The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski is a movie about The Dude, a slacker living in California. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buschemi, and Tara Reid. It was written and directed by the Coen brothers.

Movie influences

It's a Wonderful Life

Desk scene similar to It's a Wonderful Life with Potter behind the imposing desk.

Life with Mikey

Desk scene also similar to Life with Mikey with David Huddleston playing character behind the desk.

Batman (tv series)

The nihilists say,"No funny stuff!" In Batman the tv series Mr. Freeze says, "No monkey business!" in a similar accent.

Conan the Barbarian

A wandering daughter job (The Princess / Bunny Lebowski)
Wealthy, smooth-talking bad guy with flesh-based business hosts hedonistic parties (Thulsa Doom / Jackie Treehorn)
Writer/Director John Milius was the inspiration for Walter Sobchak
Arnold Schwartzenegger was also in The Long Goodbye
Rexor and Thorgrim / Treehorn thugs
King Osric / Jeffrey Lebowski
The Witch / Maude Lebowski
Animal attacks. The Dude is attacked by a marmot. Conan is attacked by wolves, snakes, and vultures. Conan's father is attacked by wardogs.
The two musical interludes parallel Conan's escape from slavery and his crucifixion.
A beloved main character dies in battle and is cremated. There is a funeral near the beach.

The Wizard of Oz

Bunny = Dorothy
Alternatively the Dude can be viewed as the Dorothy character
Dude, Walter, and Donnny are lion, scarecrow, and tin man
Coen brothers admit to being inspired by the Wizard of Oz.
The Big Lebowski and the Wizard both present an imposing fascade.
The Dude panics when burned, similar to the Scarecrow, and throws liquid on it.

Road House

Fight scenes
Ben Gazzara (criminal boss in both movies) Brad Wesley / Jackie Treehorn
Sam Elliot
The Dude's hair is similar to Sam Elliot's. At one point he ties his bangs back in a similar style with a clip. Elliot used an elastic band.
Brad Wesley has a young blonde friend who resembles Bunny Lebowski

Cutter's Way

Jeff Bridges character Richard Bone is a slacker/underemployed
Best friend Alex Cutter is an emotionally unstable Vietnam veteran
Story revolves around the murder of a 17 year old girl similar to Bunny.
Murder theory originates with Bone who is somewhat uncertain and tentative, but it is embraced by Cutter, similar to the kidnapping theory in Big Lebowski
Alex gets called an asshole
Alex and Walter both express strong political opinions
Alex damages someone's car on the street, then the enraged homeowner arrives and attacks his car.
Alex's disregard for the police mirrors Walter's after the Smokey incident
Bridges' car breaks down while he is driving down a narrow street. He realizes he is being followed by another car.
Alex likes to wave a gun around
Alex and Walter saw people die "face down in a ditch" / "face down in the muck".
Richard is friendly with George, a pudgy, gentle man who looks like the landlord in The Big Lebowski. Both George and the landlord wear Adidas shirts.
Similar post-sex scene with naked woman in bed conversing with Bridges as he stands at foot of bed
Similar scene where Bridges is taken to a police station and converses with a detective/chief
Similar diner scene except they sit at table instead of the counter
Mo wears loose fitting robes similar to Maude Lebowski
Valerie resembles Bunny Lebowski
JJ Cord's house resembles Lebowski's house. Cord is a millionaire like Jeffrey Lebowski.
Location in Santa Barbara not far from Malibu where Treehorn lives.
Alex and Walter walk with a limp (after the dropoff scene in Lebowski)
Alex seeks justice independent of the system and Walter does too. Both hate nihilism.
Alex and Walter hate the rich.
Neither story has much to do with Vietnam other than the way it affects the main characters
Alex and Walter fly into similar rages
The phrase "Thai stick" is used
Bone and the Dude both went to college and underachieved while their friends went to Vietnam
Alex says, "that murdering bastard", in the same way Walter says, "that f'ing b".
Mid-story the Dude takes a break to go bowling. Bone takes a break to go sailing.
Lebowski: "Strikes and gutters", and "Gutterballs". Cutter's: "Gutter squalor"
A police officer is called a fascist in both movies
A fight is averted by someone holding back the belligerents.
There is a reference to Bone's car having been stolen once. The dude gets his car stolen.
A car is torched in both movies
Sunglasses are prominent in conflict scenes
Mrs. Cord's goons punch Bone and she says, "I do hope you weren't hurt," similar to Maude Lebowski.
Cord's back is turned and he is staring out the window when Bone enters his study.
Cutter avoids fights by saying he's a cripple. The Dude attempts to prevent Walter from attacking Lebowski by saying he's a cripple.
Cord and Lebowski, confronted by Bone and the Dude's accusations, both respond imperiously. Cord: "What if it were?" Lebowski: "Well aren't you?"

Scarface

Jackie Treehorn resembles Tony's employer, Frank Lopez. White suit, drink in hand, pleasant demeanor, swanky home, comfortable sofa.

Chinatown

Julianne Moore's (Maude) robotic voice and mannerisms are similar to Faye Dunaway's Evelyn Mulwray.
Similar bedroom scene

Life Stinks

Outdoor funeral scene where ashes blow all over the main characters. Inspired by a real life incident in which Mel Brooks accompanied his friend Howard Morris to the Hudson River to scatter the ashes of his father.

The Big Sleep

Film noir in which a wheelchair-bound millionaire hires a detective (Humphrey Bogart) in a case involving pictures of his daughter.
Written by Raymond Chandler. Complicated, but ultimately unimportant plot.
Screenplay William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, +1
Shamus. Private detective
Flirtatious young blonde in a mansion (Carmen Sternwood/Bunny Lebowski)
He went to college.
Vivian Sternwood/Maude Lebowski

42nd Street

Musical made in 1933 with some of the same shots seen in the bowling alley dream sequences.

The Long Goodbye

Slacker Eliot Gould is a detective in southern California who goes shopping at the supermarket.
Two cops barge into his apartment and treat him disrespectfully, rifling through his stuff. One of them picks up a bronzed baby shoe and asks, "What is this?"
"Are you gainfully employed?"
His free-spirited neighbors resemble Bunny.
"You didn't go to college."
There is a bowling pin in the apartment.
Goons break into apartment looking for money. Boss says find my money.
Goons go through Marlowe's dirty laundry, whites.
Erev shabbos.
Malibu beach party
Delirious ranting: Marlowe threatens to call Ronald Reagan on the cop (Ronald Reagan/Ron Kuby)
Threatening castration to find money
Running by side of road ending in ambulance sirens
Poorly disguised following (Harry/DaFino)
Bad guy boss mutilates his own woman to try to scare Marlowe
Ethnically diverse group of criminal henchmen
Marlowe is used as a convenient way to make some money disappear
Marlowe continually uses strike-anywhere matches to light his cigarettes. The Dude uses a strike-anywhere match while he is in bed with Maude.
Exaggerated repetition:"your crazy looneytoon husband could have killed Sylvia Lennox. Could have killed Sylvia Lennox." (That poor woman)
Marty Augustine sounds like Marty Ackerman
High-maintenance pets
Dog barking during time of tension
Nina van Pallandt also in Cutter's Way
Written by Raymond Chandler, screenplay by Leigh Brackett
Marlowe is a man out of step with the 1970s, wearing old-fashioned clothes, chain-smoking, and holding attitudes more consistent with the 1940s. In contrast, the Dude fits right into his time and place, and the Stranger states this at the beginning of the film.

North by Northwest

Mistaken identity
Pencil rubbing trick to see last message written on notepad.
Protagonist is drugged then arrested
What is this a joke or something? / Is this some sort of a joke?
The name Jackie Treehorn sounds like Alfred Hitchcock

Fletch

Visit to millionaire's house, impressive office
Degrees and commendations displayed, subtle reference to not going to college
Blonde on chair by the pool
Visit to doctor for physical examination, "drop your shorts"
Violent police chief meeting

Blazing Saddles

David Huddleston gives a speech about achievement
"By gum, we're not going to give up now." / "By god, sir, I will not abide another toe."

Reservoir Dogs

Steve Buscemi
"Hey, come on, are we on a playground here, huh? Am I the only professional?" - Mr. Pink (Buscemi) / "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules." ... "Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?" - Walter (Goodman)

Cutter's Way sequel theory

Theory that The Big Lebowski is a sequel to Cutter's Way.

According to this theory Mrs. Cord witnesses the killing of J.J. Cord. Convinced that Cord murdered Vicky Duran, she is disgusted with her husband and helps Richard escape justice. She testifies that Alex was the shooter and that Richard was trying to prevent him from firing the gun. According to this version of events, Richard went to JJ Cord to discuss the situation, warn him that Alex's mental health was deteriorating, and to ask him to help Alex with his PTSD and delusional fantasies. This is when Alex comes crashing through the window and the tragedy occurs. George also testifies supporting this version of events.

Later in life Mrs. Cord meets her second husband, Jeffrey Lebowski, and dies leaving him the house. Her daughter, Maude Lebowski, is not seen in the events of Cutter's Way. Mrs. Cord and her daughter take on the Lebowski name to avoid association with J.J. Cord.

The Dude ends up living in an apartment complex owned or managed by his friend, George.

Evidence

Takes place approximately nine years later.
The Dude is uncomfortable with his name Jeffrey Lebowski, preferring simply "The Dude", "his dudeness", or "El duderino", so it is plausible that he changed it.
Richard Bone shows a predilection towards inventing pseudonyms using the names of his friends, going by "Richard Alexander" at a party.
The Dude's landlord. George Swanson is the only character besides The Dude to appear in both movies, though he also changes his name (to Martin Randahl which the Dude corrupts to "Monty").
The Dude is concerned that "they're gonna kill that poor woman" because he possibly experienced the same thing with Mo Cutter and Vicky Duran.
Upon meeting the Big Lebowski, the Dude seems comfortable and familiar with the house. The Big Lebowski seems unaware of their connection.
Maude Lebowski notes that the family wealth was "all mother's".

References

https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/big-lebowski-coen-influences