Hollywood Love Affair

Francis Ford Coppola's "One From the Heart"

Over the past 90 years hundreds of films have been made, all or in part, at Hollywood Center Studios. They've come in all types and descriptions. Some have been blockbusters. A few have not fared so well. But none, it's safe to say, has been quite like One From the Heart.

Francis Ford Coppola made the movie musical in 1982 following his spectacular success with the first two Godfather movies and Apocalypse Now. He was the hottest commodity in Hollywood and One From the Heart was his labor of love.

The story involves a star-crossed couple, played by Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr, who split up and get back together over a Fourth of July weekend in Las Vegas. It's a fairly conventional tale, but there is nothing conventional about Coppola's theatrical delivery and dazzling visuals. His Las Vegas is even more fantastic, magical and dreamlike than the real thing, bathed in gorgeous neon lighting and set beneath a night sky of otherworldly colors. The film also features a wonderful bluesy score by Tom Waits, and performed by Waits and Crystal Gayle.


Coppola shot the film entirely at what is now Hollywood Center Studios. The director owned the lot at the time, which he ran as Zoetrope Studios. He built several large sets including a breathtaking recreation of the better part of the Las Vegas Strip. He also constructed a set representing a portion of McCarran Airport—something that hadn't been done on the lot since the twenties. The director incorporated a number of technical innovations into the production. Most notable was his use of video gear and a computerized mixing board to "preproduce" the film. The idea was to speed the actual production and streamline post. Although it didn't quite work out as Coppola hoped, the concept was similar to the previsualization techniques used in some films today.

Coppola got into a battle with Paramount over distribution of the film. The studio eventually pulled out and the director decided to release it himself. There was a preview screening at Radio City Music Hall in New York followed by a limited release in a few cities in the and Canada. Criticsmostly ravaged the film and after just two weeks, Coppola removed it from theaters. With box office revenue at only about $2 million, the film was a financial disaster for the director. He later sold the studio.

In the years since, critics have been kinder to One From the Heart. Following its release on DVD in 2003 (and another limited theatrical run), many hailed it as a visionary work, artistically and technically ahead of its time. Love it or hate it, the film Coppola called his "unique vision of love" remains a colorful chapter in the rich history of Hollywood Center Studios.