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Can anyone refresh my memory about this missing scene in Blood and Sand? Valentino is in his dressing room and he is fitted with a long cummerbund wrapped around his waist. I have the 2001 Kino release which actually has an image of that scene on the back of the box and even boldly states this DVD release "restores scenes missing fro the previous Kino release." But it is not to be found.

I remember reading something somewhere, but I need a reminder of what happened to that scene. Thanks

Danny

Hey Danny

That sequence is not on ANY release of Blood and Sand that I have ever seen. The dressing sequence was, long ago trimmed and that part of the scene is nowhere to be found. God knows, among Valentino fans, it seems to be the most discussed and wanted sequence from the film. As for the KINO release being a restoration, not a clue what was added, it looks much like the Blackhawk Super 8 I ran on my bedroom wall.

I've never found it unusual for stills to be shot and you never see anything like it in the finished film. I would think that happened all the time.

I think people might also confuse it with the similar sequence in the Tyrone Power remake, which does show him being wound up!

O.K. Good information. Thanks. Then my next question is "why was it trimmed"? Just to reduce running time? Or was there something objectionable about the scene?

Just curious. Thanks.

Danny

I could swear I've seen that scene. As I don't have the movie in any form, maybe it was used on Fractured Flickers? (In much the same vein as FF, Stan Laurel had fun with B&S in his Mud and Sand, which definitely has its version of the cummerbund scene, and maybe that's what I'm remembering; but it sure seems to me that I've seen the original scene with Valentino somewhere at some time.)

The version of Blood and Sand that I've seen (the Blackhawk/David Shepard version) is definitely not complete. There is more missing than just this scene. I seem to remember something about the bull-fighting scenes being shortened due to violence, but I'd have to do some research.

silentfilm wrote:The version of Blood and Sand that I've seen (the Blackhawk/David Shepard version) is definitely not complete. There is more missing than just this scene. I seem to remember something about the bull-fighting scenes being shortened due to violence, but I'd have to do some research.

Many years ago, I saw Blood and Sand at the Silent Movie Theater...it was when John Hampton was still running it - and the print he showed was substantially different from the other prints I have seen (Blackhawk, video, etc). I don't specifically remember the dressing room scene, but I recall thinking at the time that the film flowed much more evenly and the bull-fighting scenes were more substantial.

I would assume this print is now part of the Hampton/Stanford/UCLA holdings.