The Karate Kid tells you everything that you need to know about the movie: it’s about a kid… who does karate. Perfect. More television show and movie titles should be that literal (it’s one of many reasons why Dunston Checks In is a cinema classic). But as star Ralph Macchio revealed during Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show, director John G. Avildsen originally wanted to go with a different, more confusing title.
In a segment called “The Final Word,” Macchio was asked to clear up rumors involving The Karate Kid, including whether the actor liked the title. “I thought, and I was not the only one who thought, it was kind of a hokey, kind of a cheesy title for a movie being directed by the guy who made Rocky,” he told host Jimmy Fallon. “But maybe it was foreshadowing. Maybe I thought if I ever got the part I’d have to carry the damn thing for the rest of my life.” The title could have been much worse, though: “I think John Avildsen, our director, said maybe it’s East Meets West in West?” Yikes. If The Karate Kid had been called East Meets West in West, it probably wouldn’t have become an ’80s classic and there would be no Cobra Kai, which is a real “darkest timeline” scenario. I am curious to hear Avildsen’s pitch for an alternate title for My Cousin Vinny, another Macchio movie. Innocent Until Proven Vinny doesn’t have the same ring to it, y’know?
You can watch The Tonight Show clip above.