Does the longer version of SOUTH PACIFIC still exist? (1 Viewer)

[AlanP]

I don't think MARY MARTIN was in her 20's when she palyed NELLIE on BROADWAY !!!!! Talk about a stretch. At least Doris and Judy had the pipes for the music !!!!!!!! Doris or Judy could have pulled off Nellie Forbush, Judy would have only been in her early 30s.

 

[JohnMor]

While that's true about Mary Martin, it doesn't matter quite as much on stage if the performer is older than the character than it does on film. Judy would have been 35 and Doris 33 at the time of filming. Both would have been great (assuming Judy was in a good place at that particular time.) And no one seemed to mind that Audrey Hepburn was about 15 years older than Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Nobody minded that Reba McEntyre is about 50 when she did it on television recently (LOL). Actually that rendition is about as close as we're ever going to get for a "dream cast" for S.P. It was very well done. It's a huge shame that that stupid Glenn Close movie had to be made, because it cancels the possibility of having a decent filmed S.P. for at least the next 50 years.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

But lots of people minded that Barbra Streisand was 40 to 50 years too YOUNG to be playing the widowed Dolly. She's just about the right age for the role now.

 

[Greg_M]

Streisand was about 16 years younger than Carol Channing when Carol opened the show (not 50). Plus FOX did a good job of making Streisand look like a women in her 40s

 

[Thomas T]

I'm not much on casting revisionism but in 1958 I think Mario Lanza (well, they might have had to gray his hair a bit) and Debbie Reynolds (Nellie really has to be early 20s) would have been age appropriate and at least they wouldn't have had to be dubbed.

On the face of it, Shirley Jones might have worked but Nellie shouldn't be soprano or between Nellie and Emile, the show would sound like an operetta. Reynolds' voice while not as pure as Jones sounded more "authentic" as a small town hick as she proved in Tammy And The Bachelor and Unsinkable Molly Brown.

 

[Greg_M]

Watched the Longer Roadshow version today with the audio commentary - Loved it. Esp the part about Roadshows being a "Big" event and the fact that he had to wear a tie to see "The Sound of Music"
Apparently Richard Rodgers didn't like the film version of "South Pacific" saying it stunk.

Image looks great on the DVD as it did when AFI Screened a digital print last January (Made the film look special) Saw the Todd-AO version later in the spring and it didn't look as good.

I Would love Roadshows to come back "Dreamgirls" is opening as a limited Roadshow next Month.

By the way the commentor says the R&H films cost roughly from 5M to 9 Million and made their money back at the box office. But how much have these films made on Home Video?

Last count (my purchases)
South Pacific (3 laserdisc,2 DVD)
State Fair (1 DVD)
Oklahoma (3 laserdisc, 2 DVD)
Carousel (2 Lasers, 2 DVD)
The King and I (3 lasers, 2 DVD)
Flower Drum Song (1 laser, 1 DVD)
The Sound of Music (3 laserdiscs, 2 DVDs)

Total R&H: 27 (wow!)

 

[Joe Caps]

not so. several sources say that Carousel lost at least two million dollars for Fox.

 

[Greg_M]

I forgot about "Carousel" that one didn't do so good at the boxoffice

 

[DeeF]

I think the movie of South Pacific works well enough, but it might have been gangbusters with Doris Day. There are a number of stories floating around about the casting of Doris in the part of Nellie; my sources at R&H have told me repeatedly that she wanted the part, but R&H and Joshua Logan requested that she audition, which she refused to do. It may be because her husband/manager Marty Melcher felt it was a wrong move for a big star with an Oscar nomination to suddenly audition, but for whatever reason, her refusal put her out of the running. Though she was 33, she's exactly right for the part, and certainly had the acting experience Mitzi Gaynor sorely lacks. Doris might have made this already exciting film really sensational, and it would have been a good opportunity for her, bringing together her musical/comedy chops with real dramatic focus, something she hadn't done before.

I haven't really thought about Debbie Reynolds, but she might also have been great (she's from Texas).

Mitzi seems almost like a last resort choice.

Rossano Brazzi is actually terrific -- sexy, dynamic, and wonderful. And his lipsynching of the songs is absolutely perfect, including breathing in exactly the right places. I certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone else.

As for John Kerr, he does seem stiff in the early scenes, but his "Younger than Springtime" is heartbreaking, and wonderful. Compared to Harry Connick, Jr., (an inexperienced actor) in the later film, John is perfectly fine. I might have gone with John Gavin, but oh well.

 

[JohnMor]

Doris didn't receive her Oscar nomination until 2 years after South Pacific, in 1960. But even still, that's pretty cheeky to demand an audition from someone at her level in Hollywood at that time. Sounds almost like an intentional deal-killer. Oh well, another what-might-have-been for the Hollywood books.

And I agree about Rossano. I think he and Doris would have had really interesting chemistry.

 

[Mark B]

John Gavin...............what an inspired idea.

 

[Greg_M]

Quote: "But even still, that's pretty cheeky to demand an audition from someone at her level in Hollywood at that time" Johnmor

Joey: "They wanted me to audition for the part"
Phoebe: "You? an actor? that's Madness!" - from "Friends"

 

[Greg_M]

double post

 

[george kaplan]

Nah...how about John McGiver.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The weird part of this is...it was John McGiver who flashed into my mind when I read "John Gavin" a few posts ago!

 

[george kaplan]

Hey I have a question about this set. Is the version of Sound of Music in the box set improved PQ-wise?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I hope others more expert than me will respond to that question.

I posted earlier in this thread that the new transfer was a minor upgrade over the 5-star release and still in need of some work. But a recent viewing of the new transfer proved it to be a major improvement over the 5-Star to my eyes. I believe my mistake was that I was still holding onto the 5-Star release because of a bonus feature not included on the new release (that is also included in the box).

 

[ScottR]

The only thing I didn't like about the newer disc of SOM was the fact that during the opening number some sound effects were muted, most notably when Julie Andrews slaps her apron during her song. The sound effect has been taken out. They shouldn't change ANYTHING, especially with a classic. The previous release sounds better.

 

[Garysb]

With a $25 per ticket price at least in New York. Its expensive when they only run one or two shows a day.