History Trivia / BackToSchool

** Keith Gordon is clearly cracking up as Thornton's meek secretary types out notes during a lecture because he found Edie [=McClurg=]'s MinnesotaNice performance too hilarious.

** Creator/DannyElfman's band Music/OingoBoingo shows up at Thornton's kickass dorm party. As Elfman wrote the film's score, this also qualifies as a CreatorCameo.

** Creator/DannyElfman's band Music/OingoBoingo shows up at Thornton's kickass dorm party.

* ActorSharedBackground: Thorton Melon was a truck driver and an acrobatic diver in his younger days, as was Creator/RodneyDangerfield himself.

* FakeNationality: The very obviously Ashkenazi Jewish Creator/RodneyDangerfield (born Jacob Cohen) plays the Italian-American Thorton Meloni.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
** Thorton's advice to set money aside to pay off the teamsters and other mobsters in construction is now dated, as the Mafia no longer has a stranglehold on construction through the unions.
** Thorton's econ professor stops his lecture to find out who's typing in his class. Modern students do type their notes, but they use laptops, which are admittedly quieter.

* FakeNationality: The very obviously Ashkenazi Jewish Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Cohen) plays the Italian-American Thorton Meloni.

** Music/AliceCooper's song "The Great American Success Story" (on the album "Constrictor") was apparently intended to be the theme song. Its lyrics summarize the plot, and include "he don't get no respect", and the chorus leads off with the phrase "back to school". The song was not used in the film, and there is no mention of the connection in the liner notes of the album.

* HeyItsThatPlace: Diane's house is the same as used for the Doyle house where Laurie Strode babysat in ''Film/Halloween1978''.

** Creator/JimCarrey was originally considered for the angry history professor, but was decided against for being too young at the time.
** Creator/BobSaget was also considered for the same role, but they felt his humor wasn't abrasive enough.
** In the original script, the Melon family was rather poor. Harold Ramis, who was hired to rewrite, suggested that they should be rich instead to make scenarios funnier.

* ActorSharedBackground: Thorton Melon, was a truck driver in his younger days, as was Creator/RodneyDangerfield himself.

** Creator/RodneyDangerfield performed the "Triple Lindy" himself.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/JimCarrey was originally considered for the angry history professor, but was decided against for being too young at the time.

* ActorAllusion: One of the last shots in the opening montage is of Creator/RodneyDangerfield golfing. This was taken directly from ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}''.

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/DannyElfman's band Music/OingoBoingo shows up at Thornton's kickass dorm party.

* ActorAllusion: One of the last shots in the opening montage is of Creator/RodneyDangerfield golfing. This was taken directly from his ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}''.

* AsHimself: Creator/KurtVonnegut and Music/OingoBoingo.

** Creator/RoddneyDangerfield performed the "Triple Lindy" himself.

** Dangerfield performed the "Triple Lindy" himself.
* ThrowItIn: Jason laughing at his dad's secretary is because the actor couldn't stop cracking up at Edie [=McClurg=].
** During the scene with Sam Kinison, when he throws the desk, Rodney is trying really hard not to laugh. You can't see his face during it but his head is very much bobbing.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jim Carrey was originally considered for the angry history professor (that Sam Kinison ended up playing) but was decided against for being too young at the time.
** Bob Saget was also considered for the same role, but they felt his humor wasn't abrasive enough.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Creator/RobertDowneyJr. is Jason's buddy, Derek.
** [[Film/{{Rocky}} Paulie]] is Thornton's chauffer.
** Creator/SamKinison is Thornton's unhinged history professor.
** Jason gets together with [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Jadzia Dax]].
** [[Series/TheWonderYears Kevin's brother Wayne]] is young Thornton Melon.

* AsHimself: KurtVonnegut and OingoBoingo.

** [[Series/TheWonderYears Kevin's brother Wayne]] is a younger Thornton Melon.

* HeyItsThatGuy: RobertDowneyJr. is Jason's buddy, Derek.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Robert Downey, Jr. is Jason's buddy, Derek.

** SamKinison is Thornton's unhinged history professor.
** Jason gets together with [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Jadzia Dax]].

** Jason gets together with [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Jadzia Dax]].

** [[{{Rocky}} Paulie]] is Thornton's chauffer.