DM1ST(^14) DAILY MIRROR TUESDAY 03.03.
On this day Birthdays
Today’s giggle
■■If you’d like us to mention the birthday
of a loved one, write to Birthdays, Daily
Mirror, One Canada Square, London E
5AP or [email protected]
Hollywood star Jessica Biel is
- She is married to Justin
Timberlake. Ex-Boyzone star
Ronan Keating is 43. He has a
net worth of around £19million.
Girlfriends actor Miranda
Richardson is 62. She
campaigns for animal welfare.
Corrie actor Alison King is 47.
She supports Liverpool FC. And
many happy returns to Mirror
readers Sue Gregory, of Calne,
Wilts, who turns 61, and Carlie
Ann Gough, from Hednesford,
46 years agO (1974) Staffs, who is 13 today.
A London-bound Turkish Airlines
flight crashed near Paris shortly
after take-off following a
scheduled stop. All 346 on board
died, including 176 from the UK.
77 years agO (1943)
Over 170 people were crushed to
death trying to enter Bethnal
Green tube station in East
London during an air-raid
warning in the Second World War.16 years agO (2004)
We reported that terrorists in
Iraq killed at least 177 Shia
Muslims commemorating their
holiest day. Al-Qaeda supporters
carried out the bombings.Where did Noah keep his
bees? In the Ark hives. Alison, 47Jessica, 38Ronan, 43TOday: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
hearts which were set in 18 carat
white gold.11
An armed security guard
stood behind director Marshall
to protect the necklace.12
One of the most memorable
moments in the movie, when
Edward snapped down the
necklace case on Vivian’s fingers
as if it was biting her, was
improvised by Gere.13
Edward takes Vivian to see
La Traviata, an opera which
mirrors the film’s plot, telling the
story of a glamorous courtesan
swept away by her new lover, who
promises her a life of luxury.14
The scene where they arrive
at the opera was meant to be
filmed in San Francisco, but when a
6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the
city the production used the
exterior of the University of
Southern California’s
history museum
instead.15
The famous
red dress
Vivian wore for the
opera was meant to be
black, the studio’s
preferred colour.
Costume designer
Marilyn Vance knew this
wouldn’t work and, after
three different creations
were tested, it was agreed
she was right.16
The red jacket Vivian
slings over her mini
dress and thigh boots when
touting for business was a
last-minute find bought from
a cinema usher the crew
approached on the street.
Panicking when they realised
they didn’t have the item
referred to in the script, they
paid £23 for the jacket.17
Edward’s sports
car was meant
to be a Ferrari or a
Porsche, but
neither iconic brand wanted
to be associated with
picking up prostitutes. In theTHE BODY Shelley Michellefun facTs On gere and rOBerTs faB rOMcOM
1
Pretty Woman was almost titled $3,000,
which referred to the money Edward
agreed to pay Vivian to spend the night.2
The movie was far from a romcom – it
was meant to be a dark and cautionary
tale about sex work in Los Angeles.3
The original ending had Vivian thrown
out of Edward’s car after a dispute. The
final edit ended with Edward climbing up
the fire escape with roses in hand to woo
Vivian, with the sounds of the opera
playing in the background.4
Roberts was originally cast in Pretty
Woman but when the movie rights
were switched to Disney, she fell out of
favour and Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle
Pfeiffer and Sandra Bullock were
considered. They turned down the part.5
When director Garry Marshall later
joined the production he reinstated
Roberts as his leading lady.6
Actors who could have played Edward
included John Travolta, Christopher
Reeve and Denzel Washington.7
Gere turned down the role of
Edward several
times but Garry
Marshall sent Roberts
to the actor’s
apartment to change
his mind. Gere later
explained he was
mesmerised by the
young star, who pushed
him a note saying,
“please say yes” when
Marshall called him for
an update. “It was so
sweet,” he recalled.8
The famous poster
of Gere and Roberts
features the actress’s
head superimposed on
to her body double,
Shelley Michelle.9
Gere has jet black
hair on the poster
but in the movie it’s
definitely grey.10
The necklace
worn by Roberts
at the opera was worth
£200,000. The custom-
made piece by French jeweller Fred
Joaillier was crafted from 23 pear-cut
rubies, surrounded by diamond-encrustedIT is one of the most successful romantic comedies ever made.
Released 30 years ago, Pretty Woman was an instant hit. It starred
Richard Gere as businessman Edward, who falls for prostitute
Vivian, played by Julia Roberts. To celebrate the anniversary and
the opening of Pretty Woman The Musical in London, Vikki White
looks at 30 fascinating facts about the much-loved movie.DECLINED
Sandra BullockPAY FOR IT Vivian was snubbed on Rodeo
Drive and below returning to the storeTOP GERE Richard snaps box