Unseen Scenes From Hollywood's Cutting Room Floor

The brass at MGM had a predicament. They had gathered to settle the issue of a particular scene, one that had proven to be costly in terms of time and money, that many people now felt was putting a crimp on the films pacing and story.

The movie was 'The Wizard of Oz', and in question was an elaborate number called "The Jitter Bug", which had cost $80,000 and had taken five weeks to shoot. In the scene, Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodsman are menaced by furry pink and blue mosquitolike creatures that give one "the jitters" as they buzz through the air.

Following a lengthy debate, it was decided that the entire scene would be cut. The producers, feeling it added little to the plot also wished to keep the story as timeless as possible, and because a certain dance by the same name had just become popular, they feared it might date the picture.

Such occurences are nothing new in Hollywood. Unlike most art forms, filmmaking is often a work in progress where several factors can influence how what you see up on the silver screen can differ from the directors original vision.

Test screenings, previewing a movie to an audience to guage reaction before it goes into general release, convinced producers to trim a particularly unnerving sequence from King Kong. In the scene where the huge ape shakes four sailors from a log bridge, causing them to tumble into a ravine where they are eaten alive by giant spiders, members of the audience screamed and either fled the theater or talked about the scene for the remainder of the film. "It stopped the picture cold." Said producer Merian C. Cooper, who went back to the studio the following day and removed it himself.

Audience reaction to the final scene of 'Fatal Attraction' also prompted director Adrian Lyne to rework the ending. Originally, the character played by Glenn Close kills herself by slashing her own throat. Michael Douglas, who had had an affair with her, is arrested for her murder. Anne Archer,playing his wife, finds a cassete tape in which close informes Douglas of her planned suicide and is seen running from the house with the evidence. The final ending has Archer shooting Close as she attempts to drown Douglas in a bathtub.

A downbeat ending for Best Picture winner 'Rocky' had Rocky Balboa entering an empty boxing arena where he is consoled by a fellow fighter, he then takes Adrian's hand and the two walk off together. Again the somber ending matched that of the audience, and director John G. Avildson switched to the more triumphant conclusion.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic