Alternate "Journey Into Fear" Edit Discovered

[Eve]

concerning speculation about possible 'origins' of the European/August 1942 version ...

Another interesting discovery: Stefan told me that upon examining the "Locarno" print, he noticed one frame of a fade out containing a "British Board Of Film Censors" title card. This strongly suggests that this mysterious European version of the film originated in the U.K.

It's nothing really exciting - but I came across a page in "Focus on Orson Welles" that states that "Journey into Fear" was first shown in the U.K. in October 1943. The running time mentioned is - for the showing in the U.S. and in the U.K. - 71 min. Yet the February 1943/American-version runs only about 69 min. ...
Could it be that it was the August 1942/European-version? - (in Germany the film wasn't shown until 1972).
If yes, why did R.K.O. make use at such an early point of the than 'abandoned' version in the U.S.?
However Ambler reported viewing the film in London in 1944 (at a private screening?) without crediting Welles as co-author of the screenplay (which could indicate that he saw the February 1943/American-version) ...

[catbuglah]

http://www.epinions.com/content_165963533956

[François Thomas]

Having been moving places recently, I just came across this thread about Journey into Fear and read it greedily.

I am addressing the question of the two versions in two texts to appear next year in French:

- a series of three lengthy articles about the alternative versions of many a Welles film, to appear in Cinéma, for which I have compared the versions of each film shot by shot and sound by sound, also using the material from the Lilly Library when needed;
- a book cowritten with Jean-Pierre Berthomé, called Orson Welles at Work, to be published by Cahiers du cinéma. It should come out in English too as an English publisher optioned it.

The temporary version of Journey into Fear edited without Welles was released in France in 1982 and, from that point on, was the one occasionally shown on French TV. So it was easy from here to know about the two versions.

In answer to comments from Roger Ryan and Eve on September 23: No, the original cut did not contain an additional closing scene after Stephanie admonished her husband on the hotel ledge. Several endings were considered, but only two were shot, the ones we know.

Regarding the version released in the UK: the length and footage count given by the Monthly Film Bulletin at the time of the original release are those of the earlier cut; yet the review to be found in The Spectator seems to deal with the revised version.

[Eve]

François Thomas -
it's truly great hearing from you and also of the news of this soon to be published work.

In answer to comments from Roger Ryan and Eve on September 23: No, the original cut did not contain an additional closing scene after Stephanie admonished her husband on the hotel ledge. Several endings were considered, but only two were shot, the ones we know.

I'd like to ask you, if it is known whether the fact that several endings were considered, but only (concerning the earlier cut) the scene with Stephanie got shot - was a decision made by Welles/Foster or did it maybe depend on R.K.O. putting a stop to further work on the film?
And could you give hints of those "several endings" that "were considered"? What did they contain?

Regarding the version released in the UK: the length and footage count given by the Monthly Film Bulletin at the time of the original release are those of the earlier cut; yet the review to be found in The Spectator seems to deal with the revised version.

so this issue is still awaiting clarification.

Please forgive me my curiosity, but I'd like to ask you two more questions:
- Is it known whether the 'premiere' version shown in June of 1942 was still an 'authorized' one by Foster?
- How can the extend to which Welles was involved with the February 1943-edit be rated (apart from the narration, the re-shot ending and the added scenes)?

[Le Chiffre]

could you give hints of those "several endings" that "were considered"? What did they contain?

The ending of Journey that I remember seeing at the Lilly Library involved a reporter asking Haki what the story was with all these dead men in the street. Haki is evasive. The Grahams are then seen in a hotel room bickering about their respective "affairs", while Haki says he has a dinner date with Josette. I tried to get that ending printed off, but the OW estate said no.

[Eve]

mteal - thanks for providing the information about the ending. It sounds definitely better than what we've got now. But this ending wasn't actually shot, was it? From what source did you get it? Thanks, Eve.

[Le Chiffre]

If my hastily scribbled notes are correct, the script for that ending was in Box 20 Folder 19 of Lilly's Welles archive. I don't know that that ending was ever shot, but I do remember seeing a couple of JOURNEY photos at Lilly that seem to show Haki and Josette dressed up and going somewhere together, so who knows?

[Roger Ryan]

The ending Mteal has posted was one I believe was scripted by Welles after he left for South America, possibly in February or March, 1942. In the scene description, Welles notes that all of the shots featuring himself as Colonel Haki would be shot in Rio and matched with new footage shot in Hollywood. The majority of the action was described as taking place in the Grand Hotel lobby in Batumi: Haki on one side of the lobby being interviewed by various reporters, Russian and American; Howard on the other side trying to apologize to Stephanie about his relationship with Josette and becoming concerned that his wife has spent too much time with Haki. As Mr. Thomas mentioned, this ending was almost certainly never filmed.

There is evidence, however, to suggest two other possible endings were actually shot. Photographs showing Welles as Haki wearing a civilian bowler hat and about to board a ship with Josette suggest a "social date" between the two similar to the one Welles scripted in Rio. Because the two actors are shown together in the photos, this possible ending scene would have had to been shot prior to Welles leaving for South America, but oddly it is not accounted for in a dialogue continuity script completed a week after principal photography ended (it should be noted that every existing version of the shooting script ends with Banat's death and the words "TAG TO FOLLOW" typed on the last page).

In an undated memo sent to music supervisor C. Bakaleinikoff (but persumably written after the June, 1942 preview), Jack Moss requests that a new music cue be written that will begin during the hotel ledge climax and continue through "the final scene with the Grahams in their hotel suite" to the fade out. Again, no final "hotel suite" scene exists in either of the known versions, but persumably one did prior to the limited August, 1942 release.

[Le Chiffre]

That's a much better description Roger, thanks. BTW, if anybody wants to have a copy made of the Josette/Haki pics or two other pics at Lilly that would be worth getting showing Josette and Graham's kiss aboard the boat (which was in the script, but did not make it into the final film as released), you'll probably have to have a negative made for them, which is a little too pricey for me right now.

[Roger Ryan]

Actually, the Lilly Library's policy is to provide digital scans of photos only - JPGs that can be burned to a CD-R or downloaded. As of two weeks ago, the price was $2.00 a photo plus shipping and handling.

[Le Chiffre]

Very interesting. That's a big policy change from when I was there about five years ago. If that's the case, I've got several lightbulbs going on above my head.

BTW, has anone seen Val Lewton's THE GHOST SHIP from 1943? Just saw it as part of TCM's Val Lewton fest last week. Looks to me like it uses the same boat set as JOURNEY INTO FEAR; new song in an old cafe. Not a bad movie, really.

[Le Chiffre]

Here's the Josette/Howard kiss that was cut from the film:



B36,F1,P33,34

Haki and Josette boarding a ship (unused ending?):


B36,F2,P158

[Roger Ryan]

For those who are interested, Stefan Droessler's newly reconstructed version of "Journey Into Fear" will be showing at the Filmpodium in Zurich on December 18th and 21st.

[Terry]

Anyone see Stefan's cut? Did it use the variant footage from the US and EU versions? Did he use stills? Did it contain anything else?

[Roger Ryan]

Stefan's reconstruction is still a work-in-progress, but the rough cut does indeed include all of the footage from both existing versions of the film (minus Cotten's voice-over narration), plus select stills and intertitles detailing action and dialogue cut from the footage.

Store Hadji - I noticed you have added "Journey Into Fear - A Reconstruction" to your trade list. Is this your own reconstruction attempt?