A special “Under the Sea,” bulge-free, M-I-C edition of Why For

Jim Hill

18 years ago

First off, Major Mudd writes in to say:

Jim —

I just got my hands on a preview copy of the new "Little Mermaid" 2-disc set. This DVD is a Disney geek's delight. It's absolutely loaded with goodies. Everything from a dishy commentary track by Alan Menken, John Musker & Ron Clements to a simulated ride-thru of that "Little Mermaid" dark ride that the Imagineers were going to build at Euro Disneyland.

Speaking of that audio commentary: Toward the beginning of the film, as Ariel is exploring that sunken ship and she & Flounder get attacked by a Great White, Ron Clements says:

"The shark, his name is Glut, although his name is never brought up the movie. He was originally going to return later in the movie and Flounder was going to defeat him. And Flounder would have his moment of glory, finally. But as we simplified the story, Glut never does return."

Didn't you once do a story about those cut Glut scenes? Which had something to do with a barrel of explosives, if I'm remembering correctly?

Given that a lot of people will be re-watching "The Little Mermaid" next week, I'm sure that they (just like me) would like to know more about these missing scenes from the movie. So could you tell your Glut story one more time? Please?

Dear Major Mudd —

Well, since you asked so nicely … Sure …

Truth be told, it's not so much that a scene actually got cut out of "The Little Mermaid." But — rather — a gag that John Musker & Ron Clements had set up in the first 10 minutes of their film that didn't pay off as well as it could have.

Which gag am I talking about? Well, do you remember Ariel’s introductory scene in “The Little Mermaid”? The one where she and Flounder swim through an old sunken ship in search of human artifacts, only to wind up being attacked by a great white shark?

That shark’s name (as Ron confirms in his DVD commentary) was Glut. And according to the first draft of that script – as Glut flails around the interior of that sunken ship, frantically trying to get at Ariel & Flounder so he can eat them — this shark accidentally swallows a lot of stuff. Including a an old French horn.

Luckily, the two friends are finally able to escape once Glut gets his head caught in the rope end of an anchor.

In the finished version of "The Little Mermaid," Glut only gets about two minutes of screen time. And then he completely disappears from the movie. But if Ron'n'John had stuck to the original version of their screenplay, this great white shark would have re-appeared just as "TLM" 's action-packed finale was getting underway. More to the point, Glut would have gotten to make a truly spectacular exit from the film.

How so? Well, do you remember how Eric sets sail on his wedding barge with the magically altered Ursula. And Ariel is left heartbroken on the dock, as the sun begins to set.

Things are looking pretty hopeless at this point. But the Little Mermaid's animal friends simply refuse to give up. First Sebastian uses his claw to cut a rope that’s securing a bunch of barrels to the dock …

Then the crab orders Ariel to grab onto one of the bobbing barrels while Flounder (who’s taken ahold of a piece of rope that’s still secured to that barrel) starts to tow her out to the wedding barge.

The action in this part of the picture is already pretty intense. With Ariel urging Flounder on while she clings to the barrel …

… While the poor little fish is clearly exhausted by the effort.

But you know what would have made this particular scene in "The Little Mermaid" even more intense? If the film-makers had just followed Musker & Clements' original screenplay. Which would have revealed (at this precise point in the picture) that Glut had somehow gotten free from that anchor.

And just as Ariel & Flounder reached Eric's wedding barge, the great white would have swum up underneath them …

And just as the Little Mermaid had started to clamber up the side of the ship, Glut would have broken through the surface. Intent on eating Ariel in one gulp …

It's up to Flounder now to save his friend. Thinking quickly, the terrified little fish crams the barrel that he's been towing into the great white’s gaping maw. As Glut bites down on that wooden container …

… the camera zooms in to reveal the “Gun Powder” label that’s pasted to the side of that barrel.

Cut to the deck of the wedding barge. Prince Eric & Ursula’s ceremony …

… is interrupted as the wedding barge is rocked by an enormous off-screen explosion. Tons of water now rain down on everyone standing on deck. After a slight pause, a battered French horn falls out of the sky – landing right at Ursula’s feet. Signaling Glut's demise.

And speaking of that wedding ceremony, Samantha P. writes in to ask:

Is there any truth to the rumor that Disney animators deliberately gave the bishop who is officiating at Eric & Ursula's wedding an erection?

Absolutely not. If you look closely at this image capture from the film, you'll notice that the only thing that's pointing out from under this cleric's robe …

… is his knobby knees.

Though — that said — I find it kind of interesting to compare this shot from my new 2-disc version of "The Little Mermaid" …

… to an image capture from my old VHS version of that very same scene in the film.

Is it just me? Or is the Bishop's groin area now bulge-free?

UPDATE! I've just spoken with someone who worked on the restoration of "The Little Mermaid." And he confirmed that — as part of the work that was done on this 1989 Walt Disney Pictures release in order to get it ready for its long-since-abandoned IMAX release — the minister received a makeover.

Meaning that whatever it was in this one particular portion in the picture that people used to interpret as being an erection has long since been removed. So any unsightly bulges that used to be in this scene has been animated away. Leaving behind a Bishop with a newly smooth and (hopefully) controversy-free crotch.

And — finally — speaking of things that are difficult to spot in this motion picture, Mouse-aholic writes in to say:

I know that you've written about this previously, Jim. But can you please tell me where I can find that hidden Mickey, Donald and Goofy in "The Little Mermaid" ?

Thanks,

Mouse-aholic

Okay. When you pick up your copy of the Platinum Edition of "The Little Mermaid" next Tuesday, first insert Disc One in your DVD player. Then stop the film after three minutes and 42 seconds.

At that exact moment on screen, you should see this image …

Directly below the curl of King Triton's hair you'll see (in descending order) Goofy, Donald Duck and then Mickey Mouse seated together in a row at the concert.

Though how exactly this trio of classic cartoon characters can breath underwater remains a mystery to me.

Anyway … That concludes our special all-"Little Mermaid" edition of Why For. You folks have a great weekend, okay?