MALICE IN WONDERLAND
US, 1985, 100 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Alexander, Richard Dysart, Rick Lenz, Tim Robbins.
Directed by Gus Trikonis.
Malice in Wonderland is a witty title for a film about the celebrated gossip columnists, Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, and their wreaking havoc in Hollywood. The film is set in the late '20s and throughout the '30s. It highlights the characters of the two women, creation of the gossip column industry and its repercussions on the Hollywood moguls as well as the stars. It also highlights the insatiable eagerness of the American public for gossip about the stars.
The film, however, is a tour de force for Elizabeth Taylor as Louella Parsons and Jane Alexander as Hedda Hopper. While Taylor gives a very strong performance, Alexander's is the showier role and has more depth. Richard Dysart appears as a cunning, but often bewildered, Louis B. Mayer. Tim Robbins, soon to emerge as a star in Bull Durham can be seen in the brief but effective role as Joseph Cotten.
The film has the spicy gossip atmosphere about it - as well as scenes with Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Orson Welles at the opening of Citizen Kane. Enjoyable in itself - but an ironic nostalgic memoir of Hollywood.
1.The wit of the title? Alice in Wonderland for Hollywood? The malice of the gossip columnists and their looking-glass world?
2.Creation of the period, scenes of Hollywood, the studios, ordinary Hollywood life? Musical score?
3.The reputation of the two women? Their roles in Hollywood, roles they created and sustained, and needed each other to maintain by being best enemies? Their philosophy of the power of fear?
4.The structure of the film: the setting up of the fight, the end and audiences seeing their respect for each other and the influence?
5.The quality of the star turns by the leading actresses, playing off each other (as did Parsons and Hopper)?
6.Louella Parsons coming to Hollywood, the '20s, the fan magazines, gossip, Hedda Hopper supplying her with information? Harriet working for her mother? Her love for Doc, his supporting her, his drinking? Her going to the studios, her power over the heads, Louis B. Mayer? Her working for William Randolph Hearst? Clark Gable on the set, questions of Marion Davies and her films and her relationship to Hearst? Her learning by experience, being beaten by Hedda Hopper? Her vicious style, the actress and her pregnancy and attempted suicide? Radio interviews and Carole Lombard's unwillingness? The columns? The panning of Citizen Kane because of the Hearst parody? Harriet leaving home, her own career?
7.Hedda Hopper as more ordinary, her work, her young son? Supplying information to Parsons? Her acting career, the cameo role with Gable? Friendship with Louis B. Mayer? Her attempt at a radio program but her giving glamorous chat instead of gossip? Louis B. Mayer offering her the chance for a column, her agent helping her, bringing out the venom? Bill and his disgust with his mother's career? His comments about her being as bad as Louella? His being in the Coast Guard but joining up for the frogmen? Hedda Hopper and her capacity for intimidating people, interviews, the encounter with Joseph Cotten and his pushing her into the salad, her praising of Citizen Kane? Her praise for Harriet Parsons' career?
8.The build-up to the dinner, the audience, the fight, going to the ladies' room, their reviewing their careers, the truth about each other, their weaknesses, Doc and his drinking, Hedda and her coldness? The actress listening in? Their sparking off each other?
9.The sketch of Louis B. Mayer, his films, reputation, with the other moguls, fear of Louella Parsons, strategies to defeat her, their being defeated? His friendship with Hedda Hopper, giving her an opportunity? The final fight?
10.Hollywood tinsel? The gossip, the films being made, the lives of the stars, power and fear? The insatiable need of the public to know gossip and its repercussions?
