"10"
(1979)
R | 120 mins | Comedy | 5 October 1979
Director:
Blake EdwardsWriter:
Blake EdwardsProducers:
Blake Edwards, Tony AdamsCinematographer:
Frank StanleyEditor:
Ralph E. WintersProduction Designer:
Rodger MausProduction Company:
Geoffrey ProductionsA written statement precedes opening credits: “This film is dedicated with love and respect to Dick Crockett.” As mentioned in production notes in AMPAS library files, Crockett, who is credited as the film’s stunt coordinator, died during production and was a frequent collaborator with writer-director-producer Blake Edwards.
End credits include the following acknowledgments: “Mexican sequences filmed at Hotel Las Hadas with the cooperation of Casolar Land & Resort Development, its management & staff,” and, “The producer wishes to thank the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Motion Picture Coordinating Office, the City of Beverly Hills Police and Fire Departments, and Department of Traffic & Parking, and the residents of Beverly Hills for their splendid cooperation.”
Although opening credits read “Introducing Bo Derek,” the picture did not mark her first screen appearance. She had previously made Fantasies (1981, see entry) in 1973 at the age of sixteen and co-starred in Orca (1977, see entry).
According to production notes, the scene of “George Webber” catching a glimpse of his perfect 10, “Jenny,” at a stoplight in Beverly Hills, CA, reflected how Blake Edwards first conceived the story idea. During his bachelor years, Edwards was driving in Brussels, Belgium, when he noticed an alluring bride in a nearby limousine. Wondering whether his ideal woman was passing by, Edwards realized he had the beginning of a film. In a 6 Sep 1978 LAT article, the director noted that other aspects of the film, such as neighbors spying on each other with telescopes, evoked his earlier life in Hollywood, CA.
Actor George Segal was originally cast as Webber, but withdrew from the ...
A written statement precedes opening credits: “This film is dedicated with love and respect to Dick Crockett.” As mentioned in production notes in AMPAS library files, Crockett, who is credited as the film’s stunt coordinator, died during production and was a frequent collaborator with writer-director-producer Blake Edwards.
End credits include the following acknowledgments: “Mexican sequences filmed at Hotel Las Hadas with the cooperation of Casolar Land & Resort Development, its management & staff,” and, “The producer wishes to thank the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Motion Picture Coordinating Office, the City of Beverly Hills Police and Fire Departments, and Department of Traffic & Parking, and the residents of Beverly Hills for their splendid cooperation.”
Although opening credits read “Introducing Bo Derek,” the picture did not mark her first screen appearance. She had previously made Fantasies (1981, see entry) in 1973 at the age of sixteen and co-starred in Orca (1977, see entry).
According to production notes, the scene of “George Webber” catching a glimpse of his perfect 10, “Jenny,” at a stoplight in Beverly Hills, CA, reflected how Blake Edwards first conceived the story idea. During his bachelor years, Edwards was driving in Brussels, Belgium, when he noticed an alluring bride in a nearby limousine. Wondering whether his ideal woman was passing by, Edwards realized he had the beginning of a film. In a 6 Sep 1978 LAT article, the director noted that other aspects of the film, such as neighbors spying on each other with telescopes, evoked his earlier life in Hollywood, CA.
Actor George Segal was originally cast as Webber, but withdrew from the project a few days before the start of principal photography, scheduled for 2 Oct 1978. As reported in a LAT article on that date, Segal’s agent, Guy McElwaine, claimed the sudden departure was due to “irreconcilable artistic differences” between Segal and Edwards. The article also speculated the disagreement concerned Segal’s wife Marion, who was hired as an associate producer on the film. McElwaine, however, dismissed that claim. Another article in the 14 Oct 1978 HR suggested Segal was unhappy with rewrites that favored a larger role for Edwards’s wife, Julie Andrews. Calling the accusation “absurd,” Edwards described Andrews’s part as a cameo and even offered to replace her if Segal would consider returning to the project.
The setback was expected to have a significant impact on the budget, which was originally planned between $5 and $6 million. In an 18 Oct 1978 press release, Orion Pictures Company announced preparations for legal action against Segal to recover the financial loss resulting from his last-minute departure. Following court proceedings, details of Segal’s contract emerged in a 2 May 1979 LAT article. The actor had negotiated a $750,000 salary, plus an additional $250,000 if the picture broke even and ten percent of any gross earnings. As reported in an 11 Jul 1980 DV article, the studio filed a lawsuit in May 1979, seeking $16.5 million in damages from the actor. In a countersuit, Segal filed a $10 million claim against Blake Edwards and $1 million claim against Orion. Information regarding the outcome of the litigation has not been determined.
As reported in a 16 Oct 1978 DV article, the project was “already formally cancelled” when Dudley Moore stepped in as a replacement, and principal photography was rescheduled for 6 Nov 1978. The article claimed that the casting of Moore necessitated script revisions and that Edwards changed George Webber from a Beverly Hills dentist to a successful song writer, which took advantage of Moore’s talents as a piano player and composer. However, Moore stated in a Nov/Dec 1979 Film Comment interview that the role was not rewritten for him, and remarked, “It was extraordinary that I was all the things that this man was in the film.” He added that the only aspect of the character that he discarded was cigar smoking. Moore also mentioned in the interview he had previously written a screenplay treatment about a forty-year-old man for Paramount Pictures, which was very similar to 10. The story was loosely based on Alex Comfort’s 1972 book The Joy of Sex. Moore, however, did not remain with the Paramount project, which was released in 1984 as Joy of Sex (see entry) and credited to screenwriters Kathleen Rowell and J. J. Salter.
Location filming for 10 began in the Los Angeles, CA area and, according to production notes, was primarily based in the Hollywood Hills, Malibu, and Beverly Hills. An 11 Jan 1979 DV column mentioned that the production also built sets on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) soundstages in Culver City, CA. A 22 Nov 1978 HR item noted that the scene of George Webber crashing into a police car was filmed at the intersection of Camden Dr. and Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. On 30 Nov 1978, a HR brief reported the production relocated to Manzanillo, Mexico, for three weeks of filming at the luxurious Las Hadas resort. A 21 Dec 1978 HR brief announced that location work in Mexico was completed on schedule and shooting would resume in Los Angeles on 8 Jan 1979. In Feb 1979, the production moved to Oahu, Hawaii, for a week, as noted in a 12 Feb 1979 HR item. The 6 Mar 1979 HR reported filming was completed.
According to the 11 Jan 1979 DV column, Blake Edwards anticipated the picture would qualify for an R-rating and filmed alternate versions of racy sequences for television.
10 opened nationally on 5 Oct 1979 and became one of the biggest hits of 1979. After three weeks in release at 798 theatres, the picture had grossed over $18.5 million and was described as Orion’s “first certifiable box-office smash” in a 31 Oct 1979 DV article. On 5 Feb 1980, DV announced that earnings had surpassed $60 million, and later that year reached $107 million worldwide, according to the 8 Aug 1980 HR. However, Blake Edwards criticized Orion in the press for a misguided marketing campaign and a saturated release pattern. In articles from the 10 Oct 1979 HR and the 18 Oct 1979 NYT, he described the advertising as “salacious exploitation” and “sexist,” and noted that, despite his strong objections, the studio opted for a theatrical release poster showing Dudley Moore hanging on a chain around the neck of a large-breasted woman. Edwards added that the campaign ignored the role of strong-minded and independent girl friend, “Samantha Taylor.”
The film received five Golden Globe nominations in the following categories: Best Motion Picture-Comedy Or Musical, Best Original Score-Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy Or Musical for Julie Andrews, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy Or Musical for Dudley Moore, and New Star Of The Year-Actress for Bo Derek. 10 also received two Academy Award nominations, Music (Original Score) and Music (Original Song) for “It’s Easy To Say.”
The 20 Feb 2003 DV reported Blake Edwards was planning a remake, titled 10 Again, produced by Mark Damon and his company MDP Worldwide. However, there is no further information in available research materials regarding the development of the project.
Blake Edwards' "10"
During a surprise party for his forty-second birthday, Academy Award-winning songwriter, George Webber, is morose and complains to his thirty-eight-year-old girl friend, Samantha Taylor, an accomplished singer, that he is dissatisfied being middle-aged. The next day, while driving his Rolls-Royce in Beverly Hills, California, George catches sight of a beautiful young bride in a wedding limousine and is captivated by her. Following the limousine to a church, he becomes distracted and bumps head-on into a police car. After receiving a traffic citation, George sneaks into the wedding chapel, but while watching the ceremony from behind a flower arrangement, he is stung by a bee and staggers out. At his hilltop home that evening, George looks through a telescope to spy on his playboy neighbor whose house is always bustling with naked women and sexual escapades. The neighbor also has a telescope, but is disappointed when George and Samantha close the bedroom curtains again. Annoyed with George’s “Peeping Tom” habit, Samantha also protests his use of the term “broad” to describe the female sex. As their argument escalates, Samantha storms out and returns to her own house. During a psychiatry session, George admits that the bride he saw was beyond a perfect “10” on his female beauty scale. He visits the minister who performed the wedding and learns the bride’s name is Jenny, daughter of Dr. Miles, a prominent Beverly Hills dentist. Meanwhile, George is anxious to reconcile with Samantha, but has been unable to reach her at rehearsals. Hoping to learn more about Jenny, George makes an appointment with Dr. Miles for a dental cleaning. Although ...
During a surprise party for his forty-second birthday, Academy Award-winning songwriter, George Webber, is morose and complains to his thirty-eight-year-old girl friend, Samantha Taylor, an accomplished singer, that he is dissatisfied being middle-aged. The next day, while driving his Rolls-Royce in Beverly Hills, California, George catches sight of a beautiful young bride in a wedding limousine and is captivated by her. Following the limousine to a church, he becomes distracted and bumps head-on into a police car. After receiving a traffic citation, George sneaks into the wedding chapel, but while watching the ceremony from behind a flower arrangement, he is stung by a bee and staggers out. At his hilltop home that evening, George looks through a telescope to spy on his playboy neighbor whose house is always bustling with naked women and sexual escapades. The neighbor also has a telescope, but is disappointed when George and Samantha close the bedroom curtains again. Annoyed with George’s “Peeping Tom” habit, Samantha also protests his use of the term “broad” to describe the female sex. As their argument escalates, Samantha storms out and returns to her own house. During a psychiatry session, George admits that the bride he saw was beyond a perfect “10” on his female beauty scale. He visits the minister who performed the wedding and learns the bride’s name is Jenny, daughter of Dr. Miles, a prominent Beverly Hills dentist. Meanwhile, George is anxious to reconcile with Samantha, but has been unable to reach her at rehearsals. Hoping to learn more about Jenny, George makes an appointment with Dr. Miles for a dental cleaning. Although forced to undergo a painful procedure, George discovers that Jenny is honeymooning at Las Hadas, a resort in Mexico. Back home, Samantha telephones him, but the Novocain causes George to slur his words. Unable to recognize the voice on the line, Samantha alerts police. When officers arrive, the incomprehensible George writes a note explaining he just had six cavities filled. Samantha hurries over, but finds that George, now inebriated on alcohol and pain pills, has joined his neighbor’s orgy across the hill. Looking through the telescope, Samantha sees George frolicking with naked women. Peeking through his neighbor’s telescope, George observes Samantha scowling at him and returns home. However, he is unable to reason with Samantha as she marches out of the house. Continuing to drink alcohol, he books a trip to Las Hadas. After a harrowing plane flight and a frenzied cab ride, George arrives at the resort disheveled and immediately collapses in his room. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Samantha is concerned about his whereabouts and commiserates with Hugh, George’s song-writing partner, who reassures her that George is simply experiencing “male menopause.” Jolted from sleep by a mariachi band outside, George finds his way to a hotel lounge and settles himself in front of an attentive bartender named Donald. From there, he telephones Samantha, announcing he escaped to Mexico to be alone for a while, but loves her very much. Uninterested in his mid-life crisis, Samantha hangs up. Jenny and her attractive young husband, David Hanley, arrive in the lounge, and George watches them dance as he drinks. During the evening, he tries to telephone Samantha again, but her son Josh claims she does not want to talk with him. Later that night at the bar, George meets fellow guest Mary Lewis, who recognizes the composer and says they once met at a Truman Capote party. Ever more intoxicated, George stumbles back to his room with Mary, but is unable to make love. The following day, George tries to recover from his hangover on the beach, while stealthily catching glimpses of Jenny sunbathing nearby and fantasizing about seducing her. Meanwhile, Jenny’s husband David is occupied with floating on a surfboard in the bay, and when George notices he has fallen asleep on the board and drifted out to sea, he awkwardly navigates a sailboat to rescue him. When the heroic deed is reported on television, Hugh happens to see the broadcast and alerts Samantha, who is shocked by her clumsy boyfriend’s accomplishment and attempts to reach him. George, however, refuses to take any phone calls as he plays a new song on the hotel piano, transfixed by an image of Jenny in her swimsuit, running on the beach. When George comes to the newlyweds’ suite that evening, Jenny opens the door dressed only in a towel and is pleased he stopped by. She tells him her husband is still in the hospital recovering from severe sunburn. Jenny reveals she recently saw George on a television talk show and thought he was an “attractive older man.” She suggests they have dinner together. Following a walk on a moonlit beach and slow dancing in the lounge, they return to her suite, and Jenny lights a marijuana cigarette. She asks George if he has ever had sex while listening to Ravel’s “Boléro.” Jenny starts the phonograph, undresses, and instructs George to bring the “joint” to the bedroom. However, as George’s fantasy comes true and they make love, he becomes entangled in her hair braids, the “Boléro” record skips, and David telephones to thank George for rescuing him. When Jenny restarts the music in anticipation of resuming their lovemaking, George pauses and sits up in bed. He questions how Jenny can be so relaxed about having an affair on her honeymoon. As Jenny defends her casual attitude about sex, George feels less “special” and less enamored of his perfect “10” and leaves. Arriving back in California, he surprises Samantha at her home and invites her to dinner, but she already has a date. George telephones Hugh, who advises his friend to fight for Samantha. Later that night, George practices a new song when Samantha arrives and joins him at the piano. George asks her to marry him, but she is reluctant unless they can learn to “argue less and make love more.” From across the hill, the neighbor yells he is bored watching George and Samantha and walks away from the telescope. George puts on “Boléro” and begins to seduce Samantha.
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