History Trivia / TheDayOfTheLocust

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Nathanael West had been working as a screenwriter for Columbia Pictures for several years when he wrote ''The Day of the Locust'', and many of the characters and settings in the novel are based on his experiences living in a hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, while the abortive sexual encounter between Homer Simpson and Romola Martin in Chapter 8 is based on a similar experience West had when working as a night manager in a Manhattan hotel in the early 1930s.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with [[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerSimpson one of the most famous cartoon characters of all time.]] ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' creator Creator/MattGroening has given different stories on whether he chose the name as a ShoutOut to the novel, or his father Homer Groening, though more recently he's implied that it was a little of both. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

** Creator/MalcolmMcDowell was offered the role of Tod Hackett, but turned it down, feeling it was too similar to his Mick Travis character from ''Film/{{If}}'' and ''O Lucky Man''. Creator/DustinHoffman was briefly attached.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with [[Characters/TheSimpsonsHomerJaySimpson one of the most famous cartoon characters of all time.]] ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' creator Creator/MattGroening has given different stories on whether he chose the name as a ShoutOut to the novel, or his father Homer Groening, though more recently he's implied that it was a little of both. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

** Creator/JaneFonda and Creator/GoldieHawn turned down the role of Faye Greener. Creator/CybillShepherd tried out for the role, but Creator/JohnSchlesinger felt she was too old for the role.

** Creator/JaneFonda and Creator/GoldieHawn turned down the role of Faye Greener. Creator/CybillShepherd tried out for the role, but Creator/JohnSchleisinger felt she was too old for the role.

** Creator/JaneFonda, Creator/GoldieHawn, and Jill Clayburgh all turned down the role of Faye Greener. Sally Struthers was approached for the part, but couldn't get out of her taping commitments for ''Series/AllInTheFamily''.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' creator Creator/MattGroening has given different stories on whether he chose the name as a ShoutOut to the novel, or his father Homer Groening, though more recently he's implied that it was a little of both. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

* BillingDisplacement: Although Creator/DonaldSutherland has top billing in the credits and posters, he doesn't appear until roughly 40 minutes into the film. Similarly, the prominently billed Creator/BurgessMeredith only appears in the first half of the movie.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' creator Creator/MattGroening has given different stories over the years on whether he chose the name as a ShoutOut to the novel, or his father Homer Groening, though more recently he's implied that it was a little of both. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. As Creator/MattGroening allegedly named the parents in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' after his own parents, Homer and Margaret Groening, the identical names are probably just a coincidence, although he stated in interviews shortly after ''The Simpsons'' premiered as a standalone series that he chose the name as a tribute to ''The Day of the Locust''. Groening may be the only person who knows the truth. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. As Creator/MattGroening allegedly named the parents in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' after his own parents, Homer and Margaret Groening, the identical names are probably just a coincidence, although he stated in interviews shortly after ''The Simpsons'' premiered as a standalone series that he chose the name as a tribute to ''The Day of the Locust''. Groening himself may be the only person who knows the truth. ''The Simpsons'' itself had a gag where, after dealing with a swarm of grasshoppers, Homer said "I never thought Homer Simpson would be a part of the Day of the Locust."

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. As Creator/MattGroening allegedly named the parents in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' after his own parents, Homer and Margaret Groening, the identical names are probably just a coincidence, although he stated in interviews shortly after ''The Simpsons'' premiered as a standalone series that he chose the name as a tribute to ''The Day of the Locust''. Groening himself may be the only person who knows the truth.

** Faye Greener is 17 years old in the book. In the film, she is played by Karen Black, who was more than twice that age.

** Creator/MalcolmMcDowell was offered the role of Tod Hackett. Creator/DustinHoffman was briefly attached.

** Creator/JaneFonda, Creator/GoldieHawn, and Jill Clayburgh all turned down the role of Faye Greener.

* CastingGag: In the film version, the only one of the many stars at the premiere of ''The Buccaneer'' to appear on camera is Creator/DickPowell... who is played by his own son, Dick Powell Jr.

* CastingGag: In the film version, the only one of the many stars at the premiere of ''The Buccaneer'' to appear on camera is Dick Powell... who is played by his own son, Dick Powell Jr.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. As Creator/MattGroening allegedly named the parents in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' after his own parents, Homer and Margaret Groening, the identical names are probably just a coincidence, although he stated in interviews shortly after ''The Simpsons'' premiered as a standalone series that he chose the name as a tribue to ''The Day of the Locust''. Groening himself may be the only person who knows the truth.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Many of the characters and settings in the novel are based on Nathanael West's experiences living in a hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, while the abortive sexual encounter between Homer Simpson and Romola Martin in Chapter 8 is based on a similar experience West had when working as a night manager in a Manhattan hotel in the early 1930s.

* DawsonCasting: In the book, Adore Loomis is eight years old. In the film, he is played by Creator/JackieEarleHaley, who was in his early teens at the time.

* NamesTheSame: Homer Simpson, the Iowa accountant, happens to share his name with one of the most famous cartoon characters of the Nineties, Noughties, and New Tens. As Creator/MattGroening named the parents in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' after his own parents, Homer and Margaret Groening, the identical names are just a coincidence.