The Cat's Meow (2001)

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers (WGA):

Steven Peros (screenplay)
Steven Peros (play)

Release Date:

19 September 2002 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"The Whisper Told Most Often..."

Plot:

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

Plot Keywords:

Yacht | Mistress | Thomas Ince | Murder | Death

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Marion Davies
Edward Herrmann	...	W.R. Hearst
Eddie Izzard	...	Charlie Chaplin
Cary Elwes	...	Thomas Ince
Joanna Lumley	...	Elinor Glyn
Jennifer Tilly	...	Louella Parsons
Claudia Harrison	...	Margaret Livingston
Victor Slezak	...	George Thomas
James Laurenson	...	Dr. Daniel Goodman
Ronan Vibert	...	Joseph Willicombe
Chiara Schoras	...	Celia
Claudie Blakley	...	Didi
Ingrid Lacey	...	Jessica Barham
John C. Vennema	...	Frank Barham
Steven Peros	...	Elinor's Driver
Yuki Iwamoto	...	Kono
Zoi Mavroudi	...	Servant
Despina Mirou	...	Servant (as Despina Morou)
Stavros Serafetinis	...	Servant
Soweto Kinch	...	Jay - Saxophone
Frank Dawkins	...	Andy - Banjo
Roderick Young	...	Pianist
Robert Mitchell	...	Drummer
Richard Böhringer	...	Silent Movie Director
Hendrik Arnst	...	Mr. Cannonball
Diane Agostini	...	Mrs. Ince (voice)

Directed by
Peter Bogdanovich

Writing credits (WGA)
Steven Peros		(screenplay)
Steven Peros		(play)

Produced by
Julie Baines	....	producer
Ernie Barbarash	....	co-producer
Kim Bieber	....	producer
Fenia Cossovitsa	....	line producer: Greece
Martin Hagemann	....	line producer
Carol Lewis	....	producer
Iraklis Mavroidis	....	line producer: Greece
Dieter Meyer	....	producer
Jason Newmark	....	associate producer
Michael Paseornek	....	executive producer
Wieland Schulz-Keil	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ian Whitcomb

Cinematography by
Bruno Delbonnel		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Edward G. Norris		(as Edward Norris)

Production Design by
Jean-Vincent Puzos

Art Direction by
Christian Eisele		(supervising art director)
Susanne Hopf
Loukas Oikonomopoulos		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Daniele Drobny		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Caroline de Vivaise		(as Caroline De Vivaise)

Makeup Department
Mark English	....	hair stylist supervisor
Jacqueline Fowler	....	makeup artist (as Jacqui Fowler)
Kathleen Leersen	....	assistant makeup artist
Trefor Proud	....	hair designer
Trefor Proud	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Nestoras Katsimichas	....	production manager: Greece
Hartwig König	....	production manager: Greece (as Hartwig Konig)
Sevi Morou	....	assistant production manager: Greece
Martin Schlüter	....	unit production manager
Tom Sternitzke	....	production manager: Greece
Philip Stilman	....	post-production supervisor (as Phil Stilman)
Zoi Tsochla	....	assistant production manager: Greece

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gesche Carstens	....	first assistant director
Tatjana Jakovleski	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ana Montarana Alba	....	assistant production designer
Marie-Jo Arnautin	....	artistic painter
Friederike Beckert	....	prop runner
Hubert Bock	....	swing gang
Danny Burke	....	prop master: Greece
Angela Dorsch	....	drawer
Daniele Drobny	....	set designer
Carlo Ferrante	....	architect
Benjamin Forster-Baldenius	....	drawer
Stefan Grebe	....	prop buyer
Marita Götz	....	constructions props
Ingeborg Heinemann	....	art department coordinator
Philipp Hübner	....	stand-by construction (as Paul Philipp Hübner)
Gerassimos Karvounis	....	props: Greece (as Gerasimos Karvounis)
Robert Kellner	....	prop runner
Claudia Kiefer	....	stand-by props
Thomas Krause	....	set construction
Thomas Krause	....	set construction: Greece
Grit Kronacher	....	set dresser
Padraic Mac Donnacha	....	set construction: Greece
Natalja Meier	....	construction drawing assistant (as Natalia Meier)
Christoph Merg	....	prop master
Christoph Merg	....	set dresser
Anne Metzen	....	constructions props
Constanza Niemack	....	graphics
Anja Niesler	....	financial/controller: construction
Henrik Niesler	....	construction manager
Jan Niesler	....	construction art director
Jan Niesler	....	construction supervisor: Greece
Andrea Oberlechner	....	stand-by props assistant
Simon Pasiut	....	set construction: Greece
Santiago Isidro Pin	....	artistic painter (as Santiago Isidropin)
Christian Pralle	....	set construction
Shirley Robinson	....	prop buyer: London
Peter Rose	....	swing gang
Ronald Rudolph	....	construction runner
Markus Schroeder	....	set construction: Greece (as Markus Schroder)
Marius Schroger	....	architect
John Seddal	....	greens: Greece
Constanze Siedenburg	....	prop designer
Holger Stark	....	construction foreman
Ben Stephens	....	greens: Greece
Sascha Strutz	....	swing gang
Peter Stückenschneider	....	set construction: Greece
Ekaterini Thomaidou	....	prop buyer: Greece
Claudia Tietjen	....	art department office
Christian Tircher	....	set construction: Greece
Babis Triantis	....	props: Greece
Günter Unterburger	....	set painter foreman
Anastasis Venetis	....	set construction: Greece
Tom Weber	....	stand-by construction
Pete Wendler	....	head of construction
Lucinda Whittle	....	greens: Greece
Darius Wientzek	....	architect
Philipp Hübner	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Philipp Hübner	....	on-set swing gang (uncredited)

Sound Department
Louis Bertini	....	adr editor
Matthew C. Beville	....	adr mixer: Los Angeles (as Matt Beville)
Sahin Dagdelen	....	assistant sound mixer
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	dialogue editor (as Pam Demetruis)
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer: New York
Robert Jäger	....	sound mixer
Erik Mischijew	....	sound designer
Matz Müller	....	sound designer
Thomas Neumann	....	foley editor
Paul Oberle	....	sound mixer
Alex Raspa	....	adr recordist: New York
Frank 'Talky' Regente	....	boom operator
Chris Roberts	....	adr: London
Günther Röhn	....	foley artist
Peter Sandmann	....	foley artist
Martin Schloemer	....	adr recordist: Los Angeles
Simone Schulz	....	foley recordist
Herbert Wüst	....	boom operator
Matz Müller	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Martin Gaskell	....	special effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Tobias Bauermeister	....	video operator
Isabelle Casez	....	first assistant camera
Birgit Dierken	....	assistant camera
Nicole Dierken	....	clapper loader
Gerd Domde	....	studio electrician
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer (as Richard Foreman)
Paul Freuer	....	key grip
Harald Mellwig	....	second assistant camera
Andre Poser	....	electrician
Johannes Precht	....	electrician
Ron Rakowski	....	gaffer
Mark Ramsey	....	technical supervisor: camera/grip (as Marc Ramsey)
Jorg Santjer	....	electrician
Thomas Schenk	....	studio electrician
Marc Spicer	....	Steadicam operator
Marc Spicer	....	camera operator
Danny Steinbrecher	....	assistant dolly grip
Mario Suter	....	studio electrician
Alexander Fischerkoesen	....	director of photography: Greece, second unit (uncredited)
Jens Winkler	....	assistant camera: Greece, second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sarah Beardsall	....	casting
Annette Borgmann	....	casting: Germany
Beth Bowling	....	casting: USA
Makis Gazis	....	casting: Greece
Iris Müller	....	extras casting
Alexandros Romanos Lizardos	....	assistant casting: Greece (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Isaac	....	assistant costume designer
Sarah Meyer	....	wardrobe
Katja Pothmann	....	costume coordinator
Patricia Saalburg	....	assistant costume designer
Martina Strauss	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Jason Brodkey	....	first assistant editor: New York
Nina Caspers	....	first assistant editor: Berlin
Chris Houghton	....	assistant editor: New York
Traudl Nicholson	....	color timer
Laura Weinberg	....	assistant editor: New York

Music Department
Tim Boatman	....	musician: drums
Bobby Bruce	....	musician: violin
Tim Emmons	....	musician: double bass
James Flatto	....	music editor
Joel C. High	....	music supervisor
Dan Levinson	....	musician: clarinet and saxophone
Tom Marion	....	musician: guitar and mandolin
Geoff Nudell	....	musician: clarinet and saxophone
Fred Sokolow	....	musician: banjo, guitar, mandolin and Hawaiian steel guitar
Chris Tedesco	....	musician: trumpet
Stephanie Lynn Urcheck	....	music coordinator
Ian Whitcomb	....	conductor: The KFI Radio Band
Ian Whitcomb	....	musician: piano, musette, accordion, ukelele and vocals
Randy Woltz	....	musician: drums, xylophone, vibraphone, bells and piano

Transportation Department
Ludger Diekämper	....	transportation manager
Edgar Hainke	....	production driver
Michael Kraft	....	production driver
Jan Kramer	....	production driver
Hubert Malouschek	....	production driver
Mark Naujock	....	picture vehicles: historical vehicles, F.J. Kroger
Michael Schütze	....	production driver
Arndt Stepper	....	driver: props
Wolfgang Werner	....	production driver
Patrick Wiethoff	....	driver: props

Other crew
Matthias Althaus	....	tag advisor
Thodoris Athanasopoulos	....	caterer: Greece
Volker Beyer	....	project controller
Kim Bieber	....	stage producer
Heenan Blaikie	....	legal
Richard Böhringer	....	assistant: Mr. Bogdanovich, Berlin
Paul Cable	....	insurance
Dimitris Chalilopoulos	....	production assistant: Greece
Iris Chester	....	executive assistant: Mr. Bogdanovich
Emily Dische-Becker	....	hospitality
Annette Drees	....	continuity
Geraldine East	....	legal
Christian Ebner	....	assistant accountant
Renate Farber	....	production coordinator
Pari Garvanos	....	production assistant
Luke Golden	....	assistant: Mr. Bogdanovich, New York
Peter Grossman	....	legal: Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler
Ralf Hartmann	....	business affairs: CP Medien
Arlette Heyn	....	production accountant
Sarah Hunt	....	assistant accountant: UK
Claudia Kalindjian	....	publicist
Sandra Lohr	....	production assistant
Michael Marker	....	banker: Deutsche Bank Berlin
Nickoletta Marouli	....	caterer: Greece
Laurie May	....	business and legal affairs: Lions Gate
Felix Neunzerling	....	publicist
Yiannis Nickolopoulis	....	production assistant: Greece
Olga Papada	....	production secretary: Greece
Simon Pasiut	....	production assistant: Greece
Georgia Passali	....	hospitality: Greece
Andreas Pfitzmann	....	floor manager
Viola Retzmann	....	production secretary
Janine Rieger	....	publicity assistant
Jean-Louis Rodrigue	....	movement consultant
Marie Schwarz	....	runner: assistant director
Frieder Sievert	....	assistant floor manager
Natascha Skara	....	production assistant
David Steinberg	....	legal
Jim Sternberg	....	completion bond
Dominique Thibaud	....	banker: National Bank of Canada
Vana Evanthia Tsantila	....	assistant production coordinator
Giorgos Tzanakis	....	production assistant: Greece
Jasmin Wagner	....	production assistant
Frank Weidemann	....	banker: Deutsche Bank Berlin

Thanks
Eric Ayzenberg	....	thanks
Maureen Baker	....	thanks
Dennis Bartok	....	thanks
Darcy Bieber	....	thanks
Arpad Bondy	....	thanks
Sarah Botstein	....	thanks: musician
Paul Brooks	....	thanks: musician
Diana Brown	....	thanks: Department of Culture
Randall Burg	....	thanks
Ken Burns	....	special thanks
Christina Chatzaridou	....	thanks
Julio D'Angelo	....	thanks: musician
Marc Elsner	....	thanks
William K. Everson	....	thanks: in memoriam
Jeff Freilich	....	special thanks
Mrs. Georgiadis	....	thanks: Radio Korasidi
Stuart Goodman	....	thanks
Colin Green	....	thanks: Department of Culture
Mark Hill	....	thanks: musician
Wicky Kalaitzi	....	thanks (as Vicky Kalatzi)
Carvin Knowles	....	thanks: musician
Myrsini Kontou	....	thanks
Ann Kroeber	....	thanks
Gogo Lewis	....	thanks
William Lewis	....	thanks
Tomasz Lipinski	....	thanks: musician (as Tom Lopinski)
Rose Markisello	....	thanks
Mary McDonwell	....	thanks: musician
Loukas Oikonomopoulos	....	thanks (as Loukas Iconomopoulos)
Marty Olinick	....	thanks: musician
John Peros	....	thanks
Bill Rosenfield	....	thanks: musician
Dimitrios Rovatsos	....	thanks
Philipas Rovatsos	....	thanks
Christina Russell	....	thanks: musician
Larry Spier	....	thanks: musician
Jenny Sullivan	....	thanks
Quentin Tarantino	....	special thanks
Dimitris Theocharis	....	thanks
Doctor Theodosiou	....	thanks
Leuteris Vourthis	....	thanks
Vasilis Vourthis	....	thanks
Kevin Wang	....	thanks: musician

Production Companies

• Lions Gate Films (present)
• Dan Films (present)
• CP Medien AG (present) (as CP Medien)
• Erste, Zweite, Dritte, Vierte Cat's Meow CbE, Munich
• KC Medien

Distributors

• Lions Gate Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Swipe Films (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Nelonen (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• New KSM (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)

Other Companies

• A&L Goodbody  legal (as A & L Goodbody)
• AON  insurance
• ARRI München  camera lighting and grip equipment (as Arri Munich)
• ASV Berlin  advisor (as ASV)
• Atelier Idoppelpunkti  color timing
• Blow up Filmtechnik Karl Kresling GmbH  optical works (as Blow Up Filmtechnik)
• Brehm & von Moers  legal (as Brehm und V. Moers)
• Chameleon Service  construction (as Chamaleon Service Berlin)
• Cinemam  catering: Greece
• Completion Guarantors (TGC)  completion bond (as The Completion Guarantors)
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport  thanks (as The Department of Culture, Media and Sport)
• Deutsche Bank  bank (as Deutsche Bank Berlin)
• Domerowski Media and Entertainment Insurance Services  insurance
• F.J. Krüger  picture vehicles: historical
• Filmscapes London  greenery: Greece
• Filpa  thanks
• Hallmark Post Production Ltd.  completion bond
• Ideefixe Productions  line production (as Ideefixe Productions)
• Jauch & Huebener  insurance (as Jauch & Horner)
• Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Goodman  legal (as Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler)
• Magmasters Sound Studios  adr recording: London
• Ministry of Merchantile Marine  thanks
• Music for the Masses  thanks
• National Bank of Canada  bank
• Out of Silence  sound design
• Port Police of Leonidio  thanks
• Pytoria Antomisari Athens  greenery: palmtree hire
• Radio Korasidi  thanks
• Sarah Wiener's Tracking Catering  catering
• Sound House  adr: Cologne
• Sound One  adr: New York
• The Rainbow Garage  thanks (as Rainbow Garage)
• Timeline Postproduction Services  editing facilities
• Volkswagen AG  production vehicles: sponsors of (as Volkswagon)
• Zero Film Berlin  online production services
• Zoom Medienbetreung  publicity (as Zoom)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, a scene of violence and brief drug use

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-11 | UK:12 (video rating) | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Kyparisi, Greece

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Released theatrically in US. In UK, it was originally released on TV, but was given a theatrical release after its TV success.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The rubber-ball fenders seen as the Onida is docked are of a modern (c. 1970) design. Period fenders would have been white and cylindrical.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man in crowd:Stop pushing! Stop pushing!
[unintelligible yells from crowd]
Man in crowd:Please, calm down!
Elinor Glyn:[voiceover] In November of 1924, during a weekend yacht party bound for San Diego, a mysterious death occurred within the Hollywood community. However there was no coverage in the press, no police action, and of the fourteen passengers on board only one was ever questioned by authorities...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: The Cat's Meow" (????)

Soundtrack:

Whispering

Peter Bogdanovich is back, folks

I have to say, I thought the Cat's Meow was the cat's pajamas. Peter Bogdanovich has made a story out of an event whose outcome is still unexplained. What's more, it feels like it actually could've happened. The interactions between the characters leading up to the act are given much more screen time than the actual act itself. So when it happens, it doesn't seem preposterous at all.

The story concerns newspaper honcho William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann) and company celebrating the birthday of Hollywood producer Thomas Ince (Cary Elwes) on Hearst's yacht. That company includes Hearst's lover/actress Marion Davies (Kirsten Dunst), Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard), author Elinor Glyn (Joanna Lumley), gossip columnist for Hearst's newspaper Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilley), and Tom's lover. Tom hopes to negotiate a contract with W.R. Hearst for Marion to star in his next few films, but Hearst is more concerned about the attraction between Marion and Chaplin. Elinor is nearby to dispense advice, while Louella unsuccessfully attempts to mingle. There's also a pair of party girls on board attempting to have a raucous time as possible.

The Cat's Meow has an eclectic ensemble with a Robert Altman-esquire taste to it. Edward Herrmann's role may be the most challenging, because he has to juggle eccentric, warmth, and jealousy as W.R. Hearst. Joanna Lumley is wonderfully dry. And for those like me who only remember Eddie Izzard for his droll stand-up work, he's surprising in this film. He's quite good as Charlie Chaplin. Kirsten Dunst is the biggest name on the cast. She's very fetching in the Cat's Meow, and this represents a change of pace from her dearth of Hollywood-oriented films.

As good as the cast is, this is really just as much Peter Bogdanovich's film. After the excellent Last Picture Show, he sort of faded away and made smaller films (The Thing Called Love, for example). Although The Cat's Meow will not make him a household name, hopefully maybe his work will garner more attention again. His direction is very good here.

Oh, I should also mention the costume design and music here. The production values in general are excellent in imitating the feel of that era. I was reminded a little of Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (and not just the Jennifer Tilly connection). Anyways, The Cat's Meow is a good movie with interesting characters and thoughtful direction.