Cabaret movie question

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 5:02pm

Could anyone tell me why Cliff's name was changed to Brian in the movie? I looked on Wikipedia (great place for information, I know but for this kind of stuff it's not so terrible), but all it says about the name change is:

The character of Cliff Bradshaw was renamed Brian Roberts and made British and probably bisexual.

Which, okay, but I'm curious as to why -- particularly the name. The nationality, if Sally was to be American, makes sense, as does the issue of his sexuality, but is there some sort of meaning behind the decision to change his name? I know there are a few Cabaret film experts here.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:05pm

They made a film of CABARET?

When was this?

I'm confused.

[twitchy+bitchy+manic]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:23pm

I'm trying to find the spelling mistake that you're making a joke about here, but I really can't find it. and you must know the cabaret movie.

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:24pm

I don't know directly, but I don't know anyone in the UK called Cliff, while Brian's a very Brittish name.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:29pm

That's what I thought it might be, musicalfan. Though Brian isn't particularly un-American either.

I'm trying to find the spelling mistake that you're making a joke about here, but I really can't find it. and you must know the cabaret movie.

No, I think he's just poorly attempting to mock the fact that it's taken me so long to see the film version. He just wants to show how much more "with it" he is than everybody else. Problem is that I wasn't unaware of the film's existence; I had chosen not to see it.

Updated On: 5/10/08 at 06:29 PM

[luke-h***]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:30pm

I think the name changing was something to do with the fact that the movie was based moreso on the play 'I Am a Camera' than the musical, which was the inpriration for Cabaret in the first place. And I think the character that we now know as Clifford Bradshaw was originally named Brian Roberts. The part of Sally has always been named that, and always been English, this was most likely changed because Liza probably couldn't do a British accent. Also not sure if you're being sarcastic or whatever BrodyFosse, but I'll answer you're questions anyway. The movie of Cabaret was made in 1972, with Liza Minelli as Sally and Joel Grey as Emcee. Directed by Bob Fosse, and was only loosely based on teh stage msuical (in the fact that the storyline was more similar to I Am a Camera, with the character of the Emcee and a few of the Kander & Ebb songs thrown in, as well as two new ones, written especially for Liza)

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:32pm

Updated On: 5/6/09 at 06:32 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:34pm

Yo! Take a gander over at my avatar and my screen name. Now... was I being sarcastic regarding the film-version of CABARET?

Do the math, Einstein.

Seriously.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 6:36pm

I think the name changing was something to do with the fact that the movie was based moreso on the play 'I Am a Camera' than the musical, which was the inpriration for Cabaret in the first place. And I think the character that we now know as Clifford Bradshaw was originally named Brian Roberts.

Well, Sally's name comes from Isherwood's The Berlin Stories, which was the basis for I Am A Camera in the first place. The version of the play I have actually lists the male lead as "Christopher Isherwood." Do you mean his name was originally Brian in another version?

Updated On: 5/10/08 at 06:36 PM

[choitoy]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 8:17pm

Wasn't "Maybe This Time" written before the movie Cabaret, not for Liza? This is way it wasn't Oscar elegible for best song?

[twitchy+bitchy+manic]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 8:28pm

In the Berlin Stories, there was never a name for the character of christopher Isherwood, it was all written from the first person of a thinly veiled Christopher Isherwood (aside from the section where Isherwood goes to the beach with the gay couple Otto and Peter, where Peter is actaully meant to be a representation of isherwood in a past relationship-he talks about it quite a lot in Christopher and his kind), so the name Brian didn't come from there. I'm guessing in the play they just named him christopher isherwood as that's who the character was.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 8:36pm

Right. I meant the character in I Am a Camera.

[twitchy+bitchy+manic]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 8:49pm

Oh. and I just made myself look a right twat. :P sorry. If he was called brian in an early version of I am a camera? Why would that have changed the name of the character for the movie?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 8:56pm

Hehe, it's okay. I'm don't know if he was ever called something else in I Am a Camera. I thought that's what someone's post might have been implying.

Updated On: 5/10/08 at 08:56 PM