"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly", the last film of the "Dollars" trilogy, is known as one of the most famous movies by Sergio Leone. The brilliant acting by Eli Wallach in the role of Tuco is a bliss, as well as the landscapes - scarse, but still epic - and the magnificent score by Ennio Morricone.

For a long time, the English-speaking community of the world could only see the 163 minute American cut of the picture (154 min in PAL). A 14 minutes longer version existed in Italy only. The first DVD edition offered the extended scenes as a bonus in Italian with English subtitles.

In the year 2002, MGM undertook the effort of restoring the Italian premiere cut. Both image and sound have been restored. For dubbing the missing scenes, Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach were involved; other actors were dubbed by voice imitators. This version is even longer than the regular Italian cut, for it features a scene known as "Il Grotto" for the first time since the Rome premiere. Also, this DVD contains an extended version of the torture scene as well as an attempt of reconstructing the incomplete "Socorro" scene.

The following analysis compares the Extended Edition (R2) with the First US DVD edition (R1). All the times have been recalculated into PAL running time.

English film intro

US Version: 2:35:05. (until fade to black)
Extended Version: 2:50:26. (until fade to black)

The difference between the versions is 13 cuts with a total duration of 0:15:58.

Cut 1
0:18:26 Min. (Time index, US Version)
0:18:23 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
We see the barrel of Blondie's gun again. He puts it away, then he starts walking towards Tuco.

Difference: 3 Sec

Cut 2
0:36:39 Min. (Time index, US Version)
0:36:43 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
(Fade in from the previous scene) This is the "Il Grotto" scene which was absent both from the Italian cut and all the other cuts aside from the Rome premiere version (according to the producer Alberto Grimaldi).
Tuco comes into a cave, carrying a chicken. He sits down next to a boiling pot and starts lamenting about his lost three friends he used to have. He mentions a job that he has for them: a blonde guy who has 4000 dollars. Three ropes come from a hole in the ceiling, and three Mexicans appear. They talk to Tuco, discussing the rumours of his demise. These are the same Mexicans which try to get Clint by surprise in the next scene.

Difference: 03:09 Sec

Cut 3
0:39:06 Min. (Time index, US Version)
0:42:19 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Blondie continues to clean his gun. Change to the outside, where more wagons and soldiers are passing by.

Difference: 16 Sec

Cut 4
0:41:17 Min. (Time index, US Version)
0:44:46 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Blondie takes longer to turn around.

Difference: 2.8 Sec


Cut 5
0:44:04 Min. (Time index, US Version)
0:47:36 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Angel Eyes visits a destroyed fort of the Confederate soldiers. He sees the wounded Southerners and talks to their captain. The captain says that they have only gnawed-off corncobs to eat. Angel Eyes wants to know if the captain ever heard of Bill Carson and gives him a bottle of whiskey. The captain says that the Yankees drove Carson's regiment into the desert. If they ever survive, they would come into the prisoners camp Betterville. Angel Eyes tells him to keep the bottle and rides off.

Difference: 04:07 Sec

Cut 6
0:52:21 Min. (Time index, US Version)
1:00:00 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Another scene of Tuco's sadism in the desert. Blondie is lying on the sand, he is exhausted. He sees Tuco's boots in front of him, gathers his last strength and grabs them. However, the boots are empty: Tuco is sitting next to him, taking a foot bath. He offers Blondie to drink the filthy water. As Blondie attempts to drink it, Tuco turns the bucket over. Blondie starts to crawl again.

Difference: 02:09 Sec

Cut 7
1:00:44 Min. (Zeitindex Int. Fassung)
1:10:34 Min. (Zeitindex Ext. Fassung)
(Fade out) In the night, Tuco and Blondie arrive at a Confederate fort. Tuco asks the commander where an injured person can be taken care of. The commander tels him that the most sensible thing to do would be to surrender to the Yankees. Tuco finds out that they are not far from the Apache Canyon and that there is a Mission not far away. He drives off to look for it. (Fade to the view of the Mission)

Difference: 01:29 Sec

1:07:51 Min. (Time index, US Version)
1:19:10 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
The US Version has a fade to black here, the Extended doesn't.

Difference: 0.5 Sec (US Version is slightly longer here)

Cut 8
1:14:25 Min. (Time index, US Version)
1:25:42 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Tuco and Blondie ride on the wagon. Tuco reads the map to tell where they are and where they should be heading to. Blondie tries to find out the destination of the journey. He says that they are likely to cross the front lines several times and that it would be reasonable to tell him the destination. Tuco doesn't fall for it.

Difference: 00:44 Sec

Cut 9
1:34:54 Min. (Time index, US Version)
1:46:56 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
The train drives on. Here is a fade to a night in Angel Eyes' camp. Angel Eyes is sleeping, as well as Blondie. Suddenly there is a suspicious noise from the bushes. Blondie shoots and kills a man hiding there. Than he says to Angel Eyes that the others should come out before they catch a cold. Five more guys from Angel Eyes' gang appear. Blondie looks amused and says that they are six - a lucky number. Angel Eyes tells that the lucky number is three; Blondie answers that he has six shots in his gun.

Difference: 01:40 Sec

Cut 10
1:55:45 Min. (Time index, US Version)
2:09:27 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
The captain leads Tuco and Blondie some longer through his encampment. He says that the side which has more booze to encourage the soldiers will be the winner. Both sides have one thing in common: they stink of booze. Then the captain asks Tuco and Blondie for their names. They don't answer, and the captain says, names aren't important anyway.

Difference: 00:55 Sec

Cut 11
2:06:28 Min. (Time index, US Version)
2:21:06 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
The doctor takes a clean dabber from a medic and changes the captain's bandage. The captain is screaming with pain. Tuco and Blondie put some more dynamite charges on the bridge. (the US version continues here)

Difference: 00:36 Sec

Cut 12
2:08:00 Min. (Zeitindex Int. Fassung)
2:23:14 Min. (Zeitindex Ext. Fassung)
Blondie looks anxiously to the bridge and chews on his cigarillo.

Difference: 2.8 Sec

Cut 13
2:14:21 Min. (Time index, US Version)
2:29:37 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
Blondie waits slightly longer for the cannon to fire.

Difference: 0.5 Sec

2:35:21 Min. (Time index, US Version)
2:50:38 Min. (Time index, Ext. Version)
The Extended Version contains credits for the Extended Version here. The US theatrical version fades to black here. The music is identical in both versions.

No difference.