Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992): Trivia & Fun Facts Collection – Behind-the-Scenes Stories and Production Secrets

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York(Official) is a comedy film released in 1992, directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes (both returning from the first film).

In this article, I will compile trivia and fun facts about Home Alone 2, which unfolds in New York, following the previous installment. Behind the glamorous Plaza Hotel and Duncan’s Toy Chest, there are surprising “adult circumstances” and episodes where the actors put their bodies on the line.

*This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article, “【ホーム・アローン２】雑学＆豆知識集-裏話や制作秘話を紹介-”.

Trivia & Fun Facts of “Home Alone 2”

Donald Trump’s Appearance Was a “Condition for Filming Permission”

The scene where Kevin asks for directions to the lobby at the Plaza Hotel features Donald Trump, the owner of the hotel at the time. This is a famous scene.

Actually, this appearance was not desired by the production side, but was forcibly inserted as an “exchange condition” from the Trump side. According to Director Chris Columbus’s testimony, when negotiating to film at the Plaza Hotel, Trump demanded, “The only way you can use the hotel is if I’m in the movie.”

The director initially intended to cut this scene in the editing stage, but during a test screening, the audience cheered the moment Trump appeared. Therefore, he decided to keep it in the final cut, saying, “If the audience is happy with it.” It can be said to be a famous scene born of “coincidence” and “adult circumstances.”

The Dreamy “Duncan’s Toy Chest” Does Not Exist

“Duncan’s Toy Chest,” the dreamlike toy store that Kevin visits. This store, featuring the kind-hearted owner Mr. Duncan who donates his proceeds, is depicted like a New York tourist attraction, but it is actually a fictional store.

The model was the real famous store “FAO Schwarz,” but the movie was not filmed in New York. The exterior was the historic “The Rookery Building” in Chicago, and the interior was a set built inside the “Uptown Theater” in Chicago.

By utilizing the vast space of the theater, it became possible to express a toy store of such overwhelming scale.

The Hit Toy “Talkboy” Was a Prop Made for the Movie

The cassette recorder with a voice-changing function, “Talkboy,” which Kevin uses skillfully in Home Alone 2. It is a gadget that plays a major role, such as making hotel reservations and recording the thieves’ conversations, but actually, this was a fictional prop designed for the movie and did not exist at the time of filming.

However, after the movie’s release, there was a flood of inquiries from children saying, “I want that!” In response to this, Tiger Electronics decided to commercialize it.

The first model released was merely a recording device without the voice-changing function seen in the movie and was unpopular. However, when the “Deluxe Talkboy” equipped with the same functions as the movie was released the following year, it became an explosive hit product. It is a rare case where a movie prop was commercialized in reality and swept the toy market.

“Angels with Even Filthier Souls” Is Also a Fictional Movie

The gangster movie Angels with Filthy Souls was used to repel the thieves in the previous film. In this film, its sequel, Angels with Even Filthier Souls, appears.

This movie, which repels the hotel staff with the famous line, “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal! And a Happy New Year!”, is also a fictional movie made for this film.

Ralph Foody, who played the gangster Johnny, continued his role from the previous film, but he was called back to the set solely to film this “fictional sequel.” Note that the source material is the 1938 film Angels with Dirty Faces starring James Cagney.

Joe Pesci Really Suffered Severe Burns in the Scene Where His Hat Catches Fire

Joe Pesci played the thief Harry, continuing from the previous film. In this film as well, he meets with terrible experiences due to Kevin’s traps. In particular, the filming of the scene where “fire shoots out from a burner overhead the moment he opens the door, and his hat burns” was extremely grueling.

At the time when CG technology was undeveloped, this scene was filmed with practical effects. Joe Pesci later revealed in an interview that he “sustained serious burns on the top of his head during the filming of this scene.”

He stated, “In that type of physical comedy, bruises and bumps are par for the course, but the burns on my head were tough.” Some of his agonized expressions shown on screen might have been genuine reactions beyond acting.

Some of the “Pigeon Lady’s” Pigeons Were Real, and a Mishap Occurred Where One Went Into a Mouth

The “Pigeon Lady” who helps Kevin in Central Park. There are always large numbers of pigeons around her, but hundreds of real pigeons and elaborately made fake pigeons were mixed and used for filming.

In the climax scene where the thief Marv (Daniel Stern) is attacked by a flock of pigeons, there is an anecdote that one pigeon actually flew into Daniel Stern’s mouth.

Stern looked back, saying, “It was the worst, with the feathers and taste of the pigeon filling my mouth,” but the scream he let out was undoubtedly from the bottom of his heart.

The Plaza Hotel Carpet Was Removed for Kevin

There is a scene where Kevin slides across the floor and jumps into an elevator while running away from the hotel staff. To film this scene, the production team temporarily removed the carpet that was in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel to expose the floor.

Interestingly, after filming ended, the owner at the time, Donald Trump, liked this “state without carpet” very much and instructed, “Don’t put the carpet back, leave it as is.”

This is a surprising “change after use” where the filming of a movie changed the interior of a historic hotel in New York.