Troop Beverly Hills
(1989)
PG | 105 mins | Comedy | 22 March 1989
Director:
Jeff KanewWriters:
Pamela Norris, Margaret Grieco ObermanProducer:
Ava Ostern FriesCinematographer:
Donald E. ThorinEditor:
Mark MelnickProduction Designer:
Robert F. BoyleProduction Companies:
Fries Entertainment , Avanti
Referring to the picture by its working title, Be Prepared, the 13 Feb 1988 LAHExam published a casting call for the film, which was expected to begin production in spring 1988. The news item also noted that the narrative was loosely based on real life experiences of producer Ava Ostern Fries, who reportedly spent fifteen years of motherhood writing about the experience at night while being married to executive producer Charles Fries. Nearly two weeks after the LAHExam casting call, a 26 Feb 1988 HR article announced that comedian Shelley Long had been hired to play “Phyllis Nefler.” Long revealed the casting the previous day, when she was honored as ShoWest’s first “Female Comedy Star of the Year.” A shooting schedule was set to begin late Apr 1988 or early May 1988 in Los Angeles, CA. Although Long’s company, Itzbinso Long, was listed as a co-producer with the Weintraub Entertainment Group, her studio is not credited onscreen.
Still listing the picture as Be Prepared, HR production charts on 7 Jun 1988 confirmed that principal photography began in Los Angeles on 31 May 1988. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, all exterior locations were situated in Beverly Hills, CA, with the exception of several sequences shot in Malibu State Park. Beverly Hills locations included stores along Rodeo Drive, Spago Restaurant, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Jane Fonda Workout, Cartier, and Giorgio’s perfumery, as well as at various estates. After a thirty-year rule that prohibited filming inside the Beverly Hills City Hall, the ban was ...
Referring to the picture by its working title, Be Prepared, the 13 Feb 1988 LAHExam published a casting call for the film, which was expected to begin production in spring 1988. The news item also noted that the narrative was loosely based on real life experiences of producer Ava Ostern Fries, who reportedly spent fifteen years of motherhood writing about the experience at night while being married to executive producer Charles Fries. Nearly two weeks after the LAHExam casting call, a 26 Feb 1988 HR article announced that comedian Shelley Long had been hired to play “Phyllis Nefler.” Long revealed the casting the previous day, when she was honored as ShoWest’s first “Female Comedy Star of the Year.” A shooting schedule was set to begin late Apr 1988 or early May 1988 in Los Angeles, CA. Although Long’s company, Itzbinso Long, was listed as a co-producer with the Weintraub Entertainment Group, her studio is not credited onscreen.
Still listing the picture as Be Prepared, HR production charts on 7 Jun 1988 confirmed that principal photography began in Los Angeles on 31 May 1988. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, all exterior locations were situated in Beverly Hills, CA, with the exception of several sequences shot in Malibu State Park. Beverly Hills locations included stores along Rodeo Drive, Spago Restaurant, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Jane Fonda Workout, Cartier, and Giorgio’s perfumery, as well as at various estates. After a thirty-year rule that prohibited filming inside the Beverly Hills City Hall, the ban was lifted for the production. Photogarphy also took place on Sunset Boulevard, and a stately house located on the street was recreated on a Universal Pictures soundstage. The “Nefler” mansion included a “built-in swimming pool” which was “dug right into the floor of the soundstage.” Director of photography Donald E. Thorin used twenty-five “musco” lights so the interior shots appeared to be filmed outside.
As stated in a 22 May 1988 LAT article, the Girls Scouts of America refused to endorse the picture due to their disapproval of the way girls were portrayed.
On 4 Jul 1988, L.B. Press-Telegram noted the title changed to Troop Beverly Hills.
End credits include “Special Thanks” to: “U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, Inyo National Forest; State of California – The Resources Agency, Department of Parks and Recreation; City of Beverly Hills.”
At a Southern California Wilderness Girls of America board meeting, militaristic Velda Plendor votes to disband the Beverly Hills chapter, Troop 332, since the scouts consistently underperform. However, the organization’s leader, Frances Temple, allows troop Beverly Hills one last chance with its new leader, Phyllis Nefler. Unknown to the board, Phyllis is a compulsive shopper with expensive tastes, and is determined to bankrupt her husband, Fred, before their pending divorce. Although the couple’s adolescent daughter, Hannah, is delighted that Phyllis is her new Wilderness Girls troop leader, Fred doubts that his wife, who once scrimped and saved to start his now-successful car muffler business, can prioritize camping over shopping. Despite their antagonism, Phyllis secretly longs for Fred, who has taken up residence in the guesthouse. Sometime later, Phyllis attends a training session lead by Velda Plendor. Dressed in a custom-made designer uniform and heedless of the Wilderness Girls’s staunch codes of humility, Phyllis provokes Velda’s crusade to get rid of troop Beverly Hills. The next day, the Beverly Hills girls go to a campsite beneath the Hollywood sign, chauffeured in limousines. During a rainstorm, Phyllis relocates the girls to the Beverly Hills Hotel, where they share ghost stories around the fireplace. The next morning, Velda and her sidekick, Annie Herman, arrive at the hotel to berate Phyllis, claiming she has debased their wholesome organization. Although Velma fires Phyllis, the indomitable Beverly Hills troop leader later attends the Annual Wilderness Craft Day convention and leads her girls in a fashion show, but they are laughed offstage. Meanwhile, Velda secretly orders Anne to spy on troop Beverly Hills with a hidden ...
At a Southern California Wilderness Girls of America board meeting, militaristic Velda Plendor votes to disband the Beverly Hills chapter, Troop 332, since the scouts consistently underperform. However, the organization’s leader, Frances Temple, allows troop Beverly Hills one last chance with its new leader, Phyllis Nefler. Unknown to the board, Phyllis is a compulsive shopper with expensive tastes, and is determined to bankrupt her husband, Fred, before their pending divorce. Although the couple’s adolescent daughter, Hannah, is delighted that Phyllis is her new Wilderness Girls troop leader, Fred doubts that his wife, who once scrimped and saved to start his now-successful car muffler business, can prioritize camping over shopping. Despite their antagonism, Phyllis secretly longs for Fred, who has taken up residence in the guesthouse. Sometime later, Phyllis attends a training session lead by Velda Plendor. Dressed in a custom-made designer uniform and heedless of the Wilderness Girls’s staunch codes of humility, Phyllis provokes Velda’s crusade to get rid of troop Beverly Hills. The next day, the Beverly Hills girls go to a campsite beneath the Hollywood sign, chauffeured in limousines. During a rainstorm, Phyllis relocates the girls to the Beverly Hills Hotel, where they share ghost stories around the fireplace. The next morning, Velda and her sidekick, Annie Herman, arrive at the hotel to berate Phyllis, claiming she has debased their wholesome organization. Although Velma fires Phyllis, the indomitable Beverly Hills troop leader later attends the Annual Wilderness Craft Day convention and leads her girls in a fashion show, but they are laughed offstage. Meanwhile, Velda secretly orders Anne to spy on troop Beverly Hills with a hidden camera, posing as an assistant leader. At the next troop meeting, the girls confess their discontent. In response, Phyllis promises to train the girls how to survive the “wilderness” of Beverly Hills and to earn Wilderness Girls patches based on their accomplishments. Responding to the “Grooming,” “Create a Patch,” “Dance,” and “Community Service” mandates of the Wilderness Girls manual, Phyllis treats the young ladies to spa treatments, teaches them to appraise diamonds, leads them in dance moves, arranges cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training with a handsome police officer, and lets them entertain residents at a retirement home. Sometime later, Phyllis brings the troop to her divorce hearing to expose them to the U.S. legal system, and is devastated to learn that Fred is considering remarriage. The next day, Phyllis announces that the girls broke a record by earning thirty-six patches in three weeks, and plans a celebration aboard a dockside yacht. There, Hannah is decorated with her special “Sushi Appreciation” patch with parents Phyllis and Fred standing proudly on either side, but when they bend to kiss their daughter, Hannah ducks, hoping the soon-to-be divorcees will kiss each other. In the melee, Fred’s fiancée, Vicki Sprantz, falls off the yacht. Sometime later, Velda proudly exhibits a slideshow of Annie’s secret photographs to the organization’s leader, Frances Temple, hoping to have troop Beverly Hills disbanded for good. However, Frances questions Velda’s clandestine slides, and decides to maintain Phyllis’ leadership. In response, Velda orders Annie to move into the Nefler estate to uncover incriminating evidence, but the girl only witnesses Phyllis’ kindness. Sometime later, Velda announces that the two troops that sell over 1,000 boxes of cookies will compete at the Wilderness’ Girls Annual Jamboree to be that year’s champions. Although the red-feathered Culver City troop plots to take over the Beverly Hills territory, Phyllis arranges a dance performance and fashion show that results in the top-selling of 4,732 boxes. In celebration, Phyllis invites Velda to a black tie gala. When Fred shows up unexpectedly, he compliments his wife for becoming troop leader of the year, and notices she has reverted to the virtuous girl he fell in love with. As Fred announces that his engagement to Vicki has ended, Phyllis suspects he wants to renew their vows, but instead he asks for joint custody of Hannah, and the distressed Phyllis falls into the pool. Later, Velda berates Phyllis and orders her to take the Wilderness Jamboree seriously. Depressed at the loss of her husband, Phyllis drowns her sorrows in Evian bottled water and announces her resignation from troop Beverly Hills. However, the girls insist she has been a positive role model, and beg her to stay. Just then, Fred arrives with Hannah, and encourages Phyllis to lead the girls to victory at the jamboree. Sometime later, troop Beverly Hills arrives at the jamboree campsite in convertible Rolls Royces, ready to outperform the Culver City girls. As the teams race off on their first challenge, Velda fires Annie, who has become Phyllis’ confidante, and the girls of troop Beverly Hills are left to their own devices. Meanwhile, the Culver City red-feathers sabotage troop Beverly Hills and Phyllis loses her walkie-talkie after running away from a snake. Although it appears the red-feathers will win, troop Beverly Hills comes in first, sprinting away from a skunk. The next day, Velda takes over as the red-feathers’ leader and secretly severs the cords of a rope bridge. When Phyllis finds the collapsed bridge, she cries that the game is lost, but Hannah points out a nearby fallen tree that also crosses the ravine. Phyllis totters across the trunk so she can refasten the rope bridge. However, she slips and Hannah hurries to help her mother. Although the girl’s foot gets stuck, Phyllis dislodges her and they successfully cross the gorge. Watching through binoculars, Velda realizes troop Beverly Hills has repaired the bridge and decides to lead her group on a dangerous short cut. Eager to get to the finish line, Velda trips and breaks her ankle, but the Culver City girls, including Velda’s own daughter, leave their leader behind and march toward the finish line. Meanwhile, troop Beverly Hills stops to help Velda, but the cantankerous woman refuses to advise them of a shortcut, despite her injury, because she is intent on the red-feathers’ victory. Using their designer backpacks to create a makeshift stretcher, the girls drag Velda to the finish line. Although Culver City arrives first, they are disqualified because they are devoid of their leader. Just then, troop Beverly Hills crosses the finish line and are awarded the championship trophy. As Velda is fired from the organization, the parents celebrate their daughters’ victory. Fred kisses Phyllis, declares his love, and proposes remarriage.
TOP SEARCHES
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
According to HR news items, "The Gentleman from Montana" (an unpublished story by Lewis R. Foster, alternately called "The Gentleman from Wyoming" by both contemporary and modern ... >>
The Grapes of Wrath
According to materials contained in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, Fox paid John Steinbeck $70,000 for the rights to his ... >>
Casablanca
In the onscreen credits, actor S. Z. Sakall's name is incorrectly spelled "S. K. Sakall." HR news items add the following information about the production: ... >>
Gone with the Wind
[Note from the Editors : the following information is based on contemporary news items, feature articles, reviews, interviews, memoranda and corporate records. Information obtained from modern sources is ... >>
Citizen Kane
This film's end credits begin with the statement, “Most of the principal actors in Citizen Kane are new to motion pictures. The Mercury Theatre is proud ... >>