It should come as no surprise that we went through many rounds of brainstorming or name, lots of coffee, possibly lots of Scotch. But then in a flash of inspiration, we found it! All the months of frustration quickly disappeared.

The Atomic Kid is a 1954 film that was playing at the Hill Valley theatre [in the BTTF films]. The science fiction comedy starred Mickey Rooney as a uranium prospector who accidentally stumbles into an atomic test site, survives the detonation of an atomic bomb, and gains unusual powers after being irradiated. It’s certainly not one of Rooney’s finest roles, but quirky and playful nature of the story along with all the nostalgic scientific imagery that is conjured up from that time period really resonated with us.

Ultimately, we are all kids at heart. If we can’t find a way to infuse play in our every day work and life, then we personally believe it would be a pretty dull existence. We are all very grateful to have clients and colleagues like you that allow us to support ourselves through hours of creative “play”.

Bob Gale has commented that the mention of the film on the marquee is the last remnant of earlier scripts for the film. The first draft, written in 1980, called for Marty to travel to an atomic test site in order to get the power to return to his present, an idea that came from seeing the film. In later drafts, including the fourth draft, and as mentioned in the novelization, Marty paid 50 cents to watch the film — which he had never seen on television — in order to pass the time while he waited to bring the DeLorean to Doc.

Like Michael J. Fox, Mickey Rooney’s diminutive height (5’4″), youthful appearance, and charisma permitted him to portray teenage characters well into his 20s, although by 1954, he was 34 and no longer a “kid”. Robert Strauss, like Christopher Lloyd, was a stage actor who was known in film for his distinctive voice, and appeared in comedies and dramas. Strauss was in his 40s when The Atomic Kid was filmed.

The above has been referenced from the Futurepedia (wiki) site. We thank them for compiling all these fun facts!

Atomic Kid Studios is in no way affiliated with Universal Studios. “Back to the Future” images and references are property of Universal Studios, all rights reserved.