We cannot rule out the existence of a longer cut but the Italian theatrical version, the one prohibited for minors under the age of 18 on the first of September 1964, runs about 100 minutes. This is well documented and beyond dispute.
In the current version he only scene that could be different from the original is the one in which we can only hear the beating of Silvanito, reinstated we donât know how much faithfully a number of years ago.
This movieâs page in the SWDb has been upgraded to the new âSWDb 3.0â format. Please have a look and let us know if thereâs something you can add (information, trivia, links, pictures, etc.).
In terms of the credits can I add the following for the English theatrical version which I have seen as well as the American theatrical version:
1, Leone is credited as Leone
2, Morricone is credited as Dan Savio (I have also seen an Italian DVD in which he is credited under his own name. Havenât seen the Italian version in which he is credited as Leo Nicholls).
3. Volonte is âJohnny Welsâ. On the Italian DVD above both Volonte and Wels are credited which was a bit odd.
4, the title is Fistful of Dollars (No A)
The UK version lost about 5m due to censor cuts. The USA version lost about 3m due to censor cuts.
Donât believe there was ever a version 30m longer. Not for a cheap B movie. The novelisation by Frank Chandler however does have an extra scene which occurs outside the cave just after Joe is given the dynamite by the coffin maker. In this scene Joe is confronted by 2 of Ramonâs gang who have tailed the coffin maker. Joe shoots them both. It is noticeable that Ramonâs gang whom Joe defeats in the final gunfight is missing several people whom we see earlier shooting the Baxterâs (Aldo Sambrell for one). Assuming Chandler was handed the shooting script to adapt it is possible that this scene was shot and then cut for pacing. Havenât seen any stills of it though.
Wherever that claim originated from itâs utter nonsense. Aside from zero documentation, it would be unlikely that a largely shot-for-shot remake would be twenty minutes longer than the original.
Watching both English & Italian dubs back-to-back, I noticed what Sir Christopher Frayling describes as âthe only moment in the film where any motivation is attributed to the Clint Eastwood characterâ is conspicuously absent from the Italian dub.
After Joe reunites Marisol with Julio and Jesus, then gives them the money; when asked âWhy do you do this for usâ (in the Italian dub this line is from Julio not Marisol) - instead of the expository âWhy? I knew somebody like you once and there was nobody there to helpâ - thereâs the characteristically taciturn âItâs too long a story to tellâ (âĂ una storia troppo lunga da raccontareâ).
Not really as both dubs often match word for word. Aside from the aforementioned scene and some mild profanities the differences are largely superficial. For example during the massacre of the Baxters: Joeâs âTake a look at thisâ is instead the darkly humorous âI donât want to miss the showâ. The Italian dub does have the masterful voice acting of Enrico Maria Salerno and Nando Gazzolo but what dub you consider definitive is a matter of taste.
For what itâs worth hereâs how the Marisol scene plays out in the Italian dub âŚ
Joe: Here, take this money. Thereâs enough to live peacefully for a while. Cross the border and get as far away as possible from this damn town!
Julio: Why are you doing all this for us?
Joe: Itâs too long a story to tell. Now go on - get moving!
Marisol: May God bless you.
Joe: Go now, donât waste any more time. The Rojos will be here any moment you know. Come on, go! Get moving!
Iâm currently watching it. Dad was scrolling through tv channels and found out that itâs on. I havenât seen it in a long time.
The question is, am I going crazy or are there different versions? In the scene where theyâre carrying drunk Man with no name to bed, the guy says âHe weighs a tonâ but I swear the last time I saw the film he said âHe weighs like a pigâ. Is it my memory playing tricks on me or Mandela effect?
Also, itâs interesting to re-watch the film now that I know more about SWs because the actor of Julio (Marisolâs husband) is the same guy who played Paco in Too much gold for one gringo
Also my unpopular opinion: I donât mind little Jesus crying unlike some people here XD What makes my skin crawl is that laughter of one of Ramonâs men (at least in the English dub). Anyway Iâm glad that Jesus and his parents were reunited and managed to get to safety
With well over 400 Spaghetti Westerns produced in a relatively short period of time, itâs easy to get confused amigoâŚespecially with the multiple titles for each film.
that must be the version I also saw, a rental video.
Oh, memory lane. One day rental, watched it in the evening and the next day again before returning the movie.
This very interesting 60th anniversary video from a YouTube channel that I strongly recommend reveals the co-production percentages: initially (January '64) the Spanish share was 40%, the Italian one 35% and West Germans had 25%. However, with these percentages the Spanish authorities did not want an Italian director, so at the end of February the co-production quotas were changed as follows:
Jolly 40% Ocean 35% Constantin 25%.