Original Version
Somewhere in the world exists an original version of this movie , I hope it shows up one day.
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MovieChat Forums > The Bohemian Girl (1936) Discussion > Original Version
Why do you think an "original version" still exists or ever really existed? I'm assuming the film was never released in a version that was fully edited and completed before Thelma Todd died. I'm also assuming that whatever footage that was never edited in, or edited out and re-shot was probably destroyed decades ago. Was there ever any rumors otherwise? (TCM's Robert Osborne mentioned that the film was in production when Thelma Todd died, if that's true, there wasn't a fully shot version of the film before she died. So that means they re-shot some scenes, and excised others, probably before any version of the film was compiled before she died.)
shareI always thought Principal Photography was completed before she died. And that a lot of her scenes were just cut out , then re-shot.
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That doesn't make any sense. Had the filmmakers enough footage of Thelma Todd to tie together a few loose ends with a simple re-write they would have done so. Clearly, she had only completed a handful of scenes, not enough for her to remain a principal character without some mighty big holes in the storyline. Hence, they probably reluctantly made the decision to do a major re-write and to add Mae Busch (assuming she was not initially part of the production as originally envisaged). In doing so they probably chose to dispense with some scenes with Todd that had been filmed but that were longer needed, alas, as her role was no longer integral to the plot. It would be interesting to know if any production notes still survive which would shed light on the decision the studio took to salvage this film after the tragic loss of its female star.
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Nevertheless, despite my speculation above I have read exactly the contrary: to wit, that Todd had indeed completed all of her scenes but that they were purposely removed, either at the behest of Roach or Stan Laurel.
This from Turner Classic Movies:
"Stan, who was a close personal friend of the actress, requested that most of her scenes be deleted from the film prior to release since they would only generate the wrong kind of attention from the press and reviewers. Although she can still be glimpsed in the film, most of her scenes were reshot with Zeffie Tilbury in the role of the Gypsy Queen's daughter; even her one remaining song in the film was dubbed by someone else. "
Of course, nearly 80 years later it seems a great pity that these scenes, if indeed they ever existed were not included in the final film, let alone preserved. But, of course, the filmmakers probably had little thought of posterity.