The Two Unexpected Back To The Future Mementos Michael J. Fox Always Wanted To Bring Home
Actors are sneaky little buggers, and they often like to make off with props from the set at the end of production, usually to keep as a memento of their time on set. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. admitted on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to having the giant "A" from Avengers Tower from the set of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," while Chris Hemsworth showed "The Graham Norton Show" that he has both of Thor's weapons — Mjolnir and Stormbreaker — in his home. Daniel Radcliffe confessed to Heart that he stole the glasses from the "Harry Potter" film set before quickly retracting his joke and admitting he actually asked for the glasses and was given them. John Krasinski of "The Office" admitted to taking the iconic Dunder Mifflin sign from the set of the show (per "Office Ladies"). And, when Will Ferrell was asked during a remote segment on "The Graham Norton Show" what props he had at his home that he had stolen over the years, he showed off his Channel 4 News ring from "Anchorman" and his prosthetic testicles from "Step Brothers," an item he said he pulls out "much to the horror at many a dinner party."
In the "Back to the Future" panel at New York Comic Con, acting legend Michael J. Fox talked about props he wanted to steal from the set and never got to. Although, to be honest, it would have been a little bit of a challenge to walk away with at least one of these items unnoticed.
He wanted the horse and the guitar
CBR, reporting live from the "Back to the Future" panel at NYCC, said that Michael J. Fox mentioned that he wished he could have brought home two particular props from working on the famous '80s trilogy — the horse, Whiskey, who he rode in "Back to the Future III," and the guitar, which features heavily in the trilogy but most prominently in the scene at the Under the Sea Dance in the original "Back to the Future" where Marty introduces the students to Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" just a few years early.
The guitar scene became one of the most famous elements of the entire movie trilogy, and Michael J. Fox was very determined during shooting to get that scene right. In a 2020 interview with Empire, Fox looked back on shooting the movie and explained how he forced himself into a situation where he would have to get the guitar part right. "When I did the 'Johnny B. Goode' scene, I had a great guitar teacher who taught me how to play," Fox told Empire. "I said to Bob [Zemeckis], 'When I do this scene, I play guitar, so you can finger sync me. Feel free to cut to my hands any time you want.' Having said that, it put pressure on me to get it f***ing right." Fox then worked with guitar teacher Paul Hanson to perfect his playing and a choreographer for Madonna who helped him incorporate moves from his favorite guitar players, including Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, and Chuck Berry. Thus, it's hardly a surprise that Fox would want Marty's guitar after working so hard to get that scene right.