WHAT WENT WRONG

Top Movie Moments (with Glamorous Trash)

December 29, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The production histories of major films like *A Star Is Born*, *Dirty Dancing*, *Starship Troopers*, and *Cleopatra* reveal significant on-set conflicts, actor/director misconduct, and logistical chaos that often contrast sharply with the final product. 
  • Celebrity memoirs provide crucial, often uncomfortable, insights into the pressures of Hollywood, including body image issues (Jennifer Gray's nose job, Denise Richards' multiple breast augmentations) and the power dynamics that lead to actor mistreatment (Tippi Hedren's experience with Hitchcock and Noel Marshall). 
  • The success of certain films, like *Star Wars* and *American Graffiti*, was heavily influenced by collaborative relationships, such as George Lucas's partnership with his then-wife Marcia Lucas, who pushed for greater emotional depth and character focus. 
  • The on-set behavior of Rex Harrison during *Dr. Doolittle* and *Cleopatra* was notoriously difficult, contrasting sharply with the high-profile status of his co-stars like Elizabeth Taylor. 
  • Filmmaking success can stem from two opposing philosophies: the uncompromising auteur vision (like Kubrick/Tarantino) versus the collaborative, professional approach exemplified by Sidney Lumet in *Making Movies*. 
  • Technological breakthroughs in filmmaking, such as the CGI in *Toy Story*, must ultimately serve the fundamental importance of strong story and character development to achieve lasting impact. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Crossover
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(00:01:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts of WHAT WENT WRONG and Glamorous Trash share a significant crossover in subject matter, often researching the same celebrity memoirs.
  • Summary: Chelsea Devantez introduced Lizzie and Chris, hosts of WHAT WENT WRONG, highlighting the shared research base between the two podcasts. Chris defined his show’s premise as analyzing how difficult every movie is to make, even the bad ones. Chelsea likened the two shows to fine wine pairings, with Glamorous Trash covering the memoir context and WHAT WENT WRONG covering the film production fallout.
A Star Is Born Memoir Anecdotes
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(00:04:49)
  • Key Takeaway: Barbra Streisand felt the Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper version of A Star Is Born ripped off her 1976 version, preferring a hypothetical hip-hop iteration with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
  • Summary: The first highlight involved Barbra Streisand’s memoir criticizing the 2018 A Star Is Born remake for focusing on singers, similar to her version. A lesser-known development was a potential version directed by Nick Cassavettes starring Beyoncé and Russell Crowe. The discussion pivoted to Streisand’s producer, John Peters, whose aggressive first meeting with Streisand involved slapping her rear, and whose later career included attempting to pay Pamela Anderson $12 million to marry him.
Dirty Dancing Production Conflicts
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(00:10:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Patrick Swayze’s difficult behavior toward Jennifer Gray began on the set of Red Dawn before Dirty Dancing, culminating in him exposing himself to make her laugh during a scene.
  • Summary: Jennifer Gray’s memoir revealed her beef with Patrick Swayze predated Dirty Dancing, stemming from his unprofessionalism while intoxicated on the set of Red Dawn. Kelly Bishop, cast as the mother, was flown out early under false pretenses, only to learn her role upon arrival after the initial actress fell ill. Gray’s subsequent nose job, which changed her appearance significantly, led director Carol Ballard to publicly blame the resulting film’s failure on her.
Star Wars and Nudity Controversies
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(00:22:08)
  • Key Takeaway: George Lucas famously told Carrie Fisher she could not wear a bra as Princess Leia in the first Star Wars because ’there’s no bras in space,’ a rule contradicted by the metal bras in the later film.
  • Summary: Carrie Fisher’s memoir detailed George Lucas’s insistence that Leia go braless in A New Hope due to a lack of space bras, contrasting with the metal chain bras in Return of the Jedi. Chris argued that Leia’s witty, tough characterization in the first film was likely influenced by George Lucas’s first wife and editor, Marcia Lucas, who championed emotional connection over pure spectacle. Denise Richards’ memoir revealed she was pressured into nudity for Wild Things after getting a boob job just two weeks prior, though she successfully refused a nude scene on Starship Troopers.
Rob Lowe and The Outsiders Power
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(00:36:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Matthew Perry insisted on performing a dangerous jet ski stunt for Fools Rush In against production advice, leading to a crash and subsequent prescription of Vicodin, which he cited as the start of his addiction.
  • Summary: Rob Lowe’s memoir detailed how the young cast of The Outsiders, including Tom Cruise, would physically fight on set to prepare for fight scenes. The segment transitioned to Matthew Perry’s memoir, where he recounted crashing a jet ski during the filming of Fools Rush In because he refused to let a stuntman perform the scene. Production staff reportedly gave him Vicodin while recovering, which Perry claimed initiated his long battle with opioid addiction.
Cleopatra and Rex Harrison’s Behavior
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(00:48:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Elizabeth Taylor was paid a record $1 million for Cleopatra while suffering severe illnesses, but co-star Rex Harrison was notoriously the most unpleasant person on the famously chaotic set.
  • Summary: Elizabeth Taylor’s memoir detailed her severe health issues during Cleopatra, including Malta fever and double pneumonia, while she was simultaneously involved with Richard Burton and dealing with the fallout of leaving Eddie Fisher for him. Taylor was paid $1 million, a record at the time, but her co-star Rex Harrison was described as the biggest ‘bitch’ on set, even singing an explicit song about his penis at a party while his co-star Rachel Roberts did handstands.
Wild Celebrity On-Set Antics
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(00:54:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Rex Harrison was consistently the most difficult person on set, even overshadowing Elizabeth Taylor’s high-maintenance reputation during Dr. Doolittle and Cleopatra.
  • Summary: Billy Wilder and Jimmy Stewart’s wives were present when Wilder sang a song about his penis at a party, while Rachel Roberts performed handstands without underwear on the set of the children’s movie Dr. Doolittle. Rex Harrison was consistently cited as the biggest ‘bitch’ on the set of Cleopatra, once screaming at an assistant who accidentally stepped on his toga, prompting director Joe Mankowitz to intervene.
Memoirs Informing Filmmaking Work
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(00:55:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies champions treating film production as a manageable job focused on schedule and collaboration, contrasting with the difficult ’enfant terrible’ director archetype.
  • Summary: Chelsea Devantez asked guests for research moments that informed their own work, leading to a discussion on directorial styles. One speaker highlighted Sidney Lumet’s book, which details how to maintain professionalism and collaboration without resorting to berating others to achieve artistic goals. A crew member’s positive feedback on Ryan Johnson’s respectful production of Wake Up Deadman reinforced the idea that a positive set experience can enhance the audience’s appreciation of the final film.
Story Over Technology Lesson
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(00:57:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The creation of Toy Story proved that even groundbreaking technological achievements must prioritize story and character development to resonate.
  • Summary: Lizzie cited the making of Toy Story as inspiring because, despite being the first fully computer-generated 3D animated film, the primary focus remained on ensuring the story and characters were the best part of the movie. The writers of Toy Story proactively studied Robert McKee’s work to master screenwriting fundamentals while developing the film. Joss Whedon contributed the key concept that Buzz Lightyear did not realize he was a toy, which became central to the entire plot.
Book Insights on Production Chaos
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(01:00:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The Devil’s Candy offers an accessible look into the psychological turmoil of a major film disaster (The Bonfire of the Vanities), while A League of Their Own shows contrasting directorial and acting approaches.
  • Summary: One speaker recommended The Devil’s Candy, the oral history of The Bonfire of the Vanities, as a gripping introduction to the darker side of filmmaking where psychological pain occurs without physical harm. Accounts from Penny Marshall and Gina Davis regarding A League of Their Own revealed Marshall went over budget and schedule to get what she needed, whereas Davis shot extensive coverage because she was unsure of her vision, often compensating for a lack of written jokes.
Director’s Cut Timeline Pressures
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(01:03:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Producers often pressure directors to show assembly cuts much earlier than the standard 10 to 12 weeks allotted for a director’s cut, especially on independent films facing festival deadlines.
  • Summary: Chris detailed how both his independent film (Worm) and his studio-backed film (Moonshot) required him to show producers the assembly cut only four to six weeks after wrapping, far short of the ideal 10-12 weeks for a director’s cut. The independent film’s early screening was driven by a tight Sundance deadline, while Moonshot’s rush was due to HBO Max needing to fill a platform release slot during the pandemic. Chris highly praised his editor, Harry Giergin, for helping him navigate the intense post-production schedule on Moonshot.
Independent Film Production Nightmares
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(01:07:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Independent filmmaking often involves extreme logistical hurdles, such as shooting in non-soundstage warehouses where rain noise stops production, or dealing with construction crews being poached by larger productions.
  • Summary: Chris described his independent film experience as ‘hell,’ noting they shot in a warehouse where rain noise prevented audio recording, forcing them to scrap scenes entirely. On Moonshot, a studio film shot ‘in quotes,’ the construction crew was poached by Black Panther 2, leaving sets unfinished just weeks before shooting began. Chelsea is currently directing a feature called Basic, starring Ashley Park and Layton Easter, which is based on her earlier short film.
Final Book Recommendation and Wrap
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(01:10:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The oral history Blood, Sweat, and Chrome effectively illustrates that making a major film like Mad Max Fury Road is a massive group effort requiring countless individuals.
  • Summary: Chris offered Blood, Sweat, and Chrome, the oral history of Mad Max Fury Road, as his favorite book for illustrating the sheer number of people required to execute complex production logistics. The conversation concluded with thanks to the production team and sponsors, and an encouragement for aspiring filmmakers to listen to the WHAT WENT WRONG podcast for insights into production realities.