MovieChat Forums > Car Wash (1976) Discussion > 2 different endings? (spoilers)

2 different endings? (spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by martyr-6
3 replies | jump to latest

Just wondering if anyone knows why there were two
different endings shot?? One ending was silly and happy -
along with the theme of the film. Bill Duke's character
is "talked out" of the robbery/shooting. Melanie Mayron's
character happily meets her date, etc. In the "intense"
ending - there is the final shooting. I also remember
Mayron's character ends up getting pimped off to some
other guy, and not the guy who originally asked her out.
Did they make the "happier" ending for television?

[–] jrs-8 16 years ago

The theatrical ending (and the one on the DVD) is the happy ending. I remember the television version having Mayron ending up with a different guy but I don't remember any shootings. Also the television version featured deleted scenes with Danny DeVito and an actress as husband and wife running a food stand next door. I think this explains the one actor having a burrito during lunch.

[–] martyr-6 16 years ago

Thanks jrs-8.
I think I remember the
burrito stand too...

[–] chalik360-1 16 years ago

Yes, there were two different endings for Melanie Mayron, and some of the plots were quite different. The difference was because as they cut out "not for TV" scenes, they added other (deleted scenes) to stretch the movie.

Some of the TV scenes that I can remember off the top of my head are:
Danny DeVito character arguing with spouse
Prostitute looks over to the restaraunt and refers to Danny DeVito as "Joe".
Melanie Mayron going with a different guy at the end of the movie
Opening scene with Floyd and Lloyd doing the locker room routine, but the Car Wash theme is playing in the background
There was NEVER a shooting to my knowledge. I happen to own BOTH copies of the movie, and I used to watch the TV version (taped off of cable years ago) before I owned the DVD.

Same technique was used with the movie Which Way Is Up, also starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Schultz.