History Film / HailCaesar

* JewishSmartass: A rabbi is among the religious leaders consulted by Eddie Mannix for a film about Christ. When the subject of Jesus' parentage comes up, he scoffs, "God has children? What, and a dog? A collie, maybe? God doesn't have children, he's a bachelor, and very angry."

* OnlySaneMan: Mannix assembles four clergymen: a Catholic priest, a Protestant minister, an Eastern Orthodox patriarch, and a Jewish rabbi to assess whether the depiction of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in his new movie is tasteful or not. The discussion diverges with the Catholic priest, Protestant minister, and Eastern Orthodox patriarch (who all believe in the Trinity) debating on the nature of Jesus, making the Jewish rabbi (who does ''not'' believe in the Trinity) look sane by comparison.
-->'''Rabbi:''' God has children? What, and a dog? A collie, maybe? God doesn't have children, he's a bachelor, and very angry.

* OnlySaneMan: The studio's fixer assembles four clergymen to assess whether the depiction of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in his new movie is tasteful or not. The whole discussion ends up being an esoteric and contradictory discussion of theology between a bickering Catholic priest, Orthodox patriarch, and a Protestant reverend, while the Jewish rabbi interjects humorous criticisms of their points.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: During the meeting of clergymen, while the Catholic reverend is speaking about UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}'s relationship to {{God}}, you can see the rabbi behind him checking his watch, drumming his fingers, and fidgeting boredly.

* OnlySaneMan: The studio's fixer assembles four clergymen to assess whether the depiction of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in his new movie is tasteful or not. The whole discussion ends up being an esoteric and contradictory discussion of theology between a bickering Catholic priest, Orthodox minister, and a Protestant reverend, while the Jewish rabbi interjects humorous criticisms of their points.

** The Coens are Jewish and typically [[YouHaveToHaveJews insert some Jewishness]] into the narrative of their films. They're clearly having fun with the scene where the rabbi pointedly offers his perspective on a Christian story.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: It's pronounced "Laurentz".

* CapitalismIsBad: Parodied by The Future, a rather hypocritical group of communists. As communists,they see capitalism as an oppressive system that takes their good work as writers and gives them nothing for it. This doesn't stop them from listening to a professor who says the best way to fight capitalism is to try and obtain the most wealth as possible, a capitalist mindset. The whole philosophy is presented as humorously contradictory, except when Eddie Mannix hears a big actor using it to bad mouth the studio after all it sacrificed to rescue him and secure his career. Mannix slaps the actor silly.

'''Laurentz:''' No, don't say trippingly, say ''the line'' trippingly!

* CrucialCross: The first shot of ghe movie is of Church with a crucifix in the middle of the frame, which is followed by a close-up of the face of Jesus. We then cut to our main character in a {{Confessional}}, and the rest of the movie concerns his conflict between whether to pursue his personal security or goodness for its own sake. [[spoiler:Like Jesus is said to have done, he chooses goodness.]]

** The film-within-a-film, ''Hail, Caesar!'' is very clearly supposed to be ''Film/BenHur'', and the scene in which Baird Whitlock's character falls prostrate before the Christ evokes a similar scene (with Creator/RichardBurton playing the equivalent role) in ''Film/TheRobe''.

* SwordAndSandal: ''Hail, Caesar!'' (the film within the film) is clearly meant to be of the same genre as ''Film/BenHur'' and other Biblical epics of the time. Mannix goes so far as to hold a meeting with religious leaders of various faiths in order to make sure Capitol Pictures won't be offending any devout potential moviegoers. Their various responses all amount to "meh". Oh, and the Orthodox priest doesn't think it's believable for someone to jump from one chariot to another at full speed.

** Baird Whitlock parodies both Creator/KirkDouglas and Creator/CharltonHeston. While ''Hail, Caesar!'' is a clear parody of ''Film/BenHur'' (which Heston starred in), his "prima donna leading man" image takes just as many cues from Douglas, the star of ''Film/{{Spartacus}}''.

** Creator/WayneKnight and Jeff Lewis (Vork from WebVideo/TheGuild) both appear as the extras who drug Baird. Neither has any lines.

* MySecretPregnancy: [=DeAnna=] is trying to make a movie while she's in the early stages of pregnancy. She can still just about fit into her costumes, but she's unable to perform her stunts for too long.

* AlliterativeName: Director '''L'''aurence '''L'''aurentz, and the twins, '''Th'''ora and '''Th'''essaly '''Th'''acker.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Burt Gurney's InUniverse ''Theatre/SouthPacific''/''Theatre/OnTheTown''-style musical seems to ''run'' on this, with an all-male cast singing a song called "No Dames" while dancing in pairs, and the choreography involves faces near crotches, backsides near crotches, backsides near other backsides, etc. Also a case of DeliberateValuesDissonance, since what would be seen as blatantly homoerotic by modern standards (such as having sailors dancing together and talking about [[HelloSailor "spending time" together out at sea]]) actually ''wouldn't'' be seen that way in TheFifties, since depictions of homosexuality were virtually nonexistent and out of the public consciousness.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In-universe during the "No Dames" number, the choreography has Gurney get "caught" between two other sailors on his way to the door, one bumping his crotch and the other his behind in their dancing. The bartender character yells, "This ain't that kind of a place!" a remark that probably would have gone over the heads of most viewers at the time, but certainly not a modern audience.

* SpaghettiWestern: During Hobie Doyle's date with Carlotta Valdez at the nightclub, Hobie takes a strand of spaghetti (purposely ordered without tomato sauce) and ties a knot to form a small lasso, which he jokingly manipulates pretending to be cowboy roping cattle, to Carlotta's amusement. This is probably the most literal representation of a spaghetti western in film history.

* LighterAndSofter: To the Coen Brothers' own earlier film ''Film/BurnAfterReading''. While not directly connected in character and plot and chronologically set more than fifty years apart, both movies employ a similar frantic, farcical plot with large casts and involve George Clooney and a sinister deal with the Russians. The characters in ''Hail Caesar!'' are much more sympathetic however; while the earlier film was filled with [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist selfish jerks]] even the antagonists in ''Hail Caesar!'' are harmless well-intentioned extremist types who treat their kidnap victim very well. In ''Burn After Reading'' several characters meet dark fates and the two most likeable [[spoiler:die trying to help someone]]. In ''Hail Caesar!'' no one is killed and the most likable character genuinely does save the day in heroic fashion.

* YourCheatingHeart: [=DeeAnna=] Moran suspects that her baby daddy is director Arne Seslum, who cannot solve the possible scandal resulting from her having a child out of wedlock by marrying her, as he is already married with two children (and a third [legitimate] one on the way).

** Bodie's difficulty in pronouncing Laurence Laurentz's name is possibly a jab at Ralph Fiennes's preferred pronunciation for his name being closer to "Rayf Fines".

* TheCameo: Creator/WayneKnight and Jeff Lewis (Vork from WebVideo/TheGuild) both appear as the extras who drug Baird. Neither has any lines.

** Scarlett Johansson plays an actress who has to [[HideYourPregnancy hide her pregnancy]] while filming a very physical role. She had just come off ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' where she had hidden her pregnancy for real.

* HideYourPregnancy: In-universe with [=DeAnna=], who is trying to make a movie while she's in the early stages of pregnancy. She can still just about fit into her costumes, but she's unable to perform her stunts for too long.

** Hobie Doyle goes on a studio-arranged date with actress Carlotta Valdez, who is an {{Expy}} of Carmen Miranda, right down to him commenting on how he doesn't know how she dances "with all those bananas on your head." Hobie himself is a paper-thin Expy of Creator/RoyRogers and Kirby Grant, right down to his "singing cowboy" shtick.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: The real Eddie Mannix wasn't anywhere near as handsome as Josh Brolin. To put it into perspective, he'd been played in ''Film/{{Hollywoodland}}'' by Creator/BobHoskins who was a much closer fit.