Imagine playing one of the most iconic scenes in movie history, only to discover, years later, that you've committed a temporal crime against guitar aficionados! That's exactly what happened to Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, and fans have been buzzing about it for decades. But does he even care? Let's dive in.
The famous scene in question? Marty McFly's electrifying performance at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. It's a pivotal moment, filled with energy and that classic '50s vibe. But here's where it gets controversial... Marty borrows Marvin Berry's guitar, a beautiful Cherry Red Gibson ES-345, to unleash his inner rock star, belting out "Earth Angel" and a mind-blowing version of "Johnny B. Goode."
Now, most casual viewers probably wouldn't give the guitar a second thought. But the eagle-eyed fans, the Back to the Future obsessives, and the guitar gurus of the world noticed something amiss. The Gibson ES-345 wasn't actually manufactured until 1958. Back to the Future is set in 1955! Oops.
For years, fans have scratched their heads, wondering why Marty didn't pick up a Gibson ES-350T instead. This model, released in 1955, was famously played by none other than Chuck Berry himself! It would have been a perfect fit! It's like going to a Renaissance fair and ordering a latte – something just doesn't add up.
So, what does Michael J. Fox have to say about all this? In his new memoir, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, he finally addresses the guitar gaffe. Fox, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, acknowledges the "temporal inconsistency that guitar aficionados and Back to the Future fans have pointed out again and again."
He even jokes that this is "noteworthy only for the thousands of Future heads who clock every detail in the movie and parse every quirk in the timeline continuum." So, it's not exactly top-of-mind for him, but he gets the dedication of the fanbase.
And this is the part most people miss... The inclusion of the ES-345 wasn't some clever Easter egg planted by the filmmakers. Fox reveals that the film's art department simply chose the ES-345 because its "iconic wine-red axe" reminded them of the guitars Chuck Berry famously played while duckwalking across stages worldwide. It was purely an aesthetic choice! A choice that has reverberated through time, apparently.
Ultimately, Fox seems pretty relaxed about the whole thing. He says, "both the '55 and '58 versions of the Gibson electric are rare and beautiful instruments; for me, it makes little difference which I played. I've always loved the Gibson E line: big, imposing guitars yet hollow-bodied and therefore lightweight. Even a little guy like yours truly could sling 'em and fling 'em and still make 'em sing." So, from his perspective, it was all about the feel and the look, not the historical accuracy. He's an actor, not a time-traveling historian, right?
Since you're clearly fascinated by Back to the Future's time-bending antics, you might also be familiar with the "bootstrap paradox" present in that very same guitar scene. Marty plays "Johnny B. Goode" in 1955, which inspires Marvin Berry to call his cousin Chuck, who then writes and releases the song in 1958. Marty then learns the song after it's released, travels back in time, and plays it before Chuck Berry even writes it! Mind. Blown. It's a classic chicken-or-the-egg scenario designed to playfully mess with your head, courtesy of director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale. It's a lighthearted gag, not meant to be taken too seriously.
But the story doesn't end there! In June, Fox and Gibson teamed up to launch a search for the actual ES-345 he played in the movie. The guitar mysteriously disappeared after the film's release. "We need your help, we’re trying to find the guitar I played in Back to the Future,” Fox pleaded in a YouTube video. “It’s somewhere lost in the space-time continuum, or it’s in some teamster’s garage.” So, keep an eye out – you might just stumble upon a piece of movie history!
On a more serious note, Michael J. Fox has recently returned to acting after a brief retirement, and he's appearing in the Apple TV+ dramedy Shrinking. It's a particularly meaningful role for him, as he plays a character living with Parkinson's disease, a condition Fox himself has bravely faced since his diagnosis in 1991. He was particularly drawn to the role after discovering lead Harrison Ford's character was diagnosed on the show, indicating a desire to represent the realities of living with Parkinson's on screen.
So, what do you think? Does the guitar gaffe ruin the scene for you, or is it just a minor detail in an otherwise perfect movie? And more importantly, where do you think Marty's guitar is hiding? Let us know in the comments below!
[Image credit: Gibson TV / YouTube.]
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
