The Lonely Lady
| The Lonely Lady | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Peter Sasdy |
| Produced by | Robert R. Weston |
| Screenplay by |
Adapted by Ellen Shepard Written by John Kershaw Shawn Randall |
| Based on |
The Lonely Lady by Harold Robbins |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Charlie Calello |
| Cinematography | Brian West |
| Edited by | Keith Palmer |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
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September 30, 1983 |
|
Running time
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92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million |
| Box office | $1,223,220 (USA) |
The Lonely Lady is a 1983 American drama film directed by Peter Sasdy, adapted from the 1976 novel written by Harold Robbins. (The novel itself was believed to have been based on Robbins' memories of Jacqueline Susann.) The original music score was composed by Charlie Calello. The cast includes Pia Zadora in the title role, Lloyd Bochner, Bibi Besch, Jared Martin, and in an early film appearance, Ray Liotta. The plot follows Jerilee Randall, an aspiring screenwriter who deals with many abusive men in her attempts to achieve success in Hollywood. A critical and commercial failure, The Lonely Lady was the last adaptation of one of Robbins' best selling novels before he died in 1997, and, to date, the last such adaptation of any of his works.
Jerilee Randall (Pia Zadora) is an innocent schoolgirl living in the San Fernando Valley area of California with dreams of becoming a famous screenwriter. Shortly after winning a trophy for her creative writing, she meets Walt (Kerry Shale), the son of famous screenwriter Walter Thornton (Lloyd Bochner), at a party. She goes home with him, along with some other friends, and during a late evening pool party, one of Jerilee's friends (played by Ray Liotta in one of his first roles) beats her, slaps her and then sexually assaults her with a garden hose nozzle.
Walter arrives after the assault has taken place and saves Jerilee from further attacks. A friendship, then a love affair, develops between them, and they soon marry, despite the disapproval of Jerilee's mother (Bibi Besch). The marriage begins to fall apart when Jerilee rewrites one of Walter's scripts and is told she had improved it greatly. (She had actually only added the word, "Why?") Despite this, the revised script works well for the actress delivering the line and she thanks Walter for it.
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