Uncut NIGHT AT THE OPERA print found in Hungarian Film Archives?
August 2nd, 2008 by Scott Marks
Forget about the uncut Ambersons and Metropolis. Find me a print of A Night at the Opera that doesn’t have that huge, hairy splice after the director’s credit and I will die a happy man.
I’ve seen A Night at the Opera more times than most San Diegans have rain. Name it — 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, 1.33:1 and even a couple of 1.85:1 screenings (the theatres didn’t own the proper lenses) — and I’ve seen it. No matter what the format, the f$#@ing splice is eternal! It’s a form of madness, yet over the years, the jump cut to “Your man has not arrived yet?” is as much a part of the piece as Sam’s wooden direction. In spite of my adoration, it’s not even my favorite of the bunch. The Brothers’ final three for Paramount far outclass anything Thalberg did to for the boys.
Any Marx Bros. film, even Go West, is to be cherished and ardently inspected as many times as possible. When “Bushido” John DeCastanets sent me this link to the indispensable NitraveVille , I prit’ near had a conniption fit.
A 21-year-old student by the name of Racz Tamas is credited with finding the print. According to the article, originally published on Marx Brothers.org, “Racz Tamas in Hungary has done it again,” yet a Google search turned up a few stories about his recent discovery and little more. Here is Mr. Tamas’ own account of his recent archaeological dig:
“I watched the first reel of the print of the Hungarian National Film Archive, to find two additional shots, two additional sentences, and different angles of already known shots. The first thing that absolutely shocked me was that when Harpo and Chico are backstage, the music of the opera was loud, and instead of the shot of Lasparri singing in his white clothes, they showed a man singing who wasn’t him, and he wore different clothes. Then Chico said to Allan Jones “Someday you’re gonna be where Lasparri is”, but the man who was singing wasn’t Lasparri at all.
The other shock was when Kitty Carlisle was singing. It was her, but she sang a different part of the opera, and she was only shown above the waist, rather than what is in the DVD version, where she is standing, and we can see a man behind her. In the scene, when Groucho and Chico first meet, when they are standing on Lasparri, I found two additional sentences.”
Gottlieb, eh?
“Chico: I’m a stranger here myself.
This line is in the DVD edition, but right after it you can see a jump cut.
Groucho: Aren’t you an italian?
Chico: No, only my mama and papa is italian.
Groucho: What’s his name? (referring to the tenor he wants to sign)
Chico : It’s an italian name. (This was cut) I can’t pronunce it.
As you can see references to Italy were indeed cut, but it still does not contain the 4 minute street singing intro that people were talking about. Unfortunately I could only watch the first reel, which ends in the middle of the contract scene. It was extremely expensive to do. It cost me two times more than to buy the DVD. I asked them about transferring this version to DVD just to preserve the film, and they told me that it would cost a lot of money, and that I have to speak to the owner of the rights of this film.”
Wait a minute…this guy finds the Holy Grail of Marxdom and gripes that it cost him $30.00 for a one-reel audience. I’ve have been at the pawnshop with my dead mother’s gold teeth trying to raise the extra $120. And with all due respect to NitrateVille, Mr. Tamas should also have contacted, let’s see…The Associated Press, Reuter’s, United Press International, Matt Drudge, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, heck, I’d even drop a line to the venal Academy if I thought it would help spread the word.
How I pray for this to be true. I’ll even settle for an alternate Las-pari and fresh Carlisle bile. I don’t care how much Groucho went on to praise “boy wonder” Irving Thalberg after his untimely death. The romantic subplot M.G.M. forced down audiences’ throats is as odious as it is ill-applied. (And that goes triple for that Kenny Baker and Florence Rice swill in At the Circus!!!) There are cutaways from Carlisle and Jones to the Marxes. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? As repulsive as I find plastic surgery, this is one old friend that I’d love to see get a face lift.
Links:
The Marx Bros. Photos
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6 Responses to “Uncut NIGHT AT THE OPERA print found in Hungarian Film Archives?”
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This is amazing. Thanks!
Dear Scott Marks,
My name is Rácz Tamás, I’m the one who “found” these additional stuff, and I would like to ask you to please write me an e-mail, so I can contact you back and explain the whole situation.
Regards
Rácz Tamás
…and you think David Bordwell has no sense of humor.
http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=2662
The closest Bordwell will ever come to S.J. Perlman.Bordwell is a God, and as snob pieces go, it’s very amusing.
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