The Money Pit (1986) Online

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Tom Hanks	-	Walter Fielding
	Shelley Long	-	Anna Crowley
	Alexander Godunov	-	Max Beissart
	Maureen Stapleton	-	Estelle
	Joe Mantegna	-	Art Shirk
	Philip Bosco	-	Curly
	Josh Mostel	-	Jack Schnittman
	Yakov Smirnoff	-	Shatov
	Carmine Caridi	-	Brad Shirk
	Brian Backer	-	Ethan
	Billy Lombardo	-	Benny
	Mia Dillon	-	Marika
	John Van Dreelen	-	Carlos (as John van Dreelen)
	Douglass Watson	-	Walter Fielding, Sr.
	Lucille Dobrin	-	Macumba Lady

During breaks in filming, Tom Hanks liked to drive around in the vintage Lincoln Model L Series classic car which is featured in the movie.

For the scene with the bathtub falling two floors down after being filled with water, Tom Hanks does an obnoxious laugh. This clip of him laughing is commonly used for the Universal back-lot tour when the tour guides joke with the visitors.

The first collaboration of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg the latter of whom acted as Executive Producer. The two would go on to collaborate on numerous other ventures.

The "Money Pit" house, owned by the Ridder family in real life, was on the market to be sold when the movie was shooting.

Co-owner of the house, Mrs. Ridder, was apparently absolutely shocked to see her home being semi-demolished. Reportedly, director Richard Benjamin persuaded her to appear in the movie's closing scenes after the house had been fully restored by the production.

The key location issue during development and pre-production that faced producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy was to find a real life gigantic mansion that its owners would consent to allow to be partially demolished.

Apparently, real Hell's Angels bikers from a real Hell's Angels chapter portrayed the Hell's Angels bikers in the movie.

The house used in the film is currently (7/2016) up for sale. Priced at about six million dollars. See the listing here: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2098737238_zpid

The real life address of the mansion seen at the end of the movie, known as the Villa Vlzcaya, is 3251 South Miami Avenue, Coconut Grove, South of Miami, Florida.

The movie was the first remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). The second was seven years later, with Sweden's Drömkåken (1993), while the third, which was the second Hollywood remake, was twenty-one years later, with Are We Done Yet? (2007).

The start of principal photography on this picture was delayed due to Shelley Long's pregnancy. After Long's daughter Juliana was born, Long began work which included all the physical stunts and acting that was required.

The band White Lion performs twice in this movie, with a line-up that was before their debut album. The bass player joined Black Sabbath between this movie and White Lion's first album.

A replica frontage of the "Money Pit House" was built at the back of the dwelling so when viewers see the front of the house, in reality, it is a set construction tacked onto the back of the building.

Alexander Godunov conducts the orchestra at the end, as they perform Ode to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was also played at the safe opening scene in Die Hard (1988), which also starred Godunov.

The classic car seen in the movie was an off-white 1929-30 Lincoln Model L series four-door Sport Phaeton automobile. In the film's story, the vintage vehicle came with the purchase of the house.

Michael Jeter played a small role as one of the construction workers. He and Tom Hanks would later star together again in The Green Mile (1999).

Kathleen Turner was considered for the female lead. At the time, Turner was in a dispute with 20th Century Fox, as she did not want to do The Jewel of the Nile (1985), and tried to use the offer of playing in this movie as a negotiating ploy, although some thought at the time, that it was simply an attempt to get paid more money.

The movie was filmed during April, May, June, and July 1985.

The scene with the airborne turkey was rehearsed with an American football.

One of three 1986 movies starring Tom Hanks released in that year. The other two films were Nothing in Common (1986) and Hüvastijätud (1986).

The closing credits have a special section called "The Construction Crew" for several actors who played tradesmen in the film, but had no character name billing.

The film's title in Germany was "Geschenkt ist noch zu teuer" ("Free Is Still Too Expensive").

This remake was made and released 38 years after it's source film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948).

As seen in the stair fixing scene, Tom Hanks can fit nearly his entire fist in his mouth.

The size of the property that the house was situated on was nine acres.

According to website Wikimapia, The Money Pit House once had a real life name which was "Northway House". The site states that the house was "built for H.W. Warner in 1906. Federal in style. Called Northway House when William McNair owned the place. In the 1980s during the filming of the movie The Money Pit (1986) with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, the house was owned by Eric Ridder, Sr. (publisher). Ridder was a gold medal winner in 1952 as a member of the American yachting team. In 1964 he co-captained the Constellation in successful defense of the America's Cup".

Joe Mantegna (Art Shirk) was once on the television show Bosom Buddies (1981), which starred Tom Hanks. Joe's character was "the Sheik". They have not worked together since this movie.

The film was intended to be one of Universal's tent pole movies for Christmas 1985, but the film was pushed back to March of 1986.

Walter's friend wants to change the name of his band to "Meryl Streep." Thirty-one years later Hanks would co-star with Meryl Streep in The Post (2017).

At 1:00:57 "Rush Rush" from "Scarface: the original motion picture soundtrack" can be heard

Tom Hanks also made a movie with Jackie Gleason later that year after the Money Pit, where his character Walter had a terrible fight with his wife Anna. Walter hits the staircase with his hand and goes "Bang! Zoom!" and flies his fist to the sky (or the Moon), just like Ralph Kramden would do in The Honeymooners (1955).

Third of only three Amblin Entertainment productions where the production house's logo is played to music composed by John Williams with the others being firstly Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) and secondly The Color Purple (1985).

Screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel wrote an uncredited draft of the script. But in the film's original trailer, they were credited along with the film's writer David Giler.

The make and model of Art Shirk's (Joe Mantegna's) red sports car was a 1984 Chevrolet Corvette. Its customized license plate read "AS-1".

The real life address of the house seen in the movie is, according to the 'Between Naps on the Porch' website, "199 Feeks Lane, Locust Valley, New York and was owned by the Ridder family at the time of the filming".

Bethhoven's 'Ode to Joy' was used in the both the Money Pit and Die Hard with Alexander Godunov.

Film debut of Nestor Serrano.

This movie was the first produced screenplay of screenwriter David Giler in five years. Giler's last at the time had been Southern Comfort (1981).

Third consecutive film that was edited by Jacqueline Cambas and directed by Richard Benjamin.

When Walter is out in the garden and asks the cherub water feature if he has prostate trouble, interestingly, 12 years later in The Green Mile, Tom Hanks' character suffers from a urinary tract infection.

The title card seen at both the beginning and towards the end of the movie read "Rio de Janeiro".

The nickname of Max Beissart (Alexander Godunov) was "The Maestro".

The Shirk brothers names are appropriately titled because their name derives from the word "shirk" which means to avoid or evade which they do throughout the movie and they never appear again.