Alternate versions for
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) More at IMDbPro »

• The MGM lion was never seen in the original film. The movie was made when both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists were both still separate - and quite successful - companies, so only the old United Artists logo appeared in the credits.
  
  
• Buster Keaton had a longer, earlier scene (cut after premiere). In it, Culpepper telephone's Jimmy at his dockside warehouse and discusses his plans to use Jimmy's boat to escape to Mexico with the stolen money.
  
  
• The original 70mm roadshow version ran 192 minutes (excluding overture and entr'acte music). This 70mm version was then re-edited to 162 minutes, and in the subsequent 35mm general and worldwide release it was cut further to 154 minutes. The original video version was mastered off the 35mm negative and also ran 154 minutes. In the early 1990s, 20 minutes of additional 70mm footage was found in the form of an old theatrical print in an old film warehouse slated for demolition and was transferred to video which was then combined with the 35mm footage video transfer to create the new "video restoration" The original 192-minute, 65mm camera negative print has not been restored and it would appear that the missing original negative segments and the additional scenes, which include a musical dance number, Culpepper and Jimmy's phone conversation, plus a few more scenes involving a TV news anchorman detailing news about the race for the buried money, have been irretrievably lost. The new "video restoration" runs approximately 186 minutes which includes both parts, as well as the overture and entr'acte music, as well as the intermission and closing music.
  
  
• The current DVD release contains the General Release Version of 154 minutes. The 186-minute version (174 minutes without the overture and entr'acte music) has played occasionally on cable TV.
  
  
• While the 186-minute version is occasionally shown, it is important to remember that it is a patchwork job including footage never intended to be shown in any version. The 154 minute version (161 minutes including intermission and exit music) is the only version currently authorized by Kramer.
  
  
• Up through the late 1990s, the video widescreen version had been letterboxed for the 1.85:1 format even though the film was originally shot in Ultra Panavision. Another video transfer has since been made with the image letterboxed for the 2.35:1 format. This film is currently (2003) going through an extensive restoration which may soon result in a complete and fully letterboxed version being released.
  
  
• The following is a comparison of the DVD versus the TCM print:
  • No overture on the DVD
  • The opening titles on the DVD is a solid red, as opposed to the TCM print, which is green, then red, and it changes colors several times.
  • The following scenes are extended on the TCM print. I'll post where exactly on the DVD the scene would have been placed. That's to say, where the scene ends, and what was extended before or after it.
  • (The time includes the 10-second MGM lion, the opening titles, part 1, intermission/ent'ract, part 2, and exit music)
  • Part 1
  • 0:11:45 - More of the 5 explaining to Norman Fell about how Smiley thought Melville Crump was his Aunt Belle. 13 seconds, after time.
  • 0:13:32 - Extra police talk, and Norman Fell mentions that they should move the body before coyotes get to it. 16 seconds, after time.
  • 0:24:30 - Extended money talk between the 8 after Ethel Merman hits Mr. Pike, ending in a big argument. Extra police talk, when the officer returns Culpeper's flat hat. 47 seconds and 1 minute 34 seconds, after time.
  • 0:35:02 - this is before they return to the money talk, when they stop arguing and Melville is just about to explain the 25-share plan. 14 seconds, before time.
  • 0:32:19 - Extra car chasing scenes, and Aloysius loses his bet to Culpeper. 45 seconds, after time.
  • 0:37:54 - After the car drives away, Pike looks sad, and continues riding the girl's bike. The Crumps see the junk heap the guy calls a plane. 14 seconds and 43 seconds, after time.
  • 0:39:35 - At the garage, Russell tells Hawthorne about the plan, and he's in. 23 seconds, after time. Also, the 50-second scene preceding it, in which Mrs. Marcus insists that Hawthorne only gets 10%, was moved to a later spot, which makes sense since they cut out the Russell/Hawthorne scene that followed it.
  • 0:41:18 - A helicopter following the Crump's plane. 15 seconds, after time.
  • 0:45:48 - A short scene where Meyer asks Ray why they didn't move their garage closer to the city. 5 seconds, before tiem.
  • 0:47:48 - After Meyer drives away and Pike is knocked unconscious, Irwin tells Ray to hit him again. 12 seconds, after time.
  • 0:51:45 - More of the Garage fight, Irwin up on the beam, before Pike catches him. 12 seconds, after time.
  • 0:52:04 - Ray and Irwin getting the barbell before yelling "Charge!" 5 seconds, before time.
  • 0:52:11 - More garage fight, with the police commenting on it. 10 seconds, after time.
  • 0:53:36 - The cops check the garage, find Ray and Irwin still alive. 34 seconds, after time.
  • 0:55:13 - Russell saying they're wasting time, and Mrs. Marcus thinking he doesn't want Sylvester in on the money. 30 seconds, after time.
  • 0:59:13 - After Russell and Hawthorne up-end Mrs. Marcus to get the keys, the women are left behind and the men go. 27 seconds, after time.
  • 1:00:06 - While flying, there are a couple more problems. 10 seconds, after time.
  • 1:02:31 - After picking up the farmer, there's a conversation between Meyer and him, in which the farmer forces Meyer to drive on. 52 seconds, after time.
  • 1:03:16 - Upon finding Mrs. Marcus and Emmeline, Pike lets them in, after he gets assurance that Sylvester is in Santa Rosita. 26 seconds, after time.
  • 1:04:18 - A deleted bit of Sylvester and his girlfriend dancing, followed by a scene where Pike tells Emmeline he would have used the money to get something nice for Mrs. Jenkins. 20 seconds and 1 minute 4 seconds, after time.
  • 1:06:04 - Meyer can't drive back up the hill, followed by more plane trouble, and Meyer stuck again. 1 minute 1 second, after time.
  • 1:07:03 - Extra bit when kid gets in Meyer's car. 14 second, after time.
  • 1:09:44 - Extended bit of the Crumps running into the hardware store. 4 seconds, before time.
  • 1:13:30 - Despite his best efforts, Mel can't break down the door ("Can't you do it, Melville?" Monica asks while fixing her skirt). 37 seconds, after time.
  • 1:15:21 - The Crumps find the dynamite they use in the beginning of Part 2. 35 seconds, after time.
  • 1:18:21 - Moved, not cut, but teh scene where the Crumps try the alarm, destroy it, and Mel gets electrocuted. This was combined with the scene above, where they find the dynamite, but was moved to the time here. 1 minute 42 seconds
  • 1:18:21 - This part was cut at this time, Sylvester crying, thinking something horrible happened to Mrs. Marcus. 5 seconds, after time.
  • 1:20:06 - After the Alarm/Electrocution scene mentioned, Monica checking Mel in the paint cans. 8 seconds, before time.
  • 1:21:29 - Benjy and Dingy's plane trouble, Dingy throws water on Benjy. 24 seconds, after time.
  • 1:23:50 - Schwartz telling Culpeper his daughter's on hte phone. 2 seconds, before time.
  • 1:24:04 - More of Culpeper/Billie Sue dialogue. 30 seconds, after time.
  • 1:25:11 - I can't really remember what this scene is, as I just wrote "post-stupid idiot", but I think it was more stuff with Mrs. Marcus, Emmeline, and Pike. 26 seconds, after time.
  • 1:26:23 - After Mel uses the blowtorch on the door and sets it down, inadvertantly kicking it towards the stairs, there is this extended bit of the stairs actually catching fire. 10 seconds, after time.
  • Part 1 has a combined 14 minutes 2 seconds added in the TCM print.
  • Part 2:
  • 1:40:48 - Police commenting on Culpeper wanting a sundae. 29 seconds, after time.
  • 1:46:03 - More Mrs. Marcus/Emmeline/Pike dialogue, Em wants to go to the cops, and something about a reward. 14 second, before time.
  • 1:51:30 - More Sylvester/Russell/Hawthorne fight, assurance for Sylvester the story is true, followed by them all relying on Pike and his stolen truck. A short scene where Dingy and Benji's pen almost crashes in the tower. 1 minute 18 seconds and 14 seconds, after time.
  • 1:53:45 - The Colonel telling Dingy and Benji to be patient, followed by getting tied up in the wires, and mentioning "Forget the Brakes!". 34 seconds, after time.
  • Amazingly, for exactly 25 minutes and 3 seconds, it's nothing but the movie, with nothing added in to the TCM print.
  • 2:18:48 - Cab talk, Mel saying if they all stuck with the 25 share, and someone telling him to shut up. Cab talk in the other cab, Mrs. Marcus yelling followed by a "You're on my foot!". Culpeper fixes his flat hat again, then drives away. 13 seconds, 8 seconds, and 14 seconds, after time.
  • 2:27:05 - Radio call to arrest Culpeper, who hid in a taxi, then he runs into Mrs. Marcus the first time. 20 seconds, after time.
  • 2:30:25 - Mrs. Marcus yelling "Sylvester" then later "Don't push me!" when policemen try to move everyone away from the street. 5 seconds, after time.
  • Part 2 had a combined 3 minutes 49 seconds added in the TCM print.
  
  
  

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