European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fine tuning movies for Box office Bucks by Bob Thomas associated press he face on the culling room floor is a phrase that can strike terror in an actor s heart. Ask Charles Durning he knows. A few months ago the Veteran character actor was thrilled to be cast by Woody Allen in a new comedy. For three months Durning worked under Allen s direction at Long Island locations for the film which remains untitled. After assembling his movie Allen decided major changes were needed could Durning work another three months no he had another commitment. So All of his scenes plus those of Sam Shepard and Maureen o Sullivan had to be scrapped while Allen went Back to the drawing Board. How did burning feel like a Man who s done a painting and can t show it to  Durning was a victim of the movie Industry s Fine tuning process which is designed to maximize Box office results and minimize costly failures. Studios have always fiddled with their products during Post production but they Are increasingly testing and reassessing their finished movies and sometimes making painful and expensive changes. When Lorimar executives studied the preview cards for the soon to be released made in heaven they decided the Alan Rudolph movie needed a new ending the film is a fantasy in which Timothy Hutton and Kelly Mcgillis have a 40-year Romance on Earth and in heaven. Rudolph walked arguing that his ethereal scene in heaven was the Only Way to end the film. Lorimar insisted on a change and the director was ready to declare War but finally produced an ending that pleased both him and the studio. Preview audiences seemed to feel let Down by the romantic ending of Blind Date the movie debut for to s Bruce Willis moonlighting. So director Blake Edwards dug into his bag of tricks for a slam bang finish that had Willis climb a High rickety ladder and co Star Kim Basinger wearing a couture wedding gown fall into a swimming Pool. We always have two or three research screenings Ai Early As possible so we can plan the Campaign said so no from Weil Side St cry 1981 unintended laugh nearly ruined preview screening of West Side Story the part was quickly taken out Robert Dingilian marketing director for Columbia pictures. The screenings Are sometimes on the lot but usually in Heaters. Orange county provides a Good Cross Section of the audience but some Imes Well go to Santa Barbara or As far away As Kansas City or new York. The screenings give the filmmakers a Chance to tinker and change the film and often it plays infinitely better on the second preview. The audience reaction and the preview cards can also give the marketing people a direction for their  previewing serves two purposes. First the editing of the film can be greatly improved and a sure loser can sometimes be turned into a moneymaker. Second it can provide a marketing strategy and aim at a specific audience. If a female audience is the target for instance to ads might run during the soap operas if a Young upscale audience is sought then a studio would use the Letterman show and saturday night live. Post production refining is almost As old As Hollywood itself. The technique was perfected by Irving Thalberg whose name is on the Academy award for High Quality of production movies Are not made they re  insisted Thalberg. Who headed production for Universal when he was 20 and then helped Louis b. Mayer build Mem. Thalberg argued that no film could be judged until it was shown to an audience and he previewed All the studio s product. In 1931, he screened a tearjerker called Lullaby starring Helen Hayes and Robert Young. It bombed and Thalberg was advised to Shelve the picture. Instead he ordered new scenes and a different ending re shot two thirds of the film and released it in 1931 As the sin olm Adelon Claudet. It was a Box Ollice hit and won Hayes her first Academy award. All filmmakers have tales to Tell about How Fine tuning helped or ruined their movies. West Side Story won the 1961 Oscar for Best picture and for Robert Wise s direction. Bui Wise recalls the Chicago preview at which an unintended laugh nearly ruined the screening. It was quickly excised. I be been to scores of previews Wise said and when you hear a bad laugh you automatically kick yourself. The moment it happens you say Why did t i see thai " the award winning producer Walter Mirisch recently saturday june 13, 1987 recalled the troubles with Billy Wilder s 1970 the private Lite of Sherlock Holmes. It did not preview Well and a lot of re editing was required he said. No re shooting but a lot of rearranging to make the film less episodic and More of a single Story. Ultimately the film was not commercially successful but at least it held audiences  except for Woody Allen who writes his own rules today s filmmakers Are usually unable to shoot retakes. Thalberg could do it because Mem had All of the actors under contract Mirisch said. Now it s too. Expensive. As soon As a picture is Over the actors Are strewn to the winds. That s Why on my films i make the Best Assembly possible when two weeks of shooting remain. Then i screen it with the director to see if any re shooting or added scenes Are  actor Charles burning zapped in the stars and stripes