Behind-the-scenes Pros bits
Oct. 22nd, 2012 03:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorindaThe other day, I got a look at Bob Rocca's 2009 book about The Professionals, which I hadn't seen before. It's a big book, with episode synopses and interview snippets (I think mostly from back in the day, at least as far as the actors are concerned) and a ton of photos and whatnot. There are a lot of interviews with the crew and production staff in particular, including details about shooting locations, how they did particular stunts, etc.
Anyway, while giving it a quick browse, I ran across a couple of things that seemed relevant to fannish interests:
1. A small one: in a section about "Take Away," a photo caption of Jimmy and Bodie says: "In the role of drug addict Jimmy was actor Gary Shail (born 10th November 1959), who recalls that there was a long discussion with the producers about whether or not Bodie would smoke dope in TAKE AWAY. They decided that, having been a mercenary in the past, he would; and would know where to get the best gear." (p. 343)
Back when I was more involved with Pros, I remember discussions about whether Bodie was smoking a joint or a hand-rolled cigarette when he was undercover. This book indicates that the intention was for a joint, which I think makes sense (as well as fitting best with the way he smokes it).
2. The book also prints the very occasional scene that was cut from a script. Sometimes there's not much to them, or at least not much character-wise. But there's a line I quite like, in a different tag for "Discovered in a Graveyard" that they didn't film (pp. 465-467):
[Doyle's hospital room, where Bodie has showed up with a bunch of grapes]
BODIE: How are you, Raymond?
DOYLE: Punctured.
BODIE: Do you like grapes?
DOYLE: Love 'em.
BODIE: (eats a grape) Me too.
DOYLE: Cowley told me about the girl.
BODIE: A pretty pair of almond eyes. She asked after you, just at the end.
DOYLE: How touching. How did you find out about her?
BODIE: (grins) You told me.
DOYLE: I did?
BODIE: Sort of. Whatever was going on in that head of yours, it was certainly dramatic.
DOYLE: Like a bad dream. The shooting, her face, her eyes, the feeling of being dead. A vivid, very bad dream. A death dream, I suppose.
BODIE: But you didn't die. I wouldn't let you.
DOYLE: I suppose I was technically dead when they were operating. From what Siegel tells me.
BODIE: Yeah, okay. In that sense I suppose you did 'die'. For a few minutes.
DOYLE: (grins) Well there you go. And I can tell you this. Having done it once, it won't be so bad the next time...
I agree with the choice to cut this tag, since it mostly just seems to repeat things we've already seen happen (Mayli asking after Doyle, Doyle giving Bodie the crucial clue, Doyle's death dreams) and has a fuzzier version of the 'next time' quip. Also, frankly, I often like certain scenes with a very high emotional potential to be left to the fans, since we do them better. *g*
However, I do like Bodie's "But you didn't die. I wouldn't let you." ♥ (Even if it might kind of fly in the face of everything we saw, where Bodie was telling Doyle he had to do it for himself, urging him on but in the end letting him make his own decision.)
Anyway, while giving it a quick browse, I ran across a couple of things that seemed relevant to fannish interests:
1. A small one: in a section about "Take Away," a photo caption of Jimmy and Bodie says: "In the role of drug addict Jimmy was actor Gary Shail (born 10th November 1959), who recalls that there was a long discussion with the producers about whether or not Bodie would smoke dope in TAKE AWAY. They decided that, having been a mercenary in the past, he would; and would know where to get the best gear." (p. 343)
Back when I was more involved with Pros, I remember discussions about whether Bodie was smoking a joint or a hand-rolled cigarette when he was undercover. This book indicates that the intention was for a joint, which I think makes sense (as well as fitting best with the way he smokes it).
2. The book also prints the very occasional scene that was cut from a script. Sometimes there's not much to them, or at least not much character-wise. But there's a line I quite like, in a different tag for "Discovered in a Graveyard" that they didn't film (pp. 465-467):
[Doyle's hospital room, where Bodie has showed up with a bunch of grapes]
BODIE: How are you, Raymond?
DOYLE: Punctured.
BODIE: Do you like grapes?
DOYLE: Love 'em.
BODIE: (eats a grape) Me too.
DOYLE: Cowley told me about the girl.
BODIE: A pretty pair of almond eyes. She asked after you, just at the end.
DOYLE: How touching. How did you find out about her?
BODIE: (grins) You told me.
DOYLE: I did?
BODIE: Sort of. Whatever was going on in that head of yours, it was certainly dramatic.
DOYLE: Like a bad dream. The shooting, her face, her eyes, the feeling of being dead. A vivid, very bad dream. A death dream, I suppose.
BODIE: But you didn't die. I wouldn't let you.
DOYLE: I suppose I was technically dead when they were operating. From what Siegel tells me.
BODIE: Yeah, okay. In that sense I suppose you did 'die'. For a few minutes.
DOYLE: (grins) Well there you go. And I can tell you this. Having done it once, it won't be so bad the next time...
I agree with the choice to cut this tag, since it mostly just seems to repeat things we've already seen happen (Mayli asking after Doyle, Doyle giving Bodie the crucial clue, Doyle's death dreams) and has a fuzzier version of the 'next time' quip. Also, frankly, I often like certain scenes with a very high emotional potential to be left to the fans, since we do them better. *g*
However, I do like Bodie's "But you didn't die. I wouldn't let you." ♥ (Even if it might kind of fly in the face of everything we saw, where Bodie was telling Doyle he had to do it for himself, urging him on but in the end letting him make his own decision.)
no subject
Date: 2012-10-22 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-23 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-23 12:06 am (UTC)Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing!
no subject
Date: 2012-10-23 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-23 01:20 am (UTC)Oh, man, I'd forgotten that joint/cigarette discussion! Heh. It's great, isn't it, that so much stuff (not to mention clear copies) have come out in the last, oh, um, twelve years or so... *g*
I love that line of Bodie's, naturally. You're right that it doesn't really fit with the vibe of that episode, although thinking of Bodie's set face as he follows that trolly carrying Doyle to surgery.... I do like it that he refers to the finger twitch. One of my favorite scenes.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-23 02:10 am (UTC)And the finger twitch, ahhhhh yes. A classic and perfect example of onscreen broccoli! Which is of course perfectly apt, as Bodie and Doyle were the ur-pair used as the prime example of the Broccoli Test at its conceptual birth. ♥