A shame that the character of Charlotte Forten was cut from the film GLORY. She like Robert Gould Shaw was a true life person. Charlotte was a young 25 year old black school teacher (mulatto) the young Colonel had met in Beaufort South Caroline about a week before he perished with his men at Fort Wagner. She was there to teach recently freed slaves and their children. The two shared a true connection and admiration for each other in real life, both growing up with strong abolitionists backgrounds. When I met James Horner in 1996 I had asked him if he had composed a Friendship or Love Theme for Charlotte and Robert and he told me that by the time he had got the final cut of the film, the scenes featuring Forten and Shaw had been deleted, so he said he never got the chance. I always wondered and imagined that he could have written a very beautiful theme for their relationship and scenes. You can tell by this Rare Photo of Carla Brothers and Matthew Broderick as Charlotte and Robert, that Horner's music could have really been quite beautiful and passionate as is this photo of the two together. In the final cut of the movie you can still actually see the Charlotte Forten character about to be introduced to the Colonel and then standing behind him. The editors cleverly excised their meeting. They actually had a dance together at that welcoming party when Shaw and his men arrived in Beaufort. It's where he meets Colonel Montgomery. Charlotte was next to be introduced after two male teachers are introduced. See how cleverly they cut around her. But she is still there, unfortunately reduced to a background extra. They had several scenes together discussing abolition and spending time riding horses together. Charlotte loved Robert's horse and in another edited bit in his "If I should fall" dialogue (which takes place during the "Preparations for Battle" music cue) near the end of the movie with a Newspaper reporter where he intrusted that the reporter will send some letters home to his family, Shaw also says that if he didn't return, his horse should be given to Charlotte Forten. The scene of Charlotte and Robert riding together and their goodbyes before he left for Fort Wagner, would have offered James Horner a wonderful opportunity for some great music.
So much was shot for GLORY, but never used in the final movie, such as scenes of Robert (before he joined the Military) reading poetry with his mother played by Jane Alexander. Her role was much bigger and now seems to be more like as cameo as much of her footage was deleted. A rousing scene featuring Frederick Douglas' emotional "Call to Arms" speech was sadly left on the cutting room floor. There is definitely a wonderful longer cut of the movie, but ultimately Ed Zwick wanted to focus on Shaw and his men and not all the rich and informative background material. Charlotte Forten kept journals of her life which are published and available. The Journals of Charlotte Forten Grimke. There are many passages where she wrote about meeting Colonel Shaw and how his death and sacrifice at Fort Wagner made a great impact on her. Truly beautiful stuff I highly recommend seeking out.
I found the sequence where the Charlotte Forten character appears and was edited around to not acknowledge her. Carla Brothers was beautiful from the images we see of her and I'm sure her scenes with Broderick would be a great revelation to see. C'mon Ed Zwick, please give us GLORY: The Robert and Charlotte Cut!
Perhaps if Horner did have the opportunity to write music for the Robert and Charlotte relationship and scenes, it might have turned out to be what we got years later in DEEP IMPACT. Quite lovely and emotional music. I can see imagery of Robert and Charlotte spending friendship time and riding horses together with the following beautiful and powerful music:
I'm sure Horner would've wrote a lovely "friendship/Love" theme. I didn't know so much was cut out of the final film. I found a deleted scenes reel on YouTube but it doesn't include any footage you mention.
As much as I love Glory I don't think I would want to see a Directors Cuts. Most of the time what was cut, was cut for a good reason. Namely pacing, poor performances or rehashing the same plot points over again. The film is perfect as is. Still I would love to see these deleted scenes as extras on a future release.
In this Documentary, you can see the deleted Frederick Douglas speech introduced by Morgan Freeman around 2:59 and at 6:50 Freeman starts talking about the regiment's arrival at Beaufort South Carolina and of the Charlotte Forten character, unfortunately none of the deleted Charlotte Forten footage is shown. But he does speak of the relationship of Charlotte and Robert and of her feelings about Shaw and her journal entries. Morgan mentions Charlotte again near 16:00
Here is an image from a deleted scene in GLORY where Robert Gould Shaw (in Civilian Wardrobe, before his Military Service) reads poetry to a group of ladies with his mother played by Jane Alexander proudly looking on.
Thanks, great stuff to see. To be honest while its a great speech, I think his one line in the film says it all. The point is also made when Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins tells Pvt. Trip its time for them to anti up and fight like men. This was a more direct, personal and powerful way of saying the same thing. This is what I meant about pacing or not repeating plot points. Keeping the speech in wouldn't have hurt the film but its not a lessor film without it.
