# Songs un/justifiably cut from/added to movie musicals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148 "2017-04-10T03:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/21 "2017-04-11T04:35:28Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > “The Jitterbug” was removed from _The Wizard of Oz_ because they thought the movie was too long, and because they thought it would date the piece. They were right. They almost ditched “Over The Rainbow”, but it prevailed. When my chorus did a concert performance of TWoO, we included Jitterbug, as one of the dance numbers, with four couples. It was a show-stopper; got a standing O. But the movie should have included Ray Bolger’s extended scarecrow dance number. That was a treasure. But at least they had the sense to keep a copy of it in their vault. ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/22 "2017-04-11T04:39:21Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > “Shipoopi” is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard in my life, so I agree with you on that one! I think The Music Man is a bit uneven, and I only know the really standout songs. “Gary, Indiana” and “76 Trombones,” however: keepers because they’re good, memorable songs. “Shipoopi” is a fun, catchy song and all, but it’s what TV Tropes calls an [Irrelevant Act Opener.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IrrelevantActOpener) Songs like these are throwaways, with little relevance to the plot–they’re designed to ease the audience back into the musical theater “everyone-is-singing” atmosphere, and to give stragglers time to get back in from intermission without too much worry that they’re missing out on the plot. (The stage version of The Music Man had “Shipoopi” at the top of the second act.) Years ago, I saw a staged concert rendition of The Music Man. The actor playing Marcellus broke character to tell the audience, “Well, we welcome you back with what is probably the most useless song in all musical theater!” ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/23 "2017-04-11T04:53:36Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > Years ago, I saw a staged concert rendition of The Music Man. The actor playing Marcellus broke character to tell the audience, “Well, we welcome you back with what is probably the most useless song in all musical theater!” Haha, can’t say he’s wrong! I must respectfully disagree with the “fun, catchy” part. It’s just sooooo baaaaaad. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/24 "2017-04-11T06:26:01Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > Well, de gustibus non est disputandum and all that. It’s one of my favorite moments in the show. When well done (such as in the movie) it gives me chills. But that’s me. Not just you–“Mama Look Sharp” is one of my favorite moments as well. Just thinking of it gives me the chills. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/25 "2017-04-11T12:17:44Z")
I’m with those who support “Mama, Look Sharp.” It’s at the heart of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/26 "2017-04-11T12:26:24Z")
the movie of the musical **a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum** actually cut most of the songs from the stage production. In recent years, things have gone the other way - the movie added songs that then got re-added to subsequent stage productions. That happened with “Morning Report” in **The Lion King** , but it’s happened with a lot of non-animated productions, as well. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/27 "2017-04-11T12:35:40Z")
I appeared in a community theater production of _1776_ a few months ago (Samuel Chase of Maryland, here). “Mama, Look Sharp” got a huge ovation, and the young man who sang it was swarmed by admirers after every performance. Most necessary song in the show. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/28 "2017-04-11T12:36:16Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > So John Williams worked, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” into the replacement tune, IIRC. I want to correct myself. The erroneous tune in the original _Close Encounters_ was not _Over the Rainbow_, but _When You Wish Upon a Star._ At least that’s what I heard in the original LP test pressing. When I saw the movie later, I don’t recall it being there, and I wasn’t surprised, since it evoked laughter in my office when I first played the test pressing. If you did see WYWUAS in any version of the movie, perhaps it was re-inserted in a Director’s Cut – I understand several edited movie versions were made. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/29 "2017-04-11T13:06:34Z")
WYWUAS was used, IIRC, for the “Special Edition” of CE3K. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/30 "2017-04-11T13:16:09Z")
Unjustifiably left out: “The King of Broadway” from _The Producers_. “Once in a While” from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/31 "2017-04-11T13:46:22Z")
The musical Grease, while hardly high art, has been destroyed by musical additions made for the film: The ‘hit’ songs that were added for the film: Grease Hopelessly Devoted Sandy You’re The One That I Want . . . are not period appropriate. Given that the redeeming charm of Grease is that it is a silly, slightly off-color pastiche of the 50s, these numbers just wreck the show (I admit that ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ and ‘Sandy’ could maybe pass, but they get my ire-by-association). Even worse is that revivals have incorporated these songs into the stage version. I’ve music directed a few school productions where the director has wanted to incorporate those songs (not strictly legal, as the licensed version is still the original version), and there is nothing I hate more than beginning a “50s Rock 'N Roll Musical” with the 70s disco/funk tune ‘Grease’. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/32 "2017-04-11T14:42:50Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I want to correct myself. The erroneous tune in the original _Close Encounters_ was not _Over the Rainbow_, but _When You Wish Upon a Star._ At least that’s what I heard in the original LP test pressing. When I saw the movie later, I don’t recall it being there, and I wasn’t surprised, since it evoked laughter in my office when I first played the test pressing. If you did see WYWUAS in any version of the movie, perhaps it was re-inserted in a Director’s Cut – I understand several edited movie versions were made. > [@JohnT](#): > > WYWUAS was used, IIRC, for the “Special Edition” of CE3K. To further confuse matters, I have my LP of “CE3K” (the first version) in front of me and the second-to-last tune (“The Appearance of the Visitors”) contains WYWUAS “interpolated” 😕. I can’t play it to confirm, as my turntable met a nasty end some years back and hasn’t been replaced. But I would bet **JohnT** is right: it was probably used in the “Special Edition” when Dreyfuss goes aboard the mothership. ::snore:: ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/33 "2017-04-11T14:55:10Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > “The Jitterbug” was removed from _The Wizard of Oz_ because they thought the movie was too long, and because they thought it would date the piece. They were right. They almost ditched “Over The Rainbow”, but it prevailed. Came here to mention this. There is a story that a theater in Southeast Asia thought “The Sound of Music” ran too long… so they cut all the songs. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/34 "2017-04-11T15:33:15Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I appeared in a community theater production of _1776_ a few months ago (Samuel Chase of Maryland, here). “Mama, Look Sharp” got a huge ovation, and the young man who sang it was swarmed by admirers after every performance. > > Most necessary song in the show. Hear, hear. It makes my eyes misty. I’d bet those who dismiss it as inconsequential have not been in the military. ---
**Author:** ![pieceoftheuniverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@pieceoftheuniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pieceoftheuniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/35 "2017-04-11T16:02:12Z")
In "My Fair Lady, the song “I’ve grown accustomed to her face” is OK, as far as songs go. But the recorded production with Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn brings Eliza back for no readily explained reason during the last few chords (especially jarring after the absolutely brilliant “Without You”). I recommend all new viewers to stop watching immediately after “Without You,” as it makes for a much more palatable musical overall. (The fact that Rex Harrison can’t actually sing, and instead talks through all his lines, is another prickly issue, and makes me hope for a remake in the near future). ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/36 "2017-04-11T22:04:52Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > The musical Grease, while hardly high art, has been destroyed by musical additions made for the film: > > The ‘hit’ songs that were added for the film: > > Grease > Hopelessly Devoted > Sandy > You’re The One That I Want > > . . . are not period appropriate. Given that the redeeming charm of Grease is that it is a silly, slightly off-color pastiche of the 50s, these numbers just wreck the show (I admit that ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ and ‘Sandy’ could maybe pass, but they get my ire-by-association). “Sandy” just isn’t a good song, so I’m with you on that one. The other three, however, are. “You’re the One That I Want” seems 50s-by-way-of-the-70s-ish, so I wouldn’t say it wrecks things, though I do see your point. I fully see your point with respect to the openings credits song “Grease”; it’s not 50s at all. The only thing is, that song is a masterpiece! That song and the animated credits blew my 6-year-old mind in 1977. (I remember my dearly departed uncle asking if the movie had the “F-word” in it. My older female cousins assured him it didn’t, and we were off to see the movie!) The brothers Gibb were sure getting around with their songwriting at this point in time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/37 "2017-04-11T23:00:42Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > To further confuse matters, I have my LP of “CE3K” (the first version) in front of me and the second-to-last tune (“The Appearance of the Visitors”) contains WYWUAS “interpolated” 😕. I can’t play it to confirm, as my turntable met a nasty end some years back and hasn’t been replaced. > > But I would bet **JohnT** is right: it was probably used in the “Special Edition” when Dreyfuss goes aboard the mothership. ::snore:: The WYWUAS hat-tip is when the spaceship leaves, which was part of the original 77 release. It’s always been there (a music cue that complements Roy’s discussion of **Pinocchio** earlier in the film) but it’s just the opening two bars of the song as part of Williams’s final flourish. And another vote on how **Mama Look Sharp** is a remarkable song and essential to the story for reasons previously stated. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/38 "2017-04-11T23:06:02Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > “You Can’t Do That” shouldn’t have been cut from _A Hard Day’s Night_. It wasn’t. The Beatles album by that name is different than the film’s soundtrack. A third of the songs on that studio album (“Things We Said Today”, “I’ll Be Back”, “Any Time at All”, etc.) have no relationship to the film. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/39 "2017-04-11T23:07:35Z")
> [@Southpaw](#): > > I can’t watch the movie version of **Guys and Dolls** because of the weird omissions and replacements that were made: > > “A Bushel and a Peck” was replaced with “Pet Me Poppa”. > “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” was replaced by “A Woman in Love” > “My Time of Day”, “More I Cannot Wish You”, and “Marry the Man Today” were all omitted. > > These changes make no sense. “Bushel” was a big hit so why replace? “My Time of Day” helped establish Skye’s character and “INBILB” advances the Skye/Sarah romance along. “Marry the Man” is the only time Sarah and Adelaide are in a scene together and without the song, the ending seems very abrupt. > > I’m OK with “MICWY” being omitted. I never thought it added much to the story. > > The addition of “Adelaide” is only because Frank Sinatra was in the movie. It’s an OK song, but could’ve been cut for “INBILB” or “Marry the Man”. Also, Stubby Kaye barrels through “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” as if his house is on fire. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148/40 "2017-04-12T01:54:04Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I appeared in a community theater production of _1776_ a few months ago (Samuel Chase of Maryland, here). You got to report on the massacre of turkeys at the army camp, right? (If I’m remembering the part correctly) > [@MrAtoz](#): > > “Mama, Look Sharp” got a huge ovation, and the young man who sang it was swarmed by admirers after every performance. > > Most necessary song in the show. Yeah, “Mama, Look Sharp” and “Molasses to Rum to Slaves” are key moments in the show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-un-justifiably-cut-from-added-to-movie-musicals/784148.md?page=3)