Rich and Famous (1981)

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Gerald Ayres
John Van Druten (play)

Release Date:

23 September 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

From the very beginning, they knew they'd be friends to the end. What they didn't count on was everything in between.

Plot:

Liz and Merry Noel become friends as college roommates and their friendship endures over the years. Liz becomes a respected "serious" novelist...

Plot Keywords:

College Roommate | Roommate | Friendship | Friend | Rival

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jacqueline Bisset	...	Liz Hamilton
Candice Bergen	...	Merry Noel Blake
David Selby	...	Douglas 'Doug' Blake
Hart Bochner	...	Christopher 'Chris' Adams
Steven Hill	...	Jules Levi
Meg Ryan	...	Debby Blake, 18 Years
Matt Lattanzi	...	Jim, the Boy
Daniel Faraldo	...	Ginger Trinidad
Nicole Eggert	...	Debby Blake, 8 Years
Joe Maross	...	Martin Fornam
Kres Mersky	...	Judy Heller
Cloyce Morrow	...	Martha Antilles
Cheryl Robinson	...	UCLA Voice (voice)
Allan Warnick	...	Desk Clerk
Ann Risley	...	Max's Wife
Damion Scheller	...	Max's Son
Haley Fox	...	Max's Daughter
Fay Kanin	...	Professor Fields
Tara Simpson	...	Stewardess
Herb Graham	...	Waiter
Charlotte Moore	...	Cartier Clerk
William G. Schilling	...	Waldorf-Astoria Doorman (as William Schilling)
John Perkins	...	Limo Driver
Herbert Bress	...	Waiter in Hallway (as Herb Bress)
Alan Berliner	...	Photographer
Don Bachardy	...	Malibu Party Guest
Ruth Storey	...	Malibu Party Guest (as Ruth Conte)
Marsha A. Hunt	...	Malibu Party Guest (as Marsha Hunt)
Christopher Isherwood	...	Malibu Party Guest
Pola Miller	...	Malibu Party Guest
Paul Morrissey	...	Malibu Party Guest
Jennifer Nairn-Smith	...	Malibu Party Guest
Karen Somerville	...	Malibu Party Guest
Roger Vadim	...	Malibu Party Guest
Sandra Smith Allyn	...	Literary Party Guest
Frances Bergen	...	Literary Party Guest
Ray Bradbury	...	Literary Party Guest
Ellen Brill	...	Literary Party Guest
Gwen Davis	...	Literary Party Guest
Frank De Felitta	...	Literary Party Guest
Michael Dewell	...	Literary Party Guest
Nina Foch	...	Literary Party Guest
Elizabeth Forsythe-Hailey	...	Literary Party Guest
Oliver Hailey	...	Literary Party Guest
Randal Kleiser	...	Literary Party Guest
Gavin Lambert	...	Literary Party Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Brandon	...	Max (uncredited)
Dick Cavett	...	Himself (uncredited)
Merv Griffin	...	Himself (uncredited)
Betty Keeney	...	Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Dack Rambo	...	Kent (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gerald Ayres
John Van Druten		play

Produced by
William Allyn	....	producer
Jacqueline Bisset	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Donald Peterman		(as Don Peterman)

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Production Design by
Jan Scott

Art Direction by
Fred Harpman

Set Decoration by
Donald J. Remacle		(as Don Remacle)

Costume Design by
Theoni V. Aldredge

Makeup Department
Candida Conery	....	hair stylist (as Candy Conery)
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Martin Samuel	....	hair style designer: Miss Bergen
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist
Edward Ternes	....	makeup artist (as Ed Ternes)

Production Management
Bill Badalato	....	unit production manager: New York (as William Badalato)
Dennis E. Jones	....	unit production manager (as Dennis Jones)
Ira Loonstein	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Quinn	....	first assistant director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	second assistant director: New York (as Joseph Reidy)
Tom Seidman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alan Hicks	....	set decorator: New York
David Moll	....	property master (as David C. Moll)
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master: New York (as James Raitt)
Robert Reilly	....	property master: New York (as Bob Reilly)
Daniel Robert	....	set decorator: New York (as Dan Robert)
James A. Taylor	....	art director: New York exteriors
Martin A. Kline	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Rick Sternbach	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Hochman	....	sound editor
C. Darin Knight	....	sound (as Darin Knight)
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank M. Reale	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Larry Roberts	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Catharine Bushnell	....	still photographer: New York
Angelo Di Giacomo	....	second assistant camera: New York (as Angelo Digiacomo)
Craig DiBona	....	camera operator: New York (as Craig Dibona)
Peter Eco	....	director of photography: New York
Lawrence Grauman	....	second assistant camera (as Larry Grauman)
Gerald A. King	....	key grip
Dan Lerner	....	camera operator: New York
Kal Manning	....	gaffer
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Nick McLean	....	camera operator
Robert Paone	....	first assistant camera: New York
Keith Peterman	....	first assistant camera
Jonathan Smith	....	first assistant camera: New York
John Verardi	....	second assistant camera: New York

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting: New York
Jane Feinberg	....	casting: Los Angeles
Mike Fenton	....	casting: Los Angeles
Howard Feuer	....	casting: New York
Jeremy Ritzer	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paula Cain	....	costume supervisor: women
Bruce Ericksen	....	costume supervisor
Donna Thomas	....	assistant costume designer (as Donna Tomas)
Peggy Thorin	....	costume supervisor: women

Editorial Department
Bob Ramae	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor
William Saracino	....	music editor

Other crew
Karen Day	....	location auditor
Amy Kastens	....	unit publicist
Sandy Lawrence	....	production secretary
Peter R. McIntosh	....	location manager: New York (as Peter McIntosh)
Florence Nerlinger	....	production coordinator: New York
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Julie Pitkanen	....	script supervisor
Rick Derby	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Kevin King	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jaquet
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  sound re-recording
• The Christie Brothers  furs: Miss Bergen

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:7 | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:13 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Algonquin Hotel - 59 W. 44th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jaquet

Trivia:

Cameo: [Christopher Isherwood]The writer as a Malibu party guest.

Goofs:

Continuity: Merry is in bed when she suddenly comes up with title for her next novel - "Home Cookin'". But a moment later, when she rushes into her office, that title is already scrawled across the blackboard where she jots down her ideas.

Quotes:

Merry Noel Blake:I'm having tables all along here, just spilling over with whatever grows this time of year. The problem with December is there are no strawberries. How am I going to create a big red area in the middle?
Liz Hamilton:Stab one of the guests.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Alien from L.A. (#6.16)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

On The Sunny Side of the Street

An Mediocre Swan Song For A Great Director

Most known as an "Actresses director" and with a long career in Hollywood George Cukor made in 1981 "Rich and Famous" his last film. Compared to some of his classics such as "Born Yesterday" and "It Could Happen to You" and other of his positive filmography this movie is quite disappointing and a mediocre swan song for a brilliant career. And despite the names of Candice Bergen and Jacqueline Bisset among the main characters both actresses are not that well considering that Cukor directed several performances winner of Oscar (that includes the rehearsals he made with Vivien Leigh and all the casting of "Gone With the Wind").

I think that much of my dislike is because of the strange screenplay based on a play written by John Van Druten. It is awkward at some points, it never fully allows a interesting presentation of characters, many of them appears and disappears out of nowhere, the focus in only Bisset's character made the film with one track to follow and the title is about the two friends and nothing is really well developed. And that might have ruined the acting of the cast (except for Hart Bochner who is quite good) and even worst perhaps the casting director didn't worked well and made some unfortunate mistakes.

The story of two great friends (played by Bisset and Bergen), their happy and sad moments; their affection for the same man (David Selby) who married with one of them and was in love by the other; also focuses on their search for love, happiness, comprehension, sex, success, and everything that humans wants or do.

Just like any other classic of the genre these friends are always disagreeing in some things, and their discussions are excessive, sometimes meaningless, other times it just makes you falling asleep. But despite all that it is a good effort from director Cukor, who actually made a impressive and surprising thing here. Although he was part of a old school tradition of directors he really made a 1980's movie, exploring good sexual scenes, something inexistent during most of the time he directed some of the most important classics of all time.

I didn't learned nothing with the plot except that writers are so sentimental about awards (Bergen's character infuriated for sharing a award she received along with another writer) and about their friends starting a career as...writers!

If you like all the people involved in this film watch it, you might enjoy more than I did. It was a good chance to see a very young Meg Ryan in her first film appearance as the troubled daughter of Bergen. 6/10