Trivia / The Magic Christian

• Breakaway Pop Hit: "Come and Get It," written by Paul McCartney and performed by Badfinger.
  • Paul McCartney also recorded a respectable demo version before an Abbey Road recording session, in which he plays all of the instruments, which can be heard on Volume 3 of The Beatles Anthology
• Completely Different Title: In Brazil (and according to IMDB, Denmark, Portugal and the French part of Canada as well), the movie received the name "Um Beatle No Paraíso" (A Beatle In Paradise), referencing Ringo Starr being the drummer of The Beatles.
• Irony as She Is Cast: Graham Chapman plays a member of the Oxford rowing eight when he actually graduated from Cambridge.
• Non-Singing Voice: Yul Brynner lip-synced to "Mad About The Boy" with the voice provided by Miriam Karlin.
• Uncredited Role:
  • John Le Mesurier as Sir John.
  • Edward Sinclair as a park attendant.
  • Frank Thornton as a police inspector.
• Wag the Director: According to biographer Roger Lewis, Peter Sellers tried to have John Cleese fired from the production. This was due to the leading man's concerns that Cleese's performance would outshine his own. In the end, Sellers instructed that Cleese's screen time be reduced from the final version. Sellers kept adding Ringo Starr's dialogue to his own, leaving him with little to say. Sellers was worried that "Starr would get all the laughs".
• What Could Have Been:
  • The role of Youngman Grand was originally offered to John Lennon, who was tempted to perform the role but eventually had to decline due to legal difficulties related to his October, 1968 arrest for possession of marijuana.
  • Two of the writers were Graham Chapman and John Cleese. The Monty Python sketch "The Mouse Problem" was written for this movie, but was rejected by Peter Sellers.
  • Peter Sellers gave Stanley Kubrick a copy of the original novel during the filming of Dr. Strangelove, hoping that Kubrick would want to direct an adaptation. Although Kubrick passed on the idea, the writer Terry Southern became a key contributor to the script of Strangelove.
  • Sellers wanted to film the final scene, of the vat of manure, at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Sellers, Ringo Starr, their families, entourage, and some of the movie's production team travelled to New York City on the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth II. John Lennon and Yoko Ono hoped to join them and travel to the United States, but were not allowed, due to Lennon's being denied a U.S. visa (look-a-likes were filmed boarding instead). The footage at the Statue of Liberty was not used, and no filming was done on the ship.

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