More LOST HORIZON goodness for Besty- Page 3

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 10:51am

Okay, you all just blew my mind!
I had no idea that Andra Willis was the girl with the crooked mouth on the Welk show!! She bugs the crap outta me when she's on! She must've done "Oh, Johnny!" a dozen times...so annoying!

Now I have to like her because I LOVE "Share the Joy" so much.

Thanks for the info!

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 11:10am

"I must know... Does a karaoke/instrumental track of "The Things I Will Not Miss" exist? Saxon Black and Gwen Kennedy MUST sing this when she returns from NYC."

Not sure, JSwanson, but I believe the Pioneer laser disc release contained a music-only track of the entire film. If you can get your hands on it (and someone with a laser disc player), you might be able to obtain it that way. Not the easiest route, I admit. It's long out of print and doesn't sell cheaply.

And CarlosAlberto---to answer your question, the fertility dance was cut because it got laughs in previews. So they took it out.

Although I wonder how true this is, considering how much they left IN that still gets laughs. If they followed that philosophy throughout the preview process, it would likely have had a running time of 25 minutes.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 11:57am

I've read that the fertility dance was pretty much over-the-top. Maybe audience were uncomfortable watching muscle men in thongs writhing around Olivia Hussey.

Descriptions and stills are all I have to go on, but it brings to mind the "Brand New Day" sequence from the 1978 film of THE WIZ where the chorus of dancers were comprised of men and women in thongs, briefs and bra tops.

Of the many musical sequences that make me laugh out loud every time I view the film is the dance break in the middle of "The Things I Will Not Miss" performed by Sally Kellerman and Olivia Hussey. Just as they are about to climb the ladders of the library they suddenly stop and give a quick look over their shoulder directly in the camera's direction and it *kills* me every. single. time! PRICELESS!

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 12:19pm

The Things I Will Not Miss

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 12:26pm

CarlosAlberto---If that's all you've seen of the Fertility Dance, I have a big treat for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqxrs2HR2NA

This is a documentary on Ross Hunter that was shown at a private screening I attended in Los Angeles of "Lost Horizon."

If you jump to (about) 4:20 in the video (how appropriate?!), although I'm sure you're going to want to watch the whole thing, you will see and hear about a minute of the lost Fertility Dance.

My personal opinion is that it's kinda wonderful. It's far from laughable, and I love the drum beats and the Hermes Pan choreography. Maybe it actually plays better today, or maybe I was just to glad to see it finally! Not sure. But I think it's really cool, and it makes me wish they'd find the lost footage eve more.

Updated On: 4/25/11 at 12:26 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 12:44pm

Wow! Wow! Wow! I'm gonna take a look at that now! Thanks! :)

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 3:26pm

I actually saw both this and the original version for the first time these weekend. Seeing the original finally put that line that Mae says of Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie into perspective ("She looks like Margo when they took her out of Shangri-La.")

The remake... well, that really was something to behold. I loved every second of it, because I love camp and insanity and this movie has it in spades.

Updated On: 4/25/11 at 03:26 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 4:28pm

She looks like Margo when they took her out of Shangri-La! That's a major diss if there ever was one. I never knew that it's was a reference to LOST HORIZON until you pointed it out PRS.

And yes, LOST HORIZON is a boatload full of camp and insanity!

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 6:04pm

I always loved that "Margo" line in Bye-Bye Birdie!