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Cut Scene 'Let's Make the Most of Our Dream'


In Homer Dickens' excellent book, "The Films of Ginger Rogers," he reproduces a photo of Ginger and Fred standing together underneath a giant toadstool, with a dense, tall forest behind them. They are both looking up toward the sky, wearing the same clothes as they do in "I Used to be Color Blind." Dickens' caption reads: "With Fred Astaire in the cut number 'Let's Make the Most of Our Dream.'" In the text, he says, "Besides these musical numbers, a full-scale dream sequence was filmed. Fred sang, and he and Ginger danced to Berlin's 'Let's Make the Most of Our Dream,' but this entire production number was deleted from the final release prints." pp. 144-45, 147

Ginger Rogers, however, in her autobiography, "Ginger: My Story," denies that any such sequence was ever filmed. "I'd like to answer those who insist there was a number produced and filmed called 'Let's Make the Most of Our Dream.' They claim it was deleted from the final cut. I'd like to say, if there was such a number, I must have shot it while dreaming. The only numbers that were ever done for the film 'Carefree' are in the released film." p. 203 (hardcover edition)

Dickens' statement that the full number was filmed and then cut before release is confirmed by the film notes for "Carefree" at Turner Classic Movies (http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=985&category=Notes), which state that "a second dream sequence, which featured the Berlin song 'Let's Make the Most of Our Dream,' was filmed but deleted from the final picture." And the photo in Dickens' book obviously proves that at the very least the set for the number was built, and Ginger and Fred filmed on that set. Perhaps Ginger simply meant that the FULL NUMBER was never filmed. Other photos, for example one of Ginger alone standing next to two other giant toadstools, exist and can be seen online, e.g., here:

http://silverscreendream.blogspot.com/2010/04/major-breakthrough-or-new-meaning-of-my.html

But even more interesting at this link than the photo, is the scenario for the number "Let's Make the Most of Our Dream," discovered by the blogger Maggie at UCLA. It makes clear that the number was to immediately precede and lead into "I Used to Be Color Blind." :

"You're thinking 'wait a second, that's the I Used to Be Color Blind dress. Why is she standing next to giant mushrooms? What the hell is going on? This doesn't happen in Carefree!' Well, leave it to your super sleuth friend Maggie to explain everything.

"Here is a scene written on the 24th of June, 1938:

" 'Amanda is still asleep. Her bedroom has been turned in to a MACABRE FOREST, the flowers, mushrooms, etc. of which are gigantic.

'The crying of a hoot-owl awakens her. As she gets to her feet and walks away wonderingly, we see the FULL SIZE FOREST. The thunderous breaking of a twig stops her. She looks off-to see Dr. Flagg, who comes toward her. He is a giant of a man, but normal in proportion to the rest of the Forest. He looks like a typical, crazy scientist; there is a mad light in his eyes. In one hand he carries a large magnifying glass. Around his neck is a stethoscope and, under his other arm, he carries a large velvet box.

'His eyes open with interest, and he utters a menacing sound as he clumps his way toward Amanda.

'Amanda, frightened, runs from him, until she is finally forced to stop by the edge of a black abyss.

'Dr. Flagg grins horribly as he picks her up in his hand. He opens the velvet case, and we see a number of girls, pinned like butterflies, squirming in the box.

'From his coat lapel he removes a large pin, and is about to make a specimen of Amanda when she leaps off the palm of his hand, swings from the stethoscope which hangs round his neck and, like a trapeze artiste, lands on his shoulder-to deliver a violent kick at Dr. Flagg’s chin.

'When he turns to her, she kisses him on the lips; then jumps on to a giant mushroom, to laugh up at him.

'A peculiar look comes into Dr. Flagg’s eyes: it’s love-in a gigantic way-and, as the result of the kiss-which makes all things equal-he becomes her size.

'Now, hand in hand, they wander through the Forest until they come to the gorgeous romantic castle, surrounded by lily-pads the size of dance floors and, in the distance, a rainbow-

'Whereupon Dr. Flagg sings “Color Blind”, at the conclusion of which they do their dance, utilizing slow motion, and the Dunning process. The dance concludes with Dr. Flagg kissing Amanda. The scene dissolves back into

'Amanda’s Bedroom-as she embraces her pillow.'

"First of all: Yes, it's really weird. I literally laughed as I was looking at this in the reading room at UCLA. According to the budget and production notes, there were women hired for the dream sequence, and costumes were budgeted. I figured it had been scrapped before filming, because it would have been quite a technical feat, especially if they were still considering Technicolor for the dream sequence (unfortunately, I still don't know when that idea was abandoned).

"This picture confirms that the set was constructed, and at least part of this scene must have been filmed. If a final shooting script existed (or survived-the last complete script at UCLA is from January of 38), then maybe I could figure out how much of it they shot based on Argyle Nelson's daily reports. Unfortunately, that part will remain a mystery, unless I can get my hands on that missing footage."

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Weird, huh? I remember being quite relieved that they didn't use that sequence. In a published script (I'm assuming a version existing between the material you have so kindly recounted above from the UCLA records, and the final film), Amanda has a dream about being swung out over the edge of a high building by Tony, and FALLING. While these ideas all have more in common with the bizarre nature of actual dreams, I'm glad the movie stuck with the romantic and plausible (albeit slow-motion). I do with they had been able to film it in color, though.

(Ginger Rogers' memory of some other things is not reliable, so I wouldn't be too put off by her statement.)

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[deleted]

Those slow-motion photography segments of the dance were very well done.


Stupid!?! I would never call you stupid! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people!

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