'Voodoo'


I was just wondering if anyone had any more information on the deleted "Voodoo" number in this movie. Apparently, when studio boss L.B. Mayer saw the rushes to this, he was completely enraged, he called Gene Kelly to his office to tell him what way to behave in front of the camera, and eventually burned the negatives to this. I always wanted to know what way Judy and Gene danced, why it was so "inappropriate"!! Would anyone have any ideas?

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i think if you see any of the promo pics of the priate you could get an idea i think it is cause he was all over her and she lifting her skirt up and stuff like that, another reason that it was cut was because of Judy's image you know she was the girl next door and if he was scared that Voodoo would be to sexual for her audiance. Its probaly no worse then Marilyn Monroe's "Heatwave". Have you heard the song...its on a couple of her albums on Amazon, i really wanna hear it.

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Would anyone know if the song, MACK THE BLACK was the same song but with different lyrics to the song, also written by Cole Porter,
TOO BAD, WE CAN'T GO BACK TO MOSCOW, that was in the movie SILK STOCKINGS?

All I can say is Wow! It is a show stopper in both movies and sound the same to me...Are they one and the same score/tune?

Thanks in advance!

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I don't know but they sure sound the same. Since both were written by Cole Porter, it makes sense that they are the same song.

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How I wish the footage of that number still existed! Gene Kelly and Judy Garland had such great chemistry onscreen, I can't even imagine how steamy that number must've been to raise the wrath of L.B. Mayer.

"The time to make up your mind about people is never."

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Agh that annoys me so much! I would have loved to have seen that scene. The chemistry between Gene and Judy is almost electric on screen. I think she was his best female on screen partner.

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Yes! Genesgirl, and everybody else, I can't believe how anyone could be unhappy with this movie. Vincente Minnelli's work on it is inspired. To stand in the way of art is an understood crime, and should be codified.



The closest movies to my heart: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=46910443

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Here's what Judy Garland scholar John Fricke had to say:


There were two (or maybe one-and-a-half) versions of "Voodoo."

The first was that filmed (at least in part) before Mayer's intervention. When he ordered restaging, there was a second routine prepared and filmed in its entirety. This was only seen during sneak previews of THE PIRATE in autumn 1947. It was then decided to delete the number completely and arrange/orchestrate/record/stage a new version of "Mack the Black" to take its place in the film. This is what audiences saw when THE PIRATE was finally released in summer 1948.

Any surviving takes of either version of "Voodoo" were reportedly lost in an M-G-M vault fire in the 1950s. Except for a handfull of stills and the soundtrack of the complete song and dance arrangement (available on the Rhino JUDY GARLAND COLLECTOR'S GEMS cd set), nothing else is known to exist of "Voodoo."



Taken from "Judy Garland Database": http://www.jgdb.com/jfpage.htm

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ziegfeldgirl27 says > I always wanted to know what way Judy and Gene danced, why it was so "inappropriate"!! Would anyone have any ideas?
The number was called Voodoo so I bet the movements were highly suggestive of someone possessed. We've probably all seen documentaries in which people dance in voodoo rites, rituals, and ceremonies. They sort of go into a trance and flail about. That's one reason Mayer might have reacted so negatively.

Other possibilities include dancing too close or touching and, of course, anything that involved moving the hips because it simulated sex. Apparently, many years later when Elvis hit the scene, moving his hips was still very controversial and banned. He was often made to dance behind props.

Kelly was a dancer who was accustomed to moving his body but can you imagine if Garland had done it? A few years ago Miley Cyrus sent shock waves for twerking and playing with a huge foam finger during a performance. The only thing shocking is that people still had such a reaction. We've seen a lot worse on morning television but it's because she had been a young actress. She used to portray a wholesome image and still had a lot of young fans.

There's also the possibility that Garland did the number while completely and obviously drunk or drugged up. She was supposedly at her worst during the making of this movie. According to TCM it was the beginning of the end for her.


Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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