WEST SIDE STORY - OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE (1 Viewer)

[cinerama10]

I have seen WEST SIDE STORY numerous times over the past 50 years,in 70mm,on stage and on dvd. Recently I rewatched the 50th anniversary bluray disc and was surprised at some of the words used by one of the characters.
In the opening scene when the Police arrive to stop the gangs from fighting,the first cop on the scene says " break it up you cock suckers". I have watched this scene over and over and the cop does indeed say what I claim. This sort of language was never allowed in films 50 years ago. Am I the only person who has discovered this? Maybe it was added by someone doing the restoration. I am pretty sure that the same words are repeated by the same character later in the movie. I will check it again and see where else it is repeated.

 

[Reed Grele]

On my copy it's: "Break it up, you punks."

 

[cinerama10]

On my copy it's: "Break it up, you punks."

I have the USA 4 discs bluray edition and the word punk comes later in the same scene. It does sound like a different voice in the two word offensive sentence.

 

[David Norman]

What;s the time stamp of the language and which audio stream?

 

[David Weicker]

It seems to be a mixing error.On the English 4.0 soundtrack, Lt. Schrank is saying 'Break it up, you punks', while about the same time, Officer Krupke is saying 'Knock it off, knock it off'.On the English 7.1 soundtrack, Krupke's lines are mixed in with Schranks, and it ends up sounding like the offensive phrase. (Break it up you Knock-punk-it)
It goes by so fast, I guess I never caught it before.

This is right at the beginning of Chapter 3 - the end of the opening fight, the cops jump out of the car and begin pulling the gangs apart.

If you turn on the subtitles, it switches to the 4.0 soundtrack, and you get the dialog as presented in the 4.0 version.

 

[cinerama10]

What;s the time stamp of the language and which audio stream?

Not sure what you mean? Just play the bluray and in the first early scene with the cops.you will hear the offensive words. There is a split second pause before you hear the words mentioned.. I have just emailed 20TH CENTURY FOX and asked for clarification of my assumption. I have the 4 disc restored collectors edition. Maybe other editions are different,as one person has already noted. There is definitely no mistaking the words said..

 

[cinerama10]

It "doesn't sound like " the offensive words -it IS them. The split second pause before the words means that someone played a joke during the restoration. The is the sort of thing that has happened with animated films.

 

[bigshot]

I hear these things over and over... They used to claim that in the Betty Boop cartoon "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" Louis Armstrong sang, "You gave my wife a coca-cola so you could play with her vagola". But the word on the new blu-ray is clearly "victrola". I worked on the Chipmunks TV show and we had Alvin the Chipmunk chasing a pet that had gotten loose around. He said, "Come back here, doggone it." But sped up it sounded like "come back here goddam it." We slowed the voice down and proved to the network that he wasn't saying anything wrong, but the network execs continued to hear dirty words that weren't there. The human mind hears what it wants to hear.

 

[David Norman]

Not sure what you mean? Just play the bluray and in the first early scene with the cops.you will hear the offensive words. There is a split second pause before you hear the words mentioned.. I have just emailed 20TH CENTURY FOX and asked for clarification of my assumption. I have the 4 disc restored collectors edition. Maybe other editions are different,as one person has already noted. There is definitely no mistaking the words said..

I've tried listening to that scene several times and can't get the offensive words there, but there is some sort of weird mix of 2 different voices. I think David Weicker explains what I'm hearing. Definitely something odd in the mix down that isn't on the subs and sound different depending on which audio mix I'm listening to.

I'm not sure if it;s just a heavily accented "ya punks," but with the background sounds I can maybe make it say "da cops," but I can't get anything that sounds like the second/third syllable.

 

[haineshisway]

Well, let me just chime in that this thread really does take the cake. Seriously. I mean, I thought I'd seen it all.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

OH DEARY ME I HAVE THE VAPORS. Or you have weird hearing issues. Seriously.

 

[cinerama10]

I hear these things over and over... They used to claim that in the Betty Boop cartoon "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" Louis Armstrong sang, "You gave my wife a coca-cola so you could play with her vagola". But the word on the new blu-ray is clearly "victrola". I worked on the Chipmunks TV show and we had Alvin the Chipmunk chasing a pet that had gotten loose around. He said, "Come back here, doggone it." But sped up it sounded like "come back here goddam it." We slowed the voice down and proved to the network that he wasn't saying anything wrong, but the network execs continued to hear dirty words that weren't there. The human mind hears what it wants to hear.

Another friend has the same version and he just watched his copy and he heard the same words as I did. There Is definitely a split second pause before a different voice dubs over the original words. It is a simple thing to do when restoring a dvd..I once heard the 'f word said rapidly in an animated film and all my friends heard the same thing when they watched the film. I think it was OPEN SEASON but am not sure. Animators often include words and pictures and hope no one will notice. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT was an example where the bluray was minus an offending scene that was in the early dvds..

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I remember a Dusty Springfield record, 'Wishin and Hopin', where I was positive she said 'frigging' instead of 'thinking'. To my ear I was and still am completely right. My wife hears the correct cleaner version but I do like what I thought I heard!

 

[Persianimmortal]

There's also that famous story about how the FBI launched an investigation to get to the bottom of the supposedly dirty lyrics hidden in The Kingsmen's 1963 hit song "Louie Louie" - and found nothing dirty of course.

 

[JoHud]

I hear these things over and over... They used to claim that in the Betty Boop cartoon "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" Louis Armstrong sang, "You gave my wife a coca-cola so you could play with her vagola". But the word on the new blu-ray is clearly "victrola". I worked on the Chipmunks TV show and we had Alvin the Chipmunk chasing a pet that had gotten loose around. He said, "Come back here, doggone it." But sped up it sounded like "come back here goddam it." We slowed the voice down and proved to the network that he wasn't saying anything wrong, but the network execs continued to hear dirty words that weren't there. The human mind hears what it wants to hear.

It was also an issue in one of the Bela Lugosi / East Side Kids movies (Ghosts on the Loose?) when it gained some minor cult status during its initial release among teenagers because Bela Lugosi sounded like he was shouting "Oh Shit!" when he sneezed.

I watched it with a friend, and it actually does sound like Lugosi says that while sneezing. It even fits context-wise, because he's trying to hide from the kids and the dust induced sneeze forced him to blow his cover. Really caught us by surprise. However after watching it a second time, it sort of sounds like he's sneezing in Hungarian.

 

[John Maher_289910]

Well, let me just chime in that this thread really does take the cake. Seriously. I mean, I thought I'd seen it all.

Ditto.

 

[Tom Logan]

Guys, something is weird with this release. At 42:33, when Maria is on the fire escape, right before she turns toward Tony, I can clearly hear her say:

"Paul is dead. Paul is Dead. Tony is the walrus."

Also, for some reason (this is at 1:07:13, with Anita), she says "Carol Ann, stay away from the light."

Can anyone confirm?

 

[Vic Pardo]

And on the VHS open-matte version, when Tony climbs up to Maria's window, he passes a dead munchkin hanging from the fire escape. Scout's honor!

 

[Didier R]

At 63:36 you can clearly see Rita Moreno snorting a line of coke.

 

[Cine_Capsulas]

I have seen WEST SIDE STORY numerous times over the past 50 years,in 70mm,on stage and on dvd. Recently I rewatched the 50th anniversary bluray disc and was surprised at some of the words used by one of the characters.
In the opening scene when the Police arrive to stop the gangs from fighting,the first cop on the scene says " break it up you cock suckers". I have watched this scene over and over and the cop does indeed say what I claim. This sort of language was never allowed in films 50 years ago. Am I the only person who has discovered this? Maybe it was added by someone doing the restoration. I am pretty sure that the same words are repeated by the same character later in the movie. I will check it again and see where else it is repeated.