Trivia

The opera Richard Gere takes Julia Roberts to is La Traviata, which is about a prostitute who falls in love with a wealthy man.

Richard Gere is actually playing the piano. He also composed the piece of music that is played.

Richard Gere started off much more active in his role, but Garry Marshall took him aside and said "No, no, no. Richard. In this movie, one of you moves. And one of you doesn't. Guess which one you are?"

The red coat that Vivian wears was bought for $30 from a movie usher in the street shortly before filming.

Ralph Bellamy's final movie.

The car that Edward picks up Vivian in belonged to producer Nancy Gross.

Al Pacino turned down the role of Barney Thompson.

Disney didn't want Julia Roberts for the role of Vivian, instead they wanted Meg Ryan. Other actresses who were considered for the role of Vivian before Julia Roberts got the part were: Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner Debra Winger, Geena Davis, Carrie Fisher, Bo Derek, Kelly McGillis, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Madonna, Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Thompson, Rosanna Arquette, Heather Locklear, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joan Cusack, Phoebe Cates, Elisabeth Shue, Tatum O'Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane and Justine Bateman.

The necklace that Vivian wears to the opera really cost $250,000. While filming, a security man from the jewelry store equipped with a gun was constantly standing behind the director.

Voted #4 Must See Movie of all time by listeners of Capital FM in London.

When Edward is reading to Vivian in the park, he's reading from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29: "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes."

During the lovemaking scene, Julia Roberts got so nervous a visible vein popped out of her forehead. Director Garry Marshall got into bed with Julia and Richard Gere. Marshall and Gere massaged her forehead until the vein disappeared. Julia also broke into hives and was given calamine lotion until they were finally able to shoot the scene.

John Travolta auditioned for the role of Edward.

Jennifer Connelly reportedly turned down the role of Vivian.

Kristin Davis did an audition for the role of Vivian but turned it down.

Drew Barrymore tried to audition for the role of Vivian, but had to turn down because director Garry Marshall felt that she was too young for the part.

Sarah Jessica Parker was offered the role of Vivian, but she disliked the part. However, Parker would play a sexy character many years later, Carrie Bradshaw, on the popular TV series Sex and the City.

In Spain, Pretty Woman is one of the most successful movies ever shown on TV. As of May 2011, there have been 14 re-runs of the movie on TV, and it has always had ratings between 19.0% and 55.6%

The film's budget was not limited, therefore producers could acquire as many locations as possible for shooting on their estimated USD 14,000,000. The majority of the film was shot in Los Angeles, California, to be specific, in Beverly Hills. The escargot restaurant scene was filmed at the Rex, now called Cicada. Filming of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel lobby interior was shot at the now torn-down Ambassador Hotel. Filming commenced on July 24, 1989, but was immediately plagued by countless problems, including issues with space and time. This included Ferrari and Porsche, who had declined the product placement opportunity of the car Edward (Richard Gere) drove, because they did not want to be associated with soliciting prostitutes. Lotus Cars UK saw the placement value with such a major feature film. This gamble paid off as Esprit sales tripled between 1990 and 1991. The company supplied a Silver 1989.5 Esprit SE, which was later sold. The film's primary shooting was completed on October 18, 1989.

The three tableaux used during the opera scene are when Violeta meets Alfredo at a party, Violeta abandons Alfredo at his father's request and the final scene where Violeta dies.

The movie was originally titled '3000' (after the amount of money Vivian & Edward finally agree upon for her week of service), but later changed to Pretty Woman, after the Roy Orbison track used in the soundtrack.

According to an interview in 2009, director Werner Herzog was approached by Richard Gere to direct the film when it was still a dark drama. He politely declined.

Dennis Quaid was considered for the role of Edward Lewis.

Garry Marshall:  the voice over of the man digging through the trash outside of "Stallone's" house (dubbed due to poor sound quality).

The movie was initially intended to be a dark drama about prostitution in Los Angeles in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The relationship between Vivian and Edward also harbored controversial themes, including the concept of having Vivian addicted to cocaine; part of the deal was that she had to stay off it for a week. She needed the money to go to Disneyland. Edward eventually throws her out of his car and drives off. The movie was scripted to end with Vivian and her prostitute friend on the bus to Disneyland. These traits, considered by producer Laura Ziskin to be detrimental to the otherwise sympathetic portrayal of her, were removed or incorporated into the character of Vivian's friend, Kit. These "cut scenes" have been found in public view, and some were included on the DVD released on the movie's 15th anniversary. One such scene has Vivian offering Edward, "I could just pop ya good and be on my way", indicating a lack of interest in "pillow talk". In another, she is confronted by drug dealers outside of The Blue Banana, and rescued by Edward and Darryl. One example of a changed plotline was when Edward breaks into the bathroom to find Vivian flossing her teeth instead of doing drugs as he had feared. In the original script she was doing drugs.