The Pretty Woman
Stephanie Dejoode
OK, truth be told I never saw Pretty Woman when it first came out. It was 1990, and the last thing my parents were going to take me to see was a movie about a hooker (no matter how nicely done). Plus, I was way more in to Full House anyway.
But as we approached the millennium, I discovered this gem of a movie (while on the treadmill no less... and stayed on that treadmill for 2 hours to watch it!), and it has been one of my favorites ever since.
When I first moved to LA, you better believe I wanted to see the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel and the shops and boutiques along Rodeo Drive. But what was cooler was seeing Vivian's apartment, still untouched from it's late '80s/early '90s glory.
There have been plenty of misconceptions about the role that the Regent played in the iconic film. Yes, the outside of the historic (1928) hotel was used and still looks the same, even though it underwent a massive renovation in 1991. The property was also bought by the Four Seasons Resorts, but they still operate the name under the Regent Beverly Wilshire. As for what isn't the same... well, you will notice that in the film, Julia Roberts sat on a bench outside the hotel. Director Garry Marshall admitted that those were props, and they don't exist outside the hotel.
Now, as for the Penthouse Suite, which can cost as much as $7,500 a night, is not from the movie. That was recreated on a soundstage. So if you're looking to stay in a pink-carpeted, multi-level penthouse suite with a balcony where you can scream, 'Look, no hands, no hands!' I'm sorry to disappoint you. Still, the real Penthouse suite is something to see. I was there earlier this month for the Dallas press junket, and holy moly. Here's the view of Rodeo looking out from one of the windows.
Sadly, the Boulmiche seen in the movie is no longer and has moved to another location in Beverly Hills. It closed two years ago and was replaced by luxurious designer Badgley Mischka. Still, Boulmiche was (and is still) a very trendy shop with a lot of expensive items. Meanwhile, the old store space got a complete makeover, so aside from it being the same address, you won't recognize the inside at all. You just might hear voices saying, 'Big mistake. Huge! I have to go shopping now.'
Here's one of the clips from the movie. For the record, the few times I went into Boulmiche (because truth be told, they did have some pretty fantastic clothes), the salespeople were not so nice. You kinda wonder if they were instructed to be that way to give people the whole movie experience! Nothing would have surprised me.
Aside from the big tree that was in front of the original, the Las Palmas Hotel (yes, it's actually a hotel) looks pretty much the same. I wouldn't necessarily recommend staying there, unless you're hoping for a Richard Gere-type to come rescue you too. But at $40 a night, you can't beat that!
When I was interning for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in the summer of '99, Richard Gere came on as a guest to promote Runaway Bride. Occasionally we were allowed to have the guests sign something, and I brought my VHS copy (boy, does that date me!) for him to sign. I never got to meet him, but that is indeed his signature on the iconic VHS cover. Gotta say, it's one of my favorite pieces of memorabilia I've ever gotten.
Oh, and can we just talk about how the opening song, "King of Wishful Thinking," by Go West, which is one of my favorites of all time. There's something romantic about that scene at twilight when Edward drives off in Stuckey's car through the Hollywood Hills looking for that something 'more' in life. I have taken that drive (and yes, blasted that song) more times than I should admit. Just love it!__
[ Height: 10'' - 11'' Diameter: 12'' - 13'' ]
Dazzle the "pretty woman" in your life with this lovely, spring-inspired arrangement. 10 pink roses, fresh-cut white hydrangeas and lavender-tinted cymbidium orchids carefully arranged in a white square ceramic pot. Even on the gloomiest of days, this beautiful arrangement will have them dreaming of spring!
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