Whoopi Goldberg: Back on Broadway edited 1985 version (1 Viewer)

[DavidRaymore]

I just purchased Whoopi Goldberg's Back on Broadway which has both the 2005 and the 1985 concerts on two dvds. I watched the 1985 concert, and I was upset that HBO edited down a 2 hour concert to an hour and a half. I remember seeing more content when Whoopi does Fontaine, the junkie, with a whole bunch of dialogue was removed. The same goes for the cripple girl character that Whoopi does.

I did email HBO about this problem on this release, and I hope I will get an answer soon.

Can someone offer a suggestion as to why this was done? Is it for political correctness or some other reason?

I feel I have been ripped off because I want the whole concert I remember seeing in 1985.

David Raymore

 

[TravisR]

Have you seen the full version on HBO or on video? Or are you remembering seeing it live? I saw Chris Rock live and he did bits that did not make the HBO airing of the show(the CD has more of the material than HBO or the DVD did). Just a guess but maybe it's the same thing here.

Or maybe Whoopi looked at her old material, didn't find certain bits that funny after 20 years and wanted them to dump it. Once again, just a guess.

 

[David Rain]

Well, I'm a Whoopi fanatic and I began worshipping at her altar when I saw the original concert the first night it aired. I no longer have it on tape but for some reason I remember it being only an hour long. It would have been unusual for HBO to give a then-unknown comic 2 hours of airtime.

There was a follow-up special featuring just Fontaine called Why Am I Straight where Fontaine had become sober. I believe there were 2 versions of this concert. A live one and then a different or edited taped one.

If the original special has been edited, I'll likely know it when I see the DVD. I'm glad they've packaged the 2 broadway specials together. Now I'm hoping they will put together a set of Fontaine, Chez Whoopi & Whoopi & Billy Connolly.

More comedy box sets, HBO ! MORE !

 

[DavidRaymore]

I remember renting this video back in the 1980s, and there are some scenes in this DVD release that are cut and not the same as the VHS copy. She had more dialogue concerning the flight attendant giving Fontaine an attitude problem. For instance, the flight attendant did not like that the dinner she give him was cold. As a result, the flight attendant said to Fontaine: "Please sir, madam, or whatever you are. You can wait on the wing." Then Fontaine said "Hey stew, wing this."

The next scene was cut was when Fontaine arrives in Amsterdam where she finds out that marijuana is legal in Holland.

Next, Fontaine leaves Amsterdam and goes to Germany in a small town in the Black Forest. The people in that part of Germany never saw an African American, so they made some sterotypical references as what they saw on TV from America. She says the top rated show in Germany is Bonanza, and she gives a little rendition of that show in some mock German. Both of these scenes are cut.

Finally, there are some cuts where Whoopi is doing the cripple girl where she wanted to buy a bathing suit for the picnic. The scene that was cut is the salesperson was giving her a hard time when trying to decide which bathsuit she would like. Finally, she says "If you don't let me buy this bathing suit, I will stand in your window naked."

I cannot understand HBO did these edits.

I went to Ebay and found a VHS copy of this concert, so I will see if I am correct. Once I finally get this tape and watch it, I will post my findings.

David Raymore