The Big Lebowski is as weird and wonderful as they come. There arent many films brave enough to blend bowling tournaments with German terrorists and urine-soaked rugs, after all. But with all that wackiness going on, you may not have given much thought to the story going on behind the scenes. Its actually just as odd as the film itself, believe it or not (which is really saying something, since the movie includes a latex-loving pervert called Jesus, a woman who kidnapped herself, a briefcase stuffed with undies and a face-full of human ashes). The Coen brothers' inspiration for The Big Lebowski included a smorgasbord of strange influences from the ancient to the modern, and The Dudes spliff-smoking sessions were a constant source of debate on set. To learn more about these weird truths and a whole bunch more, read on
10. The Real Dude Was The Coens First Promoter
There he is, the real Dude. Note the scruffy hair, baggy clothes, and sunglasses firmly affixed to his head. His name is Jeff Dowd, and hes a film promoter and producer who helped get the Coen brothers first film, Blood Simple, into cinemas. Its unknown whether he had a rug that really tied a room together, but his appearance clearly inspired one of their most beloved characters. His personality and life story also played a part. As is stated about Jeff Bridges Dude in the film, Jeff Dowd really was a member of the Seattle Seven, a radical anti-Vietnam War movement who were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot after a protest at a courthouse. The body language is one hundred percent me in the movie, Dowd is quoted as saying, adding another layer to the comparison. He added: Do I drink White Russians all the time? No The reason it was White Russians is you could have a lot more fun with a White Russian than you can with, say, a vodka soda.
