On the cutting room floor

Did you watch episode 4 of “Into the West”? Did you wonder where I was? Sometimes I did, too. As I suggested might happen, much of my work ended up on the cutting room floor (though, as you may know, that’s really an anachronistic term because they now do editing digitally and don’t really leave film on the floor like they did in the olden days).

My close up during the “dynamiting the mountain” scene was cut. However I was in that scene, but not close enough that Antoinette could pick me out until I pointed to myself.

My great work as a drunk in the saloon was entirely cut out. In fact, I didn’t appear in the saloon scene at all.

My greeting the train passengers was entirely cut out.

Most of my work as a railroad dignitary during the “golden spike at Promontory Point” scene was cut out (even though I was within a few feet of Lance Henricksen (Daniel Wheeler) and Glen Powell, Jr. (Jackson Wheeler). I did appear when they shot the photo of the people in front of the trains, but again I had to point myself out to Antoinette for her to see me.

I'm eager to see if I show up recognizably in episode 6. I can’t imagine that they could have entirely cut me out in that episode, given where I was. We shall see.

Michael John Gabriel