It seems funny to us in this age of DVDs and Blu-rays, but there was a time when studios thought the moviegoing public wouldn’t be interested in deleted scenes. In the documentary, When the Lion Roars, Debbie Reynolds remembered that MGM and other studios would burn trimmed scenes in trashcans.
It’s amazing any of it survived, to be honest, but most of the time what did survive was either due to scenes being misplaced, or a worker accidentally-on-purpose forgetting to destroy a jettisoned clip.
One of these is “Two-Faced Woman,” a truncated song from 1953’s The Band Wagon featuring Cyd Charisse:
This track ended up being used in Torch Song, also from 1953, starring Joan Crawford, and, to be honest, it’s a bit disturbing. I wish this scene had gotten cut instead of the Cyd Charisse version.
Another scene that got the axe was “This Is It,” which would have been part of 1944’s Pin-Up Girl. I’m not sure why the song was cut, but my guess is it was for time.
Still another deleted scene was the “Mr. Monotony” number from 1948’s Easter Parade. While there was nothing wrong with the song, Judy’s tuxedo jacket was considered unsuitable for a movie set at the turn of the twentieth century. The outfit, of course, was brilliantly recycled into the iconic “Get Happy” sequence in 1950’s Summer Stock.
“My British Buddy” got cut from 1943’s This Is the Army, probably because of time constraints, but also because the movie already had a ta-da appearance by Irving Berlin.
By far, though, “The Jitterbug” from The Wizard of Oz is one of the most famous deleted scenes, cut because the powers that were thought the song’s name would date the film too much.
However, “The Jitterbug” was one of three scenes cut from Oz. Another was an extended dance number from “If I Only Had A Brain”:
Yet another was a reprise of “Over the Rainbow” sung live on set while Dorothy was held captive in the Witch’s Castle. This one was probably trimmed because of time as well, and to be honest, it drags an already sad scene down even further.
Recipes, as we all know, sometimes get the ax, too, and the three I’ve got here are both largely forgotten by their culinary sources and everyone else. Literally. They can’t be found anywhere on the Web. Here we go…
Galaxy Noodle Soup
This video is all that remains of Delish Kids’ Galaxy Noodle Soup, a dish that’s become a favorite at my house. While the recipe is in the description box, the link they give brings up a how-to guide for making chicken soup. Errrr, that’s a wee bit tacky, people.
Here’s the recipe for posterity’s sake. If anyone decides to make it, I suggest using two and a half quarts of broth and doubling the meatballs, because otherwise this soup goes way too fast. Really, it’s that good. The meatballs are fluffy and flavorful, with just a hint of garlic, and the carrots and onion get a little bit creamy as they’re sauteed.
Galaxy Noodle Soup
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 c. finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 c. pastina, or other small pasta
- 6 c. low sodium chicken broth
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make chicken meatballs: In a large bowl, stir together ground chicken, egg, Panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, chives, garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Form into small balls and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake until golden and no longer pink, 20 to 22 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make soup: In a large pot over medium heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add carrots and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pastina and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 4-6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Turkey-Tomatillo Cheeseburgers
Another family favorite, Turkey-Tomatillo Cheeseburgers, are from the long-gone Fitness Magazine, which was absorbed into Self Magazine many years ago, and unfortunately no one archived Fitness‘s recipes. Here’s how the burger was presented in the magazine:
The recipe is pretty legible in the image, but I’ll write it out anyway, just in case.
Turkey-Tomatillo Cheeseburgers
- One small onion, diced
- 1/2 pound of tomatillos, husks removed, diced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (plain white works, too)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
- Reduced sodium pepper jack cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, halved
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatillos and cook one minute. Add vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
- Divide turkey into 4 equal portions and form into patties. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides, flipping halfway through, about 5 minutes. Place 1 slice pepper Jack on each patty and cook 1 minute more. Transfer patties to a plate.
- Brush cut sides of buns with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and lightly toast in the same skillet. Place patties on bottom halves of buns. Use a slotted spoon to top each patty with tomatillo mixture; top with remaining bun halves.
And yeah, I’ve made this burger many times over the years.
Dilled Chicken-Noodle Bake
And finally, this recipe is from the 1980s edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. My mom’s been making it for years, especially around the holidays, but for some reason the bake hasn’t made it into later editions of the cookbook or onto Better Homes and Gardens’s website. It’s too bad, because it’s a great way to use leftover chicken or turkey. Mom and I accidentally added cayenne pepper one year to this bake and liked it so much we kept it, so it’s included here.
Dilled Chicken-Noodle Bake
- 2 cups medium egg noodles
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons snipped parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dillweed
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dairy sour cream
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
- 1/2 cup crushed round crackers
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a large saucepan, cook celery, onion, and green pepper in the the three tablespoons butter till tender. Stir in flour. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one to two minutes more. Stir in parsley, dillweed, and cayenne. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Stir in noodles and chicken or turkey. Turn into a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle crumbs around edge. Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for thirty-five to forty minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
While the recipe says to use egg noodles, I’ve been loving ziti lately because they hold a ton of sauce. I have to say, this bake is always a looker, and it tastes even better, in a satisfying comfort food kinda way…
Hope you all get to try these recipes, and as Jacques Pepin says, “Happy cooking!”
A special announcement is coming out on Monday. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
The Wizard of Oz (DVD and Blu-ray), The Band Wagon (DVD and Blu-ray), Easter Parade (DVD and Blu-ray), This Is the Army (DVD and streaming) and Pin Up Girl (DVD and Blu-ray) are available to own from Amazon.
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