Pretty close to a literally perfect movie, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a 1985 comedy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Paul Reubens as the endearingly eccentric and childlike Pee-wee Herman. When Pee-wee’s beloved bicycle is stolen, he embarks on a cross-country journey to recover it — encountering a wide array of colorful characters and bizarre situations along the way. Despite many setbacks and challenges that are both hilarious and heartwarming, Pee-wee’s determination and creativity ultimately lead him to his beloved bike and a happy ending, not to mention the many friends he made along the way. Here are a whole bunch of facts and trivia about Pee-wee’s Big Adventure that have enhanced our enjoyment of this iconic film.

1. What is Tim Burton’s first movie?

Released in 1985, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is the big league directorial debut of popular American filmmaker Tim Burton, who would go on to direct such memorable movies like Beetlejuice (1985), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Mars Attacks! (1996), Big Fish (2003), and Big Eyes (2014). Tim Burton has also been nominated for two Best Animated Feature Academy Awards, for his work on Corpse Bride (2006), and Frankenweenie (2013). Though a generation or three of his fans have made many of his movies beloved, his endearing debut endures them all.

Click on the cover to buy Pee-wee’s Big Adventure on Blu-ray!

2. Phil Hartman helped Paul Reubens write Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

Legendary funnyperson Phil Hartman — whom you may know from such The Simpsons characters like Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure — helped Paul Reubens hone the Pee-wee Herman persona in the mid-1970s when they were both part of the influential comedy troupe the Groundlings. Phil Hartman didn’t just help Paul develop the character and write the movie, he also played Captain Carl on The Pee-Wee Herman Show on stage and the Pee-wee’s Playhouse television show. Blink and you’ll miss him, but you can spot Phil Hartman in a cameo as a reporter in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

3. Jan Hooks improvised her dialogue at The Alamo

Jan Hooks was an underrated master of her craft and veteran of more than 100 episodes of Saturday Night Live, and she has an outstanding scene as the tour guide of The Alamo when Pee Wee goes in search of its basement. That extra super-bubbly persona she inhabited as the museum chaperone was apparently accentuated by improvised dialogue — testing Pee Wee’s patience that much more. In fact, she’s so charmingly annoying that you can’t help but wonder if Paul Reuben’s impatient eye roll is for real. 

4. Danny Elfman was originally apprehensive about doing the score

Paul Reubens was a big fan of new wave 1980s rock-n-roll band Oingo Boingo, and he and Tim Burton wanted frontman Danny Elfman to compose the music. Danny wasn’t too crazy about the idea at first, but according to Music for a Darkened Theatre: Film & Television Music Volume One, one of the most thrilling moments of his life was hearing his music being played by a full orchestra. That experience would kick one of the most prolific film/TV composition careers in the history of such a thing. 

Click on the album cover to buy Pee-wee’s Big Adventure score by Danny Elfman on CD!

 

5. Francis Buxton’s butler was a pro wrestler! 

Born Charles J. Kalani Jr., Professor Toru Tanaka was a pretty successful wrestler for the WWF in the 1960s. Tanaka had a title match with Bruce Sammartino and along with Mr. Fiji, he was a 3x winner of the WWF World Tag Team Championship. Wrestling had given his body enough beatings by the 1980s, so eventually Tanaka segued into an on-screen career. In addition to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, he also appeared in Dead Heat, The Running Man, and a couple episodes of The A-Team. Here he is in a commercial for Colgate toothpaste with none other than Mr. Miyagi himself, Pat Morita.

6. Elvira has a cameo in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

Cassandra Peterson is probably best well-known for her character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark that was fashionable in the 1980s. Some of that character was developed from her days in the Groundlings with Paul Reubens, and that relationship apparently remained strong enough for her to appear in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. She’s not in character as Elvira, though, but as the biker woman who threatens Pee-wee at the biker bar before his big musical number of “Tequila.”

7. Dinosaurs and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

If you’re counting, you’ll spot at least half a dozen (6) dinosaurs or references to dinosaurs in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. It’s not exactly The Lost World: Jurassic Park but they’re everywhere in this movie! Especially all over his house in the opening scenes. He’s got that big-ass giant dinosaur head on his bedroom floor, and a toy pterodactyl and toy Tyrannosaurus rex help him make his breakfast. There are also the big dinosaurs that populate the truck stop where Large Marge drops him off, just west of Palm Springs, California on Interstate 10. Incidentally, if you are in the mood to read or purchase some books about dinosaurs, check out our handy guide!

8. Large Marge and the truck stop are straight from a Tom Waits song

In 1967, country music singer Red Sovine released a single called “Phantom 309” that was a pretty big hit for the genre, hitting #9 on the Billboard Magazine Country music chart. If you listen closely to the lyrics, the plot of the song more or less matches what happens at the truck stop after Large Marge drops off Pee-wee. Elitist hipsters that we are, tho, we prefer the Tom Waits version, “Big Joe and Phantom 309” from his album Nighthawks at the Diner (1975). Listen for yourself!

Do you like other movies as well? While you are here at the Content Bash website, check out our list of fun facts and trivia about movies like The Pope of Greenwich Village, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Lords of Flatbush, Miami Vice, Bringing Out the Dead, and our list of Rare & Obscure Muppets!

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