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Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III
May 25, 1990
Each of Needle's henchmen comes from one of the other gangs in the trilogy. J.J. Cohen played Skinhead in Biff's gang in Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989). Ricky Dean Logan played Data in Griff's gang in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Christopher Wynne played an unnamed member of Buford's gang in the third film. Cohen appears in all three movies.
We shall proceed as planned, and as soon as we return to 1985, we'll destroy this infernal machine. Traveling through time has become much too painful.
Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown)
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Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 American science fiction comedy Western film that was released by Universal Pictures. It is the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The feature was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson.
Filming took place in both California and Arizona, and the film was released in the United States on May 25, 1990. The film was a commercial success and achieved $244.53 million at the international box office, making it the 6th highest grossing film of 1990. Fan reaction to the film was more positive than to the first sequel, with many stating that this entry to the series reflected the original better than Part II. Critics also gave Part III better reviews than Part II, which had been met with mostly mixed to positive reactions.
In 1955, Marty McFly discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown is now trapped in the year 1885. Marty and Doc's 1955 self use the information in Doc’s 1885 letter to retrieve and repair the damaged DeLorean. As they retrieve the car, Marty spies a tombstone with Doc's name, dated six days after the letter. Learning that Doc was killed by Biff Tannen's ancestor, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Marty decides to go back to 1885 to save Doc.
Marty arrives on September 2, 1885, in the middle of a U.S. Cavalry pursuit of Indians. While evading the pursuit, the car's fuel line is torn, and Marty hides the car in a cave. While walking to Hill Valley, Marty meets his Irish great-great-grandparents, Seamus and Maggie McFly. To disguise his identity, Marty adopts the name Clint Eastwood. In town, Marty runs afoul of Buford and his gang. Buford tries to hang Marty, but Doc saves him. Doc agrees to leave 1885, but with the fuel tank in the DeLorean empty and gasoline unavailable, there is no way to power the car to 88 mph. Doc devises a scheme to use a locomotive to push the DeLorean up to speed. As Doc and Marty explore the rail spur they intend to use, they spot an out-of-control horse-drawn wagon. Doc saves the passenger, Clara Clayton. The two fall in love, finding many common interests, especially the works of Jules Verne. Buford tries to kill Doc at a town festival, but Marty intervenes. Buford then goads Marty into a showdown in two days' time. Consulting the photograph of Doc's tombstone, they note that Doc's name has disappeared, but the tombstone is otherwise unchanged. Doc tells Marty that the tombstone represents the events of the future, and warns Marty that he, not Doc, may be killed by Buford.
The night before their departure, Doc confesses to Clara that he is from the future, but Clara believes it is merely an excuse to end their relationship and spurns him. Distraught, Doc returns to the town saloon to get drunk. Marty rides to the saloon and convinces Doc to leave with him. Unfortunately, Doc drinks a single shot of whiskey and passes out. Buford arrives and calls Marty out. Marty realizes his reputation is unimportant and refuses to fight. Doc revives after being force-fed the bartender's special "Wake-Up Juice" and tries fleeing with Marty, but Buford's gang captures Doc, forcing Marty to fight. Marty uses a firebox door from a stove as a bullet-proof vest, and then hits Buford in the face with it. During the fistfight that follows, Buford destroys the tombstone (which disappears from the photograph) and is arrested. With Buford no longer a threat, Marty and Doc depart to hijack the locomotive.
Clara is leaving town on the train when she overhears a salesman discussing a man he met in the saloon, despondent about his lost love. Realizing the man is Doc and that he loves her, Clara triggers the emergency brake and runs back to town. She discovers Doc's model of the time machine and rides after him. Clara boards the speeding locomotive while Doc is climbing towards the DeLorean. Doc encourages Clara to climb out to him, intending to bring her to 1985. As she climbs to Doc, the overheated locomotive boiler explodes. Clara falls off and is left hanging by her dress. Marty passes his hoverboard to Doc, who uses it to save Clara. They coast away from the train safely as the DeLorean disappears through time, while the locomotive roars over the edge of the incomplete bridge and is demolished.
Marty arrives safely on October 27, 1985, but the powerless DeLorean is destroyed when a freight train strikes it head-on. Marty returns to his home, discovering that everything has returned to the improved timeline. Marty finds Jennifer sleeping on her front porch. Later, Marty uses the lessons he learned in 1885 to avoid being goaded into a street race with Needles, avoiding a potential automobile accident. Jennifer opens the fax message she kept from 2015 and finds that the message regarding Marty being fired has been erased.
Marty takes Jennifer to the time machine wreckage. As they survey the remains, a steam-powered locomotive equipped with a flux capacitor appears, manned by Doc, Clara, and their children, Jules and Verne. Doc gives Marty the photo of the two of them by the clockworks at the 1885 festival. Jennifer inquires about the fax and asks what it means. Doc tells them it means that the future has not been written yet and that theirs is "whatever you make it, so make it a good one". After the Browns bid farewell to their friends, Doc’s train converts into a hovertrain and roars off into an unknown time.
Michael J. Fox was asked by Zemeckis, during filming for the original, about what time period he would like to see and responded saying he wanted to visit the old west and meet cowboys, Zemeckis and Gale were intrigued by the idea, but held it off until Part III. Filming actually began during production for Part II, but only one scene was filmed during that time. Filming was halted when Michael J. Fox's father died and when his son was born. Mary Steenburgen was cast in mind, while her children persuaded her to star in the film. Also, George Lucas paid a visit to the production crew on the set at Red Hills Ranch. Gale and Zemeckis have stated that Lucas is a fan of the trilogy.
The western scenes were filmed on location in Monument Valley. Some of the location shooting for 1885 Hill Valley was done in Jamestown, and on a purpose-built set at the Red Hills Ranch, near Sonora, California. The train scenes were filmed on the Sierra Railway, a heritage line in California, using their locomotive No. 3 (repainted as Central Pacific #131 for the movie).
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A horse dealership in 1885 is owned by the Statlers. In Back to the Future (1985) there is an ad on the radio for "Statler Toyota" in 1985. In 1955, "Statler Motors Studebaker" is visible near the Town theatre.
The name on the manure wagon in 1885 reads "A. Jones". In Back to the Future (1985), the name on the manure truck from 1955 reads "D. Jones".
Filmed at the same time as Back to the Future Part II (1989). In the five years since the original was made, Michael J. Fox had forgotten how to ride a skateboard.
The editor of Hill Valley's newspaper in 1885 is "M. R. Gale", a tribute to trilogy screenwriter Bob Gale.
"Mad Dog" is the name of the chief villain of Wild Gunman (1984), the western arcade game Marty McFly plays in Back to the Future Part II (1989).
Throughout the trilogy, the Delorean and its duplicates created via time travel make 15 trips through time. They are: - 1) Doc's dog, Einstein, is sent one minute into the future to test the machine. - 2) Marty travels back to 1955 from 1985. - 3) Marty returns to 1985 from 1955. - 4) Doc travels past 2015 from 1985. - 5) Doc travels to 2015 from the future to find the beginning of the unraveling of Marty's family. - 6) Doc returns to 1985 from 2015. - 7) Doc takes Marty and Jennifer forward to 2015 from 1985. - 8) Biff travels from 2015 to 1955 to give himself the sports almanac, thus creating an alternate timeline. - 9) Biff returns to 2015 from 1955. - 10) Doc, Marty, and Jennifer return to the alternate 1985 from 2015. - 11) Marty and Doc travel back to 1955 from the alternate 1985 to get the sports almanac from Biff. - 12) Doc accidentally travels from 1955 to 1885 when the Delorean is hit by lightning. - 13) Marty travels from 1955 to 1885 to rescue Doc. - 14) Marty returns to 1985 from 1885. It could be argued that the Delorean made a 14th trip through time: being placed in the mine by Doc in 1885 for Marty and Doc to find in 1955. However, it did not actually time travel (i.e. "skip" any period of time) in that instance. - 15) Doc and his family travel from the future to 1985 to introduce Marty and Jennifer to Jules and Verne, and to give Marty an undamaged photo of he and Doc Brown in front of the clock. Additional off screen time traveling has occurred as stated by Doc Brown, when he tells Marty that he has "already traveled further ahead into time to see what else happens" in Back to the Future Part II (1989).
The train station is near the site of the station built for Pale Rider (1985), another Clint Eastwood movie. The two halves of the "Pale Rider" station became new buildings in "Hill Valley". One can be seen at the north end of town by the corrals and tracks, and the other at the south end by the waterwheel.
When Marty walks along the railroad tracks and finally reaches the town, he comes to the railway station. Then he walks into the town, while the camera slowly rises up above the station and finally shows Marty at a large distance walking into the town. This scene is shot exactly the same way as the scene in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), when Jill arrives at the station.
ZZ Top has a cameo as the band in 1885. They also wrote some of the music for the movie.
When Doc and Marty are at the drive-in preparing the DeLorean for the trip to 1885, Marty mentions Clint Eastwood and Doc replies, "Clint who?" In this shot, there is a movie poster on the drive-in's wall showcasing the movie Revenge of the Creature (1955) and Tarantula (1955), both of which feature an appearance by a young Eastwood.
Before sending Marty back to 1885, Doc mentions that he uses the drive-in theatre so Marty doesn't run into a tree that existed in the past. In the first movie, one of the first things Marty does in 1955 is run into farmer Peabody's pine tree that existed in the past.
During ZZ Top's cameo, they play a version of the song "Doubleback", which they contributed to the soundtrack.
Clara can be seen behind Marty and Doc while looking at the map at the train station.
The DeLorean used in the filming of this movie is on display at the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is suspended from the ceiling and hung upside down to give restaurant patrons a better view of the vehicle from above.
This film marks the only time in the trilogy when Doc Brown interacts with a member of the Tannen family.
This is the only film in the trilogy where Marty and Doc Brown exchange catchphrases. Marty says "Great Scott!" and Doc Brown replies "Yeah, this is heavy" while talking about the tombstone photo.
The scene where Marty and Jennifer kiss on the porch was the only scene shot while Part II was being made.
The locomotives that smash the DeLorean at the end of the film belonged to the Ventura County Railway.
The role of Clara Clayton was written specifically for Mary Steenburgen.
The clock in the clock tower started running at 8:00 p.m. on September 5, 1885. The date is provided by the caption on the photograph Doc gives Marty at the end of the movie. The lightning strikes the clock tower at 10:04 p.m. on November 12, 1955. This means that the clock tower operated for exactly 70 years, 2 months, 7 days, 2 hours, and 4 minutes.
There exist enough clues in all three movies to reconstruct the travels of the DeLorean precisely (to within a few minutes at worst, except 2015 Biff's arrival in 1955 and Doc's personal travels). There are a few interesting things to note: Not counting the time Doc traveled by himself, the DeLorean spent nearly 71 years (on its own time scale) from its first time travel to its destruction. By the time Marty made his ultimate return to 1985, he was approx. 14 days, 3 hours, and 27 minutes older than he should have been; Jennifer, on the other hand, is 7 hours and 26 minutes younger than she should have been. Another interesting conclusion is a point of contention. There are two theories, one of which drops the last item. On November 12, 1955, between the time Biff arrived (or 6 am, whichever came later) and 6:38 pm (the time he left), there were four DeLoreans present in Hill Valley (ordered from its point of view): (1) The instance when Marty was trapped in 1955 in the original movie, (2) the instance when Biff came to 1955 to give himself the almanac, (3) the instance when Marty and Doc came back to 1955 to take the almanac back, and (4) the instance when it was waiting in the abandoned mine. Those who do not agree with (4) argue that according to the "ripple effect" timeline as presented in the films, there wouldn't be a DeLorean hidden by Doc in the mine until later that evening, when the lightning blast would accidentally send Doc back to 1885, thereby altering the timeline. It is *entirely true* that *we* do not ever witness a moment in the films where all four instances coexist, but the text "ordered from its point of view" above should hint at a solution. Once the DeLorean is in 1885, consider what it would detect (if it were in a position to witness the comings and goings of its former selves): over 70 years of peace, then (1) arrives, then (2) and (3) arrive in some order; (2) then leaves at 6:38, (3) leaves around 10 pm, and (1) leaves at 10:04. (4) itself leaves soon after that. If we grant that all three of those instances (1-3) continue to exist in the "final" timeline, then there should be no problem accepting this theory. Still not convinced? Consider the 100-year gap near the end of BTTF III when Marty takes the DeLorean on its final journey. 70 years into it, for a few hours, there are 4 instances of the car.
In the scene where "Mad Dog" tries to lynch Marty, Michael J. Fox was accidentally hanged, rendering him unconscious for a short time. He records this in his autobiography "Lucky Man" (2002)
First movie to use Universal's new 75th Anniversary opening studio logo. The logo ran until 1997.
The drive-in theater was constructed specifically for this film. It was built in Monument Valley, and demolished immediately after filming. No films were ever screened there.
The town was in Jamestown, California, and was, in an eerily fitting way, destroyed by lightning in 1996
Clint Eastwood was asked for permission about his name being used for Marty in the film. He consented and was said to be tickled by the homage.
A bottle of Tabasco sauce is visible at the saloon during the "wake-up juice" scene. It has the design consistent with the time period.
Originally, Buford Tannen was supposed to shoot Marshall Strickland in the back, killing him. His son was present at the time. This was edited out of the final cut as it was deemed too depressing. This is why Strickland's deputy arrests Buford at the end of the movie rather than Strickland himself. This scene can be seen on the DVD.
It was originally intended that Buford would be arrested for killing Sheriff Strickland, not for robbing the stage, and that's how the scene was shot. The deputy's words were re-looped when they decided to remove Strickland's murder scene.
Actor and former President Ronald Reagan was originally approached to play the part of Mayor Hubert because of his fondness for the first film in the trilogy. He reluctantly turned down the role, and the part went to Hugh Gillin instead.
In Back to the Future (1985), Doc tells Marty that he was inspired to create the Flux Capacitor after hitting his head on the bathroom sink while trying to hang a clock over his toilet. In Part III, when Doc freaks out after seeing Marty in his house and runs into the bathroom, you can just see the clock hanging above the toilet he slipped on
Marty uses a Frisbie pie plate to knock a gun out of Mad Dog's hand. In 1871, the Frisbie Pie Company started in Connecticut. Their pie pans were thrown on the campus of Yale and these eventually lead to the invention of Frisbees (tm).
The second and third Back to the Future movies were shot consecutively over the course of 11 months (with a three week break between Parts II and III).
For approximately three weeks Robert Zemeckis would fly to L.A. after his day's filming of the train climax of Back to the Future Part III (1990) to approve the sound dub that Bob Gale had been supervising of Back to the Future Part II (1989). He would then get up at 4:30am the next morning to fly back to the Northern California set to continue with his filming for that day.
In the course of the year that it took to film Back to the Future Part II (1989) & Back to the Future Part III (1990), Michael J. Fox lost his father but gained a son.
Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis figured that for Back to the Future Part III (1990) they had already done all that they could with Marty's family, so the focus of the film was shifted to Doc Brown.
Mary Steenburgen's children were the ones who persuaded her to be in the film.
To demonstrate Doc's fondness for Jules Verne, his locomotive time machine was designed to resemble the Nautilus from the 1954 Disney film 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).
The death of Michael J. Fox's father delayed filming for two weeks.
According to the book "Billy Gibbon: Rock & Roll Gearhead", ZZ Top was hanging around the set and was asked to be the town band. During one take, the camera broke. While waiting for the camera to be repaired, Michael J. Fox asked if they would play "Hey Good Lookin'" which they did. Afterwards, more requests were played. Two hours later, someone inquired if the camera had been repaired. The director replied that it had been fixed for quite a while, he just didn't want to stop the party that had evolved.
Doc Brown states his German ancestors' surname was "von Braun". This is a reference to Wernher von Braun, one of Germany's leading rocket scientists, who was taken to America following World War II and assisted greatly in the NASA program.
The steam locomotive used in this movie is called Sierra No. 3, painted to look like an 1880's steam locomotive. This type of locomotive was actually created in 1896.
In 1996, Lego released their line of time travel themed sets. As part of the promo for both the Time Cruisers and the Wild West sets being released, the comic section of the Lego magazine did a two part piece sending a character to the Wild West.
When ZZ Top recorded Doubleback for the movie, they did two versions. The rough cut is the version heard during the dance sequence, then the full version during the credits.
Burton Gilliam who played the Colt salesman also parodied the Western movie genre as Lyle in 'Mel Brook''s Blazing Saddles (1974).
The three old timers in the saloon were played by Dub Taylor, Pat Buttram and Harry Carey Jr. who played sidekicks, town drunks, and colorful townsfolk in hundreds of westerns and television shows.
The character of Clara Clayton is in reference to Clara Clemens, Mark Twain's daughter. Clara Clemens went on a sleigh ride with her future husband, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, the horse took fright from a wind-swept newspaper and bolted while the Gabrilowitsch lost control. At the top of a hill, next to a 50 foot drop, the sleigh overturned, throwing Clemens out. Gabrilowitsch leaped to the ground and caught the horse by the head, stopping it as it was about to plunge over the bank, dragging Clemens with her dress caught in a runner.
Thomas F. Wilson who plays Buford Tannen, performed all his horse riding stunts himself. He also did the trick where he lasso's Marty just before we meet the 1885 Doc.
The photographer at the festival is the film's director of photography Dean Cundey.
The train that crashes into the bottom of the ravine was actually a model.
When filming the sequence with the train and DeLorean, for safety's sake the builders rigged it so that the DeLorean could flip off at any given time.
Early in 2008, several directors, including 'Steven Speilberg' voted on an attraction room for Universal Hollywood that would contain rare and old costumes and props. Two of the items pulled out from storage vaults were the miniatures of Doc's time travel train and the railroad version of the DeLorean. The full sized version of the time train can be seen over in the Orlando park.
Just recently a prop and building set preservation committee submitted a request and got it granted for the Ponachee Drive-in theater to be re-built for display.
Doc's kiss with Clara was Christopher Lloyd 's first on-screen kiss
In every film where Marty is knocked out. He always wakes up with the same line "Mom?", Lea Thompson is always present, she tells him to "be still now", and tells him for exactly how long he's been out cold.
When Marty in the Hilldale neighborhood decides to "race" Needles, as Needles' truck swirves away from the Rolls Royce you can see a street sign that reads "Clark." Clark & Hilldale was a very popular spot for Bay Area rock bands in the 1960s, and is even mentioned in the title of a song on Love's "Forever Changes" album in 1967.
A common FAQ for this film is: why didn't Doc and Marty remove the Delorean that was already in 1885 to use for traveling into the future. The reason why this doesn't work is because this is the Delorean Marty needs to back to 1885 to begin with. For some reason, most fans don't get it, even though they should have figured it out by this time into the trilogy.
The song "The Power of Love" is played during both the second scene of the series and the second-last scene of the series.
This is the only film in the trilogy in which Biff doesn't end up in a vehicle crash that results in he and his vehicle being covered in manure (although Mad Dog ends up meeting this fate.)
The embroidery on Marty's western costume is the symbol for atomic Energy.
The railed version of the Delorean released to the public in a 1:18 sized scale was the last Delorean model to be released, leaving a two to three year span in between model releases when the 1:15 sizes of the Delorean were released.
The man in the saloon with barbed wire that Doc Brown converses with is not named, but appears to be historical figure Joseph Glidden. Glidden invented barbed wire, and the character's appearance is consistent with pictures and descriptions of Glidden.
In the "Making of" DVD, Producer/Screenwriter Bob Gale describes the character of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen as "Biff's worst intentions realized".
In each of the three films a common theme is that Marty always ends up in a public drinking place, shortly after arriving at his time destination and is confronted by a Tannen shouting "Hey McFly!". In Back to the Future (1985), shortly after Marty arrives in 1955 he walks into a café and is drinking a coffee whilst his father George McFly is sitting next to him. Biff Tannen comes in and shouts "Hey McFly!", to which Marty acknowledges but doesn't realize Biff is shouting his father. In Back to the Future Part II (1989), shortly after arriving in 2015 with the Doc, Marty enters the 80s nostalgia café when Griff Tannen (Biff's grandson) shouts "Hey McFly!" to Marty's future son (Marty Junior) who just entered before him. In Back to the Future Part III (1990) shortly after arriving in 1885 Marty enters the saloon and is confronted by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen who shouts "Hey McFly!" confusing Marty with Marty's great, great grandfather Seamus McFly.
'Pat Buttram''s last on-screen role, as a patron in the saloon. All of the roles he performed afterwards were voice actor roles.
In Back to the Future Part II, in the alternate 1985, Biff's hotel is called "Biff's Pleasure Palace." In Part III, the saloon is known as the "Palace Saloon."
When Marty was in the saloon and gave his name as Clint Eastwood, the bartender serving Marty (played by Matt Clarke) also played the bartender in the Clint Eastwood movie The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976).
In the entire Back To The Future trilogy, the "present" date is October 26, 1985 (2015 is the future, 1885 and 1955 are the past). Exactly 25 years later on October 26, 2010 the entire Back To The Future trilogy was released on Blu-ray in a 25th Anniversary Edition.
On November 7th, 2010 the Delorean used during filming was put back on the exact set of tracks used for the vehicle's demise for part of the week-long celebration of the 25th anniversary.
In Back to the Future Part II (1989), Biff watches A Fistful of Dollars (1964) in the alternative 1985, in which Clint Eastwood's character uses steel plating underneath his poncho. Marty (calling himself "Clint Eastwood") uses the hatch from a stove under his poncho in 1885. The sign at the train crossing in 1985 identifies the location as "Eastwood Ravine".
Mary Steenburgen in Time After Time (1979) also fell in love with a time traveling scientist and joined him on his journey through time.
In every film of the trilogy there is a scene where Marty is knocked unconscious and awoken by someone resembling his mother as he thinks the whole film a has been a dream. There is always a scene with him entering a public drinking place where Biff (or one of his relatives) enters calling for one of Marty's relations. There is always a scene with Marty being chased by someone resembling Biff (or Biff himself) and his gang (in one and two he was on a skateboard). The time machine always becomes unusable at some point. Characters related to Biff have been covered in manure in every film, and are always beaten up by Marty.
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