8 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Scarface

Everyone knows the famous line from the 1983 American film Scarface: “Say hello to my little friend” or “Say goodnight to the bad guy.” But what many people may not know is that there are at least eight fun facts about Scarface that will astound you. We only compiled ten facts, but they are sure to catch your attention.

1) Scarface was released on December 18th, 1983, in 1,238 theaters across North America. It made $8 million on its opening weekend- easily becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful films ever made.
2) Director Brian De Palma had to use a hand puppet to film the part where Tony Montana holds up the liquor store near the beginning of the movie.
3) The mansion that was shown at the end of Scarface was actually a private residence located in Montecito, California. It cost $10 million to build that house.
4) Al Pacino’s character’s name, Tony Montana, was borrowed from America’s own crime-filled pastime- Al Capone. Many characters throughout Scarface are named after famous American mobsters, including Sosa, Gail, Diego, and Manny.
5) The 600 extras used in the riot scene all spoke Spanish. Amusing, yes, but it did make for some really confusing dialogue.
6) Orlando Jones, who played Tony’s father in the film, was actually a real-life Cuban immigrant. His story about how he got to Hollywood is amazing.
7) Some people believe that the part where Tony holds up the liquor store was too violent for audiences at the time- leaving them to wonder why they would want to watch a movie about drug dealers.
8) Oliver Stone was addicted to cocaine at the time of writing the screenplay.