LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23, 1997 — The stars cued up for the premiere of “Hard Eight” on February 23, 1997. The gritty film noir drama stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Clementine, a part-time prostitute who falls in love with struggling gambler John (John C. Reilly).
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film focuses in on the forlorn and forgotten wandering the streets of Las Vegas. Suave professional gambler Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) finds John, a down-on-his-luck young man, and takes him under his wing.
Sydney teaches John the tricks of the gambling trade, but he doesn’t bet on John’s infatuation with lovely Clementine. Althought the odds are stacked against the couple, they manage to win with a hand from Lady Luck.
At the premiere, cast members Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall turned out to support the film. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, last seen in Robert Altman’s “Kansas City,” also showed up to support her pals.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s fiance, Brad Pitt, did not escort her to the premiere. She was accompanied by her father, “St. Elsewhere” producer Bruce Paltrow, and her mother, Tony Award-winning actress Blythe Danner. The patrician Paltrow will soon direct his daughter and her fiance in the upcoming “Duets,” a feature film about karaoke singers.
