Newly Discovered
Missing Scenes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
By Kevin Wilkinson
It’s rather exciting to think that a group of fans are in
the process of acquiring a 1971 IB Tech print of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
from Italy. The reason behind these extreme measures? It seems there are a
number of fans still unhappy with the various MGM home video releases of Sergio
Leone’s 1966 classic. Their particular concerns focus on the colour and audio
issues, all of which have been well documented. The dedicated group of fans has
announced their intention to restore the International 161 Minute English
language cut to its original status. After scanning the print at 4K, they plan
to re-grade the colours and transfer the English mono track, probably from the
previous MGM Laserdisc release.
What has come to light is potentially very exciting. On
frame samples sent by the print seller, there appears to be some incredible
shots from the desert scene, shots which have never been seen in any home video
version before. They show Blondie (Clint Eastwood) lying on the baking sand
with some animal bones scattered nearby. A translated description of the scene
(from the original script) was recently posted online by Peter Hanley, the man
behind the eagerly anticipated book on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -
Desert. The sun is glowing in the sky. Two forms
unprotected from the sun are seen wandering in a scorching valley. Tuco is on
horseback, and Blondie is walking ahead. [The musical cue for this scene, as
described by Charles Leinberger41, “begins with a long and suspenseful
introduction featuring a tonally ambiguous and disjunct piano melody
accompanied by sustained string tremolos . . . [followed by] a beautiful
English horn melody.”] The first part of the desert scene is similar to the
film, except the script explicitly states that Tuco fires five shots in rapid
succession into Blondie’s water canteen, and then he fires a sixth shot
(characteristic 5:1 pattern) which sends Blondie’s hat flying. A little later
the revengeful Tuco informs Blondie that the end of the desert is 140 miles
away (in the film, Tuco says, “100 miles, that’s a nice walk . . .”). After his
short speech, Tuco takes out a parasol from under the saddle, opens it and
points it in the direction of the sun. A cut is described in the script: Tuco’s
head is dangling and his eyes are heavy from tiredness. He rides past the
camera . . . Blondie is now seen in the distance. His steps are heavy and
sluggish. The heat has worn Blondie down. Nevertheless, he seems to have
noticed that Tuco has fallen into a light sleep under his sunshade . . .
Blondie looks around as if he is searching for something. About 10 meters in
front of him is a white, gnawed animal skeleton. Blondie’s eyes appear to be hypnotized
by this sight. He encroaches towards the skeleton. Close-up: Blondie’s hand
appears in the frame and he grasps a club-like bone. The camera zooms on to
Tuco, who suddenly turns, grabs his revolver and fires a shot. The bone flies
out of Blondie’s hand and Tuco threatens him saying, “Don’t try that again.
Now, get going!” Blondie sets off again. Tuco waits until he has gone past, and
then he drinks out of his canteen. He also moistens his head and neck.
Blondie struggles as he walks on and on through the desert, and at some
point he falls to his knees. Tuco rides around him as he tries to get back onto
his feet. Blondie’s lips are one continuous wound, and his eyes are swollen and
closed. Through the slits of his eyelids Blondie sees the slope of a dune which
appears like an insurmountable wall. He struggles to his feet and tiresomely
continues. Tuco rides past him and says tauntingly, “It’s just another 115
miles to the end of the desert, and eight hours until sundown. That’s nothing
(he laughs).” Cut or cross dissolve (simultaneously fading out one image as
another fades in): Tuco with his parasol opened is seen on horseback observing
. . . From below, Blondie is seen approaching on all fours. As Blondie gets to
within a few meters of Tuco, he is at the end of his strength and falls face
down. Tuco gets down from his horse and cautiously approaches Blondie.
Close-up: Blondie is motionless but the clanging of Tuco’s spurs indicates that
he is coming closer. Blondie opens his eyes . . . Within a few centimeters of
Blondie’s face, Tuco’s boot comes into the frame. In a state of desperation,
Blondie plunges towards the boot and grabs it with both hands . . . but the
boot is empty. Tuco, a little further away, laughs and slaps his hands on his
belly . . . He lies on his back, shakes with laughter and kicks his feet in the
air. Blondie is at his limit and lets his face fall.
So, the obvious question remains - Does this print include any other treasures that were cut from the film? Could there be more unknown scenes such as this? What of the scenes we do know, such as the Socorro scene or perhaps Blondie and Angel Eyes sharing a meal after leaving the prison camp - a scene teasingly shown on a U.S. Lobby card. Maybe it has the scene at the cemetery where Tuco fires a cannon at Blondie? We await further news with great anticipation…
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