20 facts you might not know about 'Ghost'

Bruce Joel Rubin was watching “Hamlet” one day when he was struck with an idea. Seeing the ghost of Hamlet’s father ask for revenge for his death, Rubin got the idea of telling a ghost story from the ghost’s perspective. This was the crux of Rubin’s concept.

You know movies like “Airplane!” and “Top Secret” and “Naked Gun?” Those joke-a-minute comedies? They came from the team of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker. Jerry and his brother David teamed with Jim Abrahams to create some classic comedy. Jerry, though, for one movie veered off course. He’s the director of “Ghost,” the only non-comedy to his name.

Patrick Swayze ended up with the role of Sam Wheat, who ends up the titular ghost after he is murdered. However, seemingly every actor in a certain age range was apparently considered for the role. We’re talking Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Michael J. Fox, and even Paul Hogan. That’s an eclectic group, and it only scratches the surface.

Swayze got the role after at least one actor turned down playing Sam. That was Bruce Willis, who was fresh off breaking out in “Die Hard,” which came out in 1988. Willis has admitted that he didn’t understand the script, and has since referred to himself as a “knucklehead” for his decision.

It wasn’t just Sam who had a litany of actors on the list of possibilities. Molly Ringwald was considered for Molly, perhaps because of her first name, and other actresses considered included Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, and Julia Roberts. Ultimately, Demi Moore won the role.

What do Tina Turner and Oprah Winfrey have in common? They both auditioned to play Oda Mae Brown, the huckster and hustler turned legitimate spiritual medium. Neither got the role, with Whoopi Goldberg winning it.

Tony Goldwyn, perhaps best known for his role on “Scandal” these days, plays the loathsome Carl Bruner in “Ghost.” While he is a fine actor, he had a bit of a leg up in getting his start. His parents were producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and actress Jennifer Howard. Also, his grandfather, Samuel Goldwyn Sr., was one of the biggest producers in the early days of Hollywood.

Many people — perhaps most people — associate the song “Unchained Melody” with the iconic pottery scene in “Ghost.” However, did you know the song was actually written for another film? The 1955 movie “Unchained” was a low-budget prison movie that is arguably only remembered because of the song it spawned.

If you haven’t seen “Ghost,” you’ve probably seen the pottery scene, or are at least familiar with it. So let’s say you haven’t seen it. It happens after Sam has become a ghost, right? That’s the ghost of Sam behind Molly as she works the pottery wheel. This is what many assume if they haven’t seen the movie. In reality, that scene happens really early in the film, before Sam has even died. He’s still alive when that happens.

Swayze was potentially en route to becoming an action star. Prior to making “Ghost,” he had been in “Road House” and “Next of Kin.” Swayze didn’t want to go that route, though. He said he took the part in Ghost to try and avoid being pigeonholed as an action star, and said he needed the role for his “soul.”

Both Rubin and Zucker got cameos for their mothers in the movie. Zucker’s mom Charlotte plays the bank officer, while Rubin’s mother Sondra plays the nun who faints after Oda Mae gives her the check.

Sam and Molly’s erotic pottery session is one of the most-parodied scenes from the ‘90s. It’s been spoofed in “Community,” “Two and a Half Men,” and more. One movie that parodied it? That would be “Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear,” which was directed by David Zucker, Jerry’s brother.

Goldwyn told a story of being at a restaurant where a waitress refused to serve him, and kept glaring at him angrily. The actor was confused as to what he may have done wrong. Eventually, the waitress apologized and explained the situation. She couldn’t place why, but she knew there was something about his face that triggered hateful feelings. When she realized it was because he played Carl in “Ghost,” and not for anything he had done in real life, she quickly came over to say she was sorry.

The “dark shadows” that take ghosts away make an eerie, spooky sound. What made those sounds? Well, the production took the sounds of babies crying, slowed them down, and played them backwards. Somehow that makes it all that much creepier, right?

Sam’s go-to is to say “Ditto” when Molly says “I love you.” It actually helps her realize that Sam’s ghost is trying to contact her. Rubin took that from his real life, as he used to say “Ditto” to his high school girlfriend when she said “I love you.”

“Ghost” somewhat surprisingly became a massive hit. In the end, it brought in $505.7 million worldwide. That made it the highest-grossing movie of 1990, and at the time it was the third-highest-grossing film ever.

“Ghost” was not just financially successful. The Academy also enjoyed it. It was nominated for five awards, including Best Picture. “Ghost” won two of those Oscars. Rubin won for Best Original Screenplay, and Goldberg won for Best Supporting Actress.

Whoopi doesn’t just have her Oscar. In her career, she’s also won a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. Yes, Goldberg is one of the winners of the EGOT, and is perhaps the most-famous EGOT winner of them all.

Video rentals were huge in 1990. “Ghost” rode that wave. Even though it was huge at the box office, people weren’t tired of it. The movie sold 646,000 VHS copies for rental, which broke the record. It made a reported $40 million in rentals, and $25 million in VHS sales.

While there is one iconic music cue in “Ghost,” it’s not a music-heavy movie. And yet, that didn’t stop there from being a “Ghost” music adaptation on the stage. It opened in England and made its way to London. In 2012 it made the movie to Broadway as well. While it’s a little awkward in spots, it did get three Tony nominations.