California Suite - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of California Suite or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to California Suite

[liam]

The suites, lobby, entrance, and polo lounge were not filmed at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but were re-created on studio soundstages to allow flexibility in shooting with removable walls. The lobby, entrance, and polo lounge set, measuring 6,176 square feet (1,882 square meters), was re-created on one massive soundstage at the Burbank Studios' Columbia Ranch. The hotel rooms and suites were shot on Stage 4 of the Burbank Studios. However, tennis court and swimming pool scenes were shot at the actual hotel.

[ronnie]

The "Diana and Sidney" one-act segment from Neil Simon's "London Suite" play featured the Diana and Sidney characters from Simon's "California Suite" play and movie. In this movie, Diana was portrayed by Dame Maggie Smith (who won an Oscar for the part), while Sidney was played by Sir Michael Caine. In London Suite (1996), Diana was played by Patricia Clarkson, while Sidney was played by Kelsey Grammer. The London Suite (1996) Diana and Sidney characters were based on the "California Suite" Diana and Sidney characters, except the names have been changed slightly. In London Suite (1996), they were called Diana Nichols and Sidney Nichols, whereas in this movie, they were known as Diana Barrie and Sidney Cochran.

[fred]

The cast includes five Oscar winners: Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, Sir Michael Caine, Dame Maggie Smith, and James Coburn; and three Oscar nominees: Alan Alda, Elaine May, and Richard Burton.

[bernice]

The production notes for this movie suggested the following promotional ideas and marketing concepts to theaters showing this movie: "Contact the manager of your town's most luxurious hotel and tell him about the inspired entertainment in CALIFORNIA SUITE. In exchange for promotional support, arrange for the hotel to rename its most opulent suite the CALIFORNIA SUITE. Then provide the hotel with theatre passes to offer to the first patrons who stay in these glamorous accommodations. As a twist on the idea, you might suggest that a series of rooms be rechristened in honor of the stars of CALIFORNIA SUITE. For example, the Jane Fonda Suite, the Walter Matthau Suite, the Bill Cosby Suite, etc. The designated rooms might be decorated with your one sheets and pictures of the chosen stars, and the hotel would then be expected to advertise the tie-in by mounting an eye-catching lobby display that links their 'California Suite' to yours."

[nora]

Neil Simon wrote the play, and later movie script, when he moved to California, to be closer to the Hollywood movie industry.

[jamie]

Jane Fonda and Sir Michael Caine appeared in Hurry Sundown (1967).

[alyssa]

The character name of Diana Nichols was changed from the play to Diana Barrie (Dame Maggie Smith) for this movie. Similary, Sidney Nichols became Sidney Cochran (Sir Michael Caine). Also, Stu Franklyn and his wife Gert, and Mort Hollender and his wife Beth in the play became respectively in the movie Dr. Chauncey Gump (Richard Pryor) and his wife Lola (Gloria Gifford), and Dr. Willis Panama (Bill Cosby) and his wife Bettina (Sheila Frazier).

[jessie]

Sir Michael Caine played a character named Sidney Cochran, whose bisexuality or homosexuality is revealed to his wife in this movie. Caine played a bisexual in another movie, whose bisexuality or homosexuality was also revealed, and also named Sidney (Sidney Bruhl). That movie was Deathtrap (1982).

[kyle]

This movie was released two years after its source play, by Neil Simon, was first performed.

[janice]

The artworks with California themed motifs that are featured during the opening titles were painted by pop artist David Hockney.

[russell]

The four stories take place in different suites and rooms in the hotel, not the "same suite at different times" suggested by Turner Classic Movie host Dave Karger.

[kim]

Reportedly, this movie's eight lead actors and actresses were all the first choices of screenwriter Neil Simon, director Herbert Ross, and producer Ray Stark.

[sophie]

The name of the Diana Barrie (Dame Maggie Smith) movie, for which she was Oscar nominated, and starred with James Coburn, (which is seen on the plane at the start of this movie, and again referenced on a plane at the end), was "No Left Turns". The name of the Oscar winner of the short documentary at the Academy Awards was "The Midgets of Leipzig".

[darrell]

Herbert Ross directed five movies written by Neil Simon. The others being Max Dugan Returns (1983), The Goodbye Girl (1977), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982).

[amber]

The play featured four acts with the four main actors and actresses doubling-up, playing two or three parts each. In this movie version, ten actors and actresses play the ten main roles.

[albert]

Actress, writer, and director Elaine May previously directed another Neil Simon-written movie, The Heartbreak Kid (1972), but did not appear in it. Also a writer, May never worked as a screenwriter on one of Simon's works.

[ronnie]

The original stage production of "California Suite" by Neil Simon, opened on April 2, 1976 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and ran until June 5, 1976. The Broadway production of "California Suite" opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on June 10, 1976, and ran until July 2, 1977.

[bryan]

The room number of the suite in the source play was Suite No. 203-04 in the Beverly Hills Hotel. This movie featured the characters in four different hotel suites as the action cut between the four episodes, which in the play were set in the one hotel suite at different times, one per act.

[steve]

Walter Matthau was the only cast member from Neil Simon's earlier "Suite" movie, Plaza Suite (1971), who appeared in this movie.