History Trivia / WutheringHeights

* FollowTheLeader: AIP were not traditionally associated with Gothic romance, but were inspired to make the 1970 film by the success of ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968''.
* RealLifeRelative: Real life father and daughter Creator/SimonWard and Sophie Ward portray father and daughter in the 1992 movie.

** 2011 version - Creator/MichaelFassbender was originally cast Heathcliff. Creator/NataliePortman was originally cast as Catherine Earnshaw. After her departure from the film, Creator/LindsayLohan campaigned for the role but Creator/AbbieCornish was eventually cast. As filming neared, Cornish was then replaced by Creator/GemmaArterton. When Andrea Arnold was hired to direct, she replaced Arterton with Kaya Scodelario.
** During the mid 1960s, Lindsay Anderson was desperately trying to persuade Creator/RichardHarris to star as Heathcliff, for his proposed retelling. Harris' reluctance, and the 1970 adaptation, put an end to his dream project.

* RealLifeRelative: Real life father and daughter Simon Ward and Sophie Ward portray father and daughter in the 1992 movie.

** 1992 version - Creator/ChristopherEccleston auditioned for Heathliff and Creator/UmaThurman auditioned for Cathy.

** 1970 version - Creator/OliverReed was considered for Heathcliff.

* BannedInChina: Banned in Quebec - because the film featured scenes of infidelity that Samuel Goldwyn refused to cut.
* CaliforniaDoubling: Although they did actually import real heather from England to make it look more like Yorkshire. According to Creator/DavidNiven's autobiography, the heather took to the warm Californian sun and tripled in size - requiring filmmakers to cut it back before shooting.
* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Samuel Goldwyn claimed that this was his favorite production.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Merle Oberon's distress when Cathy runs out into the storm looking for Heathcliff was quite real; she had to do take after take running into propeller driven water and eventually got hospitalised with a fever.
* FocusGroupEnding: The film was originally going to end with a shot of Heathcliff's corpse in the snow, but at producer Samuel Goldwyn's insistence, this ending was replaced with a romantic shot of Heathcliff and Cathy's spirits wandering the moors, TogetherInDeath. By the time the new ending was filmed, Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Merle Oberon had both moved on to other projects, so stand-ins took their place, which explains why the two ghosts are only seen from behind. Director Creator/WilliamWyler allegedly hated the new ending, but almost every subsequent film and TV adaptation of the book has ended in a similar way.
* HostilityOnTheSet:
** Merle Oberon and Creator/LaurenceOlivier clashed repeatedly - since both were miserable at having to leave their loved ones at home in the UK. Laurence Olivier wasn't too fond of Creator/WilliamWyler's direction either, but later admitted that he helped him understand the difference between acting for film and stage.
** Merle Oberon had a more mild version with Creator/DavidNiven. The two had been involved briefly for about a year not long beforehand - so working together was uncomfortable.
* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: For the barnyard scenes, it was feared that the ducks and geese would make too much noise - so the animal trainer actually ''snipped their vocal cords''.
* PopCultureUrbanLegends: Rumors abound that the time period was moved forward to allow a short-of-funds Creator/WilliamWyler to reuse costumes from a Civil War drama. Others claim the time period was changed simply because Samuel Goldwyn thought the fashions were more attractive than Regency Era ones.
* TroubledProduction: Pretty much no one was happy with director Creator/WilliamWyler and his fondness for numerous takes (David Niven's first scene had about forty). So many of the actors clashed with each other - Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon got into a shouting match over him accidentally spitting on her. Both of them also had foot injuries throughout filming, requiring them to hobble during their scenes. As mentioned above, Merle was hospitalized with a fever briefly due to the excessive takes of the storm scene. By the end of filming, it was thirteen days over schedule and $100,000 over budget.
* WagTheDirector: In Cathy's death scene, Creator/WilliamWyler insisted that Creator/DavidNiven break down. When Niven told him his contract said he would never have to cry on-camera, Wyler didn't believe him. Niven got the contract and the "no crying" clause was in there. Still, Wyler won in the end and had menthol mist sprayed into Niven's eyes to make them water, since he couldn't produce tears on command; the result was that green mucus ran from Niven's nose, causing Merle Oberon to bolt from the bed in disgust as soon as she was finished playing "dead."
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/VivienLeigh really wanted to play Catherine alongside her husband Creator/LaurenceOlivier. As she was then-unknown in Hollywood, they went with the original choice Merle Oberon. Vivien was offered the part of Isabella, but she turned that down.
** Creator/RonaldColman, Creator/DouglasFairbanksJr and Creator/JamesMason were considered for the role of Heathcliff before Laurence Olivier was finally cast.

* WagTheDirector: In Cathy's death scene, Creator/WilliamWyler insisted that Creator/DavidNiven break down. When Niven told him his contract said he would never have to cry on-camera, Wyler didn't believe him. Niven got the contract and the "no crying" clause was in there. Still, Wyler won in the end, and had menthol mist sprayed into Niven's eyes to make them water, since he couldn't produce tears on command; the result was that green mucus ran from Niven's nose, causing Merle Oberon to bolt from the bed in disgust as soon as she was finished playing "dead."

** 1970 version - Creator/OliverReed was considered for Heathcliffe.
** 1992 version - Creator/ChristopherEccleston auditioned for Heathliffe and Creator/UmaThurman auditioned for Cathy.

* WagTheDirector: In one scene, Creator/WilliamWyler insisted that Creator/DavidNiven break down. When Niven told him his contract said he would never have to cry on-camera, Wyler didn't believe him. Niven got the contract and the "no crying" clause was in there.

* FollowTheLeader: AIP were not traditionally associated with Gothic romance, but were inspired to make the 1970 film by the success of ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1967''.

* FollowTheLeader: AIP were not traditionally associated with Gothic romance, but were inspired to make the 1970 film by the success of ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1966''.

* WagTheDirector: Ralph Fiennes insisted on including a scene in the 1992 film where Heathcliff bangs his head against a tree, pining for Cathy.

* CaliforniaDoubling: Although they did actually import real heather from England to make it look more like Yorkshire. According to David Niven's autobiography, the heather took to the warm Californian sun and tripled in size - requiring filmmakers to cut it back before shooting.

** Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier clashed repeatedly - since both were miserable at having to leave their loved ones at home in the UK. Laurence Olivier wasn't too fond of William Wyler's direction either, but later admitted that he helped him understand the difference between acting for film and stage.
** Merle Oberon had a more mild version with David Niven. The two had been involved briefly for about a year not long beforehand - so working together was uncomfortable.

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: Rumors abound that the time period was moved forward to allow a short-of-funds William Wyler to reuse costumes from a Civil War drama. Others claim the time period was changed simply because Samuel Goldwyn thought the fashions were more attractive than Regency Era ones.
* TroubledProduction: Pretty much no one was happy with director William Wyler and his fondness for numerous takes (David Niven's first scene had about forty). So many of the actors clashed with each other - Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon got into a shouting match over him accidentally spitting on her. Both of them also had foot injuries throughout filming, requiring them to hobble during their scenes. As mentioned above, Merle was hospitalized with a fever briefly due to the excessive takes of the storm scene. By the end of filming, it was thirteen days over schedule and $100,000 over budget.

** Vivien Leigh really wanted to play Catherine alongside her husband Laurence Olivier. As she was then-unknown in Hollywood, they went with the original choice Merle Oberon. Vivien was offered the part of Isabella, but she turned that down.
** Ronald Coleman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Robert Newton were considered for the role of Heathcliff before Laurence Olivier was finally cast.

* FocusGroupEnding: The 1939 film was originally going to end with a shot of Heathcliff's corpse in the snow, but at producer Samuel Goldwyn's insistence, this ending was replaced with a romantic shot of Heathcliff and Cathy's spirits wandering the moors, TogetherInDeath. By the time the new ending was filmed, Creator/LaurenceOlivier and Merle Oberon had both moved on to other projects, so stand-ins took their place, which explains why the two ghosts are only seen from behind. Director Creator/WilliamWyler allegedly hated the new ending, but almost every subsequent film and TV adaptation of the book has ended in a similar way.

* FocusGroupEnding: The 1939 film was originally going to end with a shot of Heathcliff's corpse in the snow, but at producer Samuel Goldwyn's insistence, this ending was replaced with a romantic shot of Heathcliff and Cathy's spirits wandering the moors, TogetherInDeath. By the time the new ending was filmed, Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon had both moved on to other projects, so stand-ins took their place, which explains why the two ghosts are only seen from behind. Director Creator/WilliamWyler allegedly hated the new ending, but almost every subsequent film and TV adaptation of the book has ended in a similar way.

* FocusGroupEnding: The 1939 film was originally going to end with a shot of Heathcliff's corpse in the snow, but at producer Samuel Goldwyn's insistence, this ending was replaced with a romantic shot of Heathcliff and Cathy's spirits wandering the moors, TogetherInDeath. By the time the new ending was filmed, Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon had both moved on to other projects, so stand-ins took their place, which explains why the two ghosts are only seen from behind. Director Creator/WillimWyler allegedly hated the new ending, but almost every subsequent film and TV adaptation of the book has ended in a similar way.

* RomanceOnTheSet: TomHardy and CharlotteRiley met during the 2009 production. They were engaged in 2010 and married in 2014.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Heathcliff has been played by several famous actors, including SirLaurenceOlivier, TimothyDalton, RalphFiennes and TomHardy.
** [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises Stryver]], is that you?
** [[Series/TheWalkingDead Rick Grimes]] took a trip to the OopNorth before battling zombies.
** [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Mr. Gibbs]] is Mr. Earnshaw in the 2009 version.

* RomanceOnTheSet: TomHardy and CharlotteRiley met during the 2009 production. They were engaged in 2010 and married in 2014.

** Heathcliff has been played by several famous actors, including SirLaurenceOlivier, TimothyDalton, RalphFiennes and [[Creator:TomHardy]].

** Heathcliff has been played by several famous actors, including SirLaurenceOlivier, TimothyDalton, and [[Creator:TomHardy]].

** [[Series/TheWalkingDead RickGrimes]] took a trip to the OopNorth before battling zombies.

** [[TheDarkKnightRises/Stryver]], is that you?
** [[TheWalkingDead/RickGrimes]] took a trip to the OopNorth before battling zombies.

** [[TheDarkKnightRisesStryver]], is that you?
** [[TheWalkingDeadRickGrimes]] took a trip to the OopNorth before battling zombies.

HeyItsThatGuy: Heathcliff has been played by several famous actors, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton, and [[Creator:TomHardy]].

Hey! It's That Guy: Heathcliff has been played by several famous actors, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton, and Tom Hardy.