In the first BTTF movie, why does Doc Brown say "I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady." When learning that Ronald Reagan is the president? They were divorced in 1948 and by 1955 (when it takes place), Reagan had already been married Nancy for a few years.

Never thought of it like that...I just assumed they were married!

I think simply because she was another (female) movie star and if a movie star had become president, it's only fitting that another celeb. would be first lady. It was a comment, I suppose, on the absurdity of an actor or celebrity becoming President.

Also, he goes on to mention Jerry Lewis as Secretary of the Treasury (I believe) so it's not exclusive to Reagan/Wyman relationship.

Probably for the same reason THE HONEYMOONERS episode (Man from Space) was on Marty's grandparents TV, even though that episode didn't air until AFTER Oct. 1955.

Bob Gale just didn't do his homework.

That's how I took it. Of course I didn't know who Jane Wyman was until this thread so I just figured she was an actress.

You don't remember the sprawling epic that was FALCON CREST? Friday nights on CBS, right after DALLAS.

I knew Jane Wyman was an actress although I didn't know that she and Ronnie had been married......if that matters.

Thank you for not asking a question about the time travel aspect of the movie.

If someone came back in time and said "Ben Affleck is the President", it would be funnier to respond "I suppose J-Lo is the First Lady!" than "I suppose Jennifer Garner is the First Lady!"

Doc's line about Jane Wyman might also have been designed to show that he's consumed by his experiments and not quite up to speed on his celebrity marriages.

That's the way I've always thought of it.

No. No it wouldn't.

thats not as hard to swallow as old biff in alternate 2015

Here's a better question -- when Marty was trying to convince Doc that he was from the future, why didn't he show him his digital watch. We know Marty has one, because it started beeping in the diner and Lou looked at him funny.

He probably just didn't think about showing his watch to Doc.

The movie takes place in November so it was after October. Nov 12, 1955 was the date of the storm. Didn't he arrive on Nov 5th?

Yes, he did arrive on Nov. 5, 1955. But the original airdate of the episode
"The Man From Space" was December 31, 1955.

If Marty set the time machine to arrive back in 1985 10 minutes ealier to save Doc, wouldn't an infinite amount of Martys be arriving as time progressed. Every month 4 new Marys would be running around 1985

That would have made for a very interesting sequel.

I have a question about Back to the Future. Did they invent the phrase "This is heavy"? Or did kids back in the 80's actually say that?

I was born in 1980, so I may not qualify, being so young. However, I did not ever say "This is heavy".

Maybe there was some atmosphereic changes to Hill Valley in the 1980's that made Marty coin the phrase.


I might be exempt from answering because i too was young at the time but...

I don't remember anyone using the phrase and i don't recall any other movies using the phrase either.

Whattaya mean?

Same here. BTTF was the first time I ever heard anyone say "this is heavy" in the context it was used in that film.

I'm pretty sure it was a common phrase at the time. Usually meant, "this is a lot to deal with."