if memory serves - this complete version was send out to potential
distributors, each of whom would cut it for their market - not an
uncommon practice, and it explains why there are so many different
versions of so many films. In the US the studio usually owned the
releasing company so his didn't happen, but every time a film was
re-issued, it was snipped a bit - then when sound came in - some
amazing things happened. note the sad history of Phantom Of The Opera.
Also, when US films were released in the UK - titles were changed,
(Hallelujah I'm A Bum), Musical numbers were cut (Singing Fool), and
some scenes were omitted - the same thing happened here with UK
imports. There is an examination scene in the Vivian Leigh Anna
Karenena that is not in the US print, and a 8 minute segment that is
only in the US version.
When they found an original release print of All Quiet on the Western
Front - it was released in the US as 'restored'. - no one
bothered to check that there was a 2 minute scene (showing only a
phonograph) that was cut from the UK prints. And the list goes on.
many films were trimmed BEFORE their original (general) release, and
the footage is gone - except for snippets that appear in the trailers
(Lon Chaney fighting a bear in the Wolfman for example) - and then
there were restorations done for Laser Disc, that have not been
carried over to the DVD release (1776 & The Alamo come to mind).
It will be nice to see Metropolis in this form - its the way Lang
envisioned the film - even though it was never released this way.
At 08:37 AM 2/12/2010, Phil Edwards wrote:
I just watched the restored two and a half hour version, restored
with the Argentine 16mm print that was found last year, adding
approx 30mins to the previous versions.
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