[BroadwayBud]

I have never seen a stage production of South Pacific before, and rely on the original film for the concept of the show. "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" is a great song, but it is so short and undeveloped in the film! When I was involved in a summer theater camp, the girls sang this song, but it was much longer and had more feeling. Is the stage version of the song exactly like the movie version? Or did the movie cut down the song?

[joseph taylor]

Hi yes the song I'm Gonna Wash That Man was cruelly hacked down for the film I believe it was originally filmed almost intact like in the stage version, but in was very badly cut down even before the Roadshow version of the film was released in 1958, I believe in was even cut by the producers before the first previews of the film.
The original running time of the film was 181 mins 10mins of which was cut which resulted in the 171 mins running time of the Roadshow version and Twentieth Century Fox cut it down further again to 151mins for its General Theatrical release version.
A longer Roadshow version has recently been release on to DVD in the European markets, region 2, which should be released on Region 1 DVD this autumn.
Also the film was shown with a diffrent run of sequences here in Europe, than in the US when it was released in 1958.
Here in the UK the film followed the Broadway show sequences with the the first scene after Cable arriving by plane it cuts to Emile De Becque's plantation home , with Nellie and Emile , the sequence of the children singing 'DITES MOI' should be here as well, as in the stage show but that was also cut, instead of in the US version with the sailors singing 'BLOODY MARY' on the beach.
The only way to hear Dites Moi and the full verion of I'm Gonna Wash That Man, is to buy the soundtrack album.
Hope that helps!!

[BroadwayBud]

It does! Thanks!