135 Fun Facts About Home Alone

Which city was Kevin's family flying to when they left him behind?

The McCallisters fly to Paris for Christmas; once Kate realises Kevin was left behind she scrambles for any flight back to Chicago while the others wait it out in the city.

How much was the film's child star paid for the original, against $4.5 million for the sequel?

Macaulay Culkin earned $110,000 for Home Alone; two years later Home Alone 2: Lost in New York paid him $4.5 million, roughly forty times as much.

Who portrayed the character of Kevin McCallister in the film?

The director met 200 other boys for the part before agreeing that the writer's suggestion from Uncle Buck was right.

By what nickname are the two burglars known?

The Wet Bandits earned the name from Marv's habit of stopping up the kitchen sink to flood each house, which lets police identify every home they hit.

Which relative tells Kevin that he is 'what the French call, les incompétents'?

Kevin's sister Linnie delivers the line after Kevin complains that he has never packed a suitcase once in his whole life.

Who directed the original film?

Columbus had just walked off National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation over a clash with Chevy Chase when he was offered the job.

From which fictional gangster movie does Kevin play a clip to scare the burglars?

Angels with Filthy Souls is a fake black-and-white gangster picture made for the film; its title spoofs the 1938 James Cagney movie Angels with Dirty Faces.

About how many consecutive weeks was Home Alone number one at the US box office?

'Home Alone' was a massive box office success, remaining the number-one film for 12 consecutive weeks.

In Home Alone, what does Kevin ride down the staircase while revelling in his new freedom?

Kevin rides a sled down the stairs and out the front door, one of his first-day indulgences alongside ice cream and his brother's forbidden videotapes.

Which actor plays the elderly neighbour Kevin is afraid of?

Roberts Blossom played Old Man Marley, the neighbour Buzz terrifies Kevin with stories about; Kevin later befriends him in church on Christmas Eve.

What was the name of the polka band leader who helps Kate McCallister get back to Chicago?

Gus Polinski, the 'Polka King of the Midwest', was John Candy's cameo; he offers Kate a ride in the band's van.

Roughly how much did the film gross worldwide?

Home Alone grossed about $477 million worldwide, the second-highest total of any 1990 release, and held the record for a live-action comedy for two decades.

Who wrote the screenplay for 'Home Alone'?

The idea came from wondering what a child would do if left behind on the family holiday; Hughes wrote eight pages of notes that grew into the script.

Which actor plays Kevin's older brother Buzz?

Ratray returned as Buzz in Home Alone 2 and again, three decades later, in Home Sweet Home Alone.

What kind of pet does Buzz own that Kevin finds in his room?

Buzz keeps a pet tarantula, which Kevin lets loose while rummaging through his brother's room and later turns on the burglars.

Which actress plays Kevin's mother?

Catherine O'Hara played Kate McCallister, the mother who fights her way home to Kevin; she returned to the role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in 1992.

In what U.S. state were the majority of 'Home Alone' scenes filmed?

Home Alone was shot on location in Illinois: the McCallister house stands in a suburb north of Chicago, and the interiors were built inside the gym of a former high school nearby.

Which comedian turned down the role of the shorter burglar before Joe Pesci was cast?

Jon Lovitz passed, and Robert De Niro was also considered before Pesci took Harry.

What does Kevin ask the local Santa Claus impersonator to bring him for Christmas?

His family back, in place of any presents, he tells the raggedy Santa; then he hears the choir on his walk home.

Which Chicago airport doubled as the family's European arrival airport in the film?

O'Hare International played both itself and Orly, including the family's sprint through the terminal.

What is the name of the actor who played the taller, less intelligent burglar, Marv?

Daniel Stern briefly quit when the schedule grew from six weeks to eight, and was replaced for two days before the director brought him back.

How long did John Candy's scenes take to shoot in the single day he was available?

He was the only actor the writer allowed to go off-script, and all his dialogue was improvised.

John Hughes promised the original studio he could make the film for under what figure?

Hughes promised the original studio he could make Home Alone for under $10 million; when the budget crept to $14.7 million that studio dropped it, and 20th Century Fox finished it for about $18 million.

What is Kevin's father's first name?

John Heard played Peter McCallister, Kevin's father.

According to Buzz's story, in what year did the old neighbour supposedly murder his family?

Buzz tells Kevin that Old Man Marley murdered his whole family and half the people on his block back in 1958, and that the salt he sprinkles turns the bodies into mummies.

What does Kevin's father accidentally throw away while cleaning up after the dinner fight?

That is why nobody notices a ticket left over at the airport the next morning.

In the gangster clip Kevin watches, what does Johnny say after gunning down Snakes?

Johnny's line is 'Keep the change, ya filthy animal'; 'Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal' comes from the sequel's follow-up clip, not this one.

The role of Kevin's grumpy uncle was written for which actor, who turned out to be unavailable?

The grumpy uncle was written with Kelsey Grammer in mind, but he was unavailable; Gerry Bamman took the part instead and kept it for Home Alone 2.

What is the first name of the burglar played by Joe Pesci?

Pesci deliberately kept his distance from the young star on set to preserve their adversarial dynamic on screen.

In what year was 'Home Alone' released?

The film 'Home Alone' was released in the United States on November 16, 1990.

Which actor was hired to play Marv, then dropped for lacking chemistry with Joe Pesci?

The original choice had walked when the shoot was extended from six weeks to eight, and was quickly brought back.

Who composed the memorable score for 'Home Alone'?

Williams's score and its song 'Somewhere in My Memory' were both Oscar-nominated, losing to Dances with Wolves and Dick Tracy.

What business name is painted on the burglars' van?

Oh-Kay Plumbing & Heating is the cover as they watch timers switch on the lights of empty houses.

Which uncle refuses to let Kevin watch the gangster movie with the older kids?

Uncle Frank, played by Gerry Bamman, shoos Kevin away from the gangster film as too violent, and later barks 'Look what you did, you little jerk!' after the dinner fight.

How does Kevin make the burglars believe a party is under way when they return to the house at night?

Silhouettes of the mannequins and standup posters move across the front shades, so the burglars drive off.

Which company originally intended to finance and distribute 'Home Alone' before dropping out?

Warner Bros. was the original studio; it shut the production down when the budget overran, and 20th Century Fox picked the film up within days.

Which cousin does Kevin refuse to share a bed with because he wets the bed?

Fuller, who guzzles Pepsi at dinner, is the cousin Kevin will not share a bed with; Kieran Culkin, Macaulay's real younger brother, played him at age seven.

How much was John Candy paid for his cameo?

John Candy accepted just $414 for his cameo as the polka bandleader, doing it as a favour to his friend John Hughes, who had written Planes, Trains and Automobiles for him.

Which carol is the church choir rehearsing when Kevin sits down beside Old Man Marley?

The choir is rehearsing 'O Holy Night' on Christmas Eve; Kevin listens from a pew until Old Man Marley sits beside him and they talk about being afraid.

Why can't the family fly straight home once they realise Kevin was left behind?

Every flight is booked solid for the holidays, so Kate bargains her first-class tickets and cash for a couple's seats and still gets only partway home.

What does Old Man Marley use to knock out the two burglars at the end of Home Alone?

A snow shovel, the one he is seen salting the sidewalk with all film; he is next door checking on his son's house when he finds the burglars about to take revenge.

Where is Kevin sent to sleep as punishment on the night before the trip?

Kate sends Kevin up to sleep in the attic after the pizza fight; her parting line is the dare 'Then say it again, maybe it'll happen.'

Which sibling tells Kevin, 'you're completely helpless'?

Megan delivers 'Kevin, you're completely helpless' in the packing scene; brother Jeff's contribution to the same pile-on is 'Kevin, you are such a disease!'

Which composer was listed on early posters before he had to drop out at the last minute?

Broughton was tied up with The Rescuers Down Under, and Steven Spielberg helped the director reach a replacement.

Which pizzeria delivers to Kevin's house?

Little Nero's Pizza delivers; Kevin plays Johnny's lines from the gangster film through the door at the delivery boy, then savours 'a lovely cheese pizza, just for me'.

After the tarred cellar steps strip off his shoes and socks, what does Marv step on?

Barefoot after the tarred steps, Marv stamps on a nail sticking up from the next step; broken glass ornaments and a spider on his face follow later.

Who shot 'Home Alone' as its director of photography?

Macat considers it his favourite of all the films he has shot.

Which comedian auditioned to play the Santa Claus impersonator but failed to impress the director?

The part went to Kenneth Hudson Campbell, whose Santa gets a parking ticket on Christmas Eve.

Kate's flight back from France only gets her as far as which US city?

Kate only makes it to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where a polka band offers her a ride to Chicago in their rented van; the rest of the family fly in on Christmas morning.

In Home Alone 2, where were the McCallisters headed when Kevin ended up in New York?

The McCallisters were bound for Miami, Florida; Kevin sulks because a Christmas with palm trees is no Christmas at all, so he is thrilled to land in snowy New York instead.

Which famous Manhattan address does Kevin check into after arriving in New York?

Kevin checks into The Plaza at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South; the production shot in its real lobby, and the hotel has since sold Home Alone 2-themed stays.

Kevin talks his way into a hotel suite using which item that belongs to his father?

His credit card came along by accident inside Peter's bag; once it is reported stolen, the Plaza's staff turn on Kevin and he flees.

Which actor plays Mr. Hector, the suspicious hotel concierge in Home Alone 2?

Tim Curry played Mr. Hector, the suspicious concierge whom Kevin sends diving for cover with a gangster-movie tape before fleeing the hotel.

Rob Schneider appears in Home Alone 2 as Cedric, who holds what job at the hotel?

Cedric is the bellhop who carries Kevin's bag up to the suite; Kevin tips him with a stick of gum instead of cash, one of the film's running jokes.

Which veteran actor plays Mr. Duncan, the kindly owner of Duncan's Toy Chest?

Eddie Bracken played Mr. Duncan; he had been the star of Preston Sturges's 1944 comedies The Miracle of Morgan's Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero.

What gift does Mr. Duncan give Kevin at the toy store?

Mr. Duncan gives Kevin a pair of ceramic turtledoves, telling him to keep one and give the other to someone special; Kevin gives the second to the pigeon lady on Christmas Day.

Mr. Duncan tells Kevin the store's Christmas takings are being donated to what?

Mr. Duncan says the Christmas Eve takings go to the children's hospital; that is the cash Harry and Marv plan to steal, turning Kevin's revenge into a rescue mission.

Brenda Fricker, who plays the pigeon lady, had won an Academy Award two years earlier for which film?

Brenda Fricker won Best Supporting Actress for My Left Foot (1989) as Christy Brown's mother, becoming the first Irish actress to win an Oscar.

Which real-life figure appears as himself in the hotel lobby, pointing Kevin toward the front desk?

According to the director, the cameo was the price of permission to film in the building he owned at the time.

Where does Kate finally find Kevin at the end of Home Alone 2?

Beneath the Rockefeller Center tree, because she remembers how much he loves Christmas trees; the reunion was shot at the real tree.

Roughly how much is the room-service bill that makes Peter bellow Kevin's name in the final scene?

Peter reads the room-service bill, $967.43, and bellows 'Kevin!' as the film's closing line; the boy had been ordering trays of ice-cream sundaes up to his suite.

Which company built Kevin's Talkboy recorder as a film prop and then sold it as a toy?

Tiger Electronics built the Talkboy prop and released a working retail version in 1993, after the film reached home video; the toy sold out nationwide that Christmas.

What does Kevin hurl at Marv from the roof in the sequel?

Kevin lobs bricks down from the roof, each one cracking Marv square in the face while Harry watches from the street below.

Home Alone 2 broke the November opening-weekend record set one week earlier by which film?

Bram Stoker's Dracula had set the November opening record on November 13, 1992; Home Alone 2 beat it a week later, and the mark stood until Interview with the Vampire in 1994.

Home Alone 2 finished as the third-highest-grossing film of 1992 worldwide, behind which two movies?

Worldwide in 1992 only Aladdin and The Bodyguard grossed more than Home Alone 2; in the United States and Canada it out-grossed The Bodyguard and finished second behind Aladdin.

In the sequel, Kevin rigs his booby traps inside which building?

The place is mid-renovation, which gave the filmmakers licence for far nastier stunts than the family home allowed, all done without CGI.

What injury did Joe Pesci suffer while filming the scene in which Harry's hat catches fire?

Pesci suffered burns to the top of his head shooting the hat-on-fire gag, a trap the sequel repeats from the first film's blowtorch at the back door.

How old is Kevin McCallister in the original Home Alone?

He is the youngest son and is ridiculed by his siblings for his immaturity.

In which village north of Chicago is the real McCallister house located?

The real house is at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, a North Shore suburb of Chicago; its red-brick Georgian front became a tourist attraction.

In which park was the frozen-pond scene where Kevin runs into Marley filmed?

The frozen pond where Kevin runs into Marley was shot at Hubbard Woods Park, in the same North Shore suburb as the McCallister house.

What is the name of the polka band led by John Candy's character?

John Candy's polka bandleader fronts the Kenosha Kickers, who are stranded at the same airport as Kate and give her a lift home to Chicago in their rented van.

Who wrote the lyrics to 'Somewhere in My Memory'?

Leslie Bricusse wrote the lyrics to 'Somewhere in My Memory'; Bricusse had earlier won an Oscar for 'Talk to the Animals' from Doctor Dolittle (1967).

Home Alone was the second-highest-grossing film of 1990 behind which movie?

Ghost, the Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore romance, was 1990's top earner worldwide at about $505 million, edging Home Alone into second place.

Which 2023 film finally beat Home Alone's domestic record for a live-action comedy?

Barbie's 2023 run passed the roughly $286 million domestic total Home Alone set in 1990-91, ending a live-action comedy record that had stood for more than three decades.

In which year was Home Alone added to the US National Film Registry?

The Library of Congress added Home Alone to the National Film Registry in December 2023, 33 years after release, as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

What gets knocked over by every vehicle that pulls into the McCallister driveway?

The small lawn statue beside the driveway is bowled over again and again, by the airport vans and the pizza delivery car, a running gag across the film.

Which character did Chris Columbus create during his uncredited rewrite of the script?

Columbus added the scary neighbour, Old Man Marley, in his uncredited rewrite, wanting a more serious layer and a warmer ending than the script had.

Hughes suggested the film's child star after directing him in which 1989 comedy?

Uncle Buck (1989) starred John Candy as the babysitting uncle; Hughes wrote and directed it, and the boy who played nephew Miles convinced him he had found his Kevin.

The interior sets for Home Alone were built in the disused gym of which high school?

The sets were built inside the gym of New Trier High School's vacant west campus in Northfield, a few miles from the real house.

Where was the flooded basement scene shot?

The airplane cabin interiors were built on the school's basketball courts.

What happened to the backyard tree house after filming?

The backyard tree house was built just for the film and dismantled once shooting wrapped, so it never stood at the real house afterwards.

What kind of tarantula walks across Marv's face in the film?

Daniel Stern had to mime his scream so as not to scare it.

What bad habit did Pesci and Stern struggle to control on set with Culkin around?

Both actors had to stop themselves cursing around the nine-year-old; Pesci found the restriction especially irksome, and Harry's gibberish mutterings stand in for the swearing.

What does Kevin microwave for his candlelit Christmas Eve dinner?

Kevin sits down to a microwaved macaroni and cheese dinner with a candle lit, says grace, and glances at the clock as the burglars' hour approaches.

What was Home Alone's poster tagline?

The poster ran 'A family comedy without the family' beneath Macaulay Culkin's hands-on-cheeks scream, the image that became the film's signature.

Which classic film does the family watch dubbed into French while stuck abroad?

The family sits through It's a Wonderful Life dubbed into French; the sequel repeats the gag with the same film in Spanish in Florida.

Which 1989 French film has been noted for plot similarities to Home Alone?

3615 code Père Noël, released in France in 1989, has a boy defending his home from a killer dressed as Santa; director René Manzor publicly accused Home Alone of copying it.

What comes down the laundry chute and hits Marv in the face?

Marv yanks the cord dangling in the basement and a steam iron drops down the laundry chute onto his face, leaving an iron-shaped imprint.

Kevin's elderly neighbour Marley is estranged from which family member?

His son, which is why he cannot spend Christmas with the granddaughter he points out in the choir; Kevin suggests he make the call.

The polka band is on its way to which city when it gives Kate a lift?

Milwaukee-bound, the band rents a van when its flight is cancelled and drops Kate off in Chicago on the way, on Christmas morning.

Where does the rest of the family stay abroad while Kate tries to get home?

They stay at the apartment of Peter's brother Rob, who lives in the city; Kate leaves them there while she hunts for a seat home.

In Home Alone 2, how old is Kevin?

Kevin is ten in Home Alone 2, released in November 1992; this time he is separated from the family at O'Hare rather than left at home.

What new name do Harry and Marv go by in Home Alone 2?

Marv rebrands the pair the Sticky Bandits, after the strip of tape he wraps round his glove to lift coins and cash from a charity bucket.

How does Buzz humiliate Kevin early in Home Alone 2?

At the school Christmas pageant Buzz clowns behind Kevin's head with electric candles during his solo; Kevin shoves him and topples the whole choir.

Which of Kevin's sequel traps lights Marv up as a glowing skeleton?

Marv grabs the kitchen sink taps, which Kevin has wired to an arc welder, and the jolt shows his skeleton glowing through his body before he drops.

How does the pigeon lady save Kevin from Harry and Marv at the end of Home Alone 2?

The police then arrest the pair.

What is the title of the fake gangster film sequel Kevin watches in Home Alone 2?

Angels with Even Filthier Souls is the sequel's fake gangster clip, with Ralph Foody back as Johnny, this time saying 'Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.'

Besides a $4.5m fee, what extra did Macaulay Culkin receive for Home Alone 2?

Culkin's Home Alone 2 deal added 5 percent of the gross on top of the $4.5 million fee, making him one of the highest-paid child actors of the era.

Roughly how much did Home Alone 2 gross worldwide?

Home Alone 2 took about $359 million worldwide, roughly three-quarters of the original's total, after opening in November 1992.

Home Alone 2 opened with about how much from 2,222 theaters?

Home Alone 2 opened to about $31.1 million over November 20-22, 1992, averaging roughly $14,000 per theatre across 2,222 sites.

Home Alone 2 filmed at which New York landmark that no longer exists?

Kevin visits the observation deck of the original World Trade Center and gazes over Manhattan; the twin towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001.

Over how many days was Home Alone 2 shot?

Filming ran 144 days, from December 9, 1991, to May 1, 1992, split between the Chicago suburbs and New York locations.

Which future star played the older sister Molly in Home Alone 3?

Scarlett Johansson, then twelve, played Molly Pruitt, the hero's older sister, in Home Alone 3 in 1997, a few years before Ghost World and Lost in Translation.

What do the ceramic turtledoves Mr. Duncan gives Kevin symbolize?

He tells Kevin to give one to someone special.

Who plays Megan, one of Kevin's sisters, in the first two films?

Hillary Wolf played Megan in both films; Angela Goethals played the other sister, Linnie, in the original.

Who is the protagonist of Home Alone 3?

Alex Pruitt, played by Alex D. Linz, is the eight-year-old who takes on four spies hunting a stolen microchip in his suburban Chicago home.

Home Alone 3 was the directorial debut of which filmmaker?

Raja Gosnell, who had edited the first two films, made his directing debut on Home Alone 3; John Hughes wrote and produced it, and it opened in December 1997.

In Home Alone 3, the criminals hide a stolen microchip inside what?

The $10 million missile-cloaking chip was stolen in Silicon Valley.

Why is Alex home from school in Home Alone 3?

The criminals search every house in his suburban Chicago neighborhood.

Home Alone 4 premiered in 2002 on which network?

Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House premiered on ABC on November 3, 2002, as an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney.

Who played Marv in the 2002 TV movie Home Alone 4?

French Stewart, of 3rd Rock from the Sun, took over Marv in Home Alone 4, with Mike Weinberg as a recast Kevin McCallister.

In Home Alone 4, Marv and his wife Vera plot to kidnap whom?

Marv and his wife Vera plan to kidnap a visiting prince who is due at Natalie's mansion for Christmas, with help from an accomplice working inside the house.

Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012) is set in which state?

The Baxter family moves from California to a creaky old house in Maine, where young Finn becomes convinced the place is haunted.

Which veteran actor appears in Home Alone: The Holiday Heist alongside Christian Martyn?

Malcolm McDowell plays Sinclair, the lead thief after a painting hidden in the Baxters' house; the film premiered on ABC Family in November 2012.

Who plays Max Mercer, the boy left behind in Home Sweet Home Alone?

Archie Yates, known as Yorki in Jojo Rabbit, plays Max Mercer, left behind when his family flies to Tokyo for Christmas.

In Home Sweet Home Alone, the married couple try to steal back what?

Pam and Jeff McKenzie, played by Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney, believe Max has taken a valuable antique doll they hoped to sell to save their house.

Home Sweet Home Alone was the first film from Fox's renamed studio made for which service?

Home Sweet Home Alone was the first 20th Century Studios production made for Disney+, where it premiered on November 12, 2021.

Which two writers from Saturday Night Live wrote Home Sweet Home Alone?

Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell, both Saturday Night Live writers, wrote Home Sweet Home Alone; Dan Mazer directed.

Which song does Kevin lip-sync into the bathroom mirror with a comb?

Kevin mimes The Drifters' doo-wop 'White Christmas' into the mirror, comb in hand, before slapping on aftershave and screaming.

Which song blares from the house during Kevin's staged party?

Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' blasts from the house as Kevin's staged party whirls past the windows, convincing Harry and Marv the McCallisters are home.

What does Kevin use to heat the front doorknob red-hot?

Kevin clamps an electric charcoal starter to the inside of the front doorknob; Harry grabs it and is left with an 'M' branded into his palm.

What in the basement terrifies Kevin until he finally yells 'Shut up!' at it?

The old furnace seems to growl and snap at Kevin every time he goes downstairs, until he faces it down and yells 'Shut up!' at it.

For which award was the film's young star nominated for Home Alone?

Macaulay Culkin was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy; the film itself was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy Picture.

What rating did the MPAA give Home Alone?

Home Alone was rated PG; the cartoonish violence of the traps passed without a PG-13, a rating that had existed since 1984.

Which carol scores the montage of Kevin setting his traps?

An arrangement of 'Carol of the Bells' drives the montage of Kevin rigging the house while the clock runs down to the burglars' arrival.

What kind of animal is Doris, the pet in Home Alone 3?

Doris is the hero's pet white rat; she and the family parrot both get in on the mayhem as the crooks work through the house.

The Home Alone 3 crooks are delivering the chip to a terrorist group from which country?

The four thieves are couriering the stolen chip to a North Korean terrorist organisation; a quiet suburban street becomes their battleground when the toy car ends up there.

What does Kevin scatter at the foot of the stairs to send the burglars sprawling?

Harry and Marv go down hard on a carpet of Micro Machines toy cars Kevin has spread across the floor at the foot of the stairs.

What does Kevin use to fake someone showering in his hotel suite?

Kevin props an inflatable clown behind the shower curtain and plays a tape of himself singing, so the bellhop thinks a grown-up is in the bathroom.

What does Kevin swing from the upstairs landing into the burglars' faces?

Kevin swings full paint cans down the staircase on ropes, catching Harry and then Marv square in the face as they climb toward him.

In the Super NES Home Alone game, what is Kevin's goal?

Versions were released for NES, Game Boy, Genesis and more between 1991 and 1993.

Who directed Home Alone: The Holiday Heist?

Peter Hewitt, who had directed Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Garfield, directed Home Alone: The Holiday Heist for ABC Family in 2012.

Which 2011 film overtook Home Alone as the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever?

The Hangover Part II ended a run of about two decades in which Home Alone held the Guinness World Record after its $285.7 million North American gross.

What does Kevin fire at Harry through the pet door?

When Harry crouches at the doggy door, Kevin shoots him in the groin with Buzz's BB gun, then gets Marv in the forehead the same way at the basement window.

Above which New York venue does the pigeon lady make her home?

The pigeon lady lives in the rafters above Carnegie Hall's stage and brings Kevin there to hear the orchestra while she explains why she withdrew from people.