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The Original Ending of Lucky Lady

posted 19 years ago by ecarle
8 replies | jump to latest

(SPOILERS for Lucky Lady)

I read the first script for this movie back in the 70's, and then saw this deleted footage in a TV show about 20th Century Fox movies, from the late seventies:

In the original script and AS SHOT by director Stanley Donen, the characters played by Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds were both killed at the end -- shot down in the surf, I think by the Feds if I remember correctly.

The story was fairly violent up to that point anyway (in both versions, Robby Benson's sympathetic boy is killed.) But somebody decided that Hackman and Reynolds should live. The story seemed way out of whack.

If a DVD of "Lucky Lady" is released, they should be the original ending on as a deleted scene.

P.S. "Lucky Lady" began production with George Segal in the Gene Hackman role. Segal quit the film. Burt Reynolds tried to convince Jon Voight (Reynolds' co-star in "Deliverance,") to play Segal's role, but Voight said 'No.' Hackman agreed -- for top billing and big bucks.

[–] dankitti1 17 years ago

I actually remember seeing that on the TV. The scene takes place at night, at the beach, with Liza Minelli seeing the bodies of the two leading men, and she is all like "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" I think it may have been "That's Hollywood", narrated by Tom Bosley. Erm, or not?

And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda what's Fonzie like?

[–] ecarle 17 years ago

Yes, I think the footage was shown on "That's Hollywood," the Fox clip show of the late seventies, early eighties.

[–] IForgotMyMantra 16 years ago

Hackman agreed -- for top billing and big bucks.

That's interesting. I thought it was wonky that Hackman, even as an Oscar winner, was billed above Burt and Liza, who were considerably bigger stars.

[–] jrs-8 16 years ago

Actually three endings were shot. The one discussed above with the two leads killed. Then there was one that took the film to present day with the three still together in their old age. That ending was scrapped because the old age make-up was totally unconvincing. And then the third one was the one Donen left in the film and, frankly, I don't think he could have come up with a worse ending but then again everything before it was pretty bad too.

[–] moonspinner55 14 years ago

Burt Reynolds was actually the lesser of the three stars in box-office terms in 1975. He didn't hit superstar status until 1977's double whammy of "Semi-Tough" (which won the critics over) and "Smokey and the Bandit".

[–] Will-35 11 years ago

weirdly, when I saw this film in 1975, the old age makeup ending is the one I saw.. thought I was hallucinating until I just read this post... I remembered it, but could find no evidence I actually saw it LOL

[–] Harold_Robbins 9 years ago

Reading left-to-right, Hackman has top billing - but notice that Liza Minnelli's name, in the center, is a half-step higher than her co-stars'.

In my case, self-absorption is completely justified.

[–] Jones70 (6195) 2 years ago

That would’ve been sweet!