Robards is of course a lead player in this film. He also has a musically leitmotiv and his head is on the posters, like that of the other 3 stars.
I would also include Ferzetti, who was a famous italian actor then. But to a lesser degree. On the italian poster you can also see his head.
just to bring this up again
because we talked about it in the other topic. so the slightly longer, but not substantially different, director’s cut that’s on italian vhs and dvd and german tv sometimes, but without english language and of inferior picture quality. i’d nevertheless like to see it because leone’s shots are supposed to be longer and more extended so yeah…
if some in here desire so, i can translate the introduction to that cut comparison you find under the link
Karl, a german SW expert, has said in a german forum, that the colors of the italian DVD are much closer to Leone’s intentions.
At least, the german theatrical version (which I enjoyed about 10 times on the big, big cinema screen) has obviously a different look compared to the Paramount edition.
I have posted this over in the GBU thread but its worth repeating - Checkout “leonenut’s” fan edit, he’s taken all the longer missing parts from the Italian DVD and cut them into the SE. Cool! He’s made a good job of it, but the shapness and colour are not as good on the Italian DVD parts!
What extra scenes Italian version has? Does it have the scene where Harmonica is beaten up by sheriff?
Here you can check what is exactly in the Italian edit:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare/onceuponatimeinthewest.htm
It’s true that the image is a bit softer on the Italian CVC, but the sound, on the other hand, is better (this is not mentioned by the guys from DVDBeaver): especially Morricone’s score sounds stronger and more dynamic.
Personally I prefer the shorter international (MGM) edit
Recently Mondo Home has released two new Italian DVDs (one Blu-ray) : those are the shorter international versions. I haven’t seen them, but an Italian friend told me to stick to my CVC disc
I dont think that scene exists anywhere (I could be wrong!). Follow “scherpschutter’s” link above for full details of the Italian print.
or this very detailed comparison… I would still like to see that remastered as well.
The additional footage as listed via Scherpschutter’s link:
Waiting for the train:
- Little bit more dialogue (in Italian) from Station Agent to Elam before he’s locked up.
- More Murdock shots with the birdcage.
- More Strode with hat filling up
- Elam sitting playing with fly seemed same as always.
- More Murdock cracking fingers (close-up)
When train arrives/three gunmen walk together:
- Tracking Elam P.O.V. shot inspecting down the length of the train while he taps his fingers on his side holster, right before he signals his men to turn away and leave.
Harmonica ‘rising from the dead’ after getting shot is included.
The McBain killings seem the same.
When Jill’s train arrives:
- Longer tracking shot of train passengers leaving and passing cases and bags out the windows until the camera stops and we see Jill’s head pop out of the doorway.
Cheyenne’s first appearance:
- More reaction shots (2 or 3) of people looking at him while he walks in looking at them after the gunfire outside.
- Shot of Cheyenne looking over at Jill and the wagon driver after taking a drink revealing his handcuffs, he starts to take a second drink and the harmonica is heard.
- 1 shot of Cheyene looking straight at Harmonica after he’s revealed, before he walks up to him.
- More reaction shots from people when Cheyenne forces the man to shoot his cuffs off.
- 1 shot of Cheyenne’s gang stepping in further.
When Jill and Wagon Driver come up on the slain McBains.
- 1 shot of Wagon Driver looking confused along with Jill as they encounter the group at the McBain homestead.
Washing Station:
- When Cheyenne sees that Harmonica is now protecting Jill from the hills with his men his music extends into the following scene where Wobbles is in the wash station and ends when Jill opens the door to confront him about Frank.
- 1 shot of Harmonica watching Woobles walk out of the wash station while Wobbles looks back to see where Jill went right after Jill walks passed Harmonica.
Wooble’s Death:
- When he’s kicked out of the train by Frank quiet music begins to play and when he sees Cheyenne under the train a guitar plucks the notes of his ‘theme’
Cheyenne’s train surprise attack:
- Morton noticing the metal Jester chess piece of his desk shaking from the train’s movement, it falls over and he quickly grabs it upright so as not to wake Frank’s men.
Jill and Harmonica at the bar:
- When Frank enters his music ends before he sits down and taps his heel down, the music ends right when he taps it down in the International Cut.
Harmonica waits for Frank:
- 1 more shot of the railroad workers placing logs down
- When Harmonica sees Cheyenne approach he twists his gun on the pole towards the camera.
The Duel:
- When we see the young Frank walking towards the camera we can much clearly see who it is from the beginning, instead of him being darkened until he gets right up on the camera.
- A jarring cut in the music as Frank is looking at the young Harmonica
- When Frank is stumbling forward from being shot with the blue sky above him, the broken harmonica ‘Death Rattle’ plays throughout, instead of just when the harmonica is placed in his mouth and falling over stone dead.
I’ve viewed the International Cut numerous times and the extensions/alternations stuck out with a sore thumb. These aren’t all of them but the more glaring examples just to give you and if you include it in comparsion your visitors a good idea about just how much is included.
I haven’t compared it with the above mentioned detailed and illustrated Schnittberichte.com link, but you could do:
Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod - Schnittbericht: Intern. DVD-Fassung (Schnittberichte.com)
Judging to the screenshots, the Paramount version looks much better.
A great mistake in the Paramount DVD is the wrong music at the end, where they suddenly switch to Cheyenne’s theme, instead of playing the America theme (Jill’s theme) until the film is over.
Funnily enough, Frayling says in his audio commentary that with Cheyenne’s death his music theme also vanishs. Absolutely logic, but not for the english version.
Oh, and the german version, which happily doesn’t include the scene with Bronson nursing his wounds, is about 1 min longer alone for the first sequence up to the shoot-out than the DVD, and the long italian version adds another 30 sec (or was it another 90 sec? Have to check it).
Yes, the Paramount version looks better when you compare both versions closely
When you simply watch the Italian CVC, like I did shortly after I bought it, you are not irritated by the image
It’s not a bad transfer at all, just a little ‘brownish’; that it’s a bit soft doesn’t really strike you (in fact, I usually like the image to be a little soft)
I just don’t like some alternate scenes, for instance Elam tapping his fingers on his holster and Harmonica turning his gun towards the camera (look at it at “schnittberichte”, it’s a very ugly scene, making the gun and Harmonica’s hand look far too big)
On the other hand, the arrival of the train (with Claudia) looks better thanks to sme alternate scenes in the CVC version
Where did this German expert read or hear that the colours on the CVC disc are closer to leone’s wishes?
I don’t know about that but after seeing 35 mm prints of For A Few Dollars More & OUaTitW from time of release, versions shown on tv, old non-anamorphic DVDs and new Special Editions I can say that these new editions definetely have very different colours than all previous ones - much stronger and brighter. Too strong and bright, in fact, as these releases lose some of the “dusty” and “dry” feeling so evident in the films. That’s why Italians decided to make remastered versions of their own (of dollars trilogy films) instead of using the MGM ones. I remember reading from SWWB that someone who was closely associated with these films said that he was very disapointed with MGM versions and urged Italian copyright holders to make alternate remastered versions for Italian markets - thus Italian DVDs differ noticeably from MGM ones when it comes to visual look. I have Italian DVD of FaoD and I really should order FaFDM soon. MGMs old GBU release is fine as it is the short version (the one I prefer) and has anamorphic picture. Mono soundtrack is bit rough but it’s still the best version available IMO.
you really think the old mgm version is better? it’s an ages old dvd with really bad transfer. i can understand the hate about the extended scenes and all that, but the new MGM prints look really gorgeaous.
the paramount version of OUATITW is a bit low bitrate and kind of bright, but the film has never looked better on DVD anywhere, including the italian DVD, colors give or take
Yeah. Just about everyting in it is wrong: too long version, one scene that doesn’t even belong to the film, horrible new dubbing for scenes that where not previously dubbed (I can understand why they made it, though), new sound efects (something I can’t understand or forgive) and just plain wrong visual look.
When it comes to OUATITW Paramounth version is indeed the best one but still far from perfect. Like with GBU, I prefer short US/international version over Italian cut and so Paramount is better than Italian DVD, even with disappointing remastering.
I don’t think that longer version is always better and it really bugs me that sometimes there are no alternative versions available on DVD. For example Sollima’s Violent City is much better as short international version. I don’t have anything against making longest possible versions available but companies should have some respect to directors and not add scenes that were cut out by director himself. Too bad that many companies have this “including scenes never seen before!!!” thing going on (to sell people films they already own… mostly) and shorter cuts are not always remastered. Remastered 2 DVD editions with 2 different versions (or more) are great but rarely made.
which i can understand, because there’s so many people like myself who want to see everything possible 
easily the best spaghetti western ever, the direction, the acting of cardinelle, bronson, fonda, robards excellent.many memorable scenes but the thing about it that is perfection is the magnificent ennio morricone soundtrack, the film would not be as effective as it is without it. the scene where jill gets off the train and goes through the station to enter the town and the camera pans back to show the town and that wonderful "jills theme " starts up never ever fails to move me to tears.
yeah it is my all time favorite shot, too. what a magnificent moment with music
also the scene where the crippled railroad tycoon is lying face down in the mud, the morricone theme that begins at that point gives that scene an incredible atmosphere.
[quote=“Sebastian, post:117, topic:322”]yeah it is my all time favorite shot, too. what a magnificent moment with music[/quote]same here 
Beautiful
Yes oh yes. What a wonderful moment. My favourite SW if not my favourite film of all time. Horses for courses and others will disagree but Leone et al at their best.