Home / Back to School

Back to School

Year:

1986

Duration:

96 min

Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

IMDB rate:

6.5

Director:

Alan Metter

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1986-06-13

Filming Locations: 1530 Orange Grove Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $11,000,000

Opening Weekend: $9,300,000 (USA) (15 June 1986)

Gross: $91,258,000 (USA) Rentals $41,948,000 (USA)

Cast

Actor

Character

Robert Downey Jr.

Back to School

Sally Kellerman

Back to School

Rodney Dangerfield

Thornton Melon

Burt Young

Lou

Keith Gordon

Jason Melon

Paxton Whitehead

Dr. Phillip Barbay

Terry Farrell

Valerie Desmond

M. Emmet Walsh

Coach Turnbull

Adrienne Barbeau

Vanessa

William Zabka

Chas

Ned Beatty

Dean David Martin

Severn Darden

Dr. Borozini

Sam Kinison

Professor Terguson

Robert Picardo

Giorgio

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Himself

Edie McClurg

Marge Sweetwater

Sarah Abrell

Sorority Girl

Dana Allison

Young Woman

Boris Aplon

Tony Meloni

Nora Boland

Agnes

Kimberlin Brown

Girl in Dorm Hallway

Lisa Denton

Lisa

Bob Drew

Contractor

Holly Hayes

Girl in the Crowd

Jason Hervey

Young Thornton

Leslie Scarborough

Coed #1

James Ingersoll

Judge

Michael McGrady

Player #1

Santos Morales

Bartender

Beth Peters

Mrs. Stuyvesant

Phil Rubenstein

Executive #1

Timothy Stack

Trendy Man

Steve Sweeney

Security Guard

Stacey Toten

Hot Tub Girl

John William Young

Executive #2 (as John Young)

Brad Zutaut

Petey

Josh Saylor

Student in Diane's Class

William Grauer

Drunken Student

Kristen Aldrich

Girl in Diane's Class

Becky LeBeau

Bubbles the Hot Tub Girl

Tricia Hill

Lisa's Friend

Jill D. Merin

Girl at Dorm Party

John William James

Man in Stands

Eric Alver

Student at Fraternity Party

Theresa Lyons

Cashier

Dallas Winkler

Rodettes

Lisa Montgomery

Rodettes

Kimberlee Carlson

Rodettes

Curtis Stone

Twist & Shout Band Member

Michael Reid

Twist & Shout Band Member

Cactus Moser

Twist & Shout Band Member

Brian O'Dougherty

Twist & Shout Band Member

Davey Faragher

Twist & Shout Band Member

Cliffie Stone

Twist & Shout Band Member

Danny Elfman

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Leon Schneiderman

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Steve Bartek

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Dale Turner

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Johnny 'Vatos' Hernandez

Oingo Boingo Band Member

John Avila

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Sam Phipps

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Mike Bacich

Oingo Boingo Band Member

Oingo Boingo

Themselves

David Blatt

Graduating student (uncredited)

Jacqi Bowe

Dancer (uncredited)

J. Cynthia Brooks

Girl in jacuzzi

Shannon Dunn

Girl

Lyle Gold

Dancer at Party (uncredited)

Gardner Grout

Economics Student (uncredited)

Shawn McBurney

Graduate Student (uncredited)

Randi Randolph

Hot Tub Girl #2

Tracy M. Walker

Student

Scott Wilder

Football Player #2 (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. played himself in a cameo for the film in which he is hired by Thornton Melon to write a paper on the topic of the novels of Kurt Vonnegut. As a joke, recognizing the work as not Melon's own, Professor Turner tells him, "Whoever did write this doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut."

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Robert Downey Jr. was also working on Saturday Night Live (1975) while he was working on this film. He would fly from New York to Los Angeles twice a week for filming.

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The original music score for the movie was composed by band leader Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo. The band was featured performing their song "Dead Man's Party" at Thornton Melon's dorm party.

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Goofs

At the final dive meet Coach Turnbull is wearing a striped knit tie, while he is at the judges table explaining that Thornton is an eligible member of the dive team, the stripes on the knot of his tie change.

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The scenes at the college campus all have the trees in beautiful fall colors except the one in the diving scenes. These trees are all in a healthy summer green.

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When Oingo Boingo performs at the party, the music is obviously the pre-recorded studio version of the song.

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Quotes

Thornton Melon: What lovely girls. How would you like a life of luxury and deceit?

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Vanessa: You have NO class, Thornton, and I am TIRED of it! I want a divorce.

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Thornton Melon: Now that's what I call Marine Biology!

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