‘Wall Street’ Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Oliver Stone film, Wall Street. The film told the story of Bud Fox, a young stockbroker, who works with wealthy corporate raider Gordon Gekko. The film’s cast included Charlie Sheen (Platoon, Young Guns), Michael Douglas (The American President, Ant-Man), Daryl Hannah (Steel Magnolias, Kill Bill), and Martin Sheen (The American President, The West Wing). Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas reunited for a sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which was released on September 24, 2010.

Since the film is turning 30 this year, let’s discuss five facts you probably didn’t know about the film.

Fact # 1: It was the first feature film to show a character using a cordless cellular mobile telephone. The Motorola DynaTac 8000X was a brick-shaped cell phone that was 13 inches long, weighed two pounds, and cost the equivalent of $8,806 in modern dollars.

Fact # 2: Parts of the film were shot at the New York Stock Exchange during working hours.

Fact # 3: Michael Douglas’ character, Gordon Gekko, was based on three big-name financiers: Carl Icahn, Ivan Boesky, and Asher Edelman.

Fact # 4: The film is loosely based on the junk bond and insider trading scandals of the 1980s.

Fact # 5: Gordon Gekko’s speech on Greed is number 57 on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Quotes List, beating out Scarface and Dirty Dancing.

Wall Street was a drama film directed by Oliver Stone. The cast included Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Daryl Hannah, and Martin Sheen. Douglas role as Gordon Gekko earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film’ plot is loosely based on the junk bond and insider trading scandals of the 1980s. The film’s sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, was released on September 24, 2010.