Hollywood Wives tells the stories of several women in Hollywood, from powerful talent agents and screenwriters to vivacious screen vixens and young, innocent newcomers. The mini-series generally follows the same plot as the novel, though it does omit certain subplots and characters.
Airing on ABC in February 1985, Hollywood Wives was one of the most watched miniseries of the 1980s. The 3-part, four-and-a-half-hour production was produced by Aaron Spelling, whose hit show Dynasty was no. 1 in the ratings at the time. Like Dynasty, costume design was by Nolan Miller.
Jackie Collins herself was credited as "Creative Consultant" for the miniseries, though she later made it clear that she was not actually consulted at all during production and was less than enthusiastic about some of the casting choices.
Hollywood Wives was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Film Editing in a Limited Series or a Special" in 1985.
Elaine is a Detroit girl turned Hollywood hostess, desperate to stay at the top while her marriage to former screen sex symbol Ross Conti crumbles beneath her. She is driven to improve her husband's career and her own standing within Tinseltown, but struggles to keep the secret that she is also a compulsive shoplifter.
Marilee is Elaine's close friend. A wealthy Hollywood socialite, she is the daughter of a powerful studio boss and the former wife of film director Neil Gray.
Karen is the daughter of superstar actor George Lancaster, whom she does not get on with. Although friends with Elaine, Karen begins making a play for Elaine's husband.
Sadie is a Hollywood agent and star-maker who was responsible for Ross Conti's stardom in the 1950s, and is now one of the most powerful women in Hollywood.
Neil is a British film director. He is a recovering alcoholic, and although he is married to talented screenwriter Montana Gray, he is also caught in a seductive web with actress Gina Germaine.
Montana is Neil Gray's second wife. A talented screenwriter whose new screenplay "Final Reunion" is one of the most talked about scripts in town, she is determined to break the glass ceiling of the Hollywood studio system.
Gina is a successful movie star but is tired of her role as a Hollywood sex symbol and now wants to be taken seriously as an actress. She is willing to do anything to advance her career, including blackmailing movie director Neil Gray.
George is a beloved Hollywood superstar, a contemporary of Ross Conti's but still successful and in-demand, however he has a strained relationship with his daughter Karen.
Buddy is a young aspiring actor and former male prostitute with ambitions of stardom. Now married to Angel, he struggles to hide his past life as he attempts to make a career as an actor.
Angel is Buddy's new bride, trying to find her own way in a new town. Her beauty and innocence often makes her an easy target of the more unscrupulous residents of Hollywood.
Video/DVD
Hollywood Wives was released on a double cassette home video in the 1980s. It was first released on DVD in 2014 in Region 2 (PAL) in certain European countries (Sweden, The Netherlands), and was released in Region 1 by Visual Entertainment in December 2015.
