One particularly interesting thing about "Imperial Hotel," is that Stevie seems to have once again drawn some level of inspiration from the 1977 movie 'Julia'... which also happens to have provided muse for both "Rock A Little (Go Ahead Lily)," and "Julia."
The movie (which is a true story, yet somewhat embellished) depicts playwright Lillian Hellman's remembrances of her relationship with her lifelong friend, Julia, who is involved in an underground anti-fascist movement in Vienna, in the late '30s.
In a few scenes, the characters interact in a hotel called 'The Imperial.'
Stevie once said that she saw herself as Lily (who was portrayed by Jane Fonda), and that she viewed Robin Anderson as the brave Julia (portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave).
But, as usual, Stevie's lyrics are far deeper, and more personal, than something that's just "based on a movie"... using Lillian Hellman and Julia's story as the springboard, she fashioned songs that reflected her own experiences, and her feelings regarding what was going on around her.
Johnny Stew
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"Although the arrogance of fame lingers like a thick cloud around the famous, the sun always seems to shine for Stevie." -- Richard Dashut, 2014
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