Private Project

Emily or Oscar?

As a love letter to old Hollywood, Emily or Oscar is a 'Hollywood golden era' throwback romantic comedy. With silent film references and Hollywood studio life, everyone is sure to get a laugh as they take a ride through screenwriter, Sam Feldman's wild imagination. But what happens when a Hollywood director makes him choose between the Academy Award, and the woman of his dreams?

  • Chris M. Allport
    Director
    Godzilla, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Peter Pan & The Pirates
  • Chris M. Allport
    Writer
  • Christopher M. Allport
    Producer
    Pirates of the Caribbean 3
  • Susan Boyd Joyce
    Producer
    Happy Days
  • Aleta Braxton
    Producer
  • Casara Clark
    Producer
  • Harvey Kubernik
    Producer
  • Justin Pierce
    Producer
  • Ismaël Lotz
    Producer
  • Robert J MacColl
    Producer
  • Barbara Rew
    Producer
  • Fansu Njie
    Producer
  • Susan Blakely
    Key Cast
    "The Agent"
  • Chris M. Allport
    Key Cast
    "Sam Feldman"
  • Casara Clark
    Key Cast
    "Emily Arthur"
  • Stephen Kalinich
    Key Cast
    "The Prophet"
  • Ismael Lotz
    Key Cast
    "The Director / Mysterious Director / Douglass Fairbanks"
  • Jeanne Russell
    Key Cast
    "Theatre Manager"
  • Susan Boyd
    Key Cast
    "Mary Pickford"
    Happy Days
  • Garrett M. Brown
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
    Uncle Buck
  • Whitney Besnfield
    Key Cast
    "Veronica"
  • Savannah Kennick
    Key Cast
    "Secretary Samantha"
  • Cynthia Lea Clark
    Key Cast
    "Emily's Mother"
    Days of our Lives, General Hospital
  • Krystal Ker
    Key Cast
    "Chatty Cathy"
  • Ren Aranda
    Key Cast
    "Lawyer Laura"
  • Jesus Perez
    Key Cast
    "Guy at Bar"
  • Lashette Showers
    Key Cast
    "Movie Goer #1"
    Masters of Sex
  • Kristin Towers Rowles
    Key Cast
    "Mama Make Up"
  • Judy Louise Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Nina Thomas"
  • Kelly Franett
    Key Cast
    "Stephen Wolf"
  • Dan Barbenel
    Key Cast
    "Charlie Chaplin / The Wandering Minstrel"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Rom-Com, Musical
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 59 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 12, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 35mm 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Justin Pierce
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Chris M. Allport

Thrust into spotlight at the tender age of four, Christopher M. Allport was quickly discovered fearlessly singing America the Beautiful — standing atop a grand piano at a local Japanese restaurant — by former Radio City Rockette, Madylin Clark. Thrown immediately into classes taught by Hollywood golden-era pioneers, and drilled in the disciplines, arts and techniques of television, film, theater, music and dance, Allport earned his stage debut at the Pantages for the Walt Disney Company by the age of ten.

After earning his BA, in Film Production, magna cum laude, with double minors in classical music and journalism, from Loyola Marymount University, Allport continued his studies in the private studios of Maria Newman, the Mary Pickford Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, the Hearst Foundation and in the editorial traditions of legendary Oscar winner, Walter Murch.

Following a successful career as a professional young performer, working with directors, musicians and performers like Steven Spielberg, John Williams, Michael Kamen, Carol Burnett and Debbie Reynolds, Mr. Allport realized that basking in the golden-era’s afterglow wouldn’t satisfy his ambitions for contemporary content creation and storytelling.

Subsequent film and television directorial commissions include a suite of fifteen music videos for The Beach Boys; John Williams War Horse Orchestral Premiere at the Dorothy Chandler (PBS); and Band of Brothers behind-the-scenes features.

As an actor, Allport has embodied many recurring roles in many TV series, including Emmy Award-winning Peter Pan and the Pirates, Clueless, Boston Public and Dawson’s Creek.

In music, Allport has performed as a backup singer for Barbara Streisand on her Timeless tour, with Los Angeles Opera, and can be heard on countless film soundtracks, including Hook (J. Williams), The Mighty Ducks (Queen), Mr. Holland’s Opus (M. Kamen), Godzilla (A. Desplat), and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (H. Zimmer). Allport has also toured Europe, Africa and North America as a noted Broadway and Classical singer, pioneering new musical roles in both Hollywood and New York.

In music composition, Allport’s classical suite Arise Awake o Christmas Day was recorded by the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra and is currently highly regarded as a favorite Christmastime playlist on all major music outlets.

With such passion for both music and film — reaching back into cinema’s early beginnings — Allport broadly opines that film can’t exist without music and people don’t want to experience music without film. Therefore, the two are forever intertwined. If you think about it, there really couldn’t be a more graceful marriage!

As such, Allport wrote and directed Emily or Oscar — now imminent in its release — a musical, cinematic love letter to old Hollywood and its United Artists founders, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith, and of course, Charlie Chaplain. Some of the film’s stars include Susan Boyd Joyce (Happy Days) and Golden Globe winner Susan Blakely.

Nestled in between chapters on Quentin Tarantino and Collin Hanks, Mr. Allport is thrilled to have his life’s work chronicled in music journalist and rock-n-roll author Harvey Kubernik’s recent book Docs that Rock; Music that Matters.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This love letter to Hollywood's golden era is a culmination of the many facets of my life's work. Growing up on the studio lots of Hollywood and the stages of New York, my perspective on the nature of our story-telling industry came to life in Emily or Oscar. I hope you enjoy this imaginative romp. Warmly, Chris M. Allport