Oklahoma! - Deleted Scenes - 1. Oklahoma! - Deleted Scenes

Oklahoma! – the first collaboration of one of the great teams of musical comedy writing, Rodgers and Hammerstein – was revolutionary in its tight integration of music and dance into the story. But just how revolutionary some of the creators’ ideas were has been revealed by the recent discovery of script drafts that never got past the table-reading stage. An original cast member (a male dancer) provided these fragments to a friend of mine in New York City, with the cover note: “Hope this gives you some insight into just how advanced Hammerstein’s ideas were! Really would have pushed the boundaries if Oscar had kept them in! Definitely would have given Jud a different character arc! Cheers, Rudy, April 1 1983." That friend recently passed them on to me. I can't vouch for their authenticity, of course.

(CURLY and JUD in the smokehouse – JUD’s quarters)

CURLY: What’re ya always hangin' round Laurie fer?

JUD: Mebbe she’s just the kind of girl who could save a man.

CURLY: What from?

JUD: From hisself. From wantin' things no man should want.

CURLY: What’re ya talkin' bout?

JUD: Things that ain’t natural, things that—Oh, you wouldn’t know, strappin' healthy dumb cowboy like you.

CURLY: You ain’t fit fer no decent girl. Girly postcards pinned up all over yer place –

JUD: You really air too simple to know a smokescreen when ya see one.

CURLY: Livin' in this dirty ole smokehouse –

JUD: I’m a field hand. It’s what they give me to live in.

CURLY: Jist the same, you could clean it, fix it up a little. Fer one thing, ya got no lighting. Couple o’ kerosene lanterns, one in that corner, one over here, would make a big difference. And some curtains. And the fabrics you got don’t really work together.

JUD: (standing, facing CURLY nose to nose) I bet you’d have it fixed up real purty in no time.

(The tension between them is palpable. Suddenly JUD grabs CURLY and kisses him passionately. CURLY’s gun goes off. JUD’s gun also discharges. They quickly separate before the others arrive to find out what all the shooting is about.)

*****************

(JUD and LAURIE in the buggy on the way to the dance)

JUD: Let’s be honest with each other, all right, Laurie? Why’d you ast me to take you to the dance?

LAURIE: Cuz nobody else ast me.

JUD: Cuz Curly didn’t ast you.

LAURIE: Well –

JUD: And you want to make him jealous. You don’t want to be taken fer granted. Nobody does. I know you like him. People cain’t help how they feel. You cain’t help feelin' the way you feel. And I can’t help feelin' the way I feel.

LAURIE: Jud!

JUD: So let’s jist go to this dance and try to be civil. And with any luck mebbe somebody will start to feelin' different about somebody else.

LAURIE: Jud Fry, I ain’t never gonna feel any different about you, so jist stop hopin'!

(JUD looks at her in amazed confusion, then erupts in laughter. LAURIE grabs the reins and whips the horses, and a wild ride begins)

*****************

(MR. CARNES [Ado Annie’s father] and JUD, after the auction of the box lunches and the confrontation in which Laurie fires Jud)

JUD: You come to gloat too?

CARNES: Bout what?

JUD: Me gettin' fired. Gettin' outbid. Gettin' nuthin'. Losin.

CARNES: You got fired?

JUD: Yep.

CARNES: Why’d you bid so high on Laurie’s hamper?

JUD: It’s that Curly. Jist wanted to take him down a notch. So high and mighty, always gettin' everythin' he wants, so good-lookin', perfect teeth, slender waist, perfect little round ass – not that that matters to me or anythin', it’s just –

CARNES: I could use a farm hand. Can’t work the farm all alone. Ado Annie’s goin' off and gettin' married. Wife died ten years ago.

JUD: Oh, I’m sorry.

CARNES: It’s all right.

JUD: With Ado Annie gettin' married, who’s gonna do all the cookin'?

CARNES: (shakes his head sadly) She’s my daughter and I love her, but Ado Annie don’t know boilin’ from sautéin’. I done all the cookin these last ten years. Woulda starved if I’d counted on eatin' Annie’s cookin'.

JUD: The other fellers at the auction was makin' fun of Annie’s cookin', but her hamper smelled real good.

CARNES: That’s cuz I made everything in it.

JUD: Hm. Well, if I sign on with you, and no woman on your farm, who’s gonna do the washin' and the cleanin' and all the other woman’s work? I ain’t no man’s wife.

CARNES: We could take turns.

JUD: (after looking intently at CARNES for a moment) How you stay in such good shape?

CARNES: I watch the carbs. (Puts his arm around JUD as they walk away) Yer in good shape yerself. Lotta good solid muscle on ya

JUD: Not like you. I’m a thirty-eight inch waist now, can’t seem to lose it.

CARNES: That’s Aunt Eller’s cookin'. Nuthin' but ree-fined carbohydrates an’ saturated fats. Seriously though, it don’t look bad on you.