"Pretty Woman:" Disney's R-rated success... 30 years before Wolverine
“Pretty Woman” starring Richard Gere as a wealthy corporate raider and Julia Roberts as the streetwalker who catches his eye, was released on March 23, 1990 — 35 years ago Sunday.
It would become the highest-grossing romantic comedy at the time and the biggest-selling R-rated release by Disney — a record it would hold for 34 years, until the release of last year’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
From A Dark Drama To A Romcom
The film that became “Pretty Woman” started out as a drama about prostitution in Los Angeles. Vivian was a cocaine addict. Part of her deal with Edward was that she had to stay clean for a week. She failed and, at the end, Edward tosses her out of his car and back onto the street.
When Walt Disney Studios picked up the project, executives changed that right away to a lighthearted romantic comedy. They also changed the name from “$3,000,” which they felt sounded more like the title of a science fiction film.
Disney hired Garry Marshall — who, in the 1970s, had worked on “The Odd Couple” and created “Happy Days” for television to direct. Only then could Disney begin to trim down the long list of possible actors for the film.
Richard Gere was a known quantity but Julia Roberts was very much an unknown at the time. The stress of filming the risqué scenes caused her to break out in hives. Jason Alexander was cast in a somewhat villainous supporting role, was also an unknown — he had been cast in “Seinfeld,” but that show hadn’t become popular quite yet.
The movie was filmed in and around Beverly Hills and on a budget of $14 million. “Pretty Lady” was released on March 23, 1990, and grossed $11.2 million in its opening weekend and was the fourth highest-grossing film in North America.
Roberts’ work on the film would win her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
'You're Late.' 'You're Stunning' 'You're Forgiven'
Disney originally wanted Meg Ryan for the part of Vivian. Also trying out were Karen Allen, Uma Thurman, Kristin Davis and Lea Thompson. Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly and Drew Barrymore auditioned but were deemed too young to play a prostitute. Julia Roberts, who got the role, had acted in “Steel Magnolias,” but that film hadn’t been released yet.
Disney wanted Sean Connery for the role of Edward, corporate raider. Also auditioned for the part were Al Pacino, John Travolta, Charles Grodin and Burt Reynolds. Christopher Reeve grew angry during his audition, threw down his script and stomped out. The part eventually went to Richard Gere, who had played a male prostitute in 1980’s “American Gigolo.”
Gere thought the script was dull when he read it for the first time. “How would you know?” he told Cosmopolitan magazine. “It was a silly little script, and when it came to me, the part was a suit. It was like: Put someone in the suit, basically.” He agreed to take the part only after Roberts passed a Post-It note to him that said, “Please say yes.”
Gere was 40 years old. Roberts was 21. Marshall worried about Roberts’ accent — she’s originally from Smyrna, Georgia, on the northwest side of Atlanta, and occasionally, her native accent comes out. Marshall addressed this in advance by having Vivian mention she was from Milledgeville — southeast of Atlanta, near Macon.
At one point during production, Disney cut its budget for the film and told Marshall there was no money for Hector Elizondo, who plays the manager of the fancy hotel who befriends Vivian. Marshall responded by paying Elizondo out of his own pocket. After it saw the finished product, Disney relented and reimbursed Marshall.
Much of the film was ad-libbed. When Vivian tells Edward about her dream of being a princess, rescued from her tower by a prince, Roberts made up that story. The ending of the movie hadn’t yet been written. Hearing rumors of “a messy production,” Disney sent executive Jeffry Katzenburg to check into it. He signed off on the film, saying it was very funny.
The necklace Edward gives Vivian to wear at the opera was real, made of rubies and diamonds. It cost $250,000, so security guards were hired to keep an eye on the necklace on the set. The scene where Edward presents the necklace to Vivian and nearly snaps her fingers with the box was unscripted. Roberts’ howl of laughter was genuine.
Both Ferrari and Porsche declined offers for product placement in the film, saying they didn’t want to be associated with prostitution. Plan C — Lotus — snapped up the chance to supply Edward’s wheels, offering a silver 1989½ Esprit SE, with a sticker price of about $85,000. Lotus saw sales of its Esprit triple after the release of the movie.
The Ten Highest-Grossing Romcom Movies
“Pretty Woman” was the biggest-selling rom-com ever. Since then, it’s been joined by a number of others and surpassed by three.
