These Old Broads
These Old Broads is a 2001 American made-for-television comedy film directed by Matthew Diamond, written by Carrie Fisher and starring her mother Debbie Reynolds, as well as Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, and Elizabeth Taylor in her final film role. In a 2001 BBC Omnibus documentary about Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine says that Julie Andrews and Lauren Bacall were originally planned to be in the film.[1] The role of Miriam Hodges was originally offered to June Allyson.[1]
These Old Broads | |
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DVD cover | |
Written by | Carrie Fisher Elaine Pope |
Directed by | Matthew Diamond |
Starring | Shirley MacLaine Debbie Reynolds Joan Collins Elizabeth Taylor Jonathan Silverman |
Music by | Guy Moon Steve Tyrell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Ilene Amy Berg Laurence Mark |
Producer(s) | Lewis Abel John D. McNamara |
Cinematography | Eric Van Haren Noman |
Editor(s) | Casey O. Rohrs |
Running time | 89 minutes |
Production company(s) | Columbia TriStar Television |
Distributor | Sony Pictures Television |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | December 2001 |
Plot summary
Network television executive Gavin (Nestor Carbonell) hopes to reunite celebrated Hollywood stars Piper Grayson (Reynolds), Kate Westbourne (MacLaine), and Addie Holden (Collins) in a TV special after their 1960s film musical Boy Crazy is re-released to wide public acclaim in the 1990s. Though the three women share the same agent, Beryl Mason (Taylor), Gavin's seemingly insurmountable obstacle is that they all cannot stand one another.
Cast
- Shirley MacLaine as Kate Westbourne
- Debbie Reynolds as Piper Grayson
- Joan Collins as Addie Holden
- Elizabeth Taylor as Beryl Mason
- Jonathan Silverman as Wesley Westbourne
- Pat Crawford Brown as Miriam Hodges (Addie's mother)
- Nestor Carbonell as Gavin
- Peter Graves as Bill
- Gene Barry as Mr. Stern
- Pat Harrington Jr. as Tony Frank
Back story of leads
MacLaine, Reynolds, Collins and Taylor had all crossed paths personally and/or professionally in Hollywood over the years. Collins dated MacLaine's brother, Warren Beatty, when he was just starting his film career.[2] Collins was also put on standby to replace an ailing Taylor in the film Cleopatra but Taylor recovered from her illness and completed the film. Reynolds' husband, Eddie Fisher, left her for a grieving Taylor after his best friend and Taylor's husband, Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash.[3] Reynolds and Taylor had also been close friends before the affair. MacLaine turned down the role of Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown making the role available for Reynolds, who garnered an Oscar nomination for her performance in the film.[4] MacLaine portrayed a character loosely based on Reynolds in Postcards from the Edge, which was also written by Reynolds's daughter, Carrie Fisher.[3]
The story of Kate Westbourne's adopted son Wesley Westbourne, who is actually her biological son from her affair with the late Dick Preston, may have been inspired by the true story of Loretta Young, Judy Lewis and Clark Gable.
References
- "Scandal's History for 'These Old Broads'". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 2001. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- "Joan Collins Shares Steamy Details of Affairs with Harry Belafonte and Warren Beatty". Parade. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- "'These Old Broads' Director Recalls Carrie Fisher's 'Love Letter' to Debbie Reynolds". Variety. December 27, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- "The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)". TCM. Retrieved December 4, 2018.