A PEEK AT PSYCHO UNCUT, THE THIRD SECRET, ETC. (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Oh dear. The hope would have been, of course, that they made a dupe negative from which to do the cuts. But there are clearly original 1960 35mm prints around should they have thrown out the trims.

Same situation with Mockingbird

 

[McCrutchy]

Wow, that is a really old VHS/Beta tape of it. Do you know what year that was produced and distributed? And, most important, which version of the scenes in question are on that tape?

The photo looks like a reproduction of an early re-release theater poster.

I found the release on the VHS Collector website here. It's from 1980, as indicated on the side of the tape, and borne out by the mention of the 1968 "M" rating, as opposed to the "R" re-rating from 1984.

Interestingly, as far as I can tell, the aforementioned DiscoVison CAV LD from 1979 doesn't use that "uncut" tagline on the packaging, and neither does the 1981 CLV version, but, courtesy of the LaserDisc Database, I did find it used on the back of the 1984 release:

So, I think it's probably just a marketing ploy based on the censored television versions of the day, that home video was the only way to see the uncensored film.

 

[Henry Gondorff]

I remember Universal pushing this "Uncut! Intact!" reissue in '69.

 

[Dick]

Going back to the original header of this thread, I wanted to share a few thoughts about THE THIRD SECRET here rather than start a separate thread about it. Based on Bruce's review, I ordered this and have now watched it twice.

I still think of Charles Crichton primarily as a director who made terrific British comedies, some for Ealing, and A FISH CALLED WANDA late in his career. He also, unfortunately, was responsible for the only weak (and overlong) tale that was part of the otherwise classic DEAD OF NIGHT (1945), which I personally find to be completely unamusing "comedy" relief while putting the brakes on the momentum built up to that point in the film. But it turns out he was very adept at the psychological thriller, as demonstrated by THE THIRD SECRET.

Prior to this thread, I hadn't even been aware of TTS. And, once I saw that Stephen Boyd was in the male lead, I was wary about how well he would function in this type of story. I needn't have worried. This is an absorbing, sometimes exhilarating drama with some rather cool twists that only a few will have figured out ahead of the climax. The pacing is deliberate and there is a lot of heavy (but well-written) dialog. Doesn't matter. In fact, I appreciate that it takes its time to establish its characters as fully-rounded people, each with his or her own secrets. The performances are all superb. Richard Attenborough is almost unrecognizable, but is delightfully compelling. Boyd is surprisingly effective. Jack Hawkins is rarely disappointing and isn't here. Diane Cilento should have been Oscar-nominated.

And then there is 14-year-old Pamela Franklin, who is an absolute wonder. Watch her grow up starting with THE INNOCENTS (at age 11) and followed by THE THIRD SECRET, OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE, THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE and THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE and others in between, and you can see how supernaturally beautiful and instinctively talented she was as a young actress, Few child/young adult actors could touch her. I am even more proud now to have her autograph on my copy of JEAN BRODIE. Ms. Franklin is exactly my age.

I know this film will continue to grow on me, as it is a repeat-view title. Thanks, Bruce!

It may not sport a new scan, but to my eyes, it looks damn nice. The black and white image is presented in the 2.35:1 ratio, which is my favorite shape for black and white (oddly, my favorite color ratio is 1.66:1). The transfer is sharp, with good contrast and deep blacks. The sound is fine...I have lost a bit of my hearing over the years, but could understand the dialog here easily without subtitles (which are available). The Indicator release is loaded with supplementary materials such as commentary, interviews with the likes of Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, etc., isolated music and effects track, trailer, and a 32-page booklet.

Don't wait for a U.S. release...which might never happen!

https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/the-third-secret-le