Beatrice Welles rediscovers 2 original drafts of 'Ambersons'

[Dan]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/orson-welles-camera-scripts-citizen-692207?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories%29

[Roger Ryan]

In regards to the reported "two different endings" found in the AMBERSONS script drafts, I suspect the first is the one found in the final shooting script dated "October 7th, 1941" that can be read at this link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/194137476/The ... son-Welles

Similar to the way Welles ended his 1939 radio adaption, the final shooting script has Eugene writing an entry in his diary describing his reconciliation with George in the hospital; his words are recited in voice-over on the soundtrack. The rather bizarre element in this is that Eugene addresses the deceased Isabel with the entry as if she would be reading it.

The second ending which didn't make it in the released version could very well be the "boarding house" scene between Eugene and Fanny which ended Welles' original edit. It appears that Welles concocted this ending at some point after the Oct. 7th "final shooting script", possibly after principal photography began on Oct. 28th, 1941. We know this is the ending Welles intended because it is documented in the March 12th, 1942 "cutting continuity" for the 131 min. version, but I have never seen an actual shooting script for it. Perhaps the "second original draft" mentioned in this news release contains it.

[Le Chiffre]

Thanks for the link, Dan. Here is Ray Kelly's Masslive article on it:
http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/i ... ra_an.html

I suspect you are quite right, Roger.

[jbrooks]

From a close reading of the catalog from the recent Heritage auction, it seems to me that there was nothing new in the two "Ambersons" scripts sold. The first seems to have been the standard shooting script with the ending in which Eugene writes a letter. The second wasn't a "script" at all. It was a cutting continuity of the preview version of the finished film. It featured the boarding house scene -- but since it isn't a shooting script, it isn't anything we haven't seen before.

[Roger Ryan]

From a close reading of the catalog from the recent Heritage auction, it seems to me that there was nothing new in the two "Ambersons" scripts sold...The second wasn't a "script" at all. It was a cutting continuity of the preview version of the finished film. It featured the boarding house scene -- but since it isn't a shooting script, it isn't anything we haven't seen before.

Thanks for looking into that. When you say "preview", do you mean the March 12, 1942 cutting continuity for the 131 min. edit? Technically, that version was never previewed for an audience apart from studio executives; various cuts were already made before the initial two "disastrous" previews in Pomona and Pasadena. If it was a cutting continuity for one of the preview cuts, it would be additional proof as to how the film was altered apart from the telegram sent to Welles describing the changes.

[jbrooks]

Roger,

I was just using "preview version" to distinguish it from the released version of the film. It cannot be discerned from Heritage's description exactly what version of the film is being transcribed -- though the sample pages do include the boarding house scene. The cutting continuity is untitled and undated and 89 pages long. I suspect it's of the 131 minute version. Someone with a copy of the cutting continuity for the 131 minute version could compare it to the sample pages to be sure.

[Roger Ryan]

I took a look at the Heritage site myself and I feel confident that the "cutting continuity" that was auctioned was the one done for the 131 min. edit. According to the description, this is a photocopy made sometime in the 60s. A more interesting version resides at the U-M Special Collections library that notes all of the planned deletions for the shorter released cut (fortunately, the "crossing out" marks are done with subtlety so the actual dialogue and shot descriptions are not obscured). The auctioned "Shooting Script" is an earlier one than I linked to above ("August 15th, 1941") and the sample pages show that Welles pruned quite a bit of it down for the October "final" shooting script.

Reviewing all of the auctioned items is quite enjoyable. I noticed that Beatrice was selling 275 photos from AMBERSONS, but it looks like virtually all of them are the standard publicity stills and behind-the-scenes images found elsewhere. I would be curious if any unique frame enlargements from the deleted footage were included, but I guess that would have been noted in the description to improve the sale price.

Also, I noticed that the "TOUCH OF EVIL" photos that sold for $1,375.00 are not actually from that film, but appear to be from Martin Ritt's THE LONG HOT SUMMER!