MovieChat Forums > The Lost World (1925) Discussion > Fox DVD version too short?

Fox DVD version too short?

posted 16 years ago by nebbs
8 replies | jump to latest

How come the 1925 version on the newish Fox DVD (with the 1960 version)is the Eastman House Restoaration, but it only runs around 75 minutes? Any clarification would be much appreciated,

thanks.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 16 years ago

I can't imagine why it would be. Did they cut out all of Zambo's scenes or something?

[–] nebbs 16 years ago

No, his scenes are in...and his dialogue is written up in the original, non-PC form, too.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 16 years ago

I can't imagine what they would have left out then. I haven't seen it for myself, so I can't begin to imagine what they left out and what they added back in. Perhaps they left out some of the scenes in London? Maybe some of the build up along the way to the Plateau was left out? I really can't imagine why they'd add some of the footage back in, but deliberately leave other pieces of footage out.

[–] BijouBob8mm 15 years ago

Ironically, this shorter cut of the film contains material not found in the longer Eastman House restoration. (The whole encounter with the native girl at the outpost, with Challenger showing up after having played a trick on Summerlee by having given him a blank map...material the longer restoration did not include for whatever reason.)

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] james_tiger_lee 13 years ago

The one on the FOX DVD is indeed the Eastman house resoration. It plays at a slightly fast speed hence the shorter running time.

Sadly, the Eastman house version totally eliminates one of the dinosaur scenes, where the Allosaurus is killed and then eviscerated by a Triceratops. This scene is on the longer Image DVD and I understand was also on the old 16mm transfers doing the rounds for 70 odd years.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] chuck-526 9 years ago

Just bought the original 1925 version on DVD

Not really; that claim was at best misleading.

Even documentation of the tortured history of this film is fragmented and generally incomplete. A good place to start to learn about all the versions and restorations is http://silentmoviemonsters.tripod.com/TheLostWorld/LWRESTORATION.html.

This is one of those films where obtaining one of the many "cheaper" DVDs will probably result in a significantly poorer viewing experience. (And even the two good restorations are a] rather different and b] not universally in print.)