'American Gigolo' Movie 1980

"He is the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills.  He leaves women feeling more alive than they've ever felt before."

That tagline from American Gigolo, the 1980 film starring Richard Gere, was blaring on every TV channel the year I entered adulthood.  Becoming a gigolo in Beverly Hills sounded pretty exciting to an ambitious, young L.A. metro dude like me.

Hearing the hot singer, Deborah Harry from Blondie, screaming "Call Me!" and moaning "roll me in designer sheets, I'll never get enough" in the movie's theme song really compounded a young dude's fantasy.

American Gigolo was a movie full of cheesy pick-up lines, bikini babes, beach houses, palm trees, Armani clothes, expensive sports cars, mansions, and every other kind of Southern California cliche' imaginable.

The film's bored, rich, 'cougar' housewives looked like supermodels on tranquilizers.  What young guy could resist?  My buddies and I thought that Richard Gere had the best job on earth.  Where could WE sign-up?

Finishing my college studies, then later working in some "cubicle career", did not sound as exciting to me as the fast-paced, adrenalin-pumping lifestyle led by Julian, the character played by Richard Gere.  No way, man.

Driving around Malibu, Beverly Hills and Palm Springs in a Mercedes convertible, with over-styled hair blowing in the wind, wearing designer clothes, and doing an occasional performance of "pleasure" seemed like a piece of cake --- and, yeah, you get PAID!  Way cool.

I imagined being at some hip Hollywood party, rubbing elbows with jet-setters and supermodels.  If someone should ask me what I do for a living, I would just say, "I'm the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills.  I leave women feeling more alive than they've ever felt before".

Don't laugh.  I could've pulled it off.  Really.

Did I do it?  Did I really become a hot Beverly Hills gigolo?  No way!  It would've been a little rough at family holidays when asked, "How's the job going?"  Whatever.  Totally.

Today, on the 30th anniversary of American Gigolo, it's funny to watch the old clips and listen to the "steamy" soundtrack.  Cheesy as hell.  These days, L.A. is different, Richard Gere is different, and so am I.

Time flies, man.

Just for the hell of it, I did my best hypnotic gaze in the mirror, and recited Julian's "seductive" words from the movie: 

"You know who I am... I know who you are... I know what you're thinking... You know what I'm thinking... You wanna be here...  You wanna be with me."

I busted out laughing so hard that snot flew outta my nose.  Please!  If I tried to use a cheesy pick-up line like that nowadays, I'd be slapped clear across to Pacoima.

The other day, though, a sexy young supermodel-looking chick gave me "the eye" and told me I looked pretty hot --- for "somebody's dad".  Geez. 

A M E R I C A N  G I G O L O