Scenes Cut From the US Screening on PBS

• The first cut isn't really vital to the plot -- it just deprives us of Foyle in one tiny scene. It occurs right after Foyle has interviewed Kate Farley, when she comes to report her son Matthew missing. After that interview, originally there was a scene with Foyle and Milner standing out in the hallway. Foyle asks Milner "You gonna look into this?" [referring to the missing boy and Mrs Farley's mentioning of Daniel Parker, who works with her son at Brookfield Court]. Milner replies yes, that he'll start with Brookfield Court. Foyle says, "I should. Let me know" and heads off down the hallway. That little scene was cut.
  
  
• The 2nd cut occurs just after Milner and Sam are leaving Brookfield Court. You'll recall that Sam says "Friendly sort, aren't they?" and Milner asks her to just get him out of there. Originally this was followed by a scene in the Hardiman's bedroom, where Mrs Hardiman asks her husband how the tennis game went. He replies that he beat Mr Josephs 3 sets to none. His wife chastises him and says, "You really should let him win now and then," to which her husband replies, "Goes against the grain." Then he tells her that he's asked the police to check up on Mr. Vaudrey and as they talk, it becomes clear that some items have been stolen from them and that they suspect Mr Vaudrey. Mr Hardiman ends the conversation by saying "He doesn't fit in here." This whole scene, laying a bit more of the groundwork in casting suspicion on Mr Voudrey, was cut. Also doesn't make you like the Hardimans more.
  
  
• The 3rd cut was the first that really hurt! You'll recall the scene when Foyle gets the phone call that Andrew has been injured. As soon as Foyle and Sam leave the station, you see the car speeding along toward the hospital. American viewers next see the car pull up in front of the hotel, and Foyle jumps out and runs up the steps. This is what you didn't see: In the car, Sam asks "How bad is it, Sir?" Foyle replies that "They didn't say." Sam says, "Well, at least he's still in one piece." After a long pause, Foyle replies quietly, "They didn't say that either."
  
  
• The next cut was the entire scene (short though it was) where Daniel Parker finds Matthew Farley dead when he goes to check on him. [For Amer viewers, this scene followed the London scene where Collier and ACC Rose are first discussing Foyle and the accusation of sedition.] After finding his friend dead, Parker runs out of the barn. We learn later of course that he runs straight to Leonard Holmes at the village shop, which is picked up a few scenes later.
  
  
• The next cut comes during the scene where, in the car, Foyle has asked Sam if she would take Andrew out that evening. Most of the scene is intact, but this line toward the end was missing: After Sam suggested a drive in the countryside and Foyle replied "Perfect, yes..." Sam said: "Well, then you know we shouldn't use up too much fuel, Sir." To which Foyle replies very quickly, "No, no, of course not." Not a terribly important exchange, but just another one of those funny Sam moments and her inexhaustible knowledge of regulations.
  
  
• The next cut comes when Sam invites Andrew out for tea. As you'll recall, he at first declines her invitation, saying he isn't hungry, to which Sam replies something about how he can watch her eat because she's starved. The next sentence of Sam's was cut: "C'mon, Andrew, I'll more likely get a decent portion if I'm sitting with an airman." [I would think this sentence would more likely coax Andrew out of the house rather than sitting and watching Sam eat!]
  
  
• During that tea between Sam and Andrew, this little exchange was cut: Sam asks what happened to "that girl" he was seeing [this refers back to Violet, whom we met in "Among the Few"], and Andrew says that they broke up. Sam replies, "Oh, sorry to hear it. Just all on your own."
  
  
• The next scene that was cut occurred directly after Andrew storms off in a huff from the tea with Sam. This was cut: At Brookfield Court, Mr Vaudrey approaches Mrs Powell and asks about the rations, saying he "wonders if some guests aren't benefitting at expense of others." Mrs Powell takes offense at this and says that all the food is "scrupulously portioned." Mr Voudrey then tells her that he has "some experience of administration and I have to say I question that." Mrs Powell ends the conversation telling Mr Vaudrey that he can leave if he doesn't like it there.
  
  
• The scene that followed the above scene between Mr Vaudrey and Mrs Powell was also cut in its entirety. This is what was cut: Camera cuts to Mr Hardiman and Mr Josephs having drinks, and Mr Hardiman asks Mr Josephs if he's thought anymore about his proposition. Mr Josephs looks noncommittal, says he "doesn't know." Turns out that Mr Hardiman, whom we learn is in the textile business, wants to act quickly to buy up weaving mills that are going under because of the shortage of men, and he wants Mr Josephs to come in as his financial partner. "We could buy them cheap ... and after the war, we'll make a fortune." A good scene that gives us another look at how these wealthy men look upon the war as a means to make more $$, callously ignoring the sacrifices and hardships experienced by so many others.
  
  
• The next scene that was cut served to give us more of the author Amanda Reece's character and writing, as well as to generally cast all the Brookfield Court guests in a negative light. This was cut: In the summer house, we see Miss Reece reading through what she's been writing that day. The story is about an injured child who has "terrible burns." She's trying to hit on just the right way to phrase it, and she suddenly comes up with "dreadful injuries" and seems very pleased with herself. In the background, we hear Mrs Hardiman calling for her dog.
  
  
• The next cut was just a brief exchange between Collier and Foyle when Collier first arrives and is talking to Foyle in private about the allegations against him. If you'll recall, Foyle angrily says "This is rubbish. You know it and I know it ... and the suggestion I'd do anything against defense regulations is ridiculous." This was what was cut: Collier then says, "I want to believe you. But there are witness descriptions, statements, the works." Foyle asks, "Can I see them?" and Collier gestures no. PBS then picks up with the rest of the scene in its entirety.
  
  
• Next cut came when Milner is in the woods viewing the body of Matthew Farley. When he went up to talk to the mother, American viewers will recall that Mrs Farley immediately implicated Daniel Parker saying that Parker had put her son up to this. That's not actually how the conversation with Mrs Farley began. This was cut: When Milner reached Mrs Farley, she was crying, very emotional, but quiet. She began by saying "19 years of age. What am I going to tell his father?" She then began talking about how young men were giving their lives in this war and "Matthew gets himself shot in the back for stealing."
  
  
• In the scene where Milner is questioning Leonard Holmes, you'll recall that after Milner informs Holmes that Matthew Farley is dead, Milner immediately says "Daniel Parker's at work, you say?" and then he leaves the shop. There was a bit more to that scene, that showed Milner inquiring about a lot more than just Daniel Parker's whereabouts. This is what was cut: Milner says to Holmes, "You must do a lot of deliveries. Is that your bike outside?" Holmes says yes and Milner asks, "You don't have a van?" Holmes replies, "I do have a van. What I don't have is petrol."
  
  
• In the scene where Milner confronts Daniel Parker, this brief exchange was cut: Milner asks Parker how come he hasn't been called up. Parker replies insolently, "Flat feet. How about you?" Milner's eyes harden, but he says nothing. This might help american viewers understand a little better why Milner grabbed Parker at the end of that scene. He was clearly disgusted with Parker.
  
  
• When Collier asks Milner to have a drink with him, in the PBS version, the camera cuts directly to them inside the hotel, sitting down and having a beer. But in fact, there was a long scene of them walking to the hotel first, with Collier doing most of the talking. He talks about how quiet Hastings is compared to London and about the damage London has sustained (docks, zoo, Tower of London, Madam Toussaud's, BBC etc). He sums up remarking that no matter what, however, people are up and at work the next morning. Milner asks Collier if he has family in London; Collier says no. Then he asks Milner about being in the army. Finally Collier talks about the long-term effects of the war. "Even when fighting stops, people won't be the same. How can you go through all the killing and not come out different."
  
  
• The entire scene when Sam reports to Mrs Bradley at the MTC was cut. American viewers don't get a glimpse of how much Mrs Bradley despises Sam.
  
  
• The scene where Collier goes to visit Foyle at home. In the PBS version, you see Collier approach the house, then it cuts directly to Foyle and Collier walking outside and they are discussing the investigation, about how the hotel doorman saw Foyle leave the hotel at 7p.m., about ACC Rose's involvement in the investigation, and Foyle asking again to see the case notes. This is not how the scene originally began and I was sorry to see that one of my favorite Foyle scenes was cut. This is what you didn't see: Collier does indeed approach Foyle's house, but he actually knocks on the door. Foyle opens it and is surprised to see Collier. Collier steps forward, begins to remove his hat, and says, "Mind if I come in?" Foyle, not budging an inch, replies, "Well, you know, I do mind." Collier steps back, puts his hat back on and says, "Then, perhaps you'd like to come out?" Foyle says, "Because. . . ?" Collier says, "Well, I thought we should talk ... I'm trying to be pleasant, Mr Foyle." Foyle turns, gets his keys and leaves the house. Hatless. [And really, in the oddest blue jacket.]
  
  
• But that's not all that was cut from this scene: on that walk, the PBS scene ends when Foyle asks and is denied to see the case notes. This is what was cut: Collier says that he remembers that Foyle has a son in the RAF. Foyle says yes. Collier reveals that he and Susannah [his wife we presume] never had children and that she was always sorry about it but he wasn't. "Too many children being killed in the war." Then he asks if Andrew is a bomber pilot and Foyle says, "Spitfire." Collier then says, "I wonder how they can do it, these German pilots." He then talks about how they fly over here, push a button and kill so many people "indiscriminately." Foyle interrupts him by saying, "You trying to tell me something?" He gives Collier a very penetrating gaze. Collier says that he just wants Foyle to know that if he was in that shelter and he did speak out against the war, then he [Collier] understood. Foyle replies, "Well, thank you. But I didn't." Real end of scene.
  
  
• Next part that was cut occurred when Milner was interviewing Amanda Reece at the station. When Milner points out that she's writing as if she's in London, Miss Reece says "And you smell the whiff of hypocrisy." The rest of her dialogue is cut there, where she begins "Please spare me your blushes." She says she's giving her readers what they want and it doesn't mean that she actually has to experience it. "Any more than Victor Hugo had to go up and ring the bells at Notre Dame," she says.
  
  
• The scene where Mrs Powell comes into the kitchen and asks Daniel Parker if he's seen Mrs Hardiman's dog, that it's missing, was cut. We also do not see the brief scene where Mr Hardiman jokes with Mr Josephs that his wife worries more about the dog than him.
  
  
• The scene where Mrs Hardiman finally confesses to why she's getting food for her dog from Holmes: In the PBS version, she tells Milner that she lied to him, that "nobody cares about the animals in this war." End of her dialogue there. This is what was cut: She goes on to say that thousands of dogs have been put down since the war began; about mass graves; 80,000 dead animals buried in secret, etc. etc.
  
  
• We are up to the scene between Andrew and Sam as they walk home from "Gone with the Wind." All the stuff about Foyle worrying over Andrew, about Foyle losing Rosalind, how Andrew thinks his dad still misses his mother, how old Andrew was when she died, all the good stuff: cut. They didn't cut the kiss though.
  
  
• The next cut didn't come for quite a while. Again, during a Sam/Andrew scene, when they're walking along the beach. They cut a whole lot out of this scene: the part where Sam complains about Mrs Bradley (guess they had to cut that part since they'd cut the earlier scene in which it was made clear how much Sam and Mrs Bradley hated each other) and says maybe she should move back home. Andrew tells her that surely his father will work things out and then he tells Sam about Foyle going to London and they laugh over the idea of Foyle climbing down a tree. All that was cut, as well as Andrew's poetry and her joking with him that maybe she should break his other arm just to keep him from going back. They did leave in the part about not telling Foyle about their relationship.
  

Many thanks to the avid FW viewers at tmkb for noting the cut scenes.