Criterion ready to release IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (1 Viewer)

[mercyflight]

When asked about the film recently, David Picker told a friend of mine that UA thought there were sections of the film that were "deadly" and said to Kramer "If you don't cut this down, we will"So who knows? Perhaps no one here has a definitive answer, because there are legitimate contradictions in stories.Is this the Robert Evans theory (from ""The Kid Stays in the Picture") ? "There's your side, and my side, and the truth. And no one is lying."

 

[Paul Rossen]

I don't remember Lawrence of Arabia (216 min.) being cut during its roadshow run. Neither was Exodus (208 min.), also from United Artists and much longer than Mad World.

The Ten Commandments was 220 minutes and Paramount never cut it to "squeeze in more shows," and that didn't stop it from becoming the highest-grossing movie of the entire decade. Ditto for the 212 minute second-highest-grossing movie of the decade, Ben-Hur.

The ones that were famously cut shortly after beginning their roadshow engagements, besides MW, were Cleopatra and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It wasn't as common as you think for these things to be cut. Some were cut for "popular price" general release, such as The Greatest Story Ever Told (that one needed at least three hours cut out, in my opinion), and Star! (which was even given a different title), but that's another story.

Lawrence of Arabia was cut early in it's Roadshow run. The Greatest Story Ever Told was also cut early in it's Roadshow run. The Sand Pebbles was cut early in its Roadshow run-the dvd has both versions. Ben-Hur was not cut until subsequent reruns. Of course Cleopatra was also cut early in its Roadshow run. The current dvd/blu rays of Cleopatra have the originally shown version. It's possible the Fall of the Roman Empire was cut during it's Roadshow run but I'm not sure. It might have been cut after it's initial engagements. The Alamo is another example. There may be others but that's all i can think of at the moment.

 

[RolandL]

Lawrence of Arabia was cut early in it's Roadshow run. The Greatest Story Ever Told was also cut early in it's Roadshow run. The Sand Pebbles was cut early in its Roadshow run-the dvd has both versions. Ben-Hur was not cut until subsequent reruns. Of course Cleopatra was also cut early in its Roadshow run. The current dvd/blu rays of Cleopatra have the originally shown version. It's possible the Fall of the Roman Empire was cut during it's Roadshow run but I'm not sure. It might have been cut after it's initial engagements. The Alamo is another example. There may be others but that's all i can think of at the moment.

The Greatest Story Ever Told premiered on 2/15 as 221 minutes plus intermission. On 4/15 UA announced they reduced it to 194 minutes plus intermission.

 

[Paul Rossen]

The Greatest Story Ever Told premiered on 2/15 as 221 minutes plus intermission. On 4/15 UA announced they reduced it to 194 minutes plus intermission.

That seems correct. I recall ads stating the new ending times for the Warner Cinerama. I'm one of the few who saw the original version but all I recall is how long and slow moving it was. Of course I'd like to see the full version again but it appears that will not be possible...

 

[rich_d]

When asked about the film recently, David Picker told a friend of mine that UA thought there were sections of the film that were "deadly" and said to Kramer "If you don't cut this down, we will"So who knows? Perhaps no one here has a definitive answer, because there are legitimate contradictions in stories.Is this the Robert Evans theory (from ""The Kid Stays in the Picture") ? "There's your side, and my side, and the truth. And no one is lying."

Well said, indeed. While not a great book about Hollywood, Linda Obst's book: Hello, He Lied sort of sums things up. Heck, does someone even tell themselves the truth, let alone others? In a more positive light, Akira Kurosawa thought that his gift as a filmmaker was telling tales, to the point that he even questioned whether he was capable of telling the truth.

I've no dog in this fight ... but my observation is similar. Who really knows what the capital "T" truth in this and why does it even really matter? If Kramer made cuts because cuts were suggested by the studio, does that make them bad? Is a filmmaker (without Final Cut authority) necessarily more noble for controlling some "vision" than one who works collaboratively with others?

 

[Paul Rossen]

I don't remember Lawrence of Arabia (216 min.) being cut during its roadshow run. Neither was Exodus (208 min.), also from United Artists and much longer than Mad World.

The Ten Commandments was 220 minutes and Paramount never cut it to "squeeze in more shows," and that didn't stop it from becoming the highest-grossing movie of the entire decade. Ditto for the 212 minute second-highest-grossing movie of the decade, Ben-Hur.

The ones that were famously cut shortly after beginning their roadshow engagements, besides MW, were Cleopatra and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It wasn't as common as you think for these things to be cut. Some were cut for "popular price" general release, such as The Greatest Story Ever Told (that one needed at least three hours cut out, in my opinion), and Star! (which was even given a different title), but that's another story.

Both Hawaii and Diary of Anne Frank were cut but I'm not sure if the cuts were made during or after their Roadshow engagements.
And then there is the Heaven's Gate fiasco of the film simply being pulled after a one week Roadshow engagement in NYC and subsequently released in a shortened version

 

[Reed Grele]

This link may have been posted in another thread, but if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, this is an interesting interview with Jonathan Winters from 2002.

http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/jonathan-winters#

Starting at around the 2 - 3 minute mark of part 4 he starts to discuss IAMMMMW.

(Click on the blue "INTERVIEW" tab, and scroll down to "PART 4".)

 

[Rob_Ray]

Most films such as Greatest Story Ever Told and IAMMMMW that were cut during the two-a-day roadshow run, were not cut for purposes of time, but rather to pick up the pace, to fine-tune a rushed job done to meet a premiere date, or in the case of Star!, in a desperate attempt to salvage a film that is bombing at the box-office. South Pacific was another film that was re-cut during the roadshow run, to tighten up a film seen as dragging its feet. It's only when a film hits general release with continuous performances that time, in and of itself, becomes an issue. That's when lots of titles like Camelot lost footage.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Most films such as Greatest Story Ever Told and IAMMMMW that were cut during the two-a-day roadshow run, were not cut for purposes of time, but rather to pick up the pace, to fine-tune a rushed job done to meet a premiere date, or in the case of Star!, in a desperate attempt to salvage a film that is bombing at the box-office. South Pacific was another film that was re-cut during the roadshow run, to tighten up a film seen as dragging its feet. It's only when a film hits general release with continuous performances that time, in and of itself, becomes an issue. That's when lots of titles like Camelot lost footage.

I had forgotten South Pacific. The Fox dvd has both versions and the cut version isn't bad at all. To me Camelot is a mess of a movie...regardless of length.

 

[rich_d]

This link may have been posted in another thread, but if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, this is an interesting interview with Jonathan Winters from 2002.

http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/jonathan-winters#

Starting at around the 2 - 3 minute mark of part 4 he starts to discuss IAMMMMW.

(Click on the blue "INTERVIEW" tab, and scroll down to "PART 4".)

Thanks for that. Also, nothing to do with Mad, mad ... but 24 minutes on Johnny Carson is pretty brutal, yet funny stuff.

 

[Charles Smith]

What a beautiful interview. I could listen to him talk for hours.

 

[Douglas R]

The Greatest Story Ever Told premiered on 2/15 as 221 minutes plus intermission. On 4/15 UA announced they reduced it to 194 minutes plus intermission.

"The Greatest Story Ever Told" opened at the London Casino Cinerama on Friday April 9 and I saw the film next day on the Saturday evening. Since then, I've never been sure whether that was the 221 or 194 minute version. When I went to book tickets two weeks earlier I saw the 70mm cans of film arriving in the theatre. Was it cut that early?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What a beautiful interview. I could listen to him talk for hours.

Jonathan Winters is incredible.

I never appreciated him until over recent years when I was
able to really look back on his various characters, the material
that he did, and the intelligence (and often insanity) that the
man possessed.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I was offline since Thursday and this was the first place I went online. I am disappointed that there was no news, but I trust that it will be worth the wait.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Both Hawaii and Diary of Anne Frank were cut but I'm not sure if the cuts were made during or after their Roadshow engagements.
And then there is the Heaven's Gate fiasco of the film simply being pulled after a one week Roadshow engagement in NYC and subsequently released in a shortened version

"The Diary of Anne Frank," yes -- and it gets my vote as the worst studio meddling in history. Business wasn't as good as the great reviews would warrant, so 20th Century-Fox cut the ending -- one of the saddest, most powerful endings I've ever seen -- to give the movie a HAPPY ENDING! A hopeful, uplifting ending to the story of one of the biggest human tragedies in history.

The DVD has restored the original ending forever and I hope no one ever has to see that horrible "studio" version again.

 

[Paul Rossen]

"The Diary of Anne Frank," yes -- and it gets my vote as the worst studio meddling in history. Business wasn't as good as the great reviews would warrant, so 20th Century-Fox cut the ending -- one of the saddest, most powerful endings I've ever seen -- to give the movie a HAPPY ENDING! A hopeful, uplifting ending to the story of one of the biggest human tragedies in history.

The DVD has restored the original ending forever and I hope no one ever has to see that horrible "studio" version again.

Since I haven't seen Diary of Anne Frank in many years I believe it was both the beginning and ending that was cut. Basically the story bookends were cut. The current dvd and Blu ray do include all deleted scenes but do not include the intermission as well as the entr'acte music. A mistake IMO.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Magnificent Ambersons....oy...

 

[DP 70]

Just for info i am going to see tomorrow Ice Station Zebra in NFT 3 at the BFI Southbank it is showing in 35mm Mono with
Finnish Subtitles, they could not source a 70mm print.

 

[ahollis]

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[ahollis]

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