De-Lovely (2004)

Director:

Irwin Winkler

Writer (WGA):

Jay Cocks (written by)

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A love that would never die and music that would live forever.

Plot:

Inspecting a magical biographical stage musical, composer Cole Porter reviews his life and career with his wife, Linda.

Plot Keywords:

Stage | Composer | Hollywood | Marriage | Song

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	Cole Porter
Ashley Judd	...	Linda Porter
Jonathan Pryce	...	Gabe
Kevin McNally	...	Gerald Murphy
Sandra Nelson	...	Sara Murphy
Allan Corduner	...	Monty Woolley
Peter Polycarpou	...	L.B. Mayer
Keith Allen	...	Irving Berlin
James Wilby	...	Edward Thomas
Kevin McKidd	...	Bobby Reed
Richard Dillane	...	Bill Wrather
Edward Baker-Duly	...	Boris Kochno
Angie Hill	...	Ellin Berlin
Harry Ditson	...	Dr. Moorhead
Tayler Hamilton	...	Honoria Murphy
Lexie Peel	...	Patrick Murphy
Greg Sheffield	...	Boath Murphy
Peter Jessop	...	Diaghilev
Jeff Harding	...	Cody
Susannah Fellows	...	Mrs. L.B. Mayer
Teddy Kempner	...	Stage Manager
Cole Porter	...	Musical Performer - "You're The Top" (archive sound)
Robbie Williams	...	Musical Performer - "It's De-Lovely"
Lemar Obika	...	Musical Performer - "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (as Lemar)
Elvis Costello	...	Musical Performer (song "Let's Misbehave")
Alanis Morissette	...	Musical Performer - "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love"
John Barrowman	...	Jack / Musical Performer - "Night and Day"
Caroline O'Connor	...	Musical Performer - "Anything Goes"
Sheryl Crow	...	Musical Performer - "Begin the Beguine"
Mick Hucknall	...	Musical Performer - "I Love You"
Diana Krall	...	Musical Performer (song "Just One of Those Things")
Vivian Green	...	Musical Performer - "Love For Sale"
Lara Fabian	...	Musical Performer - "So In Love"
Mario Frangoulis	...	Musical Performer - "So In Love"
Natalie Cole	...	Musical Performer - "Ev'ry Time You Say Goodbye"
Julian Cannonier	...	Chorus
Elizabeth Cooper Gee	...	Chorus
Jacob Chapman	...	Chorus
Cavin Cornwall	...	Chorus
Matt Dempsey	...	Chorus
Heather Douglas	...	Chorus
Jonathan D. Ellis	...	Chorus (as Jonathan D Ellis)
Jane Fowler	...	Chorus
Jason Gardiner	...	Chorus
Charlotte Gorton	...	Chorus
Nic Greenshields	...	Chorus
Akia Henry	...	Chorus (as Akiya Henry)
Steve West	...	Chorus (as Steve Lawton)
Duncan McVicar	...	Chorus (as Duncan MacVicar)
Karen McSween	...	Chorus
Michelle McSween	...	Chorus
Dale Mercer	...	Chorus
Samantha Modeste	...	Chorus
Odette Perdrisat	...	Chorus
Thern Reynolds	...	Chorus
Rachel Stanley	...	Chorus
Oliver Thornton	...	Chorus
Claire Winsper	...	Chorus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gary Blair	...	Barnaby (uncredited)
Nicola Dawn	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Fisher	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Christine Hewett	...	(uncredited)
Andrew Langtree	...	Chorus (uncredited)
Bernadette Jane Vanderkar	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)

Directed by
Irwin Winkler

Writing credits (WGA)
Jay Cocks		(written by)

Produced by
Simon Channing Williams	....	executive producer
Rob Cowan	....	producer
Gail Egan	....	executive producer
Georgina Lowe	....	line producer
Charles Winkler	....	producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Cinematography by
Tony Pierce-Roberts		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Julie Monroe

Casting by
Nina Gold

Production Design by
Eve Stewart

Art Direction by
John Hill

Set Decoration by
John Bush

Costume Design by
Janty Yates

Makeup Department
Jacqueline Bhavnani	....	makeup artist
Felicity Bowring	....	makeup artist: Ashley Judd
Beth Miller	....	hair stylist: Ashley Judd
Sarah Monzani	....	makeup designer
Graham Pownall	....	hair stylist
Aaron Sherman	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Maralyn Sherman	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Simon Thompson	....	hair designer
Aurélie Elich	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Kerry Hormbrey	....	crowd makeup artist (uncredited)
Sara Raeburn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Joël Seiller	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Danielle Brandon	....	unit production manager
Michael Solinger	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lee Grumett	....	third assistant director
Dan John	....	second assistant director
Josh Robertson	....	first assistant director
Joy Scott	....	third assistant director
Nick Shuttleworth	....	crowd second assistant director
Charles Winkler	....	second unit director
Phil Clarke	....	crowd assistant director (uncredited)
Nic Jeune	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Eddie Baker	....	stand-by props
Alan Briant	....	props storeman (as Alan D Briant)
Mark Collisson	....	construction manager
Gary Davies	....	stand-by stagehand
Gary Fox	....	stand-by props
Andrew Grant	....	assistant art director
Martin Lane	....	stand-by painter
Jo Littlejohn	....	construction coordinator
Leon McCarthy	....	stand-by carpenter
Richard Mills	....	property master
Andy Ormesher	....	stand-by rigger
Tom Read	....	stand-by art director
Michael Standish	....	production buyer
Graham Stickley	....	props storeman
Ed Walsh	....	draughtsman
Rhona Wilson	....	assistant buyer
Steve Deane	....	construction supervisor (uncredited)
Jonathan Downing	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Matthew Meadows	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Terry Royce	....	props (uncredited)
Don Santos	....	prop man (uncredited)
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Carlie Bergman	....	adr recordist (as Charlie Bergman)
David Boulton	....	adr mixer
Dorian Cheah	....	sound effects editor
Zack Davis	....	adr editor
Steve Finn	....	boom operator
Nick Foley	....	adr recordist
Tim Fraser	....	production sound mixer
Brian Gallagher	....	adr recordist
John Hagenstede	....	sound assistant
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Michael Keller	....	re-recording sound mixer
Carey Milbradt	....	foley editor
Carey Milbradt	....	foley mixer
Douglas Murray	....	adr mixer (as Doug Murray)
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Andy Potvin	....	consultant: Dolby Sound
John Ross	....	re-recording sound mixer
John Ross	....	supervising sound editor
Geoffrey G. Rubay	....	sound effects editor (as Geofferey Rubay)
Walter Spencer	....	dialogue editor
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
William Towers	....	boom operator (as Will Towers)
Drew Webster	....	digital sound mix technician
Clara Y. Zhu	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Graham Longhurst	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Chris Brown	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Phil Attfield	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
Johnathan R. Banta	....	digital supervisor: Sassoon Film Design (uncredited)
Robin Beard	....	lead digital effects artist (uncredited)
Barry Berman	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Simon Carr	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Travis Dutch	....	scanning and recording (uncredited)
Tom Hocking	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Jan Hogevold	....	production executive: Framestore CFC (uncredited)
Jason Jue	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Isaac Layish	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)
Victoria McDowell	....	visual effects line producer (uncredited)
Dan McRae	....	scanning and recording (uncredited)
Tim Mendler	....	motion control operator (uncredited)
Jeremy Nicolaides	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Paola Varvaro	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Alex Cox	....	stunt player
Gerard Naprous	....	horse stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
John Bailie	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Ashley Bond	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Richard Carroll	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Christopher Craig	....	board operator (as Chris Craig)
Ennio Di Santolo	....	assistant lighting technician
Mick Durlacher	....	rigging lighting technician: Luxembourg
Tommy Finch	....	chief lighting technician
Alice Hobden	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Gary Hymns	....	grip: "b" camera
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Nic Milner	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Darren Quinn	....	key grip
Basil Smith	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Peter Versey	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Tracey Wetherill	....	video assist (as Tracie Wetherill)
George 'Spike' White	....	rigging lighting technician
Nick Allsop	....	video assistant (uncredited)
Steve Finberg	....	electrician (uncredited)
Luan Hall	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Stuart Howell	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Paul Hymns	....	grip (uncredited)
Rod Marley	....	focus puller: "b" camera (uncredited)
Mark Packman	....	electrician (uncredited)
Yair Popritkin	....	assistant electrician (uncredited)
James Smith-Pryor	....	electrician (uncredited)
Nick Stewart	....	video assistant (uncredited)
Garie Wetherill	....	assistant video operator (uncredited)
Eric Wobma	....	best boy electric: Luxembourg (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rosalie Clayton	....	casting assistant
Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson	....	adr voice casting (as Caitlin McKenna)
Valérie Schiel	....	extras casting: Luxembourg (as Valerie Scheil)
Tamara Gillon	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Cravedi	....	costumer: Ashley Judd
Andrea Cripps	....	assistant costume designer
Lee Croucher	....	stand-by costumer
Andrew Hunt	....	stand-by costumer
Joe Kowalewski	....	assistant costume supervisor (as Josef Kowalewski)
Sunita Singh	....	stand-by costumer
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor
Vanessa Woolgar	....	crowd dresser
Sally Davis	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Kate Newbold	....	costume trainee (uncredited)
Katja Wolf	....	daily wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
Marie Zelenka	....	stylist (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jason Barnoski	....	post-production assistant
Jennifer Hatton	....	first assistant editor
Jack Paulson	....	assistant editor
David Rees	....	color timer
Elizabeth Barnette	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)
Mark Wright	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
David Arch	....	musician: piano
Becky Bentham	....	music coordinator: Hot House Music Ltd.
Philip Bodger	....	music mixer (as Phil Bodger)
Philip Bodger	....	music recordist (as Phil Bodger)
Philip Bodger	....	score recording engineer (as Phil Bodger)
Gary Chester	....	additional recordist
Anne Collis	....	on-set music contractor
Mitchell Dalton	....	musician: guitars (as Mitch Dalton)
Alec Dankworth	....	musician: double bass
Richard Edwards	....	musician: trombone
Stephen Endelman	....	music arranger
Stephen Endelman	....	music producer
Andrew Findon	....	musician: woodwinds (as Andy Findon)
Rebecca Gatrell	....	music coordinator: Hot House Music Ltd. (as Becca Gatrell)
Gilbert Goldstein	....	arranger: additional arrangements
Isobel Griffiths	....	music contractor
Cathy Jayes	....	musician: rehearsal pianist
Christopher Kennedy	....	music editor
Sonny Kompanek	....	additional music preparation
Sonny Kompanek	....	arranger: additional arrangements
Gary Norden	....	vocal coach: Kevin Kline
Jenny O'Grady	....	chorus mistress
Cole Porter	....	lyricist
Cole Porter	....	music by
Frank Ricotti	....	musician: percussion
Ralph Salmins	....	musician: drums
Ray Swinfield	....	musician: woodwinds
Jamie Talbot	....	musician: woodwinds
Phil Todd	....	musician: woodwinds
Derek Watkins	....	musician: trumpet
Gavyn Wright	....	musician: string leader
Robert Ziegler	....	conductor
Becky Bentham	....	music supervisor (uncredited)
Simon Changer	....	score assistant engineer (uncredited)
Tim Starnes	....	music arranger: piano (uncredited)
Robert Ziegler	....	musical director (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Alexandre Brown	....	transportation captain: Luxembourg (as Alex Brown)
Daniel Brown	....	transportation captain
Mark Crowley	....	driver: Ashley Judd
Mark Williams	....	driver: Kevin Kline
Rob Hempenstall	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Claire Broughton	....	assistant: Gail Egan
Peter Brown	....	location assistant: Luxembourg
Chorley Bunce	....	caterer
Ronni Chasen	....	press representative
June Czerwinski	....	associate: Winkler Films
Mandy Edwards	....	office production assistant
Jo Farrugia	....	assistant: Irwin Winkler
Gilbert Goldstein	....	piano coach: Kevin Kline
Selina Gomeau	....	assistant: Irwin Winkler
David Higgs	....	base runner
Francesca Jaynes	....	choreographer
Ian Kilsby	....	personal security
Neil Lee	....	location manager
Andrew MacLean	....	assistant accountant
Sarah McBryde	....	production coordinator
Justin Miller	....	assistant accountant
Julie Milstead	....	associate to producers
Sophie Moss	....	assistant production coordinator
Leonora Penglase	....	assistant: Simon Channing Williams
Ian Pollington	....	on-set location manager
Darren Price	....	key set production assistant
Maggie Rawlinson	....	assistant choreographer
Joanne Reichling	....	production coordinator: Luxembourg
Marco Ruffatti	....	production assistant
Will Tyler	....	production accountant
Doug Vale	....	first aid
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialect coach: Ashley Judd
Henry Woolley	....	assistant location manager
Danielle Craig	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Camille Gatin	....	stand-in: Ms. Judd (uncredited)
Charles Howes	....	tutor (uncredited)
Jonathan Rutter	....	publicist (uncredited)
Matthew Sanders	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Thanks
Peter L. Felcher	....	the producers express special thanks to: The Cole Porter Trust
Robert Kimball	....	the producers express special thanks to (as Robert E. Kimball)
Robert H. Montgomery Jr.	....	the producers express special thanks to: The Cole Porter Trust, 1923-2000
Roberta Staats	....	the producers express special thanks to: The Cole Porter Trust

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (as Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Pictures)
• Potboiler Productions (uncredited)
• Winkler Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• MGM Distribution (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (as MGM Distribution Co.)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (2004) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2004) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Compañía General de la Imagen (CGI) (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Gateno Films (2005) (Peru) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Television (2006) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Men From Mars (visual effects)
• Sassoon Film Design (visual effects)
• Visual Effects Company, The (motion control)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  lighting equipment
• Air Lyndhurst Studios  recording studio (as Air Lyndhurst, London)
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Avatar Studios  recording studio (as Avatar Studios, New York)
• Borsalino  hats: Kevin Kline
• Breslin Process by Gita Breslin, The  thanks
• Chanel Joaillerie  thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies (uncredited)
• Church's Shoes  thanks
• Cole Porter Trust, The  the producers express special thanks to
• Columbia Records  soundtrack available on
• Cutting Edge  negative cutting
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color
• Dr. Hauschka Skin Care  thanks
• Electric Picture Solutions  Avid editing systems
• Film & Television Facilities  facility vehicles
• Giorgio Armani  selected wardrobe: Ashley Judd
• Giorgio Armani  wardrobe: Kevin Kline
• Heritage Chauffeur Company  unit drivers provided by
• Hothouse Music  music coordination (as Hot House Music Ltd.)
• John Frieda Inc.  hair color (as John Freida)
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Laser Pacific Media  digital motion picture laboratory services (as Laser Pacific)
• Location Consulting & Facilities  facilities vehicles (uncredited)
• Mad Dog Casting  crowd casting
• Manta D.S.P.  post-production sound (as DSP)
• Max Factor  makeup
• McDonald and Rutter  unit publicist (as McDonald & Rutter)
• Media Services  stationery supplier
• Midnight Transfer  dailies
• Mikimoto  pearls: Ashley Judd
• NT Audio Visual  optical sound negative (as NT Audio)
• Network Security  security
• On Set Location Services  facilities company (as On-Set Facilities)
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Panavision  cranes and dollies
• Paul Mitchell Luxury Haircare  hair products (as Paul Mitchell)
• Sassoon Film Design  title design
• Somlo Antiques  vintage watches
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack available on
• Sony Music Studios  music mixed at (as Sony Studios, New York)
• Steinway & Sons  thanks
• Van Cleef & Arpels  vintage evening bags: Ashley Judd
• Vedura  jewelry: Ashley Judd
• Warner / Chappell Music  thanks

Also Known As:

Just One of Those Things (USA) (working title)
She's De Lovely (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Ireland:12A | Spain:13 | Malaysia:18SX (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | South Korea:12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40304) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating)

Filming Locations:

Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

'Kevin Kline (I)' played the piano himself in the scenes where his character plays.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Scenes showing Cole Porter musicals being produced on Broadway in the 1930s show African-American and white women dancing together in the chorus lines. Broadway chorus lines weren't racially integrated until the 1970s.

Quotes:

Linda Porter: I had no idea how hot the climate would be, everything grows wild here and the pickings are far too easy.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

It's All Right with Me

It's De-Dreadful

The device of using a mystical figure showing Cole Porter a retrospect of his life is just too stagey for a movie. Plus it's been done so many times before that it's trite.

The story line omits the struggle that Porter endured when he began composing professionally, when his melodies and lyrics were too original and too sophisticated for the public at the time.

For anyone who knows Porter's biography, you'll see how highly fictionalized this film is. In today's world, when the unvarnished truth about a person's life can be told, why must this film hold back? Why must dates, events, people and places be altered? Porter didn't "swing both ways". He was a ravenous homosexual. The story line of the Porters devotion to each other was pure hogwash. She was his willing beard at a time when a man needed a female escort for appearances. Obviously the, filmmakers felt that Porter's life had to be sanitized for the public.

It irks me to see songs taken out of chronological order and out of the context of the shows for which they were written. Two examples: at the beginning of the film, Porter is singing "Well Did You Evah?" as though the song were written in the 1920s, when it was composed much later; and singing "You'd Be So Easy To Love" to Linda in a Paris park, when that song was written for the film "Born To Dance" (1935), many years later.

The casting is wrong. As much as I like Kevin Kline, a 57-year-old actor (at the time) playing a 25 or 35-year-old Porter is just unbelievable. There is no amount of make-up that could make Kline look 25 or 35, or hide his sagging 50-ish jowls and neck. Furthermore, Porter was a small man and Kline is reputedly 6'2". This is like having Tom Selleck portray Danny DeVito.

Maybe someday someone will make a true biographical film about Cole Porter.