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IT's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World Restoration (1 Viewer)

Jack Theakston

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Except that it didn't HAVE to go vinegar. Because it was treated, it went fast. Of course, that's no reason a preservation neg couldn't have been made...
Oh well, who knew?
 

darkrock17

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The movie hasn't gone to vinegar. In 2003 when the movie turned 40, it was released at The Cinearma Theater, were it was shown back in 1963.

And the 2003 version had everything in it, inculding the long lost police radio intermision calls.
 

Stefan Andersson

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Hi!

As far as I can remember, the 2003 edition of IAMMMMW does not contain all the scenes that should be restored. Among missing scenes are the phone call between Spencer Tracy and Buster Keaton, a scene where Dick Shawn steals a car from Barrie Chase´s husband, a song/dance scene and probably also an appearance by Howard da Silva as an airport official. I also think Dorothy Provine is supposed to trip over a sofa in the Big W scene. At least there was a still of this film printed in one of the news flyers for the 90´s Save Mad World restoration campaign.

Barrie Chase´s husband was played by Phil Arnold. This missing part is seldom mentioned in IAMMMW discussions. Chase is usually credited as playing Mrs. Haliburton but on the Imdb her part is now called "Sylvester´s girlfriend". I think the Save Mad World campaign showed some footage of the Arnold scene, but I´m not sure.

Bruce Lawton states in his Keaton book that before the film opened, Kramer cut a scene with Keaton struggling with a garage door and a donkey.

The LD has a wonderful monologue by Lennie Pike (Jonathan Winters), who wants to spend his cut of the loot on a motorized wheelchair for his landlady. This scene apparently was never in the premiere cut. It´s beautifully performed and prime deleted scenes material. It also spells out more clearly that Lennie is an amiable parody of Lennie in OF MICE AND MEN, at least in my eyes.

I´d also like for someone to point out where Barbara Pepper and Minta Durfee made their cameo appearances.

Comments, anyone?
 

Scooter

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I saw the Roadshow version of this at the Cinerama Theater in NYC, Times square. (Also saw How The West Was Won at the same venue..still one of my FAVS!!!) Being I was something like 6 when I saw this, I don't recall TONS, but I do remember the scene where some of the characters were diggin a hole and Jonathan Winters was one of them. However, in an overhead shot, Winters was BOTH in the pit and standing at the edge.

Jeez..the things one remembers...
 

Paul Rossen

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Scooter said:
I saw the Roadshow version of this at the Cinerama Theater in NYC, Times square. (Also saw How The West Was Won at the same venue..still one of my FAVS!!!) Being I was something like 6 when I saw this, I don't recall TONS, but I do remember the scene where some of the characters were diggin a hole and Jonathan Winters was one of them. However, in an overhead shot, Winters was BOTH in the pit and standing at the edge.
Jeez..the things one remembers...
How The West Was One played in Cinerama at the Loew's Capitol(Cinerama) while Mad World was shown at The Warner Cinerama.
A few films might have played at both-though 2001 is the only one I recall. But I don't 'believe' either HTWWW or IAMMMW ever changed theaters.
 

Stephen_J_H

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As was I. With respect to The Alamo being "another" victim of vinegar syndrome, it was the opinion of none other than RAH that if something wasn't done with IAMMMMW soon (and this was in 2003), the original preview cut (or as close as we can get to it) would be lost to vinegar syndrome.
 

darkrock17

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Stephen_J_H wrote:
As was I. With respect to The Alamo being "another" victim of vinegar syndrome, it was the opinion of none other than RAH that if something wasn't done with IAMMMMW soon (and this was in 2003), the original preview cut (or as close as we can get to it) would be lost to vinegar syndrome.
Let's make sure that It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World doesn't go to vinegar. Someone get a hold of MGM and whoever is restoring this movie and tell them we want to see the restored version in theaters for it's 45 anniversary.
 

Joe Lugoff

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We told them we wanted it for the 30th anniversary, the 35th anniversary, the 40th anniversary -- now it's the 45th anniversary. Somehow I'm starting to think they won't do it.
 

darkrock17

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Joe Lugoff wrote:
We told them we wanted it for the 30th anniversary, the 35th anniversary, the 40th anniversary -- now it's the 45th anniversary. Somehow I'm starting to think they won't do it.
Enough people want this movie on DVD, so the more we tell them we want It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World the sooner they well release it on DVD with the hours and hours of special features that it deserves.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Andrew,
The problem is MGM. They own it and don't care.
I have been told point blank that if this were under Warner's
ownership the restoration would have been done long ago.
We are just in a very unfortunate situation where a studio
like MGM is in control of this product.
 

DanMel

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Be careful if MGM does release a special 45th anniversary eddition next year as they are famous for releasing these kind of "anniversary" dvd's with the exact same dvd transfer as an earlier release. All one has to do is check out their release last year of Gary Cooper's Pride of the Yankee's 65th Anniversary dvd that had the same dvd transfer as was on the previous release. They also had the same transfer for Ball of Fire. I am not real familar with other MGM re-releases but I am assuming that they do not do restoration work on movies. I personally don't know of any releases that they owned that were restored in special edditions.
 

DanMel

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Actually they have released this in 2001 and then again in 2003 so I am sure they are do for another re-release of the same transfer by next year.

I just recorded the tcm version that is 3 hours long. The dvd versions on amazon look to be shorter at 2 hours 41 min and 2 hours and 47 min. So I will just go with the TCM version off of tv as I don't know if that is the extended version or not but seems to be longer than the dvd versions.
 

Joe Lugoff

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TCM shows what was on the Laserdisc --- and some people have said that some of the restored scenes were actually outtakes, and never in the original roadshow version. I don't know. Most of it seems as if it really belongs where it is.
 

darkrock17

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TCM version is the closet to the original 1963 roadshow version, that I know of. It's not laserdisc, but VHS from 1991 or 1992.

MGM is notorious for releasing "anniversary editions", with little to no effort with features for example, The Princess Bride 20th Anniversay Edition, had basically crap put on it with nothing exciting or new, the pervious releases are much better than the 20th Anniversary Edition. As for restoration I'm not sure about that as well as transfer either. If WB were to have this release they would have a nice restoration, as well as the whole 192 min cut.

Maybe It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World should go to WB?
 

mike--

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The laserdisc of this was the SAME version as on VHS. The laserdisc was released 1st, followed by a 'wrong' release of it in VHS. That VHS release was formatted for 1:85:1, and was deleted. The subsequent VHS release was corrected with the correct aspect ratio of 2:35:1
darkrock17 said:
TCM version is the closet to the original 1963 roadshow version, that I know of. It's not laserdisc, but VHS from 1991 or 1992.
MGM is notorious for releasing "anniversary editions", with little to no effort with features for example, The Princess Bride 20th Anniversay Edition, had basically crap put on it with nothing exciting or new, the pervious releases are much better than the 20th Anniversary Edition. As for restoration I'm not sure about that as well as transfer either. If WB were to have this release they would have a nice restoration, as well as the whole 192 min cut.
Maybe It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World should go to WB?
 

darkrock17

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I thought the VHS and Laserdisc were the same, my bad.

2:35:1? I thought It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was 2:55:1, that's what the DVD release from 2001 is formated in.
 

mike--

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You are correct Andrew, my bad........the correct aspect ratio is 2:55:1........had to put my glasses on to read that small print on the back of the DVD!!
 

darkrock17

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mike-- wrote:
You are correct Andrew, my bad........the correct aspect ratio is 2:55:1........had to put my glasses on to read that small print on the back of the DVD!!
Yeah the print on the back of the DVD is small, but so is Fox DVD's. Fox now distribute MGM titles, since they left Columbia/Sony.
 

Lord Dalek

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mike-- said:
You are correct Andrew, my bad........the correct aspect ratio is 2:55:1........had to put my glasses on to read that small print on the back of the DVD!!
Even then you're still wrong, the correct aspect ratio is 2.76:1.
 

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