''These Old Broads'' is a 2001 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Matthew Diamond, written by

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the Star Wars original trilogy, original ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The F ...

and Elaine Pope, and starring Fisher's mother

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s. She was nom ...

, as well as Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, and

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

in her final film role. In a 2001 BBC '' Omnibus'' documentary about Taylor, MacLaine says that Julie Andrews and

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

were originally planned to be in the film. The role of Miriam Hodges was originally offered to June Allyson, who ended up in a cameo instead. The film premiered on February 12, 2001 on ABC.

Plot summary

Network television executive Gavin hopes to reunite celebrated Hollywood stars Piper Grayson, Kate Westbourne, and Addie Holden in a TV special after their 1960s film musical ''Boy Crazy'' is re-released to wide public acclaim in the 1990s. Though the three women share the same agent, Beryl Mason, Gavin's seemingly insurmountable obstacle is that they all cannot stand one another.

Cast

* Shirley MacLaine as Kate Westbourne *

as Piper Grayson * Joan Collins as Addie Holden *

as Beryl Mason * Jonathan Silverman as Wesley Westbourne * Pat Crawford Brown as Miriam Hodges (Addie's mother) * Nestor Carbonell as Gavin * Peter Graves as Bill * Gene Barry as Mr. Stern * Pat Harrington Jr. as Tony Frank * Carlos Jacott as Tom * Hinton Battle as Pete * Suzanne Carney as Connie * Heath Hyche as Ben Collier * Betty Carvalho as Rosa * Joe Sabatino as Leo * Sheri Hellard as Laurie Miller * Amy Van Horne as "Blonde Money Honey" * Larry Sullivan as Jason (as Larry Sullivan Jr.) * Todd Fisher as Timothy * Tricia Leigh Fisher as Hooker *

as Hooker * Zach Woodlee as Boy Crazy Dancer * Kevin Alexander Stea as Boy Crazy Dancer (as Kevin Stea) * Dante Henderson as Boy Crazy Dancer * June Allyson as Lady in Hotel (uncredited) * Kevin Nealon as Roger (uncredited)

Back story of leads

MacLaine, Reynolds, Collins and Taylor had all crossed paths personally and/or professionally in Hollywood over the years. Collins dated MacLaine's brother,

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...

, when he was just starting his film career. Collins was also put on standby to replace an ailing Taylor in the film ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

'' but Taylor recovered from her illness and completed the film. Reynolds' husband, Eddie Fisher, left her for a grieving Taylor after his best friend and Taylor's husband, Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash. Reynolds and Taylor had also been close friends before the affair, but they grew to hate each other due to what happened and stayed away for twelve years. However, the two eventually reconciled on a cruise ship in a plan set up by Carrie Fisher and once again remained friends until Taylor's death in 2011. MacLaine wanted the role of Molly Brown in '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' but a clause in her contract prevented her from getting it; this made the role available for Reynolds, who garnered an Oscar nomination for her performance in the film. MacLaine portrayed a character loosely based on Reynolds in '' Postcards from the Edge'', written by Reynolds's daughter,

. The story of Kate Westbourne's adopted son Wesley Westbourne, who is actually her biological son from her affair with the late Dick Preston, may have been inspired by the true story of

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

, Judy Lewis and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

References

External links

* {{Matthew Diamond 2001 television films 2001 films 2001 comedy films 2001 LGBTQ-related films 2000s American films 2000s buddy comedy films 2000s English-language films 2000s female buddy films American Broadcasting Company original films American buddy comedy films American comedy television films American female buddy films American LGBTQ-related television films Films about actors Films directed by Matthew Diamond Films with screenplays by Carrie Fisher Films scored by Guy Moon Gay-related films LGBTQ-related buddy comedy films English-language buddy comedy films