Barry Bostwick Didn't Mind Some Of His Songs Being Cut From Rocky Horror Picture Show
While we all know that it's just a jump to the left and a step to the right to get the "Time Warp" going, did you know that there were songs from the original stage musical that didn't make it into the film version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"? One of them, "Superheroes," was filmed and included in the U.K. theatrical cut but not the version that played in the U.S., while the other was a little song belted out by Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) immediately after his romantic rendezvous with the villainous Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry). That song, "Once in a While," never made it into the film or onto the soundtrack, but Bostwick wasn't apparently too upset about losing one of his chances to hold the spotlight.
In an interview with Orlando Weekly, Bostwick explained that while he was a bit bummed about the loss of "Superheroes," which he sang along with co-star Susan Sarandon, he completely understood nixing "Once in a While." After all, he came from a theater background and understood the value of teamwork, and besides, his part of "Rose Tint My World" is the best one!
'It's not my favorite song in the film anyway.'
Many stars might be upset if their big solo song was cut from the movie, but for Bostwick, taking the song out made sense:
"Brad is just one of 10, and I've always learned to be part of an ensemble, and I appreciate and know my place. I think that anything that was cut in the movie of my stuff was wisely done. The song 'Once in a While' was in the absolute wrong place in the film. The film was just starting to take off, there was some energy, and then all of a sudden you've got me sitting there singing after getting boned by Frank N. Furter, and it stopped the momentum of the movie. I totally get that; you know, it's not my favorite song in the film anyway."
First things first, the 77-year-old Bostwick using the word "boned" to mean "had sex with" is my favorite thing I've read today. Second, he's absolutely right. Following the hilariously horny ridiculousness of Sarandon's "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me," a mournful dirge for Brad's virginity is just not really the right tone. Instead of slowing things down, the movie leads straight into the dinner party and the song "Eddie," an upbeat ditty about their dinner.
Saving 'Superheroes'
While Bostwick had no problems with them cutting his solo song, he was understandably frustrated with the removal of "Superheroes," which he thought was vital to the themes of the film:
"I regretted when they cut [the finale song] "Superheroes," [which was later restored] ... They thought it was too much of a downer, and I thought it was the whole message of the movie. It was the last scene we shot, and it was an emotional scene for me, because when they cut at the end of that I was in tears. Because I had had such an amazing time ... Even though I was doing a lot of off-off-Broadway and stuff like that in New York, these people were on top of their game, all of them: whether the editing, or the designers, or the costumes and all of the actors ... The whole thing was so fulfilling to me that I was emotionally filled at the end."
That's right, those tears you see in Bostwick's eyes at the end of the restored "Superheroes" scene are real, and they're there because he's so darn happy to be a part of "Rocky Horror." Bostwick is being a bit too humble, as he wasn't just doing "off-off-Broadway" and had already originated the role of Danny Zuko in the original Broadway run of "Grease," but he was still very much an up-and-coming actor when he starred in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." In the years since, he's gone on to be a successful actor on stage and screen, but he's always championed the weird little movie that made him a household name. Oh, Brad!