The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is one of the all-time vorites of the Italian master director Sergio Leone and is regularly listed among the best movies of all times. For a long time, this movie was only available to English-language audiences in a version 16 minutes shorter than the version available exclusively to Italy.
In the year 2002 MGM discovered this Italian extended version and created an own one based on it, with Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach revoicing their roles. However, this US Extended Version also has some differences compared to the Italian theatrical version. First of all, the picture quality of the Italian Blu-Ray is superior to the MGM edition (a matter that might get fixed by a new 4K transfer). Second, the MGM version is longer by at least one major scene. And third, there are also some differences in the smaller aspects - especially in the mous torture scene...
This comparison was done between the Italian Theatrical Version with the US Extended Version by MGM, both represented by their respective BluRay editions.
Italian Theatrical Version: : 02:54:24 Sec.
US Extended Version: 02:58:43 Sec.
The US Extended Version is longer (without logos or restoration credits) by 00:03:41 seconds.
There are slight differences in single frames during reel changes which are not considered here.
Restoration Credits/MGM Lion
Before the Italian version, there are two restoration titles. The US version has the MGM logo instead.
Length IT: 00:00:17:11
Length US-Extended: 00:00:13:00
Credits
The US version credits differ slightly from the Italian version. Generally the clouds for English-language credits are somewhat r than their Italian counterparts, for example, here:
However, this only happens in titles that were actually translated. For instance, Clint Eastwood and Technicolor/Techniscope are unchanged.
Change 1
00:00:28:16 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:00:23:06 (US Extended Version)
The Italian version contains one credit about the producer Alberto Grimaldi and PEA (Produzioni Europee Associati). The US-Version contains two separate credits: United Artists and Alberto Grimaldi. However, only the first one is accompanied by a gunshot.
No time difference
Change 2
00:00:47:09 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:00:43:00 (US Extended Version)
The Italian version contains the credit for Eli Wallach already before the film title. The US version removes the credit, so that his photograph remains textless. However, the accompanying shot still can be heard.
No time difference
Change 3
00:00:54:18 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:00:49:09 (US Extended Version)
Same here: the Italian version shows the credit for Lee van Cleef and, shortly after, in; both titles are accompanied by gunshots. The US version only contain the gunshots; Lee Van Cleefs photograph stays textless.
No time difference
Change 3
00:01:01:21 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:00:57:11 (US Extended Version)
The in is contained in the film title in the US version.
PS: the order of the actors Clint Eastwood - Eli Wallach - Lee Van Cleef correspond to the Italian title Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, the Ugly, the Bad).
No time difference
Change 4
00:01:18:01 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:01:14:17 (US Extended Version)
Before Aldo Giuffres credit, the US version contains the Lee Van Cleef credit omitted earlier - however, with no gunshots.
No time difference
Change 5
00:01:38:23 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:01:34:16 (US Extended Version)
Between the credit for Mario Brega and the credit for the screenwriters, there is an additional credit and Eli Wallach In The Role Of Tuco which is followed by the screenwriters credit. A small detail: thats where Quentin Tarantino borrowed the name for the protagonist of his Natural Born Killers script.
No time difference
The characters The Ugly, The Bad, The Good are mentioned in the Italian version in Italian; the US version shows them in English. No time indexes necessary here.
Scene 1
00:38:22:21 (Italian Theatrical Version)
00:38:18:04 (US Extended Version)
This scene was present in the Italian premiere cut; however, Sergio Leone cut it for the Italian Theatrical Version. When MGM created their own Extended Version based on the Italian cut, they reinserted this scene into the movie. It is still missing from the Italian cut.
The previous scene is ded out. Tuco walks into a cave, carrying a chicken. The cave looks empty, there is a big kettle boiling. Tuco starts plucking the chicken and talks seemingly to himself: that he used to have a friend named Pablo, who had two brothers. Also he mentions a guy he knows who owes him 4000 dollars. If he happened to find his old buddies, he would share the money with them. Three lassos are thrown through the hole in the ceiling; three bandits appear. The oldest brother is wondering that Tuco is still alive; Tuco replies that its not so easy to kill him.
Difference: 00:03:18:20 (US Extended Version longer)
The torture scene is contained in its entirety in the bonus of the US-Extended Edition on DVD or BluRay. Because the original negative was damaged, both the US and the Italian cut had to be cut around these damages. As the torture scene from the US theatrical version had a better continuity and music flow, it was reused for the US Extended Version.
It is also interesting that the US version contains alternative footage which is not present in the Italian version. It is even used once to cover up violence.
Scene 2:
01:39:25:17 (Italian Theatrical Version)
01:42:38:16 (US Extended Version)
Italian Version: we see the orchestra and the guard overseeing it. He commands piu forte (louder). This scene appears in the US version later.
Difference: 00:00:12:15 (Italian Theatrical Version longer)
Scene 3:Alternative footage
01:40:39:03 (Italian Theatrical Version)
01:43:40:04 (US Extended Version)
Italian Version: Wallace throws Tuco against a wall. Tuco stumbles, the chair still attached to his wrist. Wallace delivers a punch and Tuco lls on the ground. Angel Eyes asks him how his digestion is now. Tuco feels his bloody tooth and says that he has nothing to say to him. Wallace kicks him in the back. Then we see the exterior again, with a closeup of a crying harmonica player. This scene appears in the US version later.
US Version (Alternative footage): Wallace punches Tuco in the stomach and throws him off the table. This footage is not present in the Italian cut.
Then the US version shows the piu forte-Szene (from Scene 2, translated as more feeling); after that, we see the closeup of the crying harmonica player.
Difference: 00:00:18:06 (Italian Theatrical Version longer)
Scene 4:
01:41:25:17 (Italian Theatrical Version)
01:44:08:11 (US Extended Version)
Italian Version: a violin player is playing and crying, intercut with further beating of Tuco. The violinist cant stand it anymore and stops abruptly. The guard orders him to play. This scene appears in the US version later.
Difference: 00:00:44:05 (Italian Theatrical Version longer)
Scene 5:
01:42:27:14 (Italian Theatrical Version)
01:44:25:21 (US Extended Version)
US Extended Version: Here we see the beating from Scene 3: Wallace throws Tuco against a wall. Tuco stumbles, the chair still attached to his wrist. Wallace delivers a punch and Tuco lls on the ground. Angel Eyes asks him how his digestion is now. Tuco feels his bloody tooth and says that he has nothing to say to him. Wallace kicks him in the back.
Then we see the scene with the crying violin player from scene 4: a violin player is playing and crying, intercut with further beating of Tuco. The violinist cant stand it anymore and stops abruptly. The guard orders him to play.
Difference: 00:00:34:16 (US Extended Version longer)
Scene 6:Alternative footage
01:42:50:14 (Italian Theatrical Version)
01:46:06:08 (US Extended Version)
Italian Version: Wallace presses his thumbs into Tucos eye sockets. Tuco cries, begging him to stop. Reverse shot of sweaty Wallace. The Italian version is shorter but more violent.
The US Extended Edition uses alternative footage: we see Angel Eyes coming closer to the camera. Then a reverse cut to Wallace releasing Tucos eyes. This material is not shown in the Italian cut.
Difference: 00:00:06:10 (US Extended Version longer)
Scene 7:
02:50:08:00 (Italian Theatrical Version)
02:53:30:11 (US Extended Version)
US Extended Version: we see additional footage not present in the Italian cut. Tuco trying to catch his balance on the cross. He mumbles Blondie; meanwhile, Blondie gets up on his horse and says Sorry, Tuco. Then he starts riding away.
Difference: 00:00:16:04 (US Extended Version longer)
Schnitt 8:(Alternative Footage)
02:52:50:14 (Italian Theatrical Version)
02:56:28:04 (US Extended Version)
The last shot of the yelling Tuco was taken from alternative takes for the Italian and the US versions, probably for the lip synchronization of the different versions. You can see that the US footage has a slightly worse quality.
No time difference
End Credits
02:52:56:02 (Italian Theatrical Version)
02:56:34:17 (US Extended Version)
The pan over the plain is slightly longer in the Italian version. It shows the word FINE, whereas the US version shows THE END. Also, the Italian version des to black whereas the US version cuts to black abruptly.
Difference: 00:00:01:10 (Italian Theatrical Version longer)
Restoration Credits
02:54:17:20 (Italian Theatrical Version)
02:57:54:01 (US Extended Version)
The Italian version contains one additional restoration credit; the music des out after it. The US Extended Version has several restoration credits for the Extended English-Language Version; the music keeps playing longer.
Difference: 00:00:41:05 (US-Fassung longer) van cleef & arpels uslee van cleef children.
