"The Sand Pebbles" Running Time? (1 Viewer)

[Greg_M]

I've been waiting to purchase "The Sand Pebbles" on DVD but read somewhere the film may be a cut version. I've read various times - 179 minutes for the DVD and 193 minutes for the laserdisc. The INMB lists the film at 179 with no alternate versions. Anyone know the facts about the film and if it was cut etc.

 

[Larry Bevil]

The running time on the dvd is stated as 179 minutes. Don't know about the laserdisc.

 

[Danny_N]

No doubt you can find the answer here: http://www.thesandpebbles.com/

 

[oscar_merkx]

thanks Danny for the link to that site

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

The deleted scenes sound interesting, but I can't see Fox 'restoring' this one. No doubt that the elements are long gone.

BTW, I think that it is a superb film - one of McQueen's best performances. His scenes with Mako in the engine-room have a very beautiful quality to them.


Gordy

 

[Robert Crawford]

The dvd contains an audio commentary with Robert Wise and I thought he mentioned that either the version on this dvd was the one he preferred or that they lost some elements. It's been awhile since I heard the commentary, so I could be wrong because I played the commentary when the dvd first came out a couple of years ago.





Crawdaddy

 

[Joe Caps]

Fox had, at one time, hired me to help resotre the film to full length.
The first thing was a meeting with Robert Wise. He had no idea that Fox had cut the film!!! They had never told him.
Fox then pulled all that was left of several 70mm prints. All prints were incomplete and we did find parts of some of the missing scenes, but not enough to put the film back together again. Too Bad - there was some good stuff there.
There is a Cd that came out some months ago from the Varese Sarabande CD club ( sold only on their net sight) that includes music for some of the cut scenes.

 

[Greg_M]

Were the cut scenes on the Laserdisc? Or was the running time of the laserdisc incorrect?

 

[Joe Caps]

The cut scens were NOT on the laserdisc. As I said, there was not enough of each scene to transfer. The picture was all pink and in some places going white and dissapearing all together. The laserdisc has the running time on it.

 

[Paul Linfesty]

I'm a little unclear here. Just when were these cuts supposedly made? BEFORE the world theatrical premiere or after. The website referenced that the Los Angeles premiere was the so-called "cut" version. Since this was part of a roadshow, then doesn't that make it the roadshow version? MANY movies were cut after the first week of shows, usually because of tight deadlines and fixed opening dates (due to advance ticket sales)and were tightened up.

 

[Joe Caps]

The film was cut five months after it opened. I saw the roadshow uncut version many times. Fox NEVER told Robert Wise they were cutting the film. the cut scenes no longer exist. Fox cut the camera negative and the master stereo soundtrack.