Quiz

At the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1991 which went to Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone in his tribute to Douglas recalled the filming of the scene where he hits Stallone in the face. After a swing and miss, Stallone jokingly told Douglas to slap him hard. "Let me have your best", whereupon Douglas proceeded to beat Stallone silly. Stallone said "I learned the hard way: never spar with Spartacus."

In the early 1980s, this movie was originally proposed as another project for director John Landis and John Belushi, who was pencilled in for the Angelo "Snaps" Provolone role. The project was abandoned once Belushi died, but resuscitated later, this time with Sylvester Stallone in the lead.

One night, after filming wrapped, a fire destroyed several sets, many of the actors' trailers (among them Tim Curry's), all of the costumes, and twenty-one valuable vintage cars. Production was halted for two weeks while they were remaking all of the costumes. A Universal security guard hired to guard the cars later admitted to setting the fire.

Appearing as the title character Oscar, this is Jim Mulholland's only movie as an actor.

This was the first feature to be shot at the MGM-Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida.