Mission: Search For The Fritz Lang Directors Cut!

It would be nice if the original premiere version could be found, but being missing for almost 90 years, it is most likely gone forever. The "Complete" Metropolis that was released on DVD/Blu_Ray a few years back is probably the closest we will ever get to seeing that version. We should be grateful for even that...

Unfortunately, due to, poor film stock and poor storage facilities, accidents like fires, the idea that no one would ever wants to see some of these old films and TV shows again, and there being no market for consumer purchases (Pre-Home Video)... Many of these movies, were damaged, destroyed, discarded, and/or tapes were reused for new productions... and are totally lost forever.

Perhaps, like in the case of the "Complete" Metropolis, someone may have obtained a private copy that survived outside of the studios, which may be found, in some condition or another... But it is not very likely.

The most likely scenario for any surviving copies now, would involve such materials being stored into the back of a closet, or in a box in someone's attic, which either the owners have forgotten about, or their descendants have no clue as to what they have.

Several Episodes of the British show "Doctor Who" have gone "missing" over the years. The BBC claims that many were either discarded or in some cases, where they were TAPED, the tapes were wiped and re-used. However from time to time an episode will turn up in some strange places and will get returned to the BBC, thus pleasing fans of the show, because they get cleaned up, and released to consumers on DVD.

NASA claims that the Apollo 11 mission tapes, with the original transmitted video from the moon, were "Wiped" and reused for other missions... (Please no conspiracy comments here, I only mentioned this example based on this being true...)

However... With these two cases of:

- "Doctor Who": there is a famous episode featuring the First Doctor regenerating into the Second Doctor that is missing. That episode is the most highly sought after "Lost Episode" as the new regeneration concept was something very important to the continuation of the show, which is still being produced today, because of it.

- Apollo 11: For the first time in human history, Man travels to another heavenly body and sets foot on it. These types of moments in history usually gets saved and sent to the national archives, or the Smithsonian Museum...

So, in My Opinion, it is quite possible that these things DO EXIST, in someone's private collection. After all, who wouldn't want to have them? I just CAN'T believe that no one at NASA, didn't think, "Hmm, perhaps we should save this amazing event for history!"

Perhaps someday, when someone's closet or attic get cleaned out, they will find these things and they'll be rediscovered...

But most important, even if these owners are aware of what they have, they may NOT be aware that the studios no longer have the originals and are seeking these copies...

I hope that no one is intentionally keeping these to themselves, after all the rest of the world should be able to have access to these materials to be able to enjoy them for generations to come. (You can make a deal to rent them out for some significant amounts of money, and then later, you can get the originals back to keep as souvenirs, you know...)

But the sad truth is, that unless people start looking behind things and in all sorts of storage places, they are probably lost to time.



"Put A Little Love In Your Heart, and then Make Your Own Kind Of Music, on the road to Shambala!"

I believe I read once that the 3.5 hour cut was projected at a lower frame-rate and that, minus two major scenes, the 2010 restoration is complete.
I'm not sure if that's true, but it is a reasonable explanation.

The 2010 version is almost complete. 31/2 hours is wrong, the correct speed of the movie is as shown in the latest restored version.
Only about 5 mins are missing forever.