With the approach he took, the original cut of Greed really should have been released as a mini-series, except that that concept, and TV, did not exist at the time. Estimates vary at the length of the first cut [the time for one reel depends on the frame rate at which it was shot] but at the common frame rate of the time would have been at least 8 hours. Some estimates claim as high as 9-10 hours with as many as 47 reels. There is a 6 hour reconstruction, which I have seen. It is exhausting to watch. After the film was cut down multiple times the remnants were stored for several decades, but supposedly they were ultimately thrown away or purposely destroyed in the 1950s. As for the ending, I have always wondered why McTeague would not have thought to cut off the hand of the dead man But I guess with the mule dead and no water his chances of walking out of the desert alive was still probably zero.
The film (42 reels -- it would take all day & part of the evening to see it all) is based on the 1899 Frank Norris novel "McTeague". The young wife Zasu (pronounced Say-Zoo) Pitts even had a bit part in her later career in the epic comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," & was a comedic actress in 50's television. Director Erich von Stroheim played a retired silent screen director-servant to Gloria Swanson in 1950's "Sunset Boulevard."
With the approach he took, the original cut of Greed really should have been released as a mini-series, except that that concept, and TV, did not exist at the time. Estimates vary at the length of the first cut [the time for one reel depends on the frame rate at which it was shot] but at the common frame rate of the time would have been at least 8 hours. Some estimates claim as high as 9-10 hours with as many as 47 reels. There is a 6 hour reconstruction, which I have seen. It is exhausting to watch. After the film was cut down multiple times the remnants were stored for several decades, but supposedly they were ultimately thrown away or purposely destroyed in the 1950s. As for the ending, I have always wondered why McTeague would not have thought to cut off the hand of the dead man But I guess with the mule dead and no water his chances of walking out of the desert alive was still probably zero.
The film (42 reels -- it would take all day & part of the evening to see it all) is based on the 1899 Frank Norris novel "McTeague". The young wife Zasu (pronounced Say-Zoo) Pitts even had a bit part in her later career in the epic comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," & was a comedic actress in 50's television. Director Erich von Stroheim played a retired silent screen director-servant to Gloria Swanson in 1950's "Sunset Boulevard."
Yes. Love her.
I'd always thought it was "Zay-su" because of EliZA SUsan though...
@@user-hu4gr1bo5g The correct pronunciation 0 was verified by Zasu Pitts herself in her 1963 book "Candy Hits," (Page 15).
They killed the horse evidently.
Heard about the movie from the book" game of life and how to play it"
Same here! Amazing book
@@TheAssassino82 very Good I listen to it just about every day
Sad that the studio heads decided what was good and what was bad
Womder how many episode exist. I have the one about Chaplin narrated by J. Mason.
What show is this?
Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film (1980)
Is that James Mason narrating?
Yes !!