I watched The Admirable Chrichton on UK Channel 4 yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was on the TV schedule as The Admirable Chrichton, but the print shown was titled Paradise Lagoon.
Why was the name different on UK and USA prints?
Was on Film4 yesterday with the same title.
I can only assume that the title was 'dumbed-down' for our American cousins, to make it a bit more 'literal'.
In the same vein 'Miranda' was re-titled 'Mr Peabody & the mermaid' for the U.S.
'Ice-cold in Alex' became 'Desert Attack' etc, etc.
I note that in most cases the U.S title has fewer syllables.
The practice continues to this day, as illustrated by 'Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone' becoming 'Harry Potter & the SORCERER'S Stone' for the U.S.
But it does work both ways: Marilyn Monroe's first film 'Scudder-hoo, scudder-hay' was re-titled 'One fine summer' for the UK.
"Everybody in the WORLD, is bent"share
TCM said it was because the first name might not resonate with American viewers who hadn't heard of the play. Nothing was said about an alleged dumbing down.
shareI agree with the dumbing-down description and I am American.
A Matter of Life and Death, with David Niven and Kim Hunter, aired and as I looked it up, I kept finding Stairway To Heaven.
It seems to me every Americanized title has to have something visually perceptive about the movie in the title.
We SEE the stairway in Matter of Life and Death, so the Stairway has to be something in the title.
We SEE the island and the lagoon and virtual paradise in Admiral Chricthon, so that has to be somehow in the title.
I don't know if it is dumbing-down for America, but someone is thinking America is not that smart, possibly an American himself, and that is the dumb one.
I've often felt more harm is done by this person going "Americans won't get it, young people won't get it, this will upset them, that has to be toned down, they'll over-react, they'll get confused" and so on.
Best I've heard was "The madness of George III" being changed to "The Madness of King George", so that people didn't think that they'd missed the two prequels...
Of course, that could just be apocryphal...
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To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven. J B Priestley
Paradise Lagoon was a dumbed down name for the Americans.
shareWhich title is sexier and more inclined to bring in movie goers to the theaters in hopes of seeing semi-clad people?
I rest my case. 😃 Not that I agree with the change, mind you. I prefer the original myself.
No blah, blah, blah!