Buzz
Troop Beverly Hills
The film featured Shelley Long as Phyllis Nefler, a high-maintenance Beverly Hills housewife who takes charge of her daughter’s "Wilderness Girls" troop in an effort to prove to her husband (played by Craig T. Nelson) that she’s still the devoted woman he once married. Despite a lukewarm reception and a disappointing box office performance, the movie eventually gained a cult following, known for launching the careers of several young actresses such as Tori Spelling, Carla Gugino, Kellie Martin, and Jenny Lewis.
1. THE MOVIE WAS INSPIRED IN PART BY THE LIFE OF THE PRODUCER.
Ava Ostern Fries, the wife of seasoned producer Charles W. Fries, became the Brownie troop leader for her seven-year-old daughter’s group in Beverly Hills. On their first camping trip, when the rain poured down, they ended up at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where they roasted marshmallows in front of the fireplaces. After sharing her experiences at dinner parties, Ava was encouraged to put her stories in writing.
2. DISNEY WANTED BETTE MIDLER TO PLAY PHYLLIS.
Ava Ostern Fries declined Disney's proposal to turn her story into a movie because they insisted on casting Bette Midler in the lead role, which Fries felt wasn’t the right fit for the character.
3. CARLA GUGINO FUDGED HER AGE TO LAND THE ROLE OF CHICA.
At 16, Carla Gugino auditioned for Troop Beverly Hills but told the casting team she was 14. She only came clean to director Jeff Kanew three weeks into filming, realizing it was too late for her part to be recast. "I figured he'd just say, 'No big deal,'" Gugino recalled. "But instead, he gasped and said, 'I never would have hired you if I knew you were 16.'"
For Carla Gugino, the film was a pivotal moment in her career: "I got emancipated that year, so I was legally an adult," Gugino shared with The A.V. Club. "That meant I no longer needed a chaperone on set, and it was the first time I earned enough to say, 'I can fully support myself as an actor.' That was when I truly felt like a professional actor."
4. IT WAS TORI SPELLING'S DEBUT IN CINEMA.
Tori Spelling, who played Jamie in the movie, had already appeared in several TV shows, including Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Just a year after Troop Beverly Hills came out, she landed the role of Donna Martin on the hit series Beverly Hills, 90210.
5. IT WAS THE FIRST FILM IN THREE DECADES TO BE SHOT INSIDE BEVERLY HILLS CITY HALL.
For 30 years, filming inside Beverly Hills City Hall was prohibited. That was until this film.
6. "COOKIE TIME" IS NO LONGER IN THE SAME SPOT.
The Giorgio boutique located at 295 North Rodeo Drive has now been replaced by a Louis Vuitton store.
7. THE CREATOR OF "COOKIE TIME" MADE A GUEST APPEARANCE.
Actress and songwriter Hilary Shepard played the sales associate who sold Phyllis a dress that was missing a bead.
8. THE OPENING SEQUENCE WAS CREATED BY THE PERSON BEHIND REN & STIMPY.
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Creator John Kricfalusi described his work on Troop Beverly Hills as a major opportunity. "It was the first time I had the chance to animate and design a sexy girl," he explained. "Back then, it was considered taboo to draw attractive women because it could set a bad example for young girls."
Kricfalusi was joined by Jon McClenahan (who later worked as an animator on Animaniacs), Jim Smith (who collaborated with Kricfalusi on Ren & Stimpy), Mike Kazaleh (Camp Candy, The Simpsons), Kent Butterworth (The Smurfs, He-Man), and Eric Stefani (character layout artist for The Simpsons, co-founder of No Doubt, and brother of Gwen Stefani).
9. THE TITLE SEQUENCE INCLUDES SOME CONTINUITY MISTAKES.
Around 2:15 in the title sequence, one of the troop members disappears without explanation. Additionally, some actors' names didn’t fully appear on the screen because Kricfalusi placed them too close to the edges. "If [the studio] noticed, they didn’t mind," said opening title supervisor Bill Kroyer. "I hardly remember getting feedback on that. It’s strange. The whole production was rushed, but they loved the look of the art. It was all hand-inked, and it looked fantastic. I think they were so excited about that that they didn’t focus on small details like staging or composition."
10. THERE'S AN EASTER EGG FROM 77 SUNSET STRIP.
Edd Byrnes (who played Ross Coleman) made a cameo on the Swiss army knife's comb intentionally. Byrnes was famous for his role as Kookie in the detective show 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964), where his character was known for combing his hair so frequently that a novelty song titled "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" was written about it.
11. THE GIRL SCOUTS REFUSED TO GIVE THE FILM THEIR APPROVAL.
The organization withheld their endorsement because they disapproved of how certain Scouts were depicted in the script.
12. IT MARKED VELDA'S FINAL FILM APPEARANCE.
Betty Thomas stepped away from acting after Troop Beverly Hills to concentrate on directing films and television. Her impressive resume includes over two dozen credits, such as Private Parts, Doctor Dolittle, I Spy, and The Brady Bunch Movie (which starred Shelley Long).
13. JENNY LEWIS ROCKED HER WAY TO STARDOM.
Jenny Lewis, who portrayed Hannah, co-founded the indie band Rilo Kiley with fellow child actor Blake Sennett (Salute Your Shorts, Boy Meets World). She later launched a solo music career. In 2015, she paid tribute to Troop Beverly Hills in the music video for her song "She's Not Me."
14. LEWIS HELD ONTO A SOUVENIR FROM THE SET.
YouTube
"I still have the hat that Kellie Martin's character, Emily Coleman, wore," Lewis revealed. "It's a small white hat with a pink flower, though I can't really explain why I kept it."
