Vertigo alternate ending? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Hobbs]

I just saw Vertigo tonight for the first time.

Wow. GREAT movie and a beautiful restoration.

Anyway, I was reading the production notes on the R1 DVD and came across this: "One thing Hitchcock may not have counted on was the uncovering of an alternate ending to Vertigo...This brief final scene ties up many of the loose ends that have given Vertigo its incredible power."

But I can't find this alternate ending on the DVD. Was it added in the restoration and included in the version I just watched? Or is it just not shown?

Confused...

 

[Sam Owens]

On my R4, it's tucked away at the end of the chapter stop listing for the featurette. It almost counts as an easter egg IMO.

 

[Mark Hobbs]

You are right Sam. I just found it myself.

For those who are interested, go to the "Obsessed with Vertigo" chapter listing and page through to number 14. The alternate ending is there. It's not much really, the notes made it sound like more than it is.

 

[andrew markworthy]

If memory serves correctly, the *alternative* ('alternate' means to change with something else on a regular basis) ending was used quite widely in Europe. It sort of wraps things up for people who need it spelling out to them what happened to the principal characters after the movie was over.

 

[MichaelAW]

Anyone mind spoiling it for those of us without the DVD yet?

 

[Jon Robertson]

It's not alternate as opposed to extended.

Scotty returns home silently to find Midge listening on the radio to hear that Elster has been arrested by police for the murder of his wife. She sees him, goes to make him a drink, and then it fades out.

 

[george kaplan]

It's not so much to explain things, as to show that the murderer was brought to justice. In a lot of countries, it wasn't really allowed to let someone 'get away' with a crime on a film, without explicitly showing them pay for it.

 

[Robert Harris]

The singular purpose of the extended ending for "Vertigo" was to permit the film to be exhibited in those countries which provided that the criminal could not get away with the crime.

With no dialogue from either character, the radio broadcast was simply dubbed into whatever language was needed.

Everyone involved felt that it destroyed the impact of the ending, which it did.

To go along with the silliness of the extented ending, Jim and I did the recording ourselves. No professionals here.

RAH

 

[CameronS]

You know the Home Theater Forum is the place to be when the man who did the restoration for the film in question responds to your post!

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

To go along with the silliness of the extented ending, Jim and I did the recording ourselves. No professionals here.

You both showed amazing restraint in not lapsing into a Walter Winchell impersonation for the voiceover. I think I watched it about three times before I recognized the voices from the documentary and commentary track. Of course, if I was paying closer attention, it was probably mentioned outright or hinted at in one of the supplements. If it is, my only defense is that my little brain gets scrambled during the explanation of how many generations of dupe the flashback scene and the preceding and following shots represent, and by the time I think I have it straight, the commentary is over.
Regards,

 

[RickardL]

So, what cilvilized countries think that you should get away with murder?

just wondering...

 

[Mark Hobbs]

Robert, thanks for your comments. I just want to say again what a great job you guys did with this incredible movie. My wife and I were able to enjoy Vertigo for the first time in its OAR and with vivid color and sound thanks to your efforts.

 

[MartinTeller]

So, what cilvilized countries think that you should get away with murder?

Hoping to avoid a prolonged political discussion here, but... the issue is not whether you SHOULD get away with murder, but rather it's about living in reality and recognizing that sometimes people DO get away with murder.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I think the 'original' US ending is far better, but I have a soft spot for the alternative (okay, extended) ending. In a way it's more of a downer. Alright, it spells out that evil won't triumph, but it's also a hollow victory. The Jimmy Stewart character is going to settle down into a life of companionable misery with Midge [have I remembered the character's name right?]. He'll be a good husband but will always be hankering after the memory of an idealised woman, and Midge will always know this but suppress it. Hardly a case of happy ever after, is it? At least when we left him at the top of the bell tower there was a question of choice.

BTW, Mr Harris, if you're reading this - top notch restoration job (as always).

 

[Rain]

To go along with the silliness of the extented ending, Jim and I did the recording ourselves. No professionals here.

Hilarious. I didn't even know about this. I'm going to have to check it out when I get home tonight.
Did the "alternate ending" get the same restoration job as the film?

 

[Patrick McCart]

To go along with the silliness of the extented ending, Jim and I did the recording ourselves. No professionals here.

Perhaps if a special edition in 16x9 and with the DTS track comes out, a DVD-ROM feature using ReVoice could be made. It'll let you dub over that ending with whatever you please.

 

[Oswald Pascual]

Is this movie on the list of getting an anamorphic transfer? Maybe by criterion?

 

[Eric Paddon]

Actually, I wouldn't agree that the extended ending is more of a "downer", (at least we know that Scottie didn't end up back in the asylum again) and since by my own nature I prefer to see loose ends tied up, I actually welcomed it. (though I know I'm in the minority on this, and I would never argue for cutting it back into the film. I'm just glad to know the footage wasn't destroyed and that we can see it).

That revelation about the voices on the radio though is a nice surprise! Was that additional news story on the radio part of the original script, or was it made up for this restoration as an in-joke?

 

[Sam Owens]

If you've got R4 PAL capacity, the R4 is anamorphic and very cheap to boot.