The teaser trailer features a sequence which does not appear in the final movie. Freddy Benson and Lawrence Jamieson walk along a boardwalk, politely moving out of the way of other people with a voiceover saying: "There are numerous distinguished gentlemen in the world; refined, cultured gentlemen; nice men; but nice men finish last." As the last few lines are spoken, Freddy pushes an old lady into the water, and Lawrence shoves a child's face into his cotton candy. Director Frank Oz has said that audiences were very surprised to learn that the scene was not part of the finished movie.
The DVD special features report that Steve Martin and Michael Caine frequently ad-libbed throughout the movie, as well as the ending.
According to the DVD commentary, when Freddy is in jail trying to remember Lawrence's name, the entire scene was improvised by Steve Martin. Director Frank Oz was crouched out of camera range and tapped Anton Rodgers on the foot to interrupt Martin when Oz felt that he had gone as far as he could with the improv.
When director Frank Oz first approached Michael Caine about a key role in this movie, he tempted him with the promise of a cozy villa in the south of France for the three-month period of the shoot. Once Caine learned that the villa happened to be conveniently situated between the villas of two old friends, Roger Moore and Leslie Bricusse, he jumped at the opportunity.
According to Michael Caine's autobiography, the tall, straight-black-haired girl dancing next to him in the disco scene is his real-life daughter Natasha.
Frank Oz: As the police officer rushing Freddy to meet Lawrence at the airport near the end of the movie.