I was watching “JAWS” this weekend on TNT(maybe TNT or TBS). Anyways, there was scene where they introduce Quint and he’s in a music store humming a song while a kid plays the song on a recorder or flute. I’ve seen this movie at least two dozen times and I’m pretty sure this is the 1st time I saw this scene. Has anyone scene this scene before? Has it always been there and I never noticed it (god, I hope not)? Was it added for a “special edition” version?
Sorry, I don’t have an answer for you. But I do have a suggestion. I wouldn’t post the same question in several different forums, it upsets the mods. We like to keep ours happy, and their coats nice and shiny. That’s what all the butter is for.
When “Jaws” appears on television, it often includes several scenes that editor Verna Fields left on the cutting room floor, and which did not appear in the big screen version.
One such scene is the one you describe: early in the film, Quint shows up at a music school to buy piano wire. While there, he hears a little kid learning to play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” (badly) on the piano. QUint loudly starts humming and then “singing” along.
I suppose this scene was meant to show that a) Quint uses strong piano wire on his fishing lines (hence, it took one heck of a shark to break the line), and b) Quint is a bit of an eccentric character.
One other such scene shows dozens of fishing boats out on the ocean, frantically trying to catch the killer shark and collect the $10,000 reward.
For what it’s worth, Verna Fields won an Oscar as BEst Editor, and she deserved it. Her judgment was correct the first time around. The scenes whe cut didn’t add much to the movie. Indeed, the scene where Quint makes his first appearance at the town meeting (remember him scratching the blackboard?) loses something, since we’ve already seen Quint.
I saw the scene too. The child is playing ODE TO JOY on a clarinet, with Quint humming along in harmony.
When the child messes up, playing sour notes, Quint responds by SCREAMING out the notes.
I think this is done to make up for stuff that was cut for the orginal TV broadcast. Blazing Saddles is another example. I’d love to see a Director’s Cut of Blazing Saddles, anyone know if there is such a thing?
May I suggest a quick review of the Internet Movie Database? (Jeff Olsen’s link goes to an entry there.)
One of their features is “Alternate Versions.” As you can see here…
http://us.imdb.com/AlternateVersions?0073195
…the piano wire scene is, indeed, added for some television broadcasts.
Anytime you have a question about a movie that’s in release, check the IMDb first. Anytime you have a question about a movie that’s coming up, check Corona Coming Attractions. Just two of the reasons the Internet is so cool.
The National Bean Council bought up most of the copies; Dave Barry bought up the rest.
Not that I know of, but I did hear about one great line that didn’t make the final cut. When Lili is seducing Bart in her dressing room, after the lights are out she says “Is it true what they say about the way you people are… gifted. <pause> <sound of zipper> Oh, it’s true, it’s true.”
Bart: “Pardon me, miss, but you’re sucking on my elbow.”
In regards to ‘Blazing Saddles,’ what you saw in the theater back in '74 WAS the director’s cut. With a few notable exceptions (‘Brazil,’ ‘Blade Runner’ and anything by Alan Smithee come to mind) the director’s vision is usually NOT thwarted in the editing process. There will always be scenes that a director will film and then later not use, whether because it no longer fits the story, or simply because the film is too long. A filmmaker must be constantly aware of, and be prepared to make concessions to, the realities of commercial filmmaking (length, budget, rating, etc.). It’s all part of the process.
By the way, that’s why you see the re-issues of films like ‘Close Encounters,’ ‘The Abyss,’ and ‘The Excorcist’ called Special Editions. Calling them ‘Director’s Cuts’ would improperly imply that someome, somewhere along the way had actively worked against the director’s wishes and issued a film that he felt was not completley his. Rather, in all three of these cases, the directors didn’t have the time or the money to put out the film they really wanted to. But after the commercial success of each of these films, the directors had the rare opportunity to re-issue their films with changes. George Lucus did the same thing with all all three of the original Star Wars films, but no one’s calling these ‘Director’s Cuts.’
OK, so what people call a “director’s cut” is a misnomer. Let me rephrase my last question:
Does anyone know if there is a cassette or DVD of Blazing Saddles which combines the original release with the scenes that were added for TV?
…Several years ago, I saw an edited-for-TV version of “The Breakfast Club,” including things that weren’t in the theatrical release. I see that sort of thing all the time. As much as I despise commercials (which seem to me to be an exercise to see how fast I can change channels), I’ve been known to watch these, just for any scenes that I may not have been able to see in the theater.