Planes, Trains and Automobiles (found deleted scenes of comedy film; 1987)
Theatrical film poster.
Status: Lost
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a 1987 comedy film directed by John Hughes. The plot is about a man named Neal Page (Steve Martin), who thanks to many plane delays, and cancellations, has to travel with another guy named Del Griffith (John Candy), who's kind of a blabbermouth for Neal. However, in the way they go through a lot of situations and zany stuff, and get to know each other better.
Context
The original script of the film was over 220 pages. The preview ran 3 hours and 30 minutes. Then, the film editor Paul Hirsch, and John Hughes, cut the film down to 2 hours. But the studio thought it still was too long and made them cut 30 more minutes.
This marks an interesting case, as the material cut (2 hours) would be even longer than the film itself (1 hour, 30 minutes).
Here is a list of some of the deleted scenes (taken from the original shooting script):
- * Short description of a snowflake going through the city before the office scene, at the film's beggining (probably not filmed)
- * A long, three-paragraph monologue, told by Del on the airplane.
- * In their first motel, Del orders a really gross-looking pizza. Neal complains because he told him to order salad too, but Del tells him the pizza 'has some vegetables on it'. Neal tries to eat it but he's grossed out.
- * The thief that steals their money is actually the pizza boy, who decides to steal their money because Del only gave him 100 pennies as a tip.
- * The park ranger (Michael McKean) tells Del and Neal they have already overpast Chicago, 100 miles. The two start to argue, and are soon arrested.
- * Follow-up to the previous scene, getting out of the police station, Neal reveals they strip-searched him. Del reveals he didn't purchase insurance on the car they destroyed previously in the film, and Neal punches him in the face.
- * Del and Neal go to a cafe to talk about the sad facts Deal has revealed, talking about how hard Del's life has been.
- * A major subplot, involving Neal's wife, Susan, believing he's actually having an affair, was cut.
- * Shots of Del imitating Elvis Presley.
Clues in the film
There are many clues in the film and trailers of these deleted scenes.
For example, Del's Elvis imitations, Neal trying the pizza and a deleted dialogue are all found in the original trailer.
During a part of the movie, Del has a black eye. This is because of the previously mentioned punch Neal gives him on the deleted scene.
The robbery scene is left on the film.
Neal makes some comments during the diner scene ("I had 700 dollars in my wallet, and you took them for a pizza").
The only surviving scene
Of the 2 hours of deleted material, only one scene survives. It involves Neal, Del and all the other passengers eating their meal. Neal makes some comments about the food he orders in every single airplane line, a story of how a friend of his cut her finger, and how the lasagna is completely over-heated.
Sources
"The Lost Version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
Gallery
The lost coffee shop scene.
Shot of Neal eating pizza (taken from the trailer).
