Title
The title of the film comes from the idiomatic English-language expression, "the tail wagging the dog",[6] which is referenced at the beginning of the film by a caption that reads:
Why does the dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail were smarter, it would wag the dog.
Motss and Evans
Hoffman's character, Stanley Motss, is said to have been based directly on famed producer Robert Evans. Similarities have been noted between the character and Evans's work habits, mannerisms, quirks, clothing style, hairstyle and large, square-framed eyeglasses. In fact, the real Evans is said to have joked, "I'm magnificent in this film".[7]
Hoffman has never discussed deriving inspiration from Evans. He may have provided for the role, as claimed on the commentary track for the film's DVD release, but much of Motss's characterization was based on Hoffman's father, Harry Hoffman, a former prop manager for Columbia Pictures.
Writing credits
The writing of credits on the film became controversial at the time, due to objections by Barry Levinson. After Levinson became attached as director, David Mamet was hired to rewrite Hilary Henkin's screenplay, which was loosely adapted from Larry Beinhart's novel, American Hero.
Given the close relationship between Levinson and Mamet, New Line Cinema asked that Mamet be given sole credit for the screenplay. However, the Writers Guild of America intervened on Henkin's behalf to ensure that Henkin received first-position shared screenplay credit, finding that, as the original screenwriter, Henkin had created the screenplay's structure, as well as much of the screen story and dialogue.[8]
Levinson threatened to quit the Guild (but he did not), claiming that Mamet had written all of the dialogue, as well as creating the characters of Motss and Schumann, and had originated most of the scenes set in Hollywood, and all of the scenes set in Nashville. Levinson attributed the numerous similarities between Henkin's original version and the eventual shooting script to Henkin and Mamet working from the same novel, but the Writers Guild of America disagreed in its credit arbitration ruling.[9]
