History Trivia / TheHuntForRedOctober

* FakeRussian: It's a Hollywood flick, so it's a given that many of the major Russian characters were played by non-Slavic actors. The most obvious is Creator/SeanConnery as Lithuanian-born Captian Ramius, who doesn't even try to alter his Scottish accent. Averted, though, with most of the Soviet extras since most had obviously Slavic features.

* DescendedCreator: Director Creator/JohnMcTiernan suggested that screenwriter Larry Ferguson play ''USS Dallas'''s COB[[note]]Chief of the Boat: a submarine's senior enlisted sailor[[/note]] after watching Ferguson play all the parts in the script during pre-production.

* BackedByThePentagon: The scenes on the flight deck were shot on the actual ''Enterprise''. Scott Glenn (Mancuso) also spent a month aboard ''USS Salt Lake City'' where he was treated as though he was the commanding officer. According to director John [=McTiernan=] he came back completely different, very soft-spoken and calm, with a manner he described as being similar to a college president. The Navy was fully onboard for the movie because they were hoping ''The Hunt for Red October'' would do for the submarine service what ''Film/TopGun'' had done for Naval aviation. In a way it worked, the crew of the ''real'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dallas_%28SSN-700%29 USS Dallas]] adopted the films tagline, "The Hunt is On" as the boat's unofficial motto.

* RecycledSoundtrack: Music/BasilPoledouris' cue for the scene where Ramius and Borodin are talking about life ("Two Wives" on the soundtrack album) was dropped when the scene was changed during editing, and replaced with ''another'' Poledouris composition, "Payoff" from ''No Man's Land''[[note]]([[Film/NoMansLand not this one]], the 1987 movie starring Creator/CharlieSheen, produced by Creator/RonHoward and written by Creator/DickWolf)[[/note]].

* BackedByThePentagon: The scenes on the flight deck were shot on the actual ''Enterprise''. Scott Glenn (Mancuso) also spent a month aboard ''USS Salt Lake City'' where he was treated as though he was the commanding officer. According to director John [=McTiernan=] he came back completely different, very soft-spoken and calm, with a manner he described as being similar to a college president. The Navy was fully onboard for the movie because they were hoping ''The Hunt for Red October'' would do for the submarine service what ''Film/TopGun'' had done for Naval aviation. In a way it worked, the crew of the ''real'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dallas_%28SSN-700%29 USS Dallas]] adopted the films tagline, "The Hunt is On" as the boats unofficial motto.

* TheOtherMarty: Klaus Maria Brandauer was originally cast as Ramius, but two weeks into filming he had to quit because of a serious injury (he broke both his legs in a car accident). He recommended SeanConnery, with whom he starred in ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', to take over the role.

* PropRecycling: The teddy bear Jack Ryan gets his daughter at the end is the same teddy bear John [=McClane=] was bringing for his kids at the beginning of ''Film/DieHard'', also directed by JohnMcTiernan.
* StarMakingRole: For AlecBaldwin.

** Creator/KevinCostner turned down the role of Jack Ryan in order to make ''Film/DancesWithWolves''. He would later co-star in ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit''. Creator/HarrisonFord had also turned down the role, because he felt the script focused more on Ramius than Ryan, [[TheOtherDarrin but he would take the role]] for the sequels ''Film/PatriotGames'' and ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''.
** Acclaimed Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer was originally cast as Marko Ramius, and participated in the production process to the point of getting costumes fitted and attending several rehearsals. And then he was in a car accident and broke both of his legs. It was at Brandauer's suggestion that SeanConnery was cast to replace him. Had Brandauer been able to finish the film, it would have had a very, very different feel to it than the actual finished product.

* PropRecycling: The teddy bear Jack Ryan gets his daughter at the end is the same teddy bear John [=McClane=] was bringing for his kids at the beginning of ''Film/DieHard'', also directed by John [=McTiernan=].
* ShoutOut: the USS ''Reuben James'' was featured prominently in the follow-up novel ''Literature/RedStormRising''.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Tom Clancy really struggled to get the book published, dealing with massive publisher disinterest. He finally tried taking it to the Naval Institute Press, for whom he had previously written a number of nonfiction articles, and they agreed to print it as their first-ever foray into fiction. The novel turned into a surprise bestseller after President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan read it and spoke in favor of it.

* TheCastShowoff: Alec Baldwin loves doing impressions, something he'd do more of in ''Series/ThirtyRock''.

* PlayingAgainstType: Tim Curry is known for [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow flamboyant]] or [[Film/HomeAlone2 comedic roles]]. He's also noted for his tendency to chew the scene, especially when playing [[{{Legend 1985}} Lords of Darkness]], [[{{Literature/It}} Monster clowns]] or any BigBad that he's often called to portray. The soft spoken, subdued Dr. Petrov is not your typical Tim Curry role.

** Creator/KevinCostner turned down the role of Jack Ryan. Creator/HarrisonFord had also turned down the role, because he felt the script focused more on Ramius than Ryan, [[TheOtherDarrin but he would take the role]] for the sequels ''Film/PatriotGames'' and ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[SeanConnery James Bond]] is now a Lithuanian nuclear ballistic missile submarine captain. Doubly hilarious because canonically Bond had been aboard a submarine among his service in World War Two, and even makes a comment to the effect of how submarines are growing more luxurious. He now gets to command the world's largest sub!
** [[Characters/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Dr. Crusher]] is Jack Ryan's wife.
** Captain Tupelov is [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Bootstrap Bill Turner]].
** [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Ed Rooney]] moonlights as a former submarine captain and current engineer when he's not the principal of a high school.
** The pilot talking about "blowing chunks" is "Gus" one of the guys bowling with Phil in ''Film/GroundhogDay''.
** Borodin apparently did get to Montana [[Film/JurassicPark where he dug up dinosaurs.]]
** The ''Red October'''s doctor was once a ''[[Creator/TimCurry Sweet Transvestite...]]''
** Why is the Ambassador sweating so much when just the previous year he had [[Film/LethalWeapon2 brazenly told a cop they couldn't even give him a parking ticket]]?
** [[Series/TheNanny Niles]] is a captain on USS Enterprise.
** Jonesy was the original lead of the stage version of ''Theatre/SixDegreesOfSeparation''.
** [[Film/{{Gettysburg}} General Armistead]] went into politics after the war.

** The USS Reuben James (FFG-57) wasn't commissioned until 1986.
** In the scene introducing Jack Ryan, he is preparing for a trip to the United States. At one point, he puts a copy of the United States Naval Institute Proceedings into his briefcase. The issue in question was a special issue focusing on submarines and anti-submarine warfare, making it a good fit for the movie--except for the minor little detail that it was the October 1987 issue...

** [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Dr. Crusher]] is Jack Ryan's wife.

* StarMakingRole: For Alec Baldwin.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Tom Clancy really struggled to get the book published, dealing with massive publisher disinterest. He finally tried taking it to the Naval Institute Press, for whom he had previously written a number of nonfiction articles, and they agreed to print it as their first-ever foray into fiction. The novel turned into a surprise bestseller after President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan read it and loved it.

* BackedByThePentagon: The scenes on the flight deck were shot on the actual ''Enterprise''. Scott Glenn (Mancuso) also spent a month aboard ''USS Salt Lake City'' where he was treated as though he was the commanding officer. According to director John [=McTiernan=] he came back completely different, very soft-spoken and calm, with a manner he described as being similar to a college president. The Navy was fully onboard for the movie because they were hoping ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' would do for the submarine service what ''Film/TopGun'' had done for Naval aviation. In a way it worked, the crew of the ''real'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dallas_%28SSN-700%29 USS Dallas]] adopted the films tagline, "The Hunt is On" as the boats unofficial motto.

** Jonesy was the original lead of the stage version of ''SixDegreesOfSeparation''.

!!''Literature.{{The Hunt for Red October}}''

!!''Film.{{The Hunt for Red October}}''

** Why is the Ambassador sweating so much when just the previous year he had [[Film/LethalWeapon brazenly told a cop they couldn't even give him a parking ticket]]?

* ActorAllusion: Sam Neil as a Soviet officer [[{{Series/Amerika}} is nothing new.]]

* BackedByThePentagon: The scenes on the flight deck were shot on the actual ''Enterprise''. Scott Glenn (Mancuso) also spent a month aboard ''USS Salt Lake City'' where he was treated as though he was the commanding officer. According to director John [=McTiernan=] he came back completely different, very soft-spoken and calm, with a manner he described as being similar to a college president.
** The Navy was fully onboard for the movie because they were hoping ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' would do for the submarine service what ''Film/TopGun'' had done for Naval aviation.
*** In a way it worked, the crew of the ''real'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dallas_%28SSN-700%29 USS Dallas]] adopted the films tagline, "The Hunt is On" as the boats unofficial motto.
* Blooper: The movie is set in late 1984, and there are a couple of goofs in the setting:

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/KevinCostner turned down the role of Jack Ryan. Creator/HarrisonFord had also turned down the role, because he felt the script focused more on Ramius than Ryan, [[TheOtherDarrin but he would take the role]] for the sequels ''Film/PatriotGames'' and ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''.

* AllStarCast: What else do you call this combination? Creator/SeanConnery, Alec Baldwin, SamNeill, Creator/TimCurry, Creator/StellanSkarsgard, Creator/JamesEarlJones, Scott Glenn, even Creator/GatesMcFadden ([[DeletedScene briefly]]) ...

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

** And, of course, [[SeanConnery James Bond]] is now a [[strike:Russian]] Lithuanian nuclear ballistic missile submarine captain.

** Jonesy was the original lead of the stage version of ''SixDegreesOfSeperation''.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: KevinCostner turned down the role of Jack Ryan. Creator/HarrisonFord had also turned down the role, because he felt the script focused more on Ramius than Ryan, [[TheOtherDarrin but he would take the role]] for the sequels ''Film/PatriotGames'' and ''Film/ClearAndPresentDanger''.

** The doctor on the ''RedOctober'' is none other than TimCurry.