In a world where power, money, and criminal force collide, one film has emerged as a timeless symbol of the destructive temptations and dangers lurking within the American Dream. Brian De Palma’s epic masterpiece, Scarface, shines a light on the dark side of success and the obsession that drives its protagonist, Tony Montana, to rise to the top of the criminal underworld — only to fall at an explosive pace.
If you haven’t seen this timeless classic yet, it’s time to park yourself on the couch and do it. And if you already have, here are ten interesting and fun facts about the film that you probably didn’t know before!
1 Scarface was actually a remake — and it was Al Pacino’s idea…
Scarface, directed by Brian De Palma, is a remake of a 1932 gangster film by Howard Hawks, starring Paul Muni as Tony Camonte. That earlier film — which shared the same title — was inspired by the rise and fall of America’s most infamous gangster, Al Capone.
Between making The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III, Al Pacino got the idea to take on a very different kind of gangster role. After watching Hawks’ 1932 original, Pacino became inspired and felt a strong desire to play Tony Montana. [source]
2 Al Pacino didn’t want Michelle Pfeiffer to play Elvira…
Before auditioning for the role of Tony’s wife, Elvira Hancock, Michelle Pfeiffer had only had one major film role — the lead in the infamous flop Grease 2 (1982). Unfortunately for the relatively unknown actress, many of Hollywood’s top talents were also competing for the highly sought-after role. Luckily for Pfeiffer, producer Martin Bregman liked what he saw in the young blonde actress.
Al Pacino, however, was far less convinced and felt the search should continue for someone better suited for the role. He worried that Pfeiffer lacked experience and didn’t quite fit his vision of Elvira. Pacino even told Bregman that he wanted Glenn Close for the part.
In the end, Bregman persuaded Pacino to let Pfeiffer audition. Her portrayal of Elvira not only won everyone over — it launched her career and helped turn her into one of the biggest female stars of the 1980s. [source]
3 Al Pacino injured his hand during filming…
Al Pacino and co-star Steven Bauer, who played Manny Ribera, rehearsed extensively for Scarface for several weeks before filming began. During the shooting of one scene, Pacino seriously injured his hand with a machine gun.
The injury was severe enough that he had to pause filming for two weeks, temporarily halting production. [source]
4 The “F-Word” is used a staggering 207 times in the film…
In Scarface, the word “f*ck” is used 207 times over its 170-minute runtime. That averages out to about 1.21 uses per minute.
After the film’s star-studded premiere in New York City, actress Lucille Ball commented on the excessive swearing: “We thought the performance was excellent,” she said, “but we got awfully tired of that word.”
Guess you really can have too much of a good thing after all. [source]
5 Oliver Stone wrote the script while recovering from a cocaine addiction…
Before becoming an Oscar-winning director, Oliver Stone was already an accomplished screenwriter. He even won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1979 for Midnight Express (1978).
In a 2003 interview with Total Film, Stone admitted that cocaine was a major problem for him during the 1980s. He used his recovery period from the decade’s party drug to write the screenplay for Scarface, and even based several of the film’s intense cocaine scenes on his own experiences. [source]
6 De Palma wanted John Travolta to play Manny…
Brian De Palma had previously worked with John Travolta on the film Blow Out (1981). However, the relatively unknown Cuban-American actor from Miami, Steven Bauer, ultimately beat the Hollywood star for the role of Tony’s best friend, Manny Ribera, in Scarface.
Bauer turned out to be the perfect fit for the role — he was actually Cuban, and even helped Al Pacino with his accent, adding authenticity to the character. [source]
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7 The Cuban community forced the production to move west…
Scarface was originally planned to be filmed in Miami, where the story takes place. However, anger and threats emerged from parts of the Cuban community, who objected to the film’s portrayal of Cubans as criminals.
At the same time, Miami’s tourism board feared the movie would harm the city’s image, depicting it as a hub for drugs and gangsters. As a result, the production was forced to relocate west to Los Angeles, where most of the film was ultimately shot. [source]
8 Kurt Vonnegut walked out in disgust before the movie ended…
Two of America’s most respected writers at the time, John Irving and Kurt Vonnegut, reportedly left the theater after the infamous chainsaw scene in Scarface. Vonnegut later explained that the film was simply too violent for him — not entirely surprising, given that he was a well-known pacifist.
Model Cheryl Tiegs agreed with that assessment, calling the movie “the most violent and brutal film she had ever seen“. [source]
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9 Steven Spielberg made a surprise cameo behind the camera…
You probably know this iconic scene, one of the most memorable moments in film history: Tony Montana waits inside his Miami mansion for his enemies to arrive and finish him off. A huge pile of cocaine sits on his desk as he grips an M16 and a grenade launcher — the moment when he delivers the legendary line: “Say hello to my little friend!“
On the day this scene was filmed, Steven Spielberg happened to be visiting his friend Brian De Palma on set. The visit resulted in the Jaws director helping film part of the sequence, specifically the shot where a gangster throws a grappling hook onto the roof of Tony’s mansion.
Spielberg received no official credit for his contribution — just the chance to once again be part of movie history. [source]
10 To this day, Scarface remains Al Pacino’s favorite film he has starred in…
Al Pacino has appeared in some of the most critically acclaimed films in cinema history, but according to the actor himself, his personal favorite is still Scarface.
Despite the film’s controversial nature and poor initial reviews, Pacino always believed that Scarface would remain relevant for decades to come — a prediction that ultimately proved to be right. [source]
5 Common Questions About Scarface
Not directly, but it is loosely inspired by the rise and fall of a real-life American gangster, combined with themes drawn from organized crime history.
It faced backlash for extreme violence, heavy drug use, and explicit language, which shocked audiences and critics at the time.
The screenplay was written by Oliver Stone, who drew from personal experiences and contemporary drug culture when crafting the story.
Initially, it received mixed reviews, but over time it became a cult classic and one of the most influential crime films ever made.
Its themes of ambition, excess, and the dark side of success continue to resonate, and the main character has become a lasting pop-culture icon.
