You are right, there should have been more of the mingling scenes, because the networking is a big part of what George needed to do to get as far as he got. The movie barely touches on this aspect of fame. Stars today do the same kind of public networking but not with as much class. The sawing of the table for a pregnant Rita Hayworth would've been all over the gossip blogs these days criticizing her when back then it was just a cute and amusing nod to her pregnancy and her special star treatment.
I do believe it was The 21 Club in NYC where Leonore and George met. I read she was kicked out of NYC's Stork Club not long before for starting a fight. I'm in the minority here but I loved Robin Tunney as Leonore Lemmon. She won me over in the imagined scene where she puts on Little Richard's "The Girl Can't Help It" over George's guitar playing, LOL. I love that song and I agree, it was much better than that depressing music he brought everyone down with.
My parents, along with my sister and I, all grew up in LA and took trips to NYC now and then because they work in the film business. I think it's why I am very interested in old Hollywood. The class and glamor old Hollywood had is gone these days and replaced with trash, publicly drunk behavior, crazy people looking for attention in weird costumes, and paparazzi cars blocking already unbearable traffic flow. Not to mention if you want to live peacefully outside the city you have to beware fires every year. I had to leave LA LA land three years ago when the paparazzi really started invading privacy and showed complete disrespect and disregard towards people who lived in the areas they invaded. It's much less stress other than the threat of fires in Monterey, and everybody in CA knows if you choose to live in LA it's usually for work.
I love this movie, though, because my grandfather who recommended it says it is very authentic in its style and they even brought back some of the old city hangouts just for the movie. Diane Lane is beautiful and amazing in this one as well. I can't believe Ben Affleck recovered from "Gigli" to do this one!
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mmitsos-1
10 years ago
I LOVED the scene at Ciro's, specifically when Affleck and Lane go outside, and sit on the seat for two. The music playing in the background is a beautiful instrumental called "You're Crying", which can be found on the CD of singer King Pleasure called "Original Moody ' s Mood Recorfings", 2955-1959. Something like that.
I've always wanted to put that piece of music in a film; or if not me, I always wanted to hear it used in some film, somewhere, for the past 30 years or so. It's beautiful.
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lynxx55
8 years ago
Great response, but I wholeheartedly disagree.
Under the studio system, all that class and glamour that you admire was carefully manufactured. Starlets were assigned to be seen in the right wardrobe at the right places with the right people. Appropriate photos and stories were given out to columnists and movie magazines. Studios had publicity/security systems to deal with the press and make sure that any misbehavior or stupid wrongdoing was hushed up.
I envy you living in Monterrey.
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