Hollywood Wives

Every once in a while when you sit down in front of the TV to be entertained, you don't want to have to think or analyze or correlate anything that you're watching. Sometimes you just want to put your brain on hold and watch pretty people in pretty costumes having pretty problems. If you like to indulge in mindless potboilers every now and then have your fill with the 1985 miniseries Hollywood WIVES, the trashy multi-episodic miniseries based on the equally trashy Jackie Collins novel. The story follows a select circle of Hollywood friends, acquaintances, newcomers, secretholders, adulterers and their various escapades. Now, let's see if I can remember all of this...Steve Forrest is an actor looking for a comeback and neglecting wife Candice Bergen while having an affair with Mary Crosby...producer/director Anthony Hopkins is cheating on screenwriter wife Stefanie Powers with blackmailing bimbo Suzanne Somers...Andrew Stevens and wife Catherine Mary Stewart move to Hollywood so that he can begin a career as an actor but she's the one who ends up having a career, being drafted by the studio head (Rod Steiger) who wants her for the lead in a film that Hopkins promised to Somers. When Stevens' career goes nowhere, he gets hired by Roddy McDowell to be a male escort to make ends meet. Stevens by the way, has a dual role as a psycho who comes to Hollywood to find the mother that gave him up for adoption many years ago. Those are the main story lines so if you're in the mood for some mindless eye candy, sit back and enjoy.

Lies, murder, incest, prostitution, skeletons, sex, adultery, fashion, and back stabbing, you get this all here in Jackie Colins's trashy novel, which comes to life in this spectacular mini-series. The theme song alone is worth owning a copy of this miniseries. The late legendary Laura Branigan bails out this song with lyrics such "the men with their lies on Rodeo Drive." Why this has never been released on a Laura Branigan's greatest hits albums is beyond me. The 3 episode mini-series was released in 1985. It features an all star cast which includes: Candice Bergen, Joanna Cassidy, Mary Crosby, Robert Stack, Steve Forrest, Angie Dickinson, Suzanne Somers, Rod Steiger, Anthony Hopkins, Stephanie Powers, Roddy McDowall, Andrew Stevens and Catherine Mary Stewart. The television show has many story lies and plenty of glamor. Suzanne Somers makes a return after losing her contract with "Three's Company" as an ambitious sex symbol movie star, who will do anything to get a great movie role. In summary, you get Chrissy as a whore without her little girl's voice. Also, Candice Bergen gives an effective performance as a neglected wife to fading actor Steve Forrest. Angie Dickinson is a very powerful agent with a big skeleton in her closet. Stephanie Powers is an on the rise movie script writer, who doesn't know her husband, Anthony Hopkins is cheating with Suzanne Somers. Mary Crosby is the spoiled rich bitch who sleeps with her best friend's husband to get attention from her father, Robert Stack. Andrew Stevens,actress Connie Steven's look alive son, plays a dual role, one as a mentally disturbed twin and the other twin as a guy looking to get into movies. Catherine Mary Stewart is married to the the good twin and is quite beautiful. There is a great revelation at the end but I am not going to spoil this for you. Funny scenes: Stephanie Powers at a Hollywood party being almost thrown out because she is driving a Volkswagon. Candice Bergen's kleptomaniac scenes, and Suzanne Somers and Anthony Hopkins bedroom scene at the end. This is definitely worth having in your collection. Why this isn't released on DVD is a wonder. It is definitely much better than the other Hollywood Wives movie with Farrah Fawcett and Melissa Gilbert. Find a copy for your collection or write to the producers to have this on DVD.

Suzanne Summers! Candace Bergen! Anthony Hopkins! Shoulder pads! How can you go wrong? Well, actually this mini-series is a whole world of wrong but thats part of the fun. I especially enjoyed Bergen's role as a compulsive shoplifter who lives in Beverly Hills. The movie is too long, too melodramatic but the sleazy characters and the campy dialoge will keep you laughing till the end. Once this trash fest starts I dare you to turn it off!!!

Never have I seen such great talent assembled for such dreck! A guilty pleasure that's all pleasure, Jackie Collins spins nasty rumors with deft improbability to create the National Enquired version of Hollywood. All it's missing is Elvis alien love child.

The 1980s were the heyday of American mini-series. Whether historical events or, as here, scandalous navel-gazing - every topic could become a complete series with three to six episodes. Filmed with great effort and featuring an all-star cast, these mini-series were marketed worldwide.

"Hollywood Wives" (the original title) is based on the novel of the same name by Jackie Collins (sister of Joan Collins, who was world famous in those years as Alexis from DYNASTY), which was published in 1983. It's about several women who have to do with the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and are of course involved in unsavory affairs and intrigues. So the full life! How one can be unhappy even in eternal spring!

Directed by Robert Day, the film stars Candice Bergen, Mary Crosby, Angie Dickinson, Steve Forrest, Roddy McDowall, Robert Stack and ACADEMY AWARD winner Rod Steiger. We see the wonderful Stefanie Powers as screenwriter Montana Gray as a particularly unhappy Hollywood wife. Her British director husband, who is of course not very particular about marital fidelity, is played by the later ACADEMY AWARD winner Anthony Hopkins.

Oh yes, and Andrew Stevens, who was still very young at the time, plays a hunky call boy for all the frustrated ladies from Hollywood's upper class.

The three-part series that aired on ABC in February 1985 wasn't really convincing. Too little heart, the viewer didn't care much about the characters. But the equipment was right, produced by successful producer Aaron Spelling (DYNASTY).