Scenes Cut From the US Screening on PBS

• As the burns unit is settling into Digby Manor. After Jamieson remarks to Smythe "nothing organised about it!" the scene followed inside where the doctor shows the Group Captain the main ward, declaring it "more or less perfect". Smythe replies "You'll need to get this piano removed."
  
  "Why?" retorts Jamieson. "It's only just arrived!"
  
  Startled, Smythe notices an orderly pushing a keg of beer in on a wheel chair. "Beer?" he says in astonishment.
  
  "Bit early for me, Group Captain. You help yourself!" invites the jubilant doctor, ignoring the officer's horrified look.
  
  
• Dialogue cut from the altercation between Andrew and Gordon Drake, just after Drake taunted, "Got a bit riled, did you, sir?"
  
  "Nothing of the sort!" Andrew shoots back. "How dare you speak to me like that!"
  
  "And how am I supposed to speak to you, Mr Foyle?" Drake said insolently.
  
  "I don't know why we bother fighting the Germans when we've got you on our side!"
  
  "I did the work, Mr Foyle. You want to complain about me, talk to the Wing Co." Drake moves closer, challengingly.
  
  "Maybe I will!"
  
  "Fine!"
  
  Then the dialogue picks up with "Do you have any idea what's going on up there? …"
  
  
• Two sections, beginning and end, were cut from Wrenn's visit to the police station. The first is by far the most offensive cut in the entire episode, as it guts the history behind the setting of this episode.
  
  The scene between Wrenn, Milner and Foyle in Foyle's office begins with Wrenn explaining that Patrick Jamieson is a genius. "He studied with Archibald McIndoe. Between the two of them they've revolutionized reconstructive surgery and the treatment of burns. I don't have to tell you how many pilots are coming down horribly burned."
  
  Foyle replies quietly, "No, you don't." Milner gives his boss a knowing, sympathetic look.
  
  Wrenn continues that the doctors had begun to notice about six months ago that pilots who went down in the Channel healed quicker, but no one understood why. McIndoe eventually worked out that the salt in the water aided healing, and devised a burns treatment based on saline baths. "That's what we're doing here in Hastings."
  
  Then Foyle asks, "How can we help?" and the scene proceeds as shown until Wrenn suggests that the police talk to Sir Michael Waterford.
  
  Foyle remarks, "Bit difficult to justify questioning a man like that on the strength of your suspicions."
  
  Wrenn looks astonished and offended. "Are you saying you don't believe me?"
  
  "No, no."
  
  Wrenn ignores him. "So you're just going to wait until something worse happens - somebody gets killed? Well, thank you very much!" He jumps to his feet and storms out, shouting, "Sorry I wasted your time!"
  
  At a nod from Foyle, Milner goes after him. "Dr. Wrenn! I think you were a little unfair in there. Obviously we'll do what we can, but what you call sabotage could have been a series of practical jokes."
  
  Wrenn looks slightly mollified. "Yes."
  
  "Well, next time something happens put in an official report and we'll come down and see what we can do."
  
  "Yes. Thank you, Milner." He leaves.
  
  Dropping the last part of this scene takes away the viewer's understanding of how volatile a personality Wrenn is.
  
  
• A tiny cut in the scene where Sam and Andrew are in the pub watching Greville and Anne. As Andrew gets up and reaches for his hat, he reels slightly and pulls a face. "God, I feel quite drunk. The amount of water they put in the beer I must have got through plenty!" He then turns back to Sam for their goodnight peck on the cheek.
  
  
• The second most aggravating cut in the show: the entire scene where Andrew arrives home is gone. It went like this:
  
  Andrew enters the house quietly and starts to remove his hat and jacket. His father is nursing a whisky in his accustomed chair in the sitting room. "Andrew?"
  
  His son starts slightly. "Are you still up?"
  
  "This is unexpected."
  
  "Weekend pass."
  
  "Oh, I see."
  
  "You're up very late."
  
  "Yup," the father replies simply, reaching for his glass and taking a sip.
  
  A expression of horrified chagrin crosses his son's face. "Oh, God. Dad, I'm so sorry. I should have been there with you."
  
  "No, not at all. Wasn't expecting you." (The viewer now realises why Foyle was lingering in the churchyard that morning - he was hoping his son would join him.)
  
  "I've let you down, haven't I?"
  
  "No, you've not let me down."
  
  "I seem to be letting everyone down at the moment. The thing is, Dad, I forgot. I just forgot." His remorse is genuine, and Foyle tries again to reassure him.
  
  "Andrew. It doesn't matter."
  
  "No. Nothing much matters anymore." His expression is both faraway and defeated. "Better be …" he turns away to go up to bed. As he does so, his father notices something.
  
  "Is that lipstick? On your cheek?"
  
  Andrew turns back and wipes a hand over the telltale smear Sam left. He shrugs, looking slightly embarrassed. "Evening out."
  
  "Oh. Colour suits you," replies his father, with a teasing lift of an eyebrow.
  
  
• The scene where Dr. Jamieson is seen removing a patient's bandages and the light goes out was shortened severely. After assuring him that the procedure won't hurt, the doctor adds that actually it will hurt like the very devil, "but we've pumped you so full of morphine we hope you won't notice!" He continues a flow of gentle, encouraging comments as he works, mentioning the type of graft that was performed (a Thiersch graft), etc. Wrenn comments, "You'll soon be playing the piano!" to which Jamieson adds, "All the more remarkable since you couldn't play before!" A nice look at Jamieson's dedication and bedside manner.
  
  
• A few lines were cut from the beginning of the scene where Andrew and Wing Commander Turner discuss the dangerous Le Havre mission. Turner tells him that the powers-that-be are in "a hell of a flap. U-boats are sinking 40,000 tons a month."
  
  Andrew looks grim. "I didn't know it was as bad as that."
  
  "Don't mention it. Top brass are keeping it under their hats."
  
  He then proceeds to explain the Le Havre mission. The missing lines, of course, stress the strategic importance of the operation.
  
  
• A moving little scene between Sam and Flight Lt. Bridges. She is waiting by the car outside the hospital as Foyle and Milner are inside investigating the falling-statue incident. Bridges saunters up to her, wearing his uniform jacket and red flying scarf over his pyjamas.
  
  "Hello. Don't tell me you're with the rozzers. You're far too pretty."
  
  Sam looks at him and then averts her eyes from his scarred face. " I'm afraid I am, sort of."
  
  "I'm Johnny Bridges."
  
  "Sam Stewart."
  
  "Well then, Sam Stewart, you wouldn't have a cigarette, would you? I'm dying for a smoke and it's the one thing Grace Petrie won't allow. The Matron … she thinks it's a fire risk and what with one thing and another … that's ironic, don't you think?"
  
  Sam is pulling a cigarette case from her jacket pocket. "Here."
  
  "I'm afraid you're going to have to light it for me. Jamieson's done wonders but there's not a lot he can do about these." He shows her his scarred and twisted fingers and she produces a lighter and lights the cigarette for him.
  
  "Are you a pilot?" she asks, clearly struggling to make conversation.
  
  "Was, I think you should say," he replies, taking a drag. "Definitely past tense. Don't know what I'm going to do now. I think modeling and film work are definitely out of the question."
  
  "You shouldn't joke like that," Sam chides him awkwardly.
  
  "Why ever not? As a matter of fact, we're putting on a show tomorrow night. You should come along!"
  
  "I don't think they'd let me."
  
  "Of course," says Bridges. "The investigation. Did someone really try to kill Group Captain Smythe?"
  
  "I don't know."
  
  "Well, it wasn't me. I wouldn't have missed." Sam laughs in spite of herself. "Thanks for the cigarette." He saunters off, and her smile is replaced by sombre expression as she watches him go.
  
  
• A single line cut from Foyle's and Andrew's fire-side conversation: After he asks his son, "What's the problem?" Andrew tries to demur. "Nothing." He just looks steadily at his son, breaking down his resistance by sheer force of his expression, until Andrew continues, "You know I'm not flying at the moment …"
  
  
• And one more entire scene gone: Bridges' departure from the hospital. Brief but touching. It came between Foyle's and Milner's visit to the hospital over the stolen drugs and Milner's interview with Anne Bolton at the World's Cleanest Aircraft Factory - sorry, I had to say that.
  
  Matron Grace Petrie is walking him to a waiting taxi at the front door.
  
  "Goodbye, Matron."
  
  "Goodbye, Mr Bridges. I can't say I'll miss you. You've been one of my worst patients and a very bad influence on the ward." Her severe tone does not disguise that she will, in fact, miss him.
  
  "And you've been a complete tyrant who has made my life almost unbearable," replies the flight lieutenant, clearly trying to keep in the spirit of things.
  
  "Well, it seems we understand each other perfectly."
  
  "I think we always did." He gets into the taxi and stares straight ahead as it leaves, obviously moved and trying to hide it. The matron, too, waits on the steps until it has left, her own emotions showing on her face. A few notes of the duet they sang together play quietly, sentimentally in the background.
  
  

Many thanks to Lynette for noting the cut scenes.