Scenes You'd Cut in Films You Love

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

In some instances, it would upset the balance of the film. I recently found an upload of the 1927 CASANOVA, a film I am very partial to. Some of the comedy with the black boy servant is pretty wince-making, but if you cut those bits out (I still wouldn't), I suspect the film would be rather disjointed. And even if you cut the musical stuff from the Marx movies, there may still be the sense of 'something missing', as the sequences were integral to the films as productions, if not the plots. And of course OPERA and RACES were popular in part due to these segments, much as they irritate fans many years later.

[George O'Brien]

In "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town"(1936) I'd cut the "Swanee River" rendition in Central Park. Capra had a tendency to do this: undercutting a good scene of startling emotional nakedness with silliness and slapstick. He did it again in the same film after Jean Arthur reads Mr. Deeds's poem/proposal.

[FrankFay]

As great as it is, I often feel like skipping over the "Broadway Rhythm Ballet" number in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.

It is alien to the tone of the rest of the film

[Mark Zimmer]

Or every bit of Leslie Caron from AMERICAN IN PARIS.

[Frederica]

I'd cut the end of nearly every Women's Film made from 1930-1950. Especially Now, Voyager. Charlotte will tell Jerry "Don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars. Oops...wait...rethinking...no. Gotta go, running off with Dr. Jaquith now."

[FrankFay]

I'd cut the end of nearly every Women's Film made from 1930-1950. Especially Now, Voyager. Charlotte will tell Jerry "Don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars. Oops...wait...rethinking...no. Gotta go, running off with Dr. Jaquith now."

There are a lot of 30's films that could be cut after the first reel or two- you get saucy set-up, but by the end of the picture everyone has to reform.

[Frederica]

I'd cut the end of nearly every Women's Film made from 1930-1950. Especially Now, Voyager. Charlotte will tell Jerry "Don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars. Oops...wait...rethinking...no. Gotta go, running off with Dr. Jaquith now."

There are a lot of 30's films that could be cut after the first reel or two- you get saucy set-up, but by the end of the picture everyone has to reform.

There is way too reuniting with erring husbands, most of whom are losers. I would also like to cut that repellent scene in the car in All About Eve where Margot gets all philosophical and stuff. We should probably also revisit the final scene of My Man Godfrey, because there is no way that Godfrey Parke does not murder Irene Bullock within a month of marrying her.

[westegg]

I'm sure plenty of people wouldn't mind the rather boring wrapup of PSYCHO, where Bates is "explained." Better to end with Bates and his evil grin in lockup.

[Wm. Charles Morrow]

I would also like to cut that repellent scene in the car in All About Eve where Margot gets all philosophical and stuff.

I could do without Bill Simpson's pompous speech about The Theater: "Want to know what the Theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one-man band - all Theater. Wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience - there's Theater."

Etc. etc. etc. Geez, sometimes Mankiewicz didn't know when to tell his characters to shut up already.

[wich2]

Though I admire the work of both men, that's "Serlingitis."

[Frederica]

I would also like to cut that repellent scene in the car in All About Eve where Margot gets all philosophical and stuff.

I could do without Bill Simpson's pompous speech about The Theater: "Want to know what the Theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one-man band - all Theater. Wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience - there's Theater."

Etc. etc. etc. Geez, sometimes Mankiewicz didn't know when to tell his characters to shut up already.

Oh dear god, yes. The Theatah, the superior Arte. There is a lot of speechifying going on in that film but most of it is bitchy fun.

[David Alp]

Ha ha! I edit old movies all the time.
For instance, I'm puzzled and intrigued by the ..., Wheeler & Woolsey, ...

I would agree with you on editing Wheeler and Woolsey pictures although I would cut out that part which immediately follows the main title and then just leave in "The End".

Here here! I would too.

[George O'Brien]

I would also like to cut that repellent scene in the car in All About Eve where Margot gets all philosophical and stuff.

I could do without Bill Simpson's pompous speech about The Theater: "Want to know what the Theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one-man band - all Theater. Wherever there's magic and make-believe and an audience - there's Theater."

Etc. etc. etc. Geez, sometimes Mankiewicz didn't know when to tell his characters to shut up already.

Oh dear god, yes. The Theatah, the superior Arte. There is a lot of speechifying going on in that film but most of it is bitchy fun.

But the point was that Mank was sending up the whole theater crowd as pontificating, pretentious bores. Addison's speech as they all sat on the stairs is even more pontificating about the 'Thea-thuh". Lloyd Richards says to Miss Caswell( the Marilyn Monroe character) "You've heard tomorrow's column."

[Richard Finegan]

Much as I love Joan Blondell and Busby Berkeley's work, watching DAMES on TCM recently reminded me how awful the "Girl At the Ironing Board" number is in that 1934 movie. It is just stupid, uninteresting, ill-advised and unmemorable musically and lyrically. What a waste of talent and film!
While I'd certainly never suggest destroying any film, I wouldn't mind at all if that number was lost somewhere!

[FrankFay]

Much as I love Joan Blondell and Busby Berkeley's work, watching DAMES on TCM recently reminded me how awful the "Girl At the Ironing Board" number is in that 1934 movie. It is just stupid, uninteresting, ill-advised and unmemorable musically and lyrically. What a waste of talent and film!
While I'd certainly never suggest destroying any film, I wouldn't mind at all if that number was lost somewhere!

The mock ballet part with the "swans" is nice, but the rest, eh.

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

Much as I love Joan Blondell and Busby Berkeley's work, watching DAMES on TCM recently reminded me how awful the "Girl At the Ironing Board" number is in that 1934 movie. It is just stupid, uninteresting, ill-advised and unmemorable musically and lyrically. What a waste of talent and film!
While I'd certainly never suggest destroying any film, I wouldn't mind at all if that number was lost somewhere!

There's always the fast-forward button, or failing that, a well-timed pee / cat feeding / drink-pouring...

[greta de groat]

If i remember correctly, Blondell was pregnant at the time, and they were trying to hid her behind sheets, ironing boards, etc. Haven't seen it in years and don't remember much about it. Of course it would have been simpler not to put her in the number at all ...

greta

[Richard Finegan]

I'd love to chop out every frame of the William Kent scenes in KING OF JAZZ!

[Dean Thompson]

For all that I love Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS, I've never cared for the sequence in which Harry Myers is inadvertently pouring champagne down Chaplin's pants. Though the film always goes over like gangbusters in my class, my students have yet to laugh at this scene. Last year one turned and said "Eww!!" to a classmate, who nodded in agreement.

[Harlett O'Dowd]

All the padding (not in the stage play) used to beef up Norma's role in THE WOMEN.

But I would keep the fashion show

[Scoundrel]

RE: CITY LIGHTS

As much as I adore this film, I would eliminate the opening sequence with Chaplin mocking the sound
of talkies. I usually have to explain to a newcomer what is so funny about the actors making " funny noises " behind the mike.

[earlytalkiebuffRob]

RE: CITY LIGHTS

As much as I adore this film, I would eliminate the opening sequence with Chaplin mocking the sound
of talkies. I usually have to explain to a newcomer what is so funny about the actors making " funny noises " behind the mike.

My dislike on CITY LIGHTS is the whistle-swallowing scene, which goes on far too long. Of course, it might come over better in a cinema. I first saw CITY LIGHTS at the NFT in the mid-1970s, and I think again a few years later, and don't recall having that reaction then. In any case, I wouldn't dream of cutting the scene, particularly as Chaplin was aiming his film at a 1931 audience.