California Suite (1978)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Neil Simon (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The best two-hour vacation in town!

Plot:

Misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Prostitute | Oscars | Actress | Tennis

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Hannah Warren - Visitors from New York
Alan Alda	...	Bill Warren - Visitors from New York
Maggie Smith	...	Diana Barrie - Visitors from London
Michael Caine	...	Sidney Cochran - Visitors from London
Walter Matthau	...	Marvin Michaels - Visitors from Philadelphia
Elaine May	...	Millie Michaels - Visitors from Philadelphia
Herb Edelman	...	Harry Michaels - Visitors from Philadelphia (as Herbert Edelman)
Denise Galik	...	Bunny - Visitors from Philadelphia
Richard Pryor	...	Dr. Chauncey Gump - Visitors from Chicago
Bill Cosby	...	Dr. Willis Panama - Visitors from Chicago
Gloria Gifford	...	Lola Gump - Visitors from Chicago
Sheila Frazier	...	Bettina Panama - Visitors from Chicago
David Sheehan	...	Himself
Michael Boyle	...	Desk Clerk - At the Hotel
Len Lawson	...	Frank - At the Hotel
Gino Ardito	...	Plumber - At the Hotel
Jerrold Ziman	...	Man on Phone - At the Hotel (as Jerry Ziman)
Clint Young	...	Doorman - At the Hotel
David Matthau	...	Bellboy - At the Hotel
James Espinoza	...	Busboy - At the Hotel
Buddy Douglas	...	Page - At the Hotel
Armand Cerami	...	Charley - At the Hotel
Joseph Morena	...	Herb - At the Hotel
Brian Cummings	...	Autograph Seeker - At the Hotel
William Kux	...	Autograph Seeker - At the Hotel
Zora Margolis	...	Autograph Seeker - At the Hotel
Rita Gomez	...	Maid - At the Hotel
Tina Menard	...	Maid - At the Hotel
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Maid - At the Hotel
Bert May	...	Waiter - At the Hotel
Eddie Villery	...	Waiter - At the Hotel
Army Archerd	...	Himself
Paolo Frediani	...	Handsome Actor - At the Academy Award
Judith Hannah Brown	...	Oscar Winner - At the Academy Award
Gary Hendrix	...	Oscar Winner's Date - At the Academy Award
Christopher Pennock	...	Policeman - At the Academy Award
Jack Scanlan	...	P.R. Man - At the Academy Award
Bill Steinmetz	...	P.R. Man - At the Academy Award
Dana Plato	...	Jenny - At the Airport
Nora Boland	...	Passenger - At the Airport
David Rini	...	Airline Representative - At the Airport
John Hawker	...	Sky Cap - At the Airport
Frank H. Conn	...	Bobby - At the Airport (as Frank Conn)
Colleen Drape	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Linda Ewen	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Kelly Harmon	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Tawny Moyer	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Leslie Pagett	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Vicki Stephens	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
Nan Wylder	...	Stewardess - At the Airport
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Coburn	...	Pilot in Diana Barrie's Film on Airplane (uncredited)
Catherine Wilkinson	...	Original Daughter (uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits
Neil Simon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ronald L. Schwary	....	associate producer
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Claude Bolling

Cinematography by
David M. Walsh

Film Editing by
Michael A. Stevenson

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Bernadine M. Anderson	....	makeup artist
Ruby Ford	....	hair stylist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist
Evelyn Preece	....	hair stylist
Charles H. Schram	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ronald L. Schwary	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carla Reinke	....	second assistant director
Jack Roe	....	assistant director

Art Department
David Hockney	....	main titles from the paintings of
Everett Olson	....	construction supervisor
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Kandy Stern	....	set designer

Sound Department
Lyle J. Burbridge	....	sound re-recordist
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound re-recordist
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recordist
Al Overton Jr.	....	production sound mixer
Sam F. Shaw	....	sound effects
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Dawson	....	special effects (as Robert Dawson)
Augie Lohman	....	special effects

Stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Harris	....	gaffer
Michael R. Marquette	....	assistant camera
Richard Moran	....	key grip
Roger Shearman	....	camera operator
Robert C. Thomas	....	camera operator
Mel Traxel	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ann Roth	....	costume designer: Jane Fonda and Alan Alda

Editorial Department
Margaret Booth	....	supervising editor
Barbara Dunning	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Claude Bolling	....	musician: piano
Brendan Cahill	....	music coordinator
Chuck Domanico	....	musician: bass
Ralph Grierson	....	musician: piano
John C. Hammell	....	music editor
Hubert Laws	....	musician: flute
Shelly Manne	....	musician: drums
Bud Shank	....	musician: second flute
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar
Dan Wallin	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Richard Belyeu	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Regina Gruss	....	unit publicist
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor
Mary Cay Hollander	....	production coordinator
Garrett Lewis	....	pictorial consultant
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Howard R. Schuster	....	financing (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rastar Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1978) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Neil Simon's California Suite

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

21932 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Rastar Films

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "California Suite" by Neil Simon opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on June 10, 1976 and ran for 445 performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: When we first meet Hannah, her room number at the Beverly Hills Hotel is 305. Later, when she and Bill return from a day at the beach, the room number is 306.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[a two-seater plane is flying over snow-capped mountains]
Harold: For heaven's sake, Wendy - look for an airport. Will you look for the airport?
Diana Barrie: Oh don't make such a fuss. Just put it down on a mountain.
Harold: What do you mean 'just put it down'? I'm lucky I can keep it up. I told you I never flew before.
Diana Barrie: Don't shout at me - I'm a first-class passenger.
Harold: You're a first class lunatic. It's all over Wendy - our relationship has a quarter of a tank to go.
Diana Barrie: Yes, but - you do love me, don't you Harold? I know this is an awkward time to bring it up, but I must know, for our future.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References From Here to Eternity (1953)

Terrific

Let me first say that I expected PERFECTION from this movie and boy oh boy did the cast deliver! I was a little disappointed with Alan Alda's performance as the sunny divorcee who argues with his wife over who gets custody over their teenage daughter. He can't handle Neil Simon as well as I thought...In a way it sounded as though he were reading his lines. Jane Fonda was hard-edged and a little rough in this one...A real firecracker who's selfish and tries too hard at NOT being caring or maternal. All you want her to do is get off the screen. But here's where the REAL talent comes in...Michael Caine and Maggie Smith. Caine plays a "homosexual-bisexual" who's married to actress Diana Barrie (Smith). The best lines in the movie come out of this duo. They're funny and touching with an extremely complex relationship. Maggie deserved the Oscar for this one. She's brilliant! She delivers her lines with pure wit. Her drunken scene is worth watching alone. Bill Cosby and his little group also provides some laughs and Walter Matthau as the cheating husband is TERRIFIC...especially his reactions to everything that happens to him. Definitely rent this one, even if you don't buy it. Trust me, you'll want to rewind.