Trivia / Bagdad Cafe

• California Doubling: The film was shot in Newberry Springs, CA, which is 52 miles away from Bagdad, CA.
• Career Resurrection: This film can be considered Step #1 in Jack Palance's, with City Slickers being the culmination.
  Percy Adlon: Jack Palance at that time had a bad reputation. He was out of luck. I said, “I need somebody for this character who reeks of Hollywood,” and an actress from General Hospital recommended him. He passed on a $1 million offer to do a big TV series to make our film and his agents were angry at him, but it was great. He got the Oscar for City Slickers but they said he really got it for Bagdad Café.
• Playing Against Type: Jack Palance, known for playing villains, playing the hippie-ish painter Rudi Cox.
• Production Posse: Marianne Sägebrecht acted under Percy Adlon in Herr Kischott, Die Schaukel and Zuckerbaby, the latter of which was a Starmaking Role for her. She'd later work with Adlon in Rosalie Goes Shopping.
• Star-Making Role: Marianne Sagebrecht for US audiences, for C.C.H. Pounder in general.
• Wag the Director: According to CCH Pounder, Jack Palance refused to do a romantic scene with Marianne Sägebrecht because he found her unattractive. The scene was shot with each actor at separate times and edited together.
• What Could Have Been: Whoopi Goldberg was the first choice for the role of Brenda. Percy Aldon sent her the script, but never got a response (she claimed she never received it). She did play the role in the TV series.

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