I bought the MGM DVD of It's A Mad Mad World & was dissapointed to find an intermission about an
hour into the movie.
This is wrong, I know it's a long movie but really.
The only other DVD I have that has an intermission is Oliver. That was ruined by intermission too.
[deleted]
I know what you mean, but it's there as an attempt to provide the whole movie, which of course had an intermission. I just bought the Criterion version which has a restored version of the film using footage cut out of the theatrical version. The intermission has the audio of numerous police car reports of the whereabouts and activities of the characters. Nothing else, just a black screen with those calls. Then the second half of the movie begins. I will skip over them next time.
"All necessary truth is its own evidence." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
To holbrookp can you provide the running time of your Criterion DVD.
I've wondered if a truly "complete" version of this film has ever been released on video. To my knowledge, when the film played roadshow it ran well over three hours. Subsequently, I think it has been extensively cut twice.
Burned an almost complete version shown on TCM a few years ago to DVD. I saw the original when it premiered in NYC in 1963.
shareI taped that TCM version as well. I also bought the Criterion version, but prefer that TCM version.
I remember the intermission when I saw the movie as a kid in 1963. You would go into the lobby and they would play those police calls over the movie speakers. Good stuff.
You need to catch it at the original Mad World theater, The Cinerama Dome. Once you see it there, you'll dig the the reinserted intermission from then on. It's fun hitting the concession in the Dome lobby (or making your long movie pit stop) while intermission music is playing because it is piped in throughout the Dome lobby area with the police chatter included. it just adds to the unique experience that is It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Have seen it there multiple times and will go again the next time they decide to screen it again. Always a great time. I always hope every fan of the film is able to see it there at least once. A fun night out, for sure.
"It's not the ups and downs that make life difficult, it's the jerks." Charles Chaplin
90 minutes into the DVD they have the INTERMISSION on my copy, where they play interstitial music for over three minutes.
"I will not go down in history as the greatest mass-murderer since Adolf Hitler!" - Merkin Muffley
Cinerama dome? It's still playing? I would go to the big w and get the treasue myself, THEN use that to pay admission to see this movie.
shareJust saw Ant-Man in the Cinerama Dome on Sunday. Check the Arclight Hollywood site every now and then. Check their Arclight Presents section. That's where they list upcoming classics screenings. Mad World usually pops up at least once a year.
"It's not the ups and downs that make life difficult, it's the jerks." Charles Chaplin
I think I've seen this print at the AFI theater in Silver Spring, MD. In the Ultra Panavision and 6-track stereo, it was absolutely spectacular.
shareErnest Gold's beautiful score is definitely worth it.
shareRuined? Hmm... MY remote has a button labelled 'SKIP', which I use to skip past stuff I don't want to see.
shareIn some repects to omit the intermission is not unlike re-editing the film. The director decided where the intermission should be and choose that place for a reason.
Kinda like the pan and scan.
I know it sounds far fetched but any alteration from the original release is re-editing.
Well, the film was pretty long and I guess the director felt they needed to have an intermission to have the audience relax from laughing their asses off so much.
share