Studio: Laurence Mark Productions in Association with Berger Queen Productions and Sony Pictures Television
Running time: 89 minutes
These Old Broads (2001)
“Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine (Best Actress in a Leading Role, Terms of Endearment, 1983), Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins and Academy Award Winner Elizabeth Taylor (Best Actress, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966; Butterfield 8, 1960) star together for the first time in this wickedly funny comedy written by Reynolds’ daughter Carrie Fisher (Postcards From the Edge) and Elaine Pope (TV’s “Seinfeld”), and directed by Matthew Diamond (TV’s “Camp Rock”).
“When their ’60s musical film Boy Crazy is re-released and becomes a cult hit, a documentary producer is coerced into reuniting its three actresses (Reynolds, MacLaine and Collins), one of whom is his estranged mother, for a television special. The only problem: the women and their agent (Taylor) all hate each other! In need of cash and incapable of denying themselves another chance in the spotlight, the self-absorbed divas all agree to do the show. But before you can say ‘cut to commercial,’ the claws come out and the catfights begin. It may be a glamorous life on the outside, but it’s much more fun to watch the scandals unfold behind the scenes!" [From the DVD]
Cast
Kate Westbourne: Shirley MacLaine
Piper Grayson: Debbie Reynolds
Addie Holden: Joan Collins
Beryl Mason: Elizabeth Taylor
Wesley Westbourne: Jonathan Silverman
Gavin: Nestor Carbonell
Bill: Peter Graves
Tom: Carlos Jacott
Miriam Hodges: Pat Crawford Brown
Connie: Suzanne Carney
Crew
Executive producers: Carrie Fisher, Elaine Pope, Laurence Mark
Producer: Lewis Abel
Director: Matthew Diamond
Screenplay: Carrie Fisher, Elaine Pope
Photography: Eric Van Haren Noman
Music: Steve Tyrell, Guy Moon
Production design: Alfred Sole
Art director: Jack D. L. Ballance
Set decorations: Don Diers
Editor: Casey O. Rohrs
Assistant director: Richard P. Schroer
Costumes: Nolan Miller
Elizabeth Taylor’s hairstylist: José Eber
Makeup: Christina Smith
The idea for These Old Broads arose from a conversation that took place at Elizabeth’s home between Elizabeth, Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, and Laurence Mark, who would eventually produce the film. The three legendary Golden Age stars lamented the lack of roles for mature actresses and appealed to Carrie to pen something suitable for them. Taking these stars—as well as her mother, Debbie Reynolds—as her muses, and drawing inspiration from Neil Simon’s 1972 play The Sunshine Boys, Fisher set to work on what became These Old Broads.
The part of the fourth “broad,” which ultimately went to Joan Collins, was originally conceived for Lauren Bacall or Julie Andrews. Bacall had a conflicting commitment and ultimately had to drop out. Elizabeth’s Little Women co-star June Allyson, who was cast as Collins’ mother in the film, also departed the project. Allyson does appear, however, in the uncredited role of Lady in Hotel.