This article was originally published on Kueez
1. Added Security On The Movie Set
You may have wondered that the stunning necklace of Vivian must be just a prop. It normally is the case whenever we see a lot of jewelry in movies, but that wasn't the case. In fact, it was a custom made necklace by French jeweler Fred Joaillier and at time it was worth $250,000.
Given how expensive the necklace was, it was always escorted by a security guard. The security was there to ensure the necklace was never left alone and it makes a lot of sense.
2. Recreating The Snail Scene
In the movie, we see how Vivian finds Edward's new world a little challenging to live in. In one of the scenes, Vivian tries escargot for the first time. As snails are not easy to eat, she still gives it a try and it slips out of her hands. The waiter catches it and says "it happens all the time."
The late Garry Marshall loved the scene so much that he recreated it in his later film, The Princess Diaries. In that movie, Mia Thermopolis tries to break the champagne glass and the same waiter reuses the same line.
3. Julia Almost Didn't Make Into The Film
Although Julia Roberts was initially cast in the movie to play the role of Vivian, the rights of the film were sold off to Disney and she was out of the role as a result of some executive decisions.
Fortunately, things were put back the way they were and Garry Marshall was given the charge and he insisted on reverting to the original cast because he believed that Julia would make the movie a big hit. Just imagine the movie without her.
4. Buying Jacket On The Street
The outfit of Vivian that became synonymous with her character was a blonde wig, mini dress, thigh-high boots, and red jacket. Although this costume is very famous, not many people know that the costume department didn't even have the jacket at the time of the shoot.
So, they had to scramble in an attempt to find a jacket for Julia Roberts. They found a girl while walking down the street and had to pay her $30 to buy her red jacket.
5. A Totally Unplanned Scene
Many directors decide to include unplanned scenes into their movies because of the originality in them. In one of the scenes from the movie, Edward Lewis presents Vivian Ward with a diamond necklace and simply slams the box shut. But this part was unplanned.
It is because Richard Gere came up with the idea of slamming the box shut to see Julia's reaction. And it worked out more than fine as the beautiful actress lets out a huge laugh. That's why this scene is pure gold.
6. Julia Roberts Enjoyed Perks of The Film
Julia Roberts loved working in the film and her favorite scene is when she drove the expensive car down Hollywood Boulevard. When asked about her favorite scene, she said, “I don’t know, driving around in the car in Hollywood was pretty hilarious."
Roberts was only 21-years-old at that time and she admitted that she didn't know how to drive a car that well. Even though Roberts wasn't good at driving a car, the director still wanted her to give it a try. That explains why she hit the gas while driving the car and the cameraman could hardly keep up.
7. It Was All Fun and Games On The Set
There is one of the classic scenes in the movie in which we can see Vivian belting out hits from Prince and at that moment Edward walks in to have a chat with her. He wanted to talk to her about how much money he would be paying Vivian. Upon hearing it, she dunks herself underwater to show her excitement.
While shooting that scene, the entire crew decided to play a prank on her. Garry Marshall, Richard Gere, rest of the crew, walked out of the room. So, when she came back up, there was no one in the room.
8. Richard Gere Surprised Everyone
There is one scene in the movie in which Edward had to play the piano in the hotel. The production team wanted to hire a pianist for the scene, but they didn't because Richard Gere showed them that he was hiding his talent of playing the piano. In fact, he showed that he is pretty good at it.
He not only played the piano, but he also composed the same song for that scene. He discovered his musical talents back when he used to play the trumpet in high school.
9. Julia Roberts Battled Nervousness
Julia Roberts read the script and accepted it knowing very well that she would be performing many romantic scenes in the movie. So, when it actually came to shooting those scenes, she was so nervous that a vein popped out her forehead.
Due to the popping forehead vein, everything had to be stopped to give her a head massage. It took some time to bring everything back to normal.
10. A Real Fight Scene
There is one scene in the movie in which Edward fights with his lawyer Philip Stuckey. Although the stunts clearly briefed both actors on how to make the fake fighting look real, it didn't turn out as expected.
During the filming of the actual scene, the two actors went a little bit rougher and the situation got intense to the point that Edward knocked a crown on his tooth loose. Yes, it happened and no one knows why and how the fight became so intense. Maybe there was something else between the two actors that led to an actual fight.
11. A Hidden Opera Message
How can we forget the scene in which Edward takes Vivian to the opera to see the Italian La Traviata? Well, the viewers didn’t know that the opera was about a man who falls head over heels with a lady of the night.
So, this is exactly what happens in Pretty Woman. But the opera has a heartbreaking ending: the woman dies and it leaves her lover devastated and broken. We know that the ending of Pretty Woman is quite beautiful as both Vivian and Edward live happily ever after.
12. A Hugely Successful Movie – Both Critically and Commercially
Did you know that Disney bought the rights of the movie in a last-minute move? Well, they could never have predicted the movie would become such a big hit. After all, Julia Roberts was just an up and coming young actress at that time. However, the movie went on to make $463.4 million at the box office - something that surprised Disney more than anyone else.
Critics also loved the movie and it is now one of the most well-known and successful romantic comedies. This movie helped a lot in making Julia Roberts one of the highest-paid actresses.
13. The Real Set of Pretty Woman
Although Pretty Woman was filmed in and around the upscale Beverly Hills and film studios in Los Angeles, the Regent Beverly Wilshere Hotel was the only hotel that actually allowed both indoor and outdoor shooting. That's why the majority of the film is shot there.
Some scenes were filmed nearby Ambassador Hotel, which was later demolished in 2005.
14. The Gorgeous Red Dress Fact
Did you know that the famous and super gorgeous red dress that Vivian wore to the opera was never almost red? The color of the dress caused a dispute between the studio, producers and the costume designers as they were looking for Vivian wearing a black dress.
Costume designer Marilyn Vance-Straker persisted with the red dress and finally won the argument. It turned out to be the right choice as the red dress became an iconic moment in the movie. It took a lot of screen testing to convince the studio and producers, but now we cannot really imagine her wearing a black dress.
15. An Ending We Fortunately Didn't Get To See
In the true romantic comedy movie style, the movie ends with Edward and Vivian reuniting on her balcony. But this wasn't the ending in the original script which was written by J.F. Lawton called 3000. Well, it didn't have a happy ending and it wasn't really a love story as well.
Instead, the story revolves around two very damaged and disturbed people who spend a week together and the ending has a lot of tears. Of course, Disney would have never gone with this story.
16. "Big Mistake, Huge!"
Although the screenplay and premise of the movie had to go through a lot of changes, there was one particular scene that didn't change and went on to become popular.
The scene in which Vivian shops on Rodeo Drive and one rude saleswoman refuses to sell her anything. It even kept the part when Vivian returns and shows off but it left out that famous line "big mistake, huge!"
17. The Hair Color Mishap
The crew on the set of the movie had to use bottles of laundry detergent to create a lot of bubbles for one bathtub scene. However, the detergent was so strong that Julia Robert's hair started to fade.
No one anticipated it, but they had to find a solution to the problem. So, the actress had to re-dye her hair before shooting the night scene.
18. Using Julia's Double
We all know how beautiful Julia Roberts looked in the movie (she's even prettier in real life). Although there were some questionable outfits, she still managed to look great in them. You may find it hard to believe that her body double was actually used for the posters of the film and her face was superimposed onto them.
The producers thought that Donna Scoggins' legs would look good on the original photograph in the promotional shots and Shelley Michelle was Roberts’ body double.
19. The Amazing Chemistry Between Both Characters
Did you know that Richard Gere wasn't really keen on working on the project because he didn't really like the character of Edward? However, he decided to sign on mostly because of Julia Roberts.
It is because they had initially met for the first time in New York and Gere felt chemistry with young Roberts. That explains why their on-screen chemistry was so natural and loved by everyone.
20. The Happiest Place On Earth
There were a lot of changes in the script of the movie and that's why it had a different ending than the original movie titled 3000. There were a lot of Cinderella references in Pretty Woman and in the 3000 movie script, Vivian and her best friend end up at Disneyland.
Given the fact that Disney picked up the movie, one can feel that it is ironic the last scene was at - yes you've guessed it right - The Happiest Place On Earth.
21. Trouble in Fake Laughing
Although Julia Roberts is a remarkable actress, she found it really difficult to laugh in one scene in a way to make it look genuine. In the scene, Vivian was watching I Love Lucy and she had to come up with a convincing laugh. However, the actress was struggling in it.
So, Garry Marshall positioned himself off-camera and tickled Julia to the point that she started laughing uncontrollably. It was one of her most genuine laughs and all of it was due to timely improvisation.
22. Winning Awards
You don't usually see a rom-com getting a lot of prestigious award nominations, but Pretty Woman surprised everyone by getting nominated for four Golden Globes.
The stunning Julia Roberts won the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy by beating Andie MacDowell, Mia Farrow, and Meryl Streep, and Demi Moore. By the way, it was the second consecutive Golden Globe award for Julia Roberts as the previous year she won the Best Supporting Actress award for Steel Magnolias.
23. Convincing Richard Was Difficult
It wasn't easy to find the right actor to play Edward and Garry Marshall really wanted Richard Gere to play the character. However, Gere didn't want the roll and turned down the offer even after he was approached several times.
When the director and producer brought in Julia Roberts, they strongly felt that Gere would love to work with her. One day, Gere was on a phone call with Marshall and Roberts held up a post-it note that had 3 words written on it: "Please say yes".
24. A Special Vow
No one really expected that Pretty Woman would become such a big hit and one of the most profitable rom coms of all time. As it is in most cases, there is almost always a sequel whenever a movie does so well. However, there is no sequel to Pretty Woman and there's a good reason behind it.
The director Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, and Richard Gere vowed never to do a sequel unless all of them were involved in it. With the passing of Marshall, it is fair to say that there will be no Pretty Woman sequel.
25. An Unscripted Hilarious Handkerchief Gag
Believe it or not, one of the most hilarious parts of the movie was not even in the script. Yes, it is true. In one scene, Vivian loudly blows her nose into a handkerchief and we can see the hotel manager asking what business she has in a luxurious five-star hotel.
As Vivian gets into a mess, the manager gives her a handkerchief to help her calm down and she blows her nose into it. Roberts intentionally did it and later hoped the scene wouldn't get into the movie as she thought of it as disgusting. We are glad it made its way into the movie as it is surely one of the funniest scenes in this amazing movie.
26. Who Was Directors' First Choice?
We know by now that Julia Roberts was not the first choice of directors, then who was the actress they wanted to cast for the role of Vivian? Well, they wanted to cast Molly Ringwald after she starred in some hit movies such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. The producers and director believed that she was a good fit for the role.
Ringwald didn't even consider the role and turned it down without taking any time. It is because she didn't like the film's content and was uncomfortable playing the risqué role of Vivian. Now you must be wondering that she made a big mistake, right? Well, she later expressed her regret for not considering the role and saying yes to Marshall.
27. When Car Companies Missed Out On The Opportunity
We can see in the movie how Edward is a wealthy bachelor and lives an expensive life that is emotionally empty. He tries to buy happiness and one of the things he usually buys is sports cars.
That's why the producers wanted him to drive Ferrari or Porsche in the film, but both companies refused to be represented in the film because of its adult themes. That's when Lotus got the contract and the success of the movie meant that their sales tripled.
28. A Difficult Casting Decision
Once the producers and director decided on Julia Roberts as Vivian, they were still looking for an actor to play Edward. Once Julia was finalized, over 10 actors came in for a screen-test.
Actors like Charles Grodin, known for playing sarcastic intellectuals, and even Al Pacino came. The producers and director were still not clear about hiring the right guy. In the end, Richard Gere agreed to play the role and the rest is history.
29. Pretty Woman Experience for Fans
The film was mostly shot in a hotel Beverly Wilshere and the popularity of the movie helped the hotel to capitalize on it. So, the hotel proudly offers a "Pretty Woman experience" for a cost of $100,000.
If you decide to experience it, you need to know that it includes shopping with a personal stylist, a private driver around Rodeo Drive, a VIP suite, a wardrobe consultant, couples massage and a special menu from the executive chef. Many fans of Pretty Woman have already experienced it and perhaps you should as well.
30. The Strong Southern Accent of Julia Roberts
When Julia Roberts started to work in Pretty Woman as Vivian, she was quite new to acting in such blockbusters of Hollywood and she also had a strong southern accent because she hails from Georgia.
Believe us when we tell you that it takes actors many years to get rid of their strong accent and they have to play a lot of roles to be able to do it, but it was different for Roberts as she covered it up like she never had a southern accent. Still, the producers were worried that fans could easily notice her accent in the movie and that's why they took a precautionary measure by putting in a line in which Roberts says she comes from Georgia.
31. Richard Gere Broke A Tooth While Filming
In one scene, Edward walks in on Stuckey to find out that he was trying to assault Vivian. Edward gets aggressive, fires him and throws him out of the suit. Given that the scene was quite intense, Gere broke a crown on one of his molars.
In the scene after the fight, you can notice Gere making strange movements with his mouth and that's because of the broken crown.
32. Julia Did Volunteer Work For The Role
Julia Roberts wanted to prepare for the role of Vivian and decided to do volunteer work for a week at a Los Angeles clinic. As Gary Marshall's wife worked at the clinic as a nurse, she helped Julia there
In an interview, Barbara Marshall said, “Garry would never visit me at the clinic, because he was a hypochondriac and afraid of getting a disease. But he asked if Julia could come and talk to some of the patients.”
33. The Secret Behind The Ever-Changing Hair of Richard Gere
In the movie, the color of Richard Gere is salt-and-pepper and you will notice that the color of his hair in the posters is brown. You know how Julia Roberts body double was used for the posters, there was retouching of Richard Gere's hair as well.
We just feel that there was no need of doing it because the actor is known for his silver fox look. What do you think about it?
34. No Need for Darker Scenes
We know that the original Pretty Woman was dark and had no happy ending and director and writers had to make changes in it. Still, Pretty Woman also had a few darker scenes. In one scene, a dealer confronts Julia Roberts and Edward comes in to save her.
Moreover, the original script had a lot of colorful language of Julia Roberts and they had to remove the bad language from it. After all, it is a Disney film.
35. Extra Cameo From The Director
We see in so many movies that relevant people make cameo appearances (most notably Stan Lee in Marvel Movies), but did you notice that there was a cameo of Garry Marshall in Pretty Woman as well?
In one scene, you can see a homeless man asking Richard Gere's character for some directions. That homeless man was the late director himself.
36. Not Breaking The Vow (Technically)
We told you about the pact which the cast made about not doing a sequel of the movie unless they were all together. They did work together, nine-years after working on Pretty Woman. The cast came back to film Runaway Bride and the leading male-female roles were played by Gere and Roberts.
Although the movie did not do as well as Pretty Woman, the cast really loved getting back together to work on a project.
37. Choosing Julia Roberts As Vivian
We told you how much convincing it took to make Gere take the role of Edward, but it wasn't the same in the case of Julia Roberts. Although she wanted to play the role from the get-go, the producers were considering other actresses. Even they had made a list of some of the prominent actresses of the industry, but it was Garry Marshall who convinced everyone to go with Roberts.
Some of the actresses producers had already considered for the role were Sarah Jessica Parker and Sandra Bullock - both of them turned down the role. All's well that ends well.
38. Richard Gere Wanted His Character to Be Restless
We all know how good an actor Richard Gere is and he is always trying hard to make his character more believable and relatable. That's why he moved around a lot during his scenes so that his character would seem restless.
The director noticed it after two days of filming and told the actor not to move around between takes. Who knows why Gere wanted to give this particular trait to his character.
39. Earthquake Changed Filming Plans
There is one scene where Edward takes the gorgeous Vivian to the opera and we see her in the most expensive clothing. The filming of the scene was supposed to take place in San Francisco.
But a 6.9 magnitude earthquake which killed 67 people and caused $5 billion worth of damage changed the filming plans. Instead, the entire crew filmed the scene at the University of Southern California's history museum.
40. There was One Major Continuity Error
Although movies have a lot of bloopers and continuity mistakes (because humans make them), it still takes a sharp eye to notice any of them. In Pretty Woman, there was one mistake that almost anyone who saw the film immediately noticed.
We notice that Vivian was eating a croissant at breakfast and asks Edward what he does for a living. As the camera cuts away from Julia and returns to her, we can notice a pancake in her hands. Well, it was a big mistake and the only possible explanation is that she ate the croissant during the shot.
41. When Vivian Strutted
According to Richard Gere, one of his most favorite scenes of filming was watching Roberts strut the stuff as Vivian and walk down Rodeo Drive and how can we ever forget those stunning thigh-high boots.
The actor also claimed, “That was fun for everyone” and added that the actress was “all about the legs.”
42. Childhood Dream Coming True
There is one scene in which Vivian tells Edward about how as a child she would pretend to be a princess who was “trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight… on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me.”
Well, when the scene was filmed, there was still no confirmed ending of the movie and in the end, Vivian did get an ending she always wanted.
43. Not Making The Same Mistake Again
When the director offered the role of Edward to Richard Gere numerous times, he started to weigh up all his options and that's when something came to his mind. In 1986, the actor was offered the role of corporate raider Gordon Gekko in the hit movie Wall Street.
As Gere declined the offer, Michael Douglas accepted it. The movie was well-received by the critics and the audiences and Douglas won an Academy Award for Best Actor. That's one the reason why Gere didn't decline the offer…Thank God!