DELETED SCENES?

 

The above publicity still photo shows Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) at the kitchen breakfast bar in the Gardner apartment set of P3. Don't remember this scene? That's because it's not in the movie. It was however, featured in the shooting script, and apparently filmed. Below are parts of the movie which didn't end up in the finished film. It's unclear exactly which parts below were written AND filmed, or written but NOT filmed. Only a special edition DVD from MGM will tell....

Here are the scenes in the script which didn't make it into the final film:

Int. Kitchen-Gardner Apartment-Day
Carol Anne removes the pop-ups from the package. Bruce watches.
BRUCE
I'll make the coffee.

Carol Anne picks up a jar of instant coffee.
CAROL ANNE
Instant.
BRUCE
Pat hates instant coffee. She says it tastes like dirty dishwater.
CAROL ANNE
My mom always makes her instant...she just adds cinnamon and Aunt Trish...sorry..PAT never knows the difference.
BRUCE
Your mother's a very clever lady.
CAROL ANNE
She's good at her job.

Carol Anne pushes the pop-ups down in the toaster.

 

above, the cut scene of Bruce and Carol Anne making breakfast-special thanks to "PoltergeistTrilogy" on Facebook for finding and posting this one (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Poltergeist-Trilogy/29234864048?ref=mf#/pages/The-Poltergeist-Trilogy/29234864048?v=wall&viewas=547991351&ref=mf)

 

Above, another shot of the cut Bruce and Carol Anne breakfast scene (this still, as you can see, was auctioned off on Ebay)

Int. Bathroom-Gardner Apartment-Day
DONNA
Dad making breakfast?
PAT(flat)
Carol Anne.
DONNA (knowing)
Pop ups.

Patricia nods and starts to leave. Donna picks up one of Patricia's compacts, a fancy looking one, starts to powder her nose as she follows Patricia into the hallway.
DONNA
Mind if I borrow this?
PATRICIA
Sure. Just be carful with it.

Int. Kitchen-Gardner Apartment-Day
CLOSE ON HUGE JAR FULL OF VITAMINS. A hand reaches in and pulls out four.
WIDEN TO REVEAL four places that have been set up at a bar table. A lonely Pop Up sits on each plate. There are glasses of orange juice, milk for the girls and coffee for the adults. Donna picks up her packet of vitamins and stares at her Pop-up.

DONNA (weighing the contradiction)
Junk food and vitamins.
BRUCE
Definitely space age.

Donna laughs to herself and starts half singing, half humming "The Jetsons" theme song. Patricia glances askance at Donna, then rips open her packet of vitamins, pops them in her mouth and starts to take a sip of coffee.
ANGLE-CAROL ANNE AND BRUCE-They exchange an expectant glance.
ANGLE-PATRICIA-She sips the coffee, makes a small face, and immediately puts it down.
BRUCE (facetiously)
Is something wrong?

CONTINUED:
PATRICIA
Not if you like dirty dishwater.
(to Carol Anne)
Your mother never fooled me either.
CAROL ANNE
How come you never said anything about it at my house?
PATRICIA
Did you ever try arguing with my big sister?

Carol Anne rolls her eyes as if to say "Oh yeah."

Int. PATRICIA WILSON GALLERY-JOHN HANCOCK-NIGHT
CAMERA MOVES IN ON Bruce who is standing more rigid than the statues. His face is stony, his eyes staring off unfocused. He turns and sees Pat involved with a group of people. His eyes then drift back into unfocused space. He almost seems to shiver. Mary approaches. She has already had one too many glasses of bubbly. She touches his arm. He jumps.
MARY
I'm sorry. I...are you alright?

Bruce looks at her blankly, his mind somewhere else.

MARY
Oh, too much champagne. I'll get you some coffee...and something to eat.
BRUCE
No. I have to go upstairs.
MARY
You can't do that to Pat. You know how important this is to her. Come on, I'll get you something. [she takes him by the arm] Mingle. Mingle!

Mary's enthusiasm brings a smile to Bruce's face. They meld into the crowd.

Int. LIVING ROOM-MARTIN'S APARTMENT-NIGHT
The young guests are quietly gathered around the room. There is no hint of a party here. The number of kids has dwindled as Donna, Scott, Melissa, Dusty, Sandy, and Jeff have left. Helen enters. She's wearing a housecoat.
HELEN
Is Donna here?
MARCIE
She...
Unseen by Helen, Marcie's hair is tightly grasped by Martin.
MARTIN
No. She had to look after Carol Anne.
HELEN
Cute. Well, Carol Anne is on the phone...looking FOR Donna.

Martin rolls his eyes. Helen smiles knowingly to herself, and exits.

Int. POOL AREA-FORTY-FOURTH FLOOR-JOHN HANCOCK-NIGHT
CLOSE ON SCANNING VIDEO CAMERA-The light goes off.
ANGLE-KIDS
SANDY
Girls to the right. Boys to the left. Let's go.

Sandy and Melissa start to enter the ladies' locker room. Jeff starts to follow. She pushes him back.
SANDY
You just never give up.

Sandy pulls the door shut in his face.

INT. KITCHEN-SEATON'S APARTMENT-NIGHT
CLOSE ON DR. SEATON'S FACE-He's looking down on something. A cloud of steam wafts past his face. He looks up.
SEATON
Smells promising.
CLOSE ON MRS. SEATON-She's the same age as Seaton, but younger. The beauty of her youth shines though the heavily lined face. Wearing an apron, she stands proudly over her latest masterpiece. She dips the spoon and offers him a taste.
MRS. SEATON
No criticisms. Only compliments.
CLOSE ON SEATON-THE SPOON enters frame. He tastes. He thinks.
SEATON[pausing, assessing the taste, then pompous]
Brave...but not yet valiant. More cilantro.

Mrs. Seaton doesn't look happy or amused.

ANGLE-DONNA-Her laugh is cut short as she glances at another one of the monitors on the wall.
DONNA
Oh, shit!
HER POV-ANOTHER MONITOR-Carol Anne is running through the garage.
ANGLE-DONNA AND SCOTT-Scott is searching for what she saw. He finally spots the garage monitor, then notices that Donna has taken off. He chases after her. They've left the monitors on and the beer and food on the console.

EXT. JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING-NIGHT
A CAB pulls up to the curb. Tangina steps out and pays the driver. He pulls out. Her eyes move upward.
CAMERA TILTS UPWARD TO REVEAL THE FULL SWEEP OF THE JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING, a dark, faultless, symmetrical cliff rising high into the sky. A SHIMMERING ILLUMINATION spills out from the seventieth floor. Carol Anne's room is a quasar in the dark Chicago sky.

[the meatlocker scene]
BRUCE'S POV-Tagina stares up at him from beneath the rising icy fog. In her hand is the turqoise necklace. She holds it up toward Bruce.
TANGINA
Outside in. Outside In.
ANGLE-BRUCE-Pat is behind him still pounding on the door and screaming. He reaches out for the necklace, but as he does, the light becomes blinding. The ANIMAL SCREAMS grow deafening. The WIND HOWLS and he is pelted with ice and snow. Suddenly the freezer door flies open. Bruce and Pat are blown out the door amid a blinding snow.
INT. GARAGE-JOHN HANCOCK-NIGHT
CRACK! The ice shatters, their clasped hands propel through the ice. THE CAMERA PULLS BACK revealing that they are being spewed out of the frozen puddle in the garage.
CLOSE ON PAT AND BRUCE as they hit the floor and slide along at incredible speed up the icy surface of the garage ramp. Finally coming to rest, half way up the ramp. Their hands still clasped, they stare at each other in shock, instantly realizing they are both dry. They lie very still for a moment, then turn their heads to look around.

[Bruce and Pat in the elevator]
PATRICIA
What I'm looking forward to is getting upstairs, packing up everything that belongs to that little brat, her clothes, her toys, everything! Call my sister and tell her I'm returning her little monster, air express, tonight!

[After Bruce rolls over Dr. Seaton's body on top of the elevator]
ANGLE-BRUCE-as he backs away from the elevator shaft, mumbling, almost to himself.
BRUCE
Donna, we left her with him. We gotta get down there.

Pat grabs onto Bruce as he swings his arm to hit the call button.
ANGLE-ELEVATOR DOORS-DING! Almost immediately, the other set of elevator doors open, revealing nothing but a black, empty shaft!
ANGLE-PAT AND BRUCE-they react as Bruce pulls her away.

INT. STAIRWELL-98TH FLOOR LANDING-JOHN HANCOCK-NIGHT
The door bursts open. Pat and Bruce stop dead in their tracks.
THEIR POV-The descending stairway is blocked entirely by huge icicles, glistening in the light from the corridor.

 

above, the cut scene of Bruce and Pat looking at the stairwell blocked by ice (Special thanks to "PoltergeistTrilogy" on Facebook)

ANGLE-PAT AND BRUCE-They stand for a moment as they realize this route is impossible.
BRUCE
Outside in!
PATRICIA
What?
BRUCE
Outside in! It is what Tangina said. He controls the inside, but not the outside. We can get to them...Come on!

And of course, to read what the original ending was, go to www.poltergeistIII.com/originalending.html.....

In addition, apparently an early draft script of the film would have featured "devil dogs" which would have emerged from the "gates of hell." To see drawings of these unfilmed dogs, as well as some other sketches for things not used in the film, see www.poltergeistIII.com/makeup.html.

Recently a fellow P3 fan on the IMDB message boards claimed that he'd bought a copy of a draft of the script dated January 23rd, 1987. He sent me a few scans from it. I'm still trying to determine the authenticity of this script (hopefully I'll be able to puchase a copy of it soon), but so far it seems authentic. Here's what the fan posted:

I purchased an old studio copy of a 'Poltergeist III' script, the third revised draft with the above date, and again it differs. Both from the one released and the one on the 'Poltergeist III' site. Basically Bruce enters the room from the outside and finds Carol Anne, then Donna and then Scott. Their bodies are partially frozen and he attempts to leave with them. But it becomes too cold and the winds too strong. They wind up as a frozen sculpture.

Kane approaches the sculpture and Bruce's face crumbles away to reveal Tangina. She says that she is all he needs to 'go into the light'. Pat enters the room from the outside and catches sight of Bruce's outstretched arms. She hears Bruce's voice pleading with her to take his hand. She does so and there is a burst of brilliant light. The room returns to normal and all the family and Scott are saved.

There is no tearful farewell to Tangina from Carol Anne. Instead Bruce catches sight of Tangina in their reflection. He returns her smile and she is gone.

This draft does not feature the demon dogs. Infact most of what ended up on screen is in this draft. The most noticeable difference is the ending. Bruce features more prominently than Pat. Pat spends most of the time outside on the rig as Bruce struggles to save the family. One nice touch is that when Bruce first enters the appartment he stumbles into the statue that had been watching Pat earlier in the movie. The statue this time comes alive and as Bruce fights with it, skeletal bone is revealed underneath and alas it is Kane.

I'm still working my way through it as I only got it on Monday but I have stumbled upon a homage to the first 'Poltergeist' movie in it. Remember the scene where the evil Scott tears at Donna's face? In this draft they continually tear at each other until they are reduced to a mound of rotting flesh crawling with maggots!

Anyhow rest assured the script is genuine. I am a fellow 'Poltergeist' fan and I am not making any of it up. It is an original studio copy with it's MGM covers still in place and I puchased it from a U.S. collector. It is titled as "We're Back!" Poltergeist continues...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the pages for the early version of the original ending (draft dated January 1987), the one that wasn't filmed (the much scaled down version that eventually was filmed in June of that year was itself re-shot in March 1988).

Page 110:

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

Ice is starting to form on Bruce's face. He frantically attempts to wipe it away from his face and nostrils.

BRUCE

Donna!

(a beat)

Carol Anne!

Attempting to keep his eyes open against the storm, he searches. Bruce is startled as he collides with a solid object. He spins to look at it.

HIS POV-It is one of the white plaster statues from Pat's gallery, the one that turned and looked at her menacingly that morning.

ANGLE-BRUCE-At first he looks confused. After the constant assault, it is an almost comical relief seeing something familiar, albeit out of place, standing like a pillar of salt amidst the terrible wrath that has been unleashed. His half smile quickly disappears when the statue SLAMS! down its plaster hand on his arm, digging into his flesh. As it strengthens its grasp, the plaster cracks and splits open revealing an icy skeletal hand beneath.

ANGLE-STATUE-The plaster face glares at him.

ANGLE-BRUCE-He wrests his arm away, hefts the ax back and aims the butt of the handle squarely into the statue's face.

CLOSE ON FACE OF STATUE-CRACK! The ax handle connects with the face, shattering the shell into dust.

ANGLE-BRUCE-His determined stare turns to shock.

HIS POV-The statue's face is now the face of KANE. It glares at him and lunges.

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat is being slammed from side to side as she holds on to the saftey line. She's finally pulled forward and down onto the floor of the rig as she struggles to hang on.

PATRICIA

Bruce!

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

Bruce struggles with Kane, a statue with a human head. The plaster body begin to crack, fracture as if it were bone, splitting under terrible pressure. Kane's icy hands rip and tear at Bruce as he struggles to gain distance and a swinging grip to the ax. The long icy nails shred Bruce's clothing as Bruce hefts back the ax and carries through with a warrior's swing.

CLOSE ON-KANE-The ax connects with Kane's neck, but rather than slicing through, Kane's neck shatters like dry plaster. The head flies off SCREAMING!; whisked away by the howling wind, which absorbs the terrible disembodied scream.

ANGLE-BRUCE-He stares off into the direction of the flying head. Shock turns to terror as the SOUND OF THE SCREAMING HEAD builds over the howl of the wind.

HIS POV-The disembodied head flies out of the storm, its teeth bared, a fierce baboon like creature. Razor sharp incisors burst from gumless bone. They snap! onto Bruce's shoulder.

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Bruce's cries of pain can almost be heard amid the howling wind as Pat fights to her feet, the rope pulling her about the rig, slamming her against the building, against the back of the rig. CAMERA MOVES IN ON HER HANDS slowly losing her grip on the rope.

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

Bruce is slowly being covered with frost, his wet clothes going rigid, as he struggles with the head. He's losing strength, his fingers becoming numb, losing their grip on the ax, which is now ice-encrusted. He strikes the head again! Again! The head is gnawing its way up his arm to his shoulder, slowly feasting its way to his neck and a vulnerable artery. He hefts the ax back and swings again with the butt at the face. The head of Kane seems to welcome each blow as a mark of Bruce's futility. The icy ax slips from Bruce's grasp. He almost loses the necklace, but catches it as the ax is carried away by the internal storm. Bruce begins slamming his fist at the head as its powerful jaws clamp and climb their way up his torso. Suddenly, Bruce bashes the face with both hands. The head doesn't seem fazed except when Bruce strikes with the hand holding Tangina's necklace. The clamped jaws begin losing their grip. Bruce pulls back and continues his flurry of blows. But his frozen fingers begin to lose their grip on the necklace, his hands tremble, allowing the head to get a firm grasp once again on his shouder. Just as the head is about to snap its incisors down on Bruce's throat, he smashes the front of the face with the necklace.

112

CONTINUED:

The face reacts to the touch of the necklace. Bruce struggles to hold onto the necklace, his frozen fingers not responding to their commands. He smashes the face again! Again! With one more final desperate blow Bruce pounds the necklace against Kane's face. The head shudders. Bruce pulls his useless fingers back from Kane's face. The necklace seems partially embedded in the head, but suddenly, like a snake retracting its tongue, the necklace is sucked back into Kane's eye socket. Its mouth flies open emitting A TERRIBLE SCREAM! as the head jettisons backward away from Bruce.

ANGLE-THE HEAD-The head is propelled through the storm at a tremoundous speed on a collision course with its mirror image. The images collide! CRASH! The mirror explodes!

ANGLE-BRUCE-The explosion knocks Bruce to the floor.

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat is slammed back against the saftey railing. The rig shakes and quivers. The icy wind blasts out catching Pat and pinning her against the saftey railing. Ice begins to cover her, draining her of strength and attempting to knock her free of the rig. The rig begins to tremble and vibrate as Pat struggles to hold onto the rope.

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

Bruce almost devoid of strength, frozen, faltering tries to stand amid the tremoundous wind, but he is being pelted by debris and objects that have caused a dangerous whirlwind. Bruce looks back toward the source of the wind. His nearly frozen face drops in disbelief.

HIS POV-A FLASH OF RED collides with him, knocking him to the ground. He turns to see Carol Anne, her eyes frozen shut, her lips barely moving. He throws his arm around her as debris continues to swirl about them.

ANGLE-ANOTHER HUGE OBJECT FLIES TOWARD HIM. It slams into him, frozen arms reaching to hold on. It's Donna. Her SCREAMS! hardly audible over the building storm. With barely enough time to thrust his arms around his daughter, another object slams into him, holding on for dear life. It is Scott. They are like attached sculptures, frosting over as the ice begins to build on their bodies.

BRUCE

Hold on! Hold on!

113

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat suddenly crashes back against the safety railing, horrified by the sight in her hands. The tether is broken.

PATRICIA

No! No!

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

The melded mass of Bruce, Donna, Scott, and Carol Anne come flying through the fog, tossed about in the storm. Slaming into a wall and sliding along the icy floor. Ice rapidly builds up on them as they finally collide with a corner of the room and stop. A SHRIEK! cuts through the howling wind. They look up.

THEIR POV-Through the raging fog, an enourmous icy sculpture of a face begins to push through. It is KANE. His face the essence of pure evil. The foul, decomposing champion in this war between life and death, one eye socket sunken, devoid of an eye, oozes with an icy flow. His mouth opens like that of an enourmous jungle cat, hissing out an evil wind.

ANGLE-BRUCE, DONNA, SCOTT, CAROL ANNE-The wind pins them back, covering them with a deadly frozen ice, draining them of life, reducing them to a frozen sculpture.

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat holds on to the trembling rig as she fights the icy wind and attempts to lengthen her safety cable.

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

CLOSE ON KANE-He hisses out his foul, cold breath.

ANGLE-BRUCE, DONNA, SCOTT, CAROL ANNE-The last ounce of life drains out of them. They have become a hideous ice sculpture. THE CAMERA MOVES IN ON THEM until Bruce's face fills the frame. The intense cold begins to crack it. Fractures lines radiate across it. His face shatters! TANGINA'S FACE EMERGES FROM WITHIN. Tangina stares up into the enourmous face.

TANGINA

You need me, Kane! Not them! I'll guide you! I can lead you into the light!

ANGLE-KANE-He roars!

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat has just unclipped her safety belt as the roar surrounds her. She swings her eyes toward the storm. She stares at something and gasps.

HER POV-Bruce's arm extends out from within the storm, reaching out to her.

ANGLE-PAT-She's confused, unable to decide what to do.

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

CLOSE ON TANGINA-Her arm extended, her hand disappearing into the mist.

TANGINA

Take my hand!

EXT. WINDOW WASHING RIG-NIGHT

Pat his holding back, not knowing what to do.

BRUCE (O.S.)

Take my hand!

CLOSE ON HANDS-They touch. Bruce's hands clasp onto Pat and pulls her straight into the storm. As she disappears there is a burst! of incredible light. A catastrophic violent surge blasts! through the window sending energy swirling up through the clouds. Its dissemination creating prismatic beams which shoot up into the sky, dissipating, absorbed into the vast dark expanse.

INT. CAROL ANNE'S BEDROOM-GARDNER APARTMENT-NIGHT

The room is a sea of swirling white mixed with debris, but the storm is quickly dissipating as visibility returns. THE CAMERA MOVES IN ON BRUCE, PATRICIA, DONNA, CAROL ANNE, AND SCOTT. Their arms intertwined around each other. The five of them together in a family embrace sharing tears of joy and relief. Bruce has his arms around the whole group, tears choking him. He turns his head. His eyes lock on something.

HIS POV-In an unbroken window is the reflection of the whole group, but amid them stands Tangina. She smiles into CAMERA as her hands caress Donna and Carol Anne's heads. She lifts one hand to her necklace and rubs it as she continues to smile into CAMERA.

115

REVERSE ANGLE - Bruce stares straight at camera returning Tangina's smile.
 
ANGLE -WINDOW - Tangina is no longer in the reflection, all that remains is a family together and safe.  CAMERA MOVES IN ON WINDOW AS FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE SUN COMING UP OVER LAKE MICHIGAN, it's cleansing light wiping out the nightmare that claimed a special life, a life sacrificed to save a family.