On 14 Sep 1978, HR announced that screenwriter-director Jim McBride and writer L. M. Kit Carson were collaborating on the screenplay for an updated version of the classic French film, Breathless, (1961, see entry) to be photographed in Los Angeles, CA, beginning spring 1979, on a budget of less than $5 million. At that time, McBride was listed as director, Amy Ephron as producer, and Martin Erlichman as executive producer. McBride received permission to adapt the film from director Jean-Luc Godard and writer François Truffaut, who collaborated on the original. A news item in the 28 Nov 1978 Var stated that actor Gary Busey was “interested” in the lead role, but two days later, the 30 Nov 1978 HR reported that Robert DeNiro was being considered by Godard to star in the remake. On 18 Dec 1978, HR correctly credited Erlichman as producer and Universal Pictures Corp. as distributor.
       McBride explained in the 19 Nov 1982 DV that the screenplay was rewritten to suit Busey, who was to play protagonist “Jesse” as “a sort of redneck character.” When McBride was unable to reach an agreement with the actor, Universal recommended DeNiro for the role, who was working on the film Raging Bull (1980, see entry) at the time, and waited six months before refusing the part, after which Universal rejected the project. Orion Pictures Company was willing to supply financing, and there was interest in the lead role from actors John Travolta and Al Pacino, but all took issue with McBride, who had only directed low-budget, independent films to date. McBride’s agent, executive producer Keith Addis, advised his client to defer to new distributor Paramount Pictures Corporation, and relinquish the role of director to Franc Roddam. Paramount also chose Richard Gere as the film’s star, but the studio soon abandoned the project, as did Roddam, who was committed to another picture. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, McBride flew to New York City to obtain Gere’s commitment to the project; they were later joined by Erlichman for a meeting with Orion executives, who agreed to finance the film. Gere collaborated on the final draft of the screenplay, and accompanied McBride and Erlichman to Paris, France, where they auditioned actresses for the role of “Monica.” DV reported that Valerie Kaprisky was selected from 150 candidates, though she was one of only fifteen who personally auditioned for the McBride, Erlichman, and Gere. In the production notes, she described her audition as “awful,” as she did not have time to memorize her lines, though she won the role after being allowed a second chance the following day.
       Production began 2 Aug 1982 and ended eight weeks later. Locations included the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Venice Beach, Hollywood, Downtown, and Westwood, which included the campus of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The cities of Santa Monica, CA; Beverly Hills, CA; Palmdale, CA; and Las Vegas, NV; supplied additional locations. Some interior filming was performed at Zoetrope Studios in Los Angeles. McBride was quoted in DV describing the role of Los Angeles in the film as “a secondary character.” Another location, mentioned in a 21 Nov 1982 NYT article, was “The Pines,” an abandoned hillside estate in Hollywood where the final scenes were photographed. The property was later acquired by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and opened to the public as Runyon Canyon Park. As photography drew to a close, McBride admitted that he was “terrified of the critical reaction,” but was happy to be working again. The article listed actress Karen Black among the cast members, but she is not credited onscreen.
       The 4 Feb 1983 HR announced that the release of Breathless would be postponed until Friday, 13 May 1983, because “a few minor detail scenes were reshot,” and postproduction was incomplete. Release was originally scheduled for 4 Mar 1983. The film opened in 1,100 theaters nationwide to mixed reviews, several of which compared it unfavorably to its source material. However, the picture grossed $4.4 million during its opening weekend, according to the Jul 1983 Box.
       A news item in the 20 May 1983 LA Weekly revealed that the nightclub set in Breathless was modeled on a Los Angeles nightspot called “The Garage,” which was studied by members of the production team prior to filming. Club owner Steven Tosh was reportedly angered over receiving no credit for his contribution.
       Composer Phillip Glass and his publishing company, Dunvagen Music Publishing, Inc., filed a suit against Orion Pictures, Erlichman, and several other entities in early Jul 1983 for their “unauthorized use of his music” in the film, as reported in the 19 Jul 1983 NYT. The composer sought actual damages in excess of $1 million and punitive damages in excess of $2 million, charging the defendants with “copyright infringement, unfair competition and fraud.” According to Glass, The Clearing House, Ltd., and Ronald H. Gertz solicited permission to use one of his compositions from the album Glassworks as “incidental music” for the film in 1982. Permission was granted on the condition that the musical sequence be only two minutes in length, would retain its original arrangement, and “be heard in the background as if coming from a radio.” However, Kurt Munkacsi, who co-produced the album, stated that the producers chose a seven-minute sequence from the solo piano piece “Openings” and made it a recurring musical theme throughout the film. Glass was offended by the orchestration of his work, which he described as “mawkish” and “sentimental,” and felt that he received inadequate credit. An undisclosed monetary settlement was reached between the parties, reportedly in the “tens of thousands of dollars.” In addition, all future domestic and foreign prints were required to include a detailed credit for “Openings.” However, none of the defendants admitted any liability in the case, and claimed that they reached the settlement in order to avoid “potential interference” with the film’s distribution.
      End credits include the following statements: “Principal theme based on ‘Openings’ by Phillip Glass from the CBS Masterworks album ‘Glassworks’”; and “’Silver Surfer’ character is a trademark of the Marvel Comics Group. All rights reserved. All artwork is courtesy of the Marvel Comics Group.”