15 Intriguing Details About ‘Trading Places’

In the film Trading Places, wealthy brothers Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer (Don Ameche) Duke debate the age-old question of nature versus nurture. To settle their argument, they wager $1 and orchestrate a social experiment by swapping the lives of street-smart hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) with the privileged Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd), who is framed to lose his status and wealth.

Upon discovering the brothers' cruel bet, Billy Ray and Louis team up to get even. As the movie celebrates its 40th anniversary, explore these fascinating behind-the-scenes facts about the 1983 comedy that launched its stars to fame.

1. The concept originated from a casual tennis match.

“I used to play tennis regularly with two brothers, both doctors, who had an intense sibling rivalry that made every match incredibly frustrating,” screenwriter Timothy Harris shared with Insider in 2013. Inspired by their constant debates, he pitched the concept of brothers arguing over nature versus nurture to his writing partner, Herschel Weingrod, and together they developed the idea.

2. The writers spent time with intoxicated traders to gather insights.

“The traders I met and spent time with in L.A., since they were three hours behind New York, started their happy hours quite early in the day,” Weingrod explained to NPR in 2013. “You can only imagine how they were by around 2 p.m.”

3. The film was initially conceived as a project for Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, under the title Black and White.

Originally, comedian Richard Pryor was set to star in the movie with Gene Wilder, but as director John Landis explained, Pryor “unfortunately set himself on fire,” which disrupted the plans.

4. Landis was unfamiliar with Eddie Murphy at the time.

At the time of casting, Murphy was still a rising talent. “48 Hrs. (1982) hadn’t been released yet, but after successful previews, Paramount Pictures believed Eddie Murphy was destined for stardom,” Landis recalled. “They asked me, ‘What about Eddie Murphy for Billy Ray Valentine?’ And I responded, ‘Who’s Eddie Murphy?’”

Bellamy, portraying Randolph Duke, shared a memorable moment from the first day of filming in the makeup trailer with Ameche (Mortimer) and Murphy. “I mentioned, ‘This is my 72nd movie.’ Don replied, ‘This is my 56th.’ Eddie Murphy, looking sheepish, said, ‘Guys, this is my first. Ever.’ It was hilarious, and the film ended up being my most successful.”

5. Landis initially believed Ameche had passed away.

Ray Milland (Dial M for Murder) was first chosen for Mortimer but failed the insurance medical. When Landis suggested Don Ameche, he was told Ameche hadn’t acted in 13 years and was hard to locate. “The awkward question arose, ‘Is he still alive?’” Landis remembered. Ameche was eventually found and agreed to return to acting only after receiving the same pay as Milland. Two years post-Trading Places, Ameche starred in Cocoon (1985) and won an Oscar.

6. The lead actors were unfamiliar with each other’s previous work.

Bellamy and Ameche “openly confessed” they had no prior knowledge of Murphy and Aykroyd’s careers. Similarly, Murphy and Aykroyd admitted they were unaware of Bellamy and Ameche’s work.

7. Convincing the studio to cast Jamie Lee Curtis was a challenge.

Casting posed challenges for Landis, particularly for the character of Ophelia. Jamie Lee Curtis, famous for her work in slasher movies like Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Prom Night (1980), and Terror Train (1980), ultimately landed the role.

“Jamie Lee Curtis caused quite a stir because her background was solely in horror films,” Landis remarked. “However, she delivered an outstanding performance, making her character, the kind-hearted prostitute, surprisingly convincing!”

8. G. Gordon Liddy nearly accepted the role of Clarence Beeks.

Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club) eventually took the part after G. Gordon Liddy reportedly hesitated upon reading the final scene, which involved his character being assaulted by a gorilla. In the film, Beeks is seen reading Liddy’s memoir Will on the train.

9. Filming took place in Philadelphia, New York City, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The production team spent 15 days capturing exterior scenes in Philadelphia. Harris selected the city because it “symbolizes the nation’s founding, the Constitution, and the American ideals of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

However, the interiors of the Duke & Duke office and other Philadelphia settings were filmed in New York City. The final day of shooting, March 1, 1983, wrapped up on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

10. Curtis resided in Marlene Dietrich’s Park Avenue apartment during production.

At the time, Curtis was engaged to Marlene Dietrich’s grandson, production designer J. Michael Riva. The apartment was situated at 993 Park Avenue.

11. Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring appeared as one of Murphy’s fellow inmates in the movie.

Giancarlo Esposito, famous for Breaking Bad, played the minor role of Cellmate #2 in the comedy classic.

“I was in awe of Eddie Murphy,” Esposito shared with The AV Club in 2013. “Back then, I might have felt a bit envious of Eddie Murphy. While I worked hard to establish myself as a dramatic actor, this incredibly talented comedian soared past me to fame. But that day, we formed a friendship.”

12. The film features several notable cameos.

Bo Diddley appeared as a pawnbroker, Jim Belushi donned the gorilla suit, Al Franken and Tom Davis played baggage handlers, Frank Oz took on the role of a police officer, and Kelly Curtis, Jamie Lee’s sister, portrayed “Muffy.”

13. Al Franken continues to earn royalties from his brief appearance.

When Al Franken disclosed his 2012 financial records, it was revealed that he continues to receive royalties for his role as the baggage handler.

14. Aykroyd and Murphy disrupted billions of dollars in trading during filming.

Originally, a scene was planned at the World Trade Center’s Comex commodity exchange, where real traders and extras would interact with Aykroyd and Murphy on a weekday during active trading hours.

As noted in the studio’s production records, the presence of the two stars caused such a distraction that $6 billion in trading was paused. The shoot was subsequently moved to the weekend.

15. Inspired by the film’s conclusion, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission introduced the “Eddie Murphy Rule” in 2010.

In 2010, exploiting stolen government data for trading in commodity markets wasn’t explicitly illegal. The “Eddie Murphy Rule,” which prohibits this practice, was implemented as part of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

In Trading Places, the Duke brothers relied on confidential information from a USDA report, which falsely indicated a decline in orange crop values, to invest in frozen orange juice futures. However, Aykroyd and Murphy had fabricated the report themselves.

This article was first published in 2016 and has been revised for 2023.