Wild in the Country

[ColinB]

...after all that unfolded, to see Elvis/Glenn shake hands with Hope Lange at the end as he borded the train, I was expecting a passionate embrace.
But with Tuesday watching from the waiting room, who knows?
What did you think of this film?

That ending was a hasty re-shoot.

In the original one, the Hope Lange character died, and it was the Millie Perkin's one who saw him off....................

[ColinB]

Interesting. I don't know much of the backstory of this film, please share more.
Millie was a cutie, I'd like to have seen more of her in Elvis' films.

They filmed the original with the Hope Lange character's suicide bid being successful.

Millie Perkin's character then saw him off on the train to college, with Tuesday Weld looking on.

At the test screenings, the US audiences didn't like that ending.

In a panic, they quickly recalled the cast & shot the new ending, in which Hope [now having survived] sees him off.

Unsure exactly what their relationship should be now, they 'played safe' and had them politely shake hands.

The original [more logical] ending should be reinstated on DVD !

BTW - US cinema audiences are notorious for not being able to stomach 'sad endings' !

I remember the David Essex film Silver Dream Racer had to have a special 'happy' ending shot for the US market !

And, needless to say, both versions are readily available on DVD !

[ColinB]

I'd like to see the 'sad' ending.
Definately should be on the dvd.
I don't mind a sad ending, life is like that much of the time.

Well, at one time, American audiences were averse to such things !

For the sake of the box-office, special 'happy' endings had to be shot for them [see my example above].

[ColinB]

I'd like to see the 'sad' ending.
Definately should be on the dvd.
I don't mind a sad ending, life is like that much of the time.

Well, at one time, American audiences were averse to such things !

For the sake of the box-office, special 'happy' endings had to be shot for them [see my example above].

I'm not disputing that, Colin, but I'd still like to see the original ending.

So would I !

[musiclover1979]

Me too!!!
I may add that Hope Lange was lovely.
A pity her movie career never took off.

[RonBaker2003]

Ah, but the British version of the classic sci-fi film "Invaders from Mars" is the one with the happy ending whereas the US version is more claustrophobic.

I do wish the DVD of "Wild in the Country" had both endings. Maybe when it goes to blu-ray...unless blu-ray folds up shop.