Barry Sonnenfeld's 1995 comedic caper John Travolta), desperate to go legit and break into the movie business. Once he arrives in Hollywood, however, Palmer soon learns the film industry is just as cutthroat as the mob business.
Get Shorty proved popular enough to spawn a television spin-off series in 2017, starring Chris O'Dowd and Ray Romano. With the film celebrating its 25th anniversary this October, here are 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts about the Making of Get Shorty!
Title Inspiration
The title of Elmore Leonard's novel and the film from which it was adapted, Get Shorty, was inspired by the legendary Orson Welles' chauffeur. His chauffeur's name was George "Shorty" Chirello.
In the film, Chili Palmer watches Orson Welles' film noir Touch of Evil in a movie theater, further establishing the connection between the film's title and the infamous filmmaker. Palmer even recites a line from the film while watching it.
Elmore Leonard Dialogue
When it came time to making the film, MGM balked at the idea of leaning heavily on Leonard's source dialogue. As a result, the studio pressured Barry Sonnenfeld and writer Scott Frank to nix several ages from the novel and replace them with more generic, less colorful dialogue.
It wasn't until John Travolta signed on to the film and demanded MGM leave the original screenplay intact that the script remained with Leonard's novelistic dialogue.
Quentin Tarantino's Involvement
Prior to Barry Sonnenfeld boarding the project, MGM initially wanted Quentin Tarantino to direct the film. While he refused to do so, Tarantino went on to adapt Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch as Jackie Brown two years later.
Additionally, it was Tarantino who convinced John Travolta to play Chili Palmer in the film. Travolta initially turned down the role even when producers sought him prior to his comeback role in Pulp Fiction. Travolta ultimately agreed to star in the film and was paid $3.5 million for his services. He won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
Chili Palmer's Casting
Prior to casting Travolta as Chili Palmer, several other high-profile A-listers were in consideration for the role. Among them was Warren Beatty, who declined to play the part.
Michael Keaton, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Bruce Willis all turned down the role of Chili Palmer. Danny DeVito was also courted as Sonnenfeld's first choice for the role but was too busy filming Matilda to take on the lead. Devito agreed to play Martin Weir instead. Michael Keaton would star in Jackie Brown two years later, adapted from Leonard's novel Rum Punch.
Real Chili Palmer Cameo
The real-life person who inspired the character of Chili Palmer makes a cameo near the end of Get Shorty. His name is Ernest "Chili" Palmer and happens to be a close friend of author Elmore Leonard.
Ernest Palmer appears onscreen as one of Ray "Bones" Barboni's (Dennis Farina) friends. Additionally, director Barry Sonnenfeld also makes a cameo appearance in the film as a hotel doorman greeting Leo Devoe (David Paymer) as he exits a limousine.
Martin Weir
According to Elmore Leonard, he based the character of conceited movie-star Martin Weir on his own personal experiences with Dustin Hoffman. When Danny DeVito was cast in the role, the character took on a different shape.
A subplot in the film involves Weir starring in a film as Napoleon Bonaparte. When real billboards for the fake film were erected in Hollywood, several neighbors thought the project was real and that DeVito must have changed his name to Martin Weir. Producers had to inform the locals the billboard was simply a prop for another movie.
Ben Stiller's Deleted Scene
Prior to breaking out as a movie star in his own right, Ben Stiller filmed an unused cameo in Get Shorty as one of Harry Zimm's cheap B-movie horror directors helming a scene in a graveyard.
Although Barry Sonnenfeld considered the scene to be quite possibly the funniest in the entire movie, he decided it strayed too far from the flow of the plot and ultimately discarded it from the final cut. The three-minute deleted scene can be found online and among the DVD bonus material.
Harry Zimm
In the novel Get Shorty, Harry Zimm mentions that he'd like to see his onscreen persona played by Gene Hackman in a movie version of his life. Hackman does play Harry Zimm in the film but took quite a bit of convincing before accepting the role.
Hackman initially turned down the movie due to his aversion to comedies. When Sonnenfeld said that was the point, to play the part with a straight face, Hackman eventually agreed. Additionally, Hackman based the part of Zimm on an agent from his past whom he deemed the phoniest person he ever met.
Godfather Connection
In a direct nod to The Godfather, Barry Sonnenfeld cast Alex Rocco as Jimmy Cap in Get Shorty, Ray Bones' boss. Rocco not only played Moe Green in The Godfather but also recreated his short scene from the gangster classic in this film. Rocco appears briefly while receiving a massage, much like Green did prior to being whacked.
Another Godfather connection is the casting of Vito Scotti in his final film role. Scotti played Nazarine the baker in The Godfather, as well as the manager of the Vesuvio restaurant in Get Shorty.
Barry Sonnenfeld's Initial Reaction
Upon initially viewing the final edit of Get Shorty, director/executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld loathed the film. The reason he disliked the final product so intensely was that he thought the film leaned too heavily on expositional dialogue and not enough action.
Once the movie garnered positive reactions from industry professionals, Sonnenfeld had a change of heart. In his only R-rated feature film to date, Get Shorty went on to gross more than $115 million in worldwide tickets sold.
