In November 1991, this movie was aired on TV in Spain (I'm certain of the date because there's currently a videotape-ripped TV ad for it on YouTube). It was dubbed into Spanish, common practice on the country's TV, but it was definitely the full-lenght version, as I discovered much later when finding the most common cut online and comparing the completely different openings both versions have. I was not aware of that version being so obscure, as since it was on TV I guessed it would be the default one, but no info seems to be found online about anything else from it than the original drowning ending, which this definitely had. But I'll post what else I remember, just in case people might find it interesting.
My memory is a bit hazy since it was quite a long time ago, hence why I'm posting this as a comment instead of as a trivia item or an alternate versions listing. Can't be positive on all the details. But in any case, the opening was completely different and much more surreal. It stuck with me all these years.
Instead of the footage of Katharine Hepburn wandering around the streets of New York (I'm not sure if that footage appeared later in the movie or not), it opened with a scene set on an old time train, in what appeared to be around the 1920s. Hepburn's character was there, travelling with her family, which if I remember correctly included a younger couple, either daughter and son-in-law or son and daughter-in-law, and two twin kids around 10 or 12 years old, dressed in those old-time sailor suits kids used to wear in those days. All looking pretty happy. They arrived at a beach, and then someone, either Hepburn or another family member, walked into the water and drowned. Turns out it was a dream Hepburn was having, which seemed to haunt her all the time since the movie went back to the drowning footage at several spots of the story, and which of course fits with the original ending. That scene had the credits over it, which had more ornate lettering than the common version, and I'm pretty sure the onscreen title was "The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley".
I'm not aware of it being on TV again ever since, and as far as I know the current DVD version that can be found in Spain is the common shorter cut. But I assume the long version is what played in cinemas back then, and what was released on videotape as well. A company called CB Films (whose logo, and not Cannon's, did open the TV screening) released it on video, and used videotapes can be found on auction sites from time to time. Of course, they're still the Spanish dub, so I don't know how valuable they might be.
The movie itself? To be honest I didn't much care for it, found it too mean-spirited, but that might be because I was too young to get the intended satire. I didn't bother to watch the cut version due to its terrible reputation, but if I ever come across the full version again I'd be willing to give it another chance, if only out of curiosity. I wish I knew it was that rare, I would have taped and kept it!
My memory is a bit hazy since it was quite a long time ago, hence why I'm posting this as a comment instead of as a trivia item or an alternate versions listing. Can't be positive on all the details. But in any case, the opening was completely different and much more surreal. It stuck with me all these years.
Instead of the footage of Katharine Hepburn wandering around the streets of New York (I'm not sure if that footage appeared later in the movie or not), it opened with a scene set on an old time train, in what appeared to be around the 1920s. Hepburn's character was there, travelling with her family, which if I remember correctly included a younger couple, either daughter and son-in-law or son and daughter-in-law, and two twin kids around 10 or 12 years old, dressed in those old-time sailor suits kids used to wear in those days. All looking pretty happy. They arrived at a beach, and then someone, either Hepburn or another family member, walked into the water and drowned. Turns out it was a dream Hepburn was having, which seemed to haunt her all the time since the movie went back to the drowning footage at several spots of the story, and which of course fits with the original ending. That scene had the credits over it, which had more ornate lettering than the common version, and I'm pretty sure the onscreen title was "The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley".
I'm not aware of it being on TV again ever since, and as far as I know the current DVD version that can be found in Spain is the common shorter cut. But I assume the long version is what played in cinemas back then, and what was released on videotape as well. A company called CB Films (whose logo, and not Cannon's, did open the TV screening) released it on video, and used videotapes can be found on auction sites from time to time. Of course, they're still the Spanish dub, so I don't know how valuable they might be.
The movie itself? To be honest I didn't much care for it, found it too mean-spirited, but that might be because I was too young to get the intended satire. I didn't bother to watch the cut version due to its terrible reputation, but if I ever come across the full version again I'd be willing to give it another chance, if only out of curiosity. I wish I knew it was that rare, I would have taped and kept it!