Heavy Duty dog do.

Rest assured, your memory isn't playing tricks on you. Basically, two different versions of the film exist. The first is the theatrical cut, which runs 118 mins. (113 mins PAL). This version is littered with dubbed dialogue that was added in post production at the behest of American International Pictures, who had co-financed the film and held the US distribution rights. The line by Carl Weathers that you refer to is one such example of this, along with several added/altered lines by Harrison Ford and a voice impersonator for Robert Shaw, who had sadly died between the end of filming and the point at which the alterations were made. If you study this version it becomes clear that all the dubbed lines have been inserted when the characters are either off camera, or have their backs to it. In this version the opening narration is delivered by an American in a rather 'sensationalist' tone. Also, passages of Ron Goodwin's score were inserted into parts of the film for which they were not intended (the CD Soundtrack chronicles how Goodwin scored the film to the 126 min. version during the summer of 1978). AIP also commissioned their own title sequence, with yellow text over a background of WWII photographs. This version was also released internationally by Columbia Pictures, who held the worldwide distribution rights, and simply removed any reference to AIP from the titles. It was this version which ITV screened here in the UK during the '80's, and Columbia released on VHS. The copyright for this version is owned by AIP.

The second version is the one generally referred to as the Restored version, and runs 126 mins. (121 mins PAL). This first surfaced on the BBC in 1990, again in '92, and then on Channel 4 in 1999, 2001, 2002 and again last year. It's effectively Guy Hamilton's original cut, before it was tampered with by AIP, containing Patrick Allen's opening narration, no cheesy sounding dubbed dialogue, some slightly elongated scenes, and the score as Ron Goodwin wrote and recorded it. The Region 2 DVD (rather incorrectly labelled as 'Brand New Extended Version') also restores the original opening titles consisting of white text in capitals on a background of blue tinted lights and shadows (the version that both the BBC and Channel 4 screen retains the AIP opening tiles). These now match the beige tinted end titles which Columbia Pictures retained on the international release of the theatrical cut (the AIP version consisted of yellow text over a black background). The copyright for this version is owned by Navarone Productions Limited.


The Region 1 DVD contains both cuts of the film, although the Theatrical cut is a pan'n'scan abomination, and the Restored version is a very inferior print to the beautiful Region 2 transfer. However, it's interesting to compare the two cuts, as they feel quite different when scrutinised together. The Restored version is certainly the definitive and more preferable of the two. When I get the time I will update the 'Alternate Versions' page with a detailed description of the differences between the two cuts of the film. Cheers, Kev.