially received an X-rating anyway.

** AFIS100Years100Movies10ThAnniversaryEdition: #43

* RetroactiveRecognition: M. Emmet Walsh's and Bob Balaban make their film debuts.

* BillingDisplacement: Although Jon Voight's Joe Buck is the title character and protagonist of the story, Dustin Hoffman is actually billed ahead of him. (Of course, at the time Hoffman was the much bigger name thanks to ''Film/TheGraduate''... in which ''he'd'' been displaced in the billing by Anne Bancroft.)

* PlayingAgainstType: This is the film that got Hoffman recognized from simply the flavor of the month star, to a master actor destined to be one of the Hollywood Greats.
* 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 Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. 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.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Bob Balaban in his first film role as the student in the theater.
** When Joe and Cass are having sex and inadvertently changing channels on the TV, look at the female contestant on the telephone dating show. It's none other than Creator/SandyDuncan.
** One of the rapists in the flashback scene is a young Randall Carver, who later played John Burns on ''Series/{{Taxi}}''.

** Music/ElvisPresley (!), Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord and Michael Sarrazin were all considered for the role of Joe Buck. Robert Blake was offered the role of Rizzo but declined.

** Music/ElvisPresley, Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/HarrisonFord and Michael Sarrazin were all considered for the role of Joe Buck. Robert Blake was offered the role of Rizzo but declined.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Music/BobDylan wrote the song "Lay, Lady, Lay" for this film, but didn't submit it in time for inclusion in the soundtrack. It most likely would have accompanied the Scribbage-and-sex scene with Joe and Shirley.

* BillingDisplacement: Although Jon Voight's Joe is the title character and protagonist of the story, Dustin Hoffman is actually billed ahead of him. (Of course, at the time Hoffman was the much bigger name thanks to ''Film/TheGraduate''... in which ''he'd'' been displaced in the billing by Anne Bancroft.)

** There is some dispute over the scene, though. The director claims the taxi was driven by a stunt driver who was supposed to [[EnforcedMethodActing elicit such a reaction]] from Hoffman, while Hoffman claims it was all unscripted. Since, if Hoffman is to be believed, he's ad libbed every line in every movie he's been in, his claim should 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.

* BillingDisplacement: Although Jon Voight's Joe is the title character and protagonist of the story, Dustin Hoffman is actually billed ahead of him. (Of course, at the time Hoffman was the much bigger star, thanks to ''Film/TheGraduate''... in which ''he'd'' been displaced in the billing by Anne Bancroft.)

* BillingDisplacement: Although Jon Voight's Joe is the title character and protagonist of the story, Dustin Hoffman is actually billed ahead of him. (Of course, at the time Hoffman was the much bigger star, thanks to ''Film/TheGraduate''... in which ''he'd'' been displaced in the billing by Anne Bancroft!)

** Music/RandyNewman's "Cowboy" and Music/HarryNilsson's "I Guess The Lord Must Live in New York City" were also written for the film but passed over for one reason or another.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Music/BobDylan wrote the song "Lay, Lady, Lay" for this film, but didn't submit it in time for inclusion. It most likely would have accompanied the Scribbage-and-sex scene with Joe and Shirley.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Music/BobDylan wrote the song "Lay, Lady, Lay" for this film, but didn't submit it in time for inclusion.It most likely would have accompanied the Scribbage-and-sex scene with Joe and Shirley.
** Music/RandyNewman's "Cowboy" and Music/HarryNilsson's "I Guess The Lord Must Live in New York City" were also written for the film but ultimately passed over.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Music/BobDylan wrote the song "Lay, Lady, Lay" for this film, but didn't submit it in time for inclusion.

* 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 Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. 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.\\
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* ThrowItIn: The scene with the cab was ''not'' in the script. DustinHoffman was actually hit by a car and didn't break character (he almost said ''actin' '' instead before remembering), though he [[OohMeAccentsSlipping does say it in his real accent]], and forgets to do Rizzo's limp.
-->'''Rizzo:''' I'm ''walkin' '' here!

* ThrowItIn: The scene with the cab was ''not'' in the script. DustinHoffman was actually hit by a car and didn't break character (though he almost said ''actin' '' instead before remembering), though he [[OohMeAccentsSlipping does say it in his real accent]].

* ThrowItIn: The scene with the cab was ''not'' in the script. DustinHoffman was actually hit by a car and didn't break character (though he almost said ''actin' '' instead before remembering).

* ThrowItIn: The scene with the cab was ''not'' in the script. DustinHoffman was actually hit by a car and didn't break character.

* ThrowItIn: "Hey! I'm walkin' here!"