MovieChat Forums > When Time Ran Out... (1980) Discussion > Different versions of WTRO

Different versions of WTRO

posted 15 years ago by jwlcal
3 replies | jump to latest

I've been trying to figure out the 121 minute/109 minute issue. I've been a huge fan of 70's disaster cinema my whole life, and I know most of them inside and out. I had seen When Time Ran Out with my two buddies a few times in the theater and got to know it pretty well. We also watched it several times on cable in the early 80's and got to know the thing pretty much by heart. Then WTRO came to network TV, retitled "Earth's Final Fury". My friends and I were thrilled with all the additional scenes/dialogue, and noted everytime something new came on. I taped it on VHS when it was on TV, and bought the old clamshell VHS around 1985. Though I never saw the theatrical version again, I was always very well aware of what was added for the TV version (and cut from the theatrical version). To my knowledge the theatrical version has not been shown again in about 20-25 years and has never been released in any format anywhere, so I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that not too many people in the entire world have seen it in decades. Though I had a keen knowledge of the original version back in the day, I haven't seen it myself since about 1982 so my memory is a bit fuzzy. The thing I am quite confident about is what was added for the television version, since my buddies and I noted what was added back in the day (and have been watching the extended version for many moons now). I was disapointed when I saw that the new DVD release was only 109 minutes (since WTRO was always listed as 121 minutes) but, having never seen the film in widescreen, I purchased it anyway. I took a couple of evenings and watched the new DVD literally side-by-side with my old 1985 extended version vhs. WTRO's journey from movie theater to TV was more than just a bunch of added scenes. Someone really spent a whole lot of time retooling a reediting this movie for the small screen. Scenes were added, scenes where cut, different dialogue is sometimes dubbed it, different insert shots are used, different transitions (from one scene to another) are used, in some cases entirely different takes of certain scenes are used, etc. I went through every scene with a fine tooth comb, and came up with a pretty detailed and thorough document of all the differences. Here's what I've come up with in a nutshell - everything that's (A) on the extended vhs version and (B) that's NOT on the new DVD, is all footage that was added for television. Even stuff I've heard mentioned as possible deletions from the 121 minute version (Bob's revelation to Brian that they are brothers, the rooster fighting scenes, etc) were NOT in the theatrical/cable version that I was used to. I have no idea where these missing 12 minutes that were supposedly deleted from the 121 minute version to create this 109 minute version are. Since I've verified everything that's on the extended version (and that's not on the new dvd) is footage added for TV, that means the missing 12 minutes were not only deleted from the 121 minute version, but the were also deleted from the extended TV/VHS version. My question is - does anyone actually have any real proof of the mythic 121 minute version? I know that you can go to pretty much any movie site and see WTRO listed as 121 minutes, and even back in the day when it was on cable it was always listed as 121 minutes. Could this be an error, and maybe it never was 121 minutes (or maybe it's just the result of some last-minute editing)? I swear, I knew the theatrical/cable version pretty much by heart (at least, the version I was seeing), and there is nothing that looks missing when I watch the 109 minute version. I've also always been well aware of all the added-for-tv scenes/dialogue that were not in the theatrical version I had seen (and I now have everything documented for reference). I just wonder if there's any kind of proof at all that there really was a 121 minute version. I know this movie really, really well and even I'm confused.

Anyway, the film looks great in widescreen, but it's still pretty cheesy! Awesome location photography, but the green-screen special effects (especially when certain characters fall oddly sideways into the lava) still leave me rolling in the aisles!

[–] cameo-kirby 15 years ago

It was listed as 121 minutes in the original newspaper reviews and ads for theatres showing the movie indicate that 121 minute running time as well-i.e the movie started every 2 hours and 15 minutes. One week later some of the same theatres were now showing it starting every 2 hours-others still had the former schedule. Appears to have been shortened after the first week and bad reviews/poor business. I've read of other instances where directions to edit were sent to the movie theatres themselves by the studios-usually cutting so many feet off the beginning or ending of a reel-pretty easy to do. Looks like theatres had the option of the longer or edited version. In the Chicago area the movie didn't show in first class/first run theatres-it opened at smaller neighborhood theatres & drive-ins and was gone from the listings in the paper by May 1980.

[–] lwa9921602-1 14 years ago

I found this in a review of the dvd by coolcinematrash. You can see it on their website including some stills of the missing footage. You are correct. There are scenes omitted from both the dvd and extended vhs versions.

Article starts here:
Deleted scenes and additional footage found their way back into the movie when Earth’s Final Fury (the film’s TV title) made its debut on network television. This extended 143 min version was released on VHS as the “expanded video edition” with some of the additional scenes retaining their tell-tale “fade to black” commercial edits.

Among other things, the love triangle between Franciscus, Carrera and Albert received more screen time. Before the caravan leaves the hotel, Albert not only learns that Carrera has been unfaithful, but that Franciscus is his half brother! This revelation helps explain why Albert was cast as a Pacific Islander. Without these scenes his part isn’t much more than an extended cameo role. Scenes featuring Alex Karras and a cockfight at Mona’s bar/whorehouse were added as well as a moment where Pat Morita gets to smack a hysterical Sheila Allen. Knowing that Allen is the producer’s wife only makes the slap more enjoyable.

The theatrical version of When Time Ran Out runs at a comfortable two hours. The cuts that were made help sharpen the pace and don’t interfere with the story too much. The cockfighting subplot is nearly gone and the painfully long caravan sequence has thankfully been trimmed to a more agreeable length. Unfortunately, Cortese’s death scene near the end of the movie was also trimmed out. Her character dies off camera.

The theatrical version also includes some scenes that didn’t make it to the longer video edition. The introduction to the Franciscus and Hamel characters is longer. Their scene in the hotel suite ends with a mutual shower. A scene where a winded Borgnine chases after a jogging Red Buttons is included. It’s a comical moment that draws attention to the fact that the two played similar characters years earlier in The Poseidon Adventure (1972). The precarious ledge sequence also is slightly longer. The body of the dead ranch hand is shown at the bottom of the ravine and reaction shots from each of the main characters are shown. A few shots of them hiking through picturesque island wilderness before nightfall are also included.

[–] Ripshin 13 years ago

Good grief. Creepy. Are you homebound?