aphra

Criterion has brought out a marvellous DVD commercially of NIGHT AND THE CITY and there is a good documentary on the disc that compares the two versions of the film, the British with a music track by Benjamin Frankel and the American with the track by Franz Waxman. In order to prepare the DVD Criterion must have had access to the British version, but to my knowledge it has never been shown on British TV. The version we get is always the American one. Like you, I have always wanted to find the complete British version - which also differs in its ending and various other ways - so if you have any luck, do get in touch with me, please.
Thanks, Aphra

HitchcockScholar

I'm also looking for the "British version" (with Benjamin Frankel's music track).
Any idea?
A.K.

ChristineCB

I'll keep this bumped to the top and a little sticky note to look around for this. More later...

ChristineCB

OK, after investigating my Criterion copy, no, all I have is the "comparison discussion" of the two different scores. There doesn't seem to be a method to even switch audio tracks (much less Credit Frames) as if they would have included the complete score.

BIG SLEEP included the original version plus the version that included the additional scenes.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN included the USA Release and the UK Release.

Criterion even did this for EQUINOX - restoring the theatrical version and finding the original film and remastering that.

Strange.

Guenther

I'd also like to get my hands on the British version.

D Cairns

I thought I had it, but no, I have a VHS of the US cut and now the Criterion disc also. The US score sounds much better to me, also the opening VO (by Dassin, it sounds like) but the UK version has additional scenes...it would be great if Dassin, who is still happily alive, were allowed to cut both versions together to get the best scenes of both -- he wasn't really allowed to supervise the editing of either version at the time, being semi-blacklisted.

ChristineCB

Ah, that explains it. Whew - I am SO glad the world has been saved from those vicious blacklisted types. Boy.

As someone once said, "A giant leap for mankind..."

Guenther

Frankel's main title is much more sophisticated than Waxman's, IMO:
http://www.chelsearialtostudios.com/nightfra.mp3

Waxman's:
http://www.chelsearialtostudios.com/nightcity.mp3

The sound is much better on the Waxman version though.

A CD can be ordered here:
Screen Archives

D Cairns

As the Criterion extras observe, both composers were well-versed in jazz and quite able. The Waxman score is more melodramatic, and maybe less sophisticated, but in the scenes I saw it also seemed more dramatically effective, imho. I love FW's work, going back to thirties work like BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and REMEMBER LAST NIGHT? which are incredibly smart, witty works. His score for NIGHT AND THE CITY complimented the hyper-intense noir visuals and Widmark's sweaty, often-hysterical performance.