The producers originally wanted Bea Arthur to play the role because the character was supposed to be mean and cruel, which would strain the relationship with her son even more. This concept was closer to a black comedy, and Bea Arthur's persona fit that description.
Once Estelle Getty was cast, the character of the mother was changed from a mean and cruel antagonist to a sweet old lady type. This shift took away the tension that was originally scripted and made the mother character more of a supportive figure.
The film won three Razzies and received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Sylvester Stallone himself has called it one of the worst films in the entire solar system, and even a flatworm could write a better script, according to him.
Yes, despite the negative critical reception, the film grossed $70.6 million worldwide, which is considered a decent financial performance.
The feud between Stallone and Schwarzenegger dates back to the 1977 Golden Globes where they were seated at the same table. Stallone lost in five of the six nominated categories while Schwarzenegger won the New Star Award. Stallone claimed Schwarzenegger laughed at his losses, leading to a long-standing rivalry.
Schwarzenegger, knowing the script was terrible, purposefully leaked to the press that he was interested in starring in the film. This was to lure Stallone into getting jealous and trying to steal the film out from under him, which Stallone eventually did.
Estelle Getty described her relationship with Stallone as a real love affair and praised him as one of the funniest people in the world. She also mentioned that he is literate, intelligent, funny, and very quick-witted, with a lot more to him than meets the eye.
The original inspiration for the movie was 'The Thin Man,' a film about a charming mother-son crime-solving team. The writer, Blake Snyder, envisioned the mom's dog helping to solve the case, but this element was later reduced to just a prop in the final film.
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WELCOME TO EPISODE 22 OF THE GOLDEN GIRLS DEEP DIVE PODCAST! Starting from the beginning of the show, each week we recap an episode of The Golden Girls and we end each episode with a fully researched deep dive into something from the Golden Girls universe!
In episode 22, Rose loses her job at the grief counseling center, so she starts inviting former patients to the house for treatment. Shenanigans ensue when the ladies find out that Rose is desperate to find another day job, but can’t seem to land one. Also, Blanche is trying to lose a few pounds and Dorothy is VERY EXCITED (cue jazz hands) for a date with an old… flame. Pun intended.
For this week’s deep dive Jenn is telling us all about the GROUNDBREAKING 1992 film Stop or My Mom Will Shoot starring Estelle Getty and Sly Stallone. OK, groundbreaking might be going a bit far, but you will not BELIEVE the shady backstory about how Sly got the part or WHICH OTHER GOLDEN GIRL WAS ORIGINALLY OFFERED THE MOM ROLE. This one is wild, y’all.
Our episodes are researched by Jess McKillop, Patrick Hinds, and Jennifer Simard. All of our sources can be found on our website. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @GoldenGirlsDeepDive
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