Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst. If he did, there is no question he was powerful enough to cover it up. Find out where The Cat's Meow is streaming, if The Cat's Meow is on Netflix, and get news and updates, on Decider. Christopher, James, "Of mummers and mysteries". In November of 1924, a mysterious Hollywood death occurred aboard media mogul William Randolph Hearst's yacht. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his 1997 play of the same title, which was inspired by the mysterious death of film mogul Thomas H. Ince that occurred on William Randolph Hearst's yacht during a weekend cruise celebrating Ince's birthday in November 1924. "Bogdanovich may see Welles as the inspiration for his film, but I have no idea where Peros got his facts.". The Cat's Meow is a 2001 drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Tilly.The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his play of the same title, which was inspired by … She was originally named Evadne, the private yacht of Charles Fairey of Fairey Aviation, and had patrolled the approaches to Bermuda, and its Royal Naval Dockyard, during the Second World War as HMS Evadne. Expected a sort of warmed-over, Allen-lite period piece, but this is an incredibly well-tuned tragicomedy. "Based on an urban legend that has been quietly circulating around Hollywood for almost four decades, The Cat's Meow would be grounds for libel if the libeled one were still alive … Bogdanovich directs The Cat's Meow with unfussy clarity, introducing a crowded cast of characters with quick scenes that immediately convey who they are and what they're up to. The weekend in question is a celebration of producer Thomas Ince's birthday aboard Hearst's yacht with a guest roster that included Hearst, Marion Davies, Ince, his mistress, Margaret Livingston, Louella Parsons, writer Elinor Glyn, Charlie Chaplin and others. The particulars in terms of the letter or the hat, those where details hypothesized by Steven, based on his research, but the actual plot — of what happened and who was doing what and why — that was all the same. 1911. Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst 's yacht in 1924. In addition, Ian Whitcomb & His Bungalow Boys performed many tunes from the era, among them "Ain't We Got Fun," "I'm Just Wild About Harry," "St. Louis Blues," "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," "I'm Nobody's Baby," "Rose of Washington Square," "If You Were the Only Girl in the World," "Margie," "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?," and "Alice Blue Gown.". [3], "The incident Welles alluded to in this exchange is the subject of The Cat’s Meow, directed by Bogdanovich and adapted by Steven Peros from his own play," Rosenbaum wrote. Davies longs to appear in a slapstick comedy rather than the somber costume dramas to which Hearst has kept her confined. See Full Cast + Crew for The Cat's Meow Features Load More Features Movie Reviews Presented by Rotten Tomatoes. The Cat's Meow adalah sebuah film drama periode 2001 yang disutradarai oleh Peter Bogdanovich, dan dibintangi oleh Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley dan Jennifer Tilly. How to use cat's meow in a sentence. Carol Lewis, Producer. The best movie quotes, movie lines and film phrases by Movie Quotes .com It follows this group of starlets and directors and writers as they take a weekend cruise on William Randolph Hearsts Yacht. [2], On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 74% based on reviews from 125 critics. Watch The Cat's Meow movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at TVGuide.com. After seeing Ince off, Hearst confronts Davies and Chaplin. [9] Cary Elwes was cast as Thomas Ince,[10] while Joanna Lumley obtained the role of novelist Elinor Glyn. "[7], Bogdanovich cast Kirsten Dunst in the role of Marion Davies, as she had "always wanted to do a twenties story. Lumley's Elinor Glyn is elegant, intelligent and more of an observer (she narrates the film) - I suspect that is true as well. She claimed to have been raped by Ince, and it was noted by guests on the yacht that she had bruises on her body. The Cat's Meow. See the full list of The Cat's Meow cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. It seems likely that Ince did not die of indigestion, heart failure, or suicide, but that something did happen and the guests were sworn to silence; it's also more than likely that the police and DA cooperated in covering it up. when you purchase a new Edible Arrangements movie-themed Edible Box. "The film is darkly atmospheric, with Herrmann quietly suggesting the sadness and obsession beneath Hearst's forced avuncular chortles. The film grossed $3,209,481 in the United States and $437,513 internationally for a worldwide total of $3,646,994. "What’s masterful about Bogdanovich’s direction is the cumulative detail, which adds complexity to incidental as well as central characters. Izzard is also very good as Chaplin. The Cat's Meow is a 2001 historical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Tilly. He is berated by Chaplin, who expects Davies to join him. In the 1970s films The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, Bogdanovich coaxed some wonderful performances from his actors, and he clearly hasn't lost that touch: Herrmann inhabits Hearst completely (he even bears an uncanny physical resemblance to the late publisher). William Randolph Hearst did, or did not, get away with murder on board his private yacht Oneida on Nov. 15, 1924. Dunst is as good, in her way, as Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane in showing a woman who is more loyal and affectionate than her lover deserves. —used to say that someone or something is very appealing I really like that car; it's the cat's meow. The Cat's Meow. There is an interesting sidebar to this story - Davies' secretary Abigail Kinsolving, was considered a suspect in Ince's death (strange, since he supposedly died of heart failure). If I’d kept it in, I would have bought silence for myself forever. Documentary on the life and works of comic genius Buster Keaton, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. "Dunst, the teen queen of Bring It On and Crazy/Beautiful, is showstoppingly good, finding humor, heart and surprising gravity in a character often dismissed as a gold digger. When Chaplin fails to answer, Hearst informs Chaplin of the vow of silence he and the fellow guests have made to keep the weekend's activities a secret. "[5], In the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle stated, "Bogdanovich takes a tale of old Hollywood and infuses it with velocity and enthusiasm. Film scholar Jonathan Rosenbaum, editor of the 1992 book This is Orson Welles — a record of interviews Peter Bogdanovich conducted with Orson Welles — began his April 2002 review of The Cat's Meow with this exchange about Citizen Kane (1941): OW: In the original script we had a scene based on a notorious thing Hearst had done, which I still cannot repeat for publication. "Bogdanovich's sensitivity towards his characters and outright insistence that we see even the most gluttonous and poisonous among them as human beings is rare, and commendable, indeed."[22]. William Randolph Hearst (EDWARD HERRMAN), Marion Davies (KIRSTEN DUNST), Charlie Chaplin (EDDIE IZZARD), Elinor Glyn (JOANNA LUMLEY). Receive a $6 Movie Rental. (When he saw Citizen Kane, believing that Susan Alexander was based on Marion, he was most upset at the portrayal of Susan as a drunk.) The assault is witnessed by Parsons, who had heard noises and went to investigate. It is sung by Julie Stevens. Parsons worked for Hearst for many years and subsequently became one of the most successful writers in the history of American journalism. It grossed $3.6 million worldwide, and received largely favorable reviews from film critics. Ince's eponymous film studio is in dire financial straits, so he hopes to convince Hearst to take him on as a partner in Cosmopolitan Pictures. The film premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2001, and was released theatrically in the United States by Lionsgate in April 2002. If I’d kept it in, I would have had no trouble with Hearst. (Black-and-white scenes of Ince's funeral, resembling old newsreel footage, bookend the film.) The "meandering" part is not so much a fault of the film but done on purpose - it's a weekend yacht party, after all, and Bogdanovich shows us the parties, the conversations and the intrigues of various guests. He captures the atmosphere of the '20s and the splendor of Hearst's yacht very well.It's hard to say how accurate the actors were with their characterizations; for my part, I don't know what Charlie Chaplin, Hearst, Glyn or Parsons were really like. "[6], In a 2008 interview Bogdanovich said, "I was talking to Orson for my book, This is Orson Welles in 1969 and he said, “You know about the thing that happened on Hearst’s yacht?” He said Welles had been told the story by screenwriter Charles Lederer, Marion Davies's nephew, and that Bogdanovich subsequently confirmed the account with Lederer. Among the famous guests that weekend were: film star Charlie Chaplin; starlet Marion Davies (who was also Hearst's mistress at the time); silent-film producer Thomas H. Ince (known for creating the first Hollywood-studio facility and for creating an "assembly line" system for filmmaking); and feared gossip columnist, Louella Parsons. The UK DVD has a good selection of extras – a “Making of” and “Anatomy of … He avoids his twin demons, freneticism and cuteness, and delivers his best picture in years ... His deft use of a single location, his intelligent handling of his ensemble cast and his graceful camera work mark this as a true return to form. He has a graceful way of switching viewpoints from one character to another and an uninsistent yet mainly persuasive sense of period. The writing of this character may be incorrect as well, as it's doubtful that Chaplin would have actually wanted Marion to leave Hearst.All in all, though it's not an edge of your seat kind of film, "The Cat's Meow" is a good film about a fascinating piece of Hollwyood lore. Meow is a 2017 Hong Kong science fantasy comedy film produced and directed by Benny Chan and starring Louis Koo as a father who adopts an alien cat whom is sent to invade Earth. Offers. A signature series DVD (UPC 031398849520) was released in 2003. Herrmann I suspect captures Hearst beautifully - powerful, a good host, a sometimes brutal man and very much in love with Marion. Among those in attendance were Hearst's longtime companion and film actress Marion Davies, fellow actor Charlie Chaplin, writer Elinor Glyn, columnist Louella Parsons, and actress Margaret Livingston. Bogdanovich agreed to her request to have some silver and gold on the costumes when many of the pieces she found were trimmed with those colors. Davies explains to Ince her love for Hearst and her regret at an earlier affair with Chaplin. Rumor has it that Hearst, suspecting an affair between Davies and Charlie Chaplin, shot Ince by accident, either mistaking him for Chaplin or because Ince happened to be on the dock at the same time and got in the line of fire. The film provides a speculative assessment on the unclear manner of Ince's death. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2001. He’s the butler. She had a baby some months later and died in a car accident near San Simeon. Hearst arranges to dock in San Diego and have a waiting ambulance take the dying Ince home. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2001. Rated PG-13 | For Sexuality, Scene of Violence and Brief Drug Use X. The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.