# Movies so good, they couldn't make them just once! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663 "2002-12-24T03:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/1 "2002-12-24T03:03:14Z")
Well, good is a matter of taste, I guess. Myself, I’m thinking of two examples, the first being “Aunty Mame”, made once with Rosalind Russell and once with Lucille Ball. A bit wierd, but fun old movies! Then, the next to come to mind is a John Wayne movie which wasn’t made twice but three times, first as “Rio Bravo” in 1959, with Wayne riding into town to help the drunk sherriff played by Dean Martin, and the cranky old deputy played by Walter Brennan, then as El Dorado, with Wayne riding into town to help the drunk sherriff played by Robert Mitchum, and the cranky old deputy played by Arthur Hunnicut. The third, Rio Lobo, I haven’t seen, but I have it on fair authority that it’s a fair copy. Still newer are the three versions of ‘Red Dragon’, one the original black and white called, IIRC, “Manhunter”, the made-for-TV version which capitalized on the popularity of the release of Silence of the Lambs, and the recently remade version with Anthony Hopkins. (sir) So what are your multiple movies? and which is the best? b. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/2 "2002-12-24T03:45:17Z")
A few that come to mind are ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, ‘The Ring’ (one in Japanese, one in English), ‘The Shining’ (I believe there was a made-for-TV and an in-theater). ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/3 "2002-12-24T04:09:38Z")
_The Seven Samurai_, remade in America as _The Magnificent Seven_. Good stuff. _The Haunting_, but only the first version was good. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/4 "2002-12-24T04:23:43Z")
Three of the four versions of _A Star is Born_ were all excellent – the first was called _What Price Hollywood_, and the bad one was the last one made. _Beau Geste_ was done so many times that Marty Feldman made a parody called _The Last Remake of Beau Geste_ but I believe he was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/5 "2002-12-24T06:33:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Billy Rubin \* > \*\*Still newer are the three versions of ‘Red Dragon’, one the original black and white called, IIRC, “Manhunter”, the made-for-TV version which capitalized on the popularity of the release of Silence of the Lambs, and the recently remade version with Anthony Hopkins. (sir) > \*\* [_Manhunter_](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091474) was in color. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/6 "2002-12-24T08:21:25Z")
And don’t forget **Battle Beyond the Stars** , a third remake of the Seven Samurai, this time set in outer space starring John-Boy from the Waltons. See the IMDB listing here: [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0080421](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0080421) I think there are dozens of other movies that are really the Seven Samurai dressed up in new clothes. Bad guys threaten peaceful victims, rag-tag group of good guys is assembled, good guys kick the ass of bad guys, life lessons are learned. Another remake would be **A Bug’s Life** , and I’m sure there are many others… ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/7 "2002-12-24T08:31:17Z")
Cleopatra has been made about a bazillion times. ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/8 "2002-12-24T08:38:08Z")
The Great Gatsby - there has to be at least five versions of this, to various degrees of suckage. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/9 "2002-12-24T09:26:56Z")
**My Man Godfrey** – I saw the 1936 version about a year ago, and really liked it. The whole movie is great, but the final scene just puts it over the top into brilliance. After Godfrey (William Powell) survives the lunacy of the Bullock family and emerges as a self-remade man, daughter Irene (Carole Lombard) drops by unannounced to marry him. And there doesn’t seem to be a thing he can do about it. The last line is the funniest I’ve ever heard in a movie (and that includes _Some Like it Hot_). Powell is great as the stuffed-shirt who’s wise and patient in an atmosphere where neither of those attributes will ever be noticed. And Lombard is sweet and adorably absurd. I haven’t seen the 1957 remake with David Niven and June Allyson, and I don’t feel like I really need to. There was nothing in the original that needed to be improved. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/10 "2002-12-24T11:10:34Z")
A Christmas Carol ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/11 "2002-12-24T11:21:58Z")
The early Woody Allen movie “Bananas” was redone a few years later as “Sleeper”. He got a new supporting cast and changed the setting from Central America to the future, but otherwise it was pretty much the same. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/12 "2002-12-24T12:21:15Z")
[Insomnia](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119375) beacame [Insomnia](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0278504) [Les Visiteurs](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0108500) became [Just Visiting](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0189192) [La Femme Nikita](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100263) became [The Point of no Return](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0107843) And the grand daddy of them all [Evil Dead](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0083907) became [Evil Dead II](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0092991) And there are hundreds of others. ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/13 "2002-12-24T13:05:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Yookeroo \* > \*\*[_Manhunter_](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091474) was in color. \*\* Dang. Maybe I was watching it on a black&white tv. I certainly remember it as black and white!! b. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/14 "2002-12-24T17:07:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Billy Rubin \* > \*\*Well, good is a matter of taste, I guess. > Myself, I’m thinking of two examples, the first being “Aunty Mame”, made once with Rosalind Russell and once with Lucille Ball. A bit wierd, but fun old movies! > \*\* **Auntie Mame** (1958) was an adaption of the stage play based on Patrick Dennis’ book. **Mame** (1974) was an adaptation of the musical based on Patrick Dennis’ book. In this case I guess there is no escaping the concept of Mame being a remake. They are very different movies. Very. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/15 "2002-12-24T18:30:00Z")
[Psycho](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0054215) became [Psycho](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155975) [The Thing from another World](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0044121) became [The Thing](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0084787) [The Fly](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0051622) became [The Fly](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091064) And how could we forget that [Casablanca](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0034583) became [this piece of poop on a stick](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0115624) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/16 "2002-12-24T18:56:38Z")
> [@](#): > > La Femme Nikita became The Point of no Return There was also a Chinese remake. I’ve got tapes of three versions of _The Three Musketeers_ and I know there’s others. _Robin Hood_ is another story that’s been filmed several times. Clark Gable starred in _Red Dust_ in 1932 and later starred in the the 1953 remake _Mogambo_. ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/17 "2002-12-24T21:29:07Z")
There was no made-for-TV version of “Red Dragon”. Following the release of “Silence Of The Lambs”, the owners of the TV rights to “Manhunter” merely changed the title to “Red Dragon: The Search For Hannibal Lecter”. There are some extra scenes in this retitled version, but I don’t think it could be counted as a wholly different film. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/18 "2002-12-24T23:01:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Then, the next to come to mind is a John Wayne movie which wasn’t made twice but three times, first as “Rio Bravo” in 1959, with Wayne riding into town to help the drunk sherriff played by Dean Martin, and the cranky old deputy played by Walter Brennan, then as El Dorado, with Wayne riding into town to help the drunk sherriff played by Robert Mitchum, and the cranky old deputy played by Arthur Hunnicut. > > The third, Rio Lobo, I haven’t seen, but I have it on fair authority that it’s a fair copy. According to legend, someone asked John Wayne about that. He replied, “Next time, I’ll play the drunk.” The classic version of \* The Maltese Falcon\*, with Humphrey Bogart, was the third time that that book had been turned into a movie. _The Wizard of Oz_ was filmed nearly a dozen times before the Judy Garland version. _The Prisoner of Zenda_ was filmed three times. Each version has fans who consider their favorite to be the only true classic. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/19 "2002-12-25T00:02:29Z")
Dangerous Liaisons was remade as Valmont and then was remade again as Cruel Intentions. Much like a photocopy of a photocopy, with each iteration it got worse. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663/20 "2002-12-25T00:25:58Z")
_Yojimbo_ became _A Fistful of Dollars_ and then _Last Man Standing_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-so-good-they-couldnt-make-them-just-once/144663.md?page=2)