The moment when the jewelry box snaps shut on Vivian’s fingers was originally intended as a gag.
Garry Marshall and Richard Gere played a prank on the young Julia Roberts, who occasionally arrived on set sleepy.
Edward’s disappearing shoes and other continuity errors
In another continuity quirk, when Vivian removes Edward’s shoes after the opera, they mysteriously reappear in the following shot.
Similarly, when Edward gives Vivian $100 and she hides it in her boot, the money disappears later when she takes off the boots.
The four colorful condoms Vivian shows Edward in another scene also change order between shots, showing that even small props had a mind of their own.
Richard Gere’s perspective on Edward
While the film was a career boost for Gere, he has admitted he wasn’t always happy with his character.
He described Edward as “criminally underwritten” and joked that he was “just a suit with a good haircut.”
One scene, featuring Edward playing the piano while Vivian approaches, was improvised. Director Garry Marshall asked Gere what he normally does late at night in a hotel, and the scene evolved naturally from that conversation.
