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Missing scenes from original theatrical release?

posted 7 years ago by ccr1633 (1538)
4 replies | jump to latest

This is an excerpt from an IMDB user review (Ted Moran):

Saw this in the theater at it's release. Went back the next weekend and scenes were cut. They remain cut in every version I've seen since. Frank snaps chalk lines off traces of blueprints onto the safe face in the opening heist. Guess the crime commission didn't dig that, 'cause that 5 seconds is history in every cut I've seen since. How do the boys and their gear get up on the roof of the bank building? Rocket assisted grappling hook mortars firing mountain lines and Jumar ascenders from the parking lot. You won't see that scene anymore, either.

Any truth to this?

[–] BourbonKing (5788) 7 years ago

He must have been wearing his tinfoil hat during his first viewing.

[–] ccr1633 (1538) 7 years ago

Probably just cooked up some freebase with that foil too, just beforehand.

[–] drboostv6 (1) 6 years ago

Hi ccr1633, I read this and just had to become a member to throw in what I know. I saw this opening night (I believe in Niles IL (Golf Mill theater) (believe it is a 24 gym now?). I can confirm that there were chalk lines on the face of the safe door on the opening sequence but cannot confirm how the rooftop equipment was transported.. as I suspect I missed it or don;t recall it. I wanted to reach out to Ted Moran via IMDB years ago but of course IMDB remove their message board :( I recently looked into finding Ted in person only to find out that he has recently passed away. He was a LEO / dispatch / radio guy in Wilmette. I believe he lived in Wheeling.

No tin foil. This was a new era for Chicago movie making. There was probably extra scrutiny put on the first couple of films release at the beginning of Jane Byrne's term as mayor:

https://patch.com/illinois/northcenter-roscoevillage/jane-byrne-made-best-scenes-blues-brothers-possible

She is also responsible for the Taste of Chicago festival we take for granted every summer.

There was a long hiatus of film making in Chicago from the 1920's until 1979.

I would sure like to see the original print released again :(

[–] Roguemail (1634) 6 years ago

There was never a scene showing how they got on the roof.

The camera pans up from the travelling bus which has 'Des Moines' on the front, there is a quick cut to a different night skybans the camera pans down again to the roof.

Tangerine Dreams score plays continuously through this sequence so it's obvious there was no additional scene in between.