“What’s your dream?” Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman was all about big dreams, Hollywood-sized dreams. Unsurprisingly, the 1990 romantic comedy became a smash hit, launching starlet Julia Roberts’ career and forever instilling the concept of the “hooker with a heart of gold” into pop culture terminology. As an expert film reviewer, I will enlighten you on the ten surprising untold facts you must know about Pretty Woman. Let’s start!
10 Untold Facts about Pretty Woman:
The Film’s Original Version Ended At Disneyland
Even though 3000 was a dark show, it concluded with Vivian and her best friend Kit heading to The Happiest Place on Earth: Disneyland. That scene was later cut after the film was restyled as a rom-com, but it proved oddly prophetic of its future—Disney eventually produced the film.
Originally, The Film Was Much Darker!
J.F. Lawton’s original script, titled 3000, wasn’t a love tale and didn’t have a happy ending. Instead of a rom-com about two different people falling in love, it was a gritty story about two damaged people who spent a week together, ending in tears and no chance for a balcony-set reunion scene.
At Least Four Screenwriters Worked On The Final Script For Pretty Woman
Although Lawton is the only credited screenwriter on the film, which means he provided more than half of its content, other writers, including Stephen Metcalfe (Cousins), Robert Garland (No Way Out), and Barbara Benedek, worked on it to make it the beloved gem it is today (The Big Chill).
Julia Roberts Was Intrigued By The Picture From The Start
No, seriously! The darker 3000, Lawton’s first version of the story, was a well-regarded script scheduled to be made before its production company went bankrupt. Even in its grittier incarnation, the young Roberts was intrigued by playing Vivian. She was always going to be an attractive lady.
The Film Was Filmed Entirely At The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel
It was mostly for practical reasons; it was the only hotel in Beverly Hills that allowed Marshall to shoot inside and outside. (Fans of the movie can book a “Pretty Woman for a Day” stay at the hotel.) Additional scenes were shot at the nearby Ambassador Hotel, which was demolished in 2005. It was the same Ambassador Hotel where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.
It Is The Fourth Most Successful Love Comedy In American History
Pretty Woman has a total box office take of just over $178.4 million, trailing only My Big Fat Greek Wedding, What Women Want, and Hitch, making it the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 1990s (There’s Something About Mary, which opened in 1998, is just behind it with $176,484,651).
Pretty Woman is a drama with a “Cinderella Complex.”
Online ticket office information The Box Office Mojo classifies the picture as having a “Cinderella Complex” alongside Ever After, She’s All That, and The Devil Wears Prada. Pretty Woman is the category’s second-highest-grossing picture, trailing only My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Even The Infamous Shopping Sequence Is Included In The Initial Screenplay
The scene in which some rude saleswomen at a Beverly Hills boutique refuse to sell to Vivian because they don’t believe she can afford anything stays unaltered throughout the film’s many screenplay changes. Vivian returns to the store in 3000 to show off her wares after a more successful shopping trip, but she does not use the seminal “Big mistake!” line.
One Of The Film’s Most Significant Final Lines Was Added By A Woman
While producer Laura Ziskin is frequently credited with turning the film into a fairytale, this is not entirely correct (again, at least four writers worked on this feature alone); she did contribute one of the film’s closing lines: “She saves him right back,” an emboldened Vivian says on a filthy fire escape after Edward arrives to, well, rescue her.
La Traviata Is The Opera That Vivian And Edward Watch
Vivian almost peed her pants because the opera was so amazing! But it’s also an opera strangely reflective of the tale because La Traviata is also about a prostitute who falls in love with a wealthy gentleman. However, that story concludes tragically, with courtesan Violetta contracting tuberculosis, singing one last song, and dying in her lover’s embrace.
How Old Was Julia Roberts In Pretty Woman?
Pretty Woman was released on March 23, 1990, and Julia Roberts was born on October 28, 1967. As a result, Julia Roberts was between the ages of 22 and 23 when she starred in Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts is a 55-year-old actor and producer from the United States.
How Old Was Richard Gere In Pretty Woman?
Richard has appeared in several blockbuster hits but was chosen in Pretty Woman at 41. The 1990 picture, in which he co-starred with Julia Roberts, told the tale of a romance between a wealthy businessman and a Sunset Boulevard prostitute.
In Pretty Woman, What Opera Do They See?
The opera in Pretty Woman was La Traviata. Vivian, the Julia Roberts character, attends the opera for the first time in Pretty Woman. Nonetheless, La Traviata brings her to tears.
When Was Pretty Woman Filmed?
The film’s budget was substantial, at $14 million, allowing producers to record in various locations. Most filming occurred in Los Angeles, particularly in Beverly Hills, and on soundstages at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. The escargot eatery “Voltaire” was filmed at the restaurant “Rex,” which is now known as “Cicada.” The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles was used to film scenes staged in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel lobby. Filming began on July 24, 1989, but was plagued by difficulties. Ferrari and Porsche declined product placement opportunities for the car Edward drove because neither company wanted to be affiliated with prostitutes. Lotus Cars recognised the opportunity and provided a Silver 1989+12 Esprit SE. (which was later sold).
What Year Was Pretty Woman Released?
Pretty Woman was released on June 1, 1990.
What is the Pretty Woman IMDB Rating?
The IMDB rating of Pretty Woman is 7.1/10.
Did They Use A Body Double in Pretty Woman?
Julia Roberts made her big screen debut in 1990 with the picture Pretty Woman. Few people know the intriguing story of Roberts’s body double in the film, who filled in for the star during some of the film’s steamy sequences. Julia Roberts’ physical double for “Vivian” actress Julia Roberts
In reality, there were several scenes in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts did not play “Vivian.” Shelley Michelle, her body double, stood in for the film’s early close-ups of “Vivian’s” body and on the movie cover, which edited Roberts’s head onto Michelle’s body! According to IMDb, Michelle’s famous legs were the product of years of professional dance training, and she even insured them for around $1 million.
What Was the Pretty Woman Film Cast?
The cast of Pretty Woman included the following:
- Julia Roberts plays Vivian Ward, a free-spirited Hollywood prostitute, and Richard Gere plays Edward Lewis, a wealthy New York corporate raider who employs Vivian as his escort for a week.
- Ralph Bellamy plays James Morse, the proprietor of the troubled shipbuilding firm Morse Industries.
- Edward intends to replace Jason Alexander as Phillip Stuckey, Edward’s insensitive lawyer Héctor Elizondo as Barnard “Barney” Thompson
- the dignified and soft-hearted hotel manager Laura San Giacomo as Kit De Luca, Vivian’s sarcastic wisecracking best friend and roommate who taught her the prostitution trade.
- David Morse, James Morse’s grandson, is played by Alex Hyde-White and is being groomed to take over Morse’s shipbuilding business.
- Amy Yasbeck plays Phillip’s fiancée, Elizabeth Stuckey.
- Bridget, a friend of Barney Thompson who works in a women’s clothing shop, is played by Elinor Donahue.
- Mark Roth, a businessman in Edward’s workplace, is played by John David Carson.
- Judith Baldwin plays Susan, Edward’s ex-girlfriend whom he meets at Phil’s gathering at the film’s start. She recently married, and Edward’s assistant was one of the bridesmaids.
- Dey Young acts as a snobbish clothing shop salesWoman
- Mr Hollister, played by Larry Miller, is a clothing shop manager where Vivian purchases her new wardrobe.
- Hank Azaria, in the role of an investigator
- Patrick Richwood as Night Elevator Operator Dennis
- James Patrick Stuart as Dennis, the day bellhop
What Are The Two Interesting Pretty Woman Wiki Facts?
An interesting fact about Pretty Woman is that Roberts competed against several of Hollywood’s leading males. Sam Neill, Tom Conti, and Charles Grodin were among them. Of course, Richard Gere ultimately landed the role of Edward Lewis.
The second fact is that the image does not feature Julia Roberts. On the film’s classic poster, Roberts wears a very recognisable outfit, but the colours of her dress are all wrong. (Pink and black instead of white and blue). But there’s something else wrong: that physique does not belong to Roberts! Shelley is a body double. Roberts’ head was subsequently superimposed onto Michelle’s body after Michelle posed for the photo.
Author Bio:
This article is written by Emma Charlotte, a research analyst working with a based academic writing service provider company, The Academic Papers UK. It is the best firm which offers a wide range of academic services, including essay writing, coursework writing and dissertation writing services.
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