The Directors' Wall

Robert Evans needed a hit. Francis Coppola needed a job. The result of the bitter rivals teaming up again to make another gangster movie, this time set in Harlem in the 1920’s and 30’s: The Cotton Club, starring Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, and Diane Lane. Their contentious working relationship had previously resulted in The Godfather, with each claiming to be the real cause behind the movie’s success. Neither wanted to work with the other again but both were at points in their careers where, for better or worse, they needed each other. Like many Coppola films The Cotton Club had a troubled production. Evans secured financing though some unsavory channels and found himself tied up lawsuits and police investigations. Coppola expanded the scope of the story running overschedule and over budget. The film flopped at the box office and was hit or miss with critics. In 2019, Coppola reworked the film releasing The Cotton Club Encore, adding and expanding scenes (such as musical numbers) and deleting others. We discuss the differences between the two versions, like pacing and which characters got more scenes to develop, the problems with each version, characters we wish had more screen time, the unexpected and incredible duo of Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynne, and, of course, the musical performances. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 and Rosso Bianco Rosso.