Editing Lawrence of Arabia (film) (section)

== Release ==
=== Theatrical run ===
The film premiered at the [[Odeon Luxe Leicester Square|Odeon Leicester Square]] in London on 10&nbsp;December 1962 and was released in the United States on 16&nbsp;December 1962.

Jordan banned the film for what was felt to be a disrespectful portrayal of Arab culture.<ref name="Woolf" /> Egypt, Omar Sharif's home country, was the only Arab nation to give the film a wide release, where it became a success through the endorsement of President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], who appreciated the film's depiction of [[Pan-Arabism|Arab nationalism]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gaughan |first1=Liam |title='Lawrence of Arabia' Was Banned for Controversial Reasons |url=https://collider.com/lawrence-of-arabia-banned-censored/ |access-date=14 September 2024 |work=Collider |date=18 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Lawrence of Arabia.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Theatrical poster from 1962 during the film's release]]

The original release ran for about 222&nbsp;minutes (plus overture, intermission, and exit music). A post-premiere memo (13&nbsp;December 1962) noted that the film was {{convert|24,987.5|ft|m}} of 70&nbsp;mm film, or {{convert|19,990|ft|m}} of 35&nbsp;mm film. With {{convert|90|ft|m}} of 35&nbsp;mm film projected every minute, this corresponds to exactly 222.11 minutes. Richard May, the vice-president of Film Preservation at Warner Bros., sent an email to Robert Morris, co-author of a book on ''Lawrence of Arabia'', in which he noted that ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939) was never edited after its premiere and is {{convert|19,884|ft|m}} of 35&nbsp;mm film (without leaders, overture, intermission, entr'acte, or walkout music), corresponding to 220.93 min.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Thus, ''Lawrence of Arabia'' is slightly more than one minute longer than ''Gone With the Wind'' and is, therefore, the longest movie ever to win a Best Picture Oscar.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

In January 1963, ''Lawrence of Arabia'' was released in a version edited by 20 minutes.<ref name="AlternateVersions">{{cite news |last=Farber |first=Stephen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/02/archives/look-what-theyve-done-to-lawrence-of-arabia-now.html |title=Look What They've Done to 'Lawrence of Arabia' Now |work=The New York Times |page=D11 |date=2 May 1971 |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref> In the United States, the film was released in five key cities—New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, and Miami Beach. By February 1963, the film expanded into six more [[Roadshow theatrical release|reserved-seating engagements]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Six More Key City Dates Set for 'Lawrence' |url=https://archive.org/details/boxofficejanmar182boxo/page/n104/mode/1up |magazine=Boxoffice |date=21 January 1963 |access-date=29 December 2022 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> From 9&nbsp;October 1963 it started to open at 1,000 theatres in the United States on a non-reserved seat basis.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=18 September 1963 |page=12 |title='Lawrence of Arabia' Is The Hottest Attraction In Showbusiness Today! (advertisement) |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1963-09-18_232_4/page/12/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=20 February 2024 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

When it was re-released in 1971, an even shorter cut of 187&nbsp;minutes was presented.<ref name="AlternateVersions" /> The first round of cuts was made at the direction and even insistence of David Lean, to assuage criticisms of the film's length and increase the number of showings per day; however, during the 1989 restoration, he passed blame for the cuts onto deceased producer Sam Spiegel.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brownlow|1996|pages=484, 705, 709}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rothman |first=Cliff |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-29-ca-1564-story.html |title=The Resurrection of 'Lawrence of Arabia' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=29 January 1989 |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref> In addition, a 1966 print was used for initial television and video releases which accidentally altered a few scenes by reversing the image.<ref>Caton, S.C. (1999). ''Lawrence of Arabia: A Film's Anthropology'' (pp. 129–31). [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]/Los Angeles, CA: [[University of California Press]]. {{ISBN|0-520-21082-4}}.</ref>

The film was screened out of competition at the [[1989 Cannes Film Festival]]<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/239/year/1989.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Lawrence of Arabia |access-date=3 August 2009 |work=festival-cannes.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119100704/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/239/year/1989.html |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> and at the 2012 [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]].<ref name="kviff.com">{{cite web |url=https://fullmovieis.org/1/947/lawrenceofarabia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929155812/https://fullmovieis.org/1/947/lawrenceofarabia/|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2018 |title=anniversaryKarlovy Vary International Film Festival – Lawrence of Arabia |access-date=4 July 2012 |work=fullmovieis.org}}</ref>

''Lawrence of Arabia'' was re-released theatrically in 2002 to celebrate the film's fortieth anniversary.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farber |first=Stephen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/15/arts/film-1962-when-the-silver-screen-never-looked-so-golden.html |title=1962: When the Silver Screen Never Looked So Golden |work=The New York Times |at=Section 2, p. 24 |date=15 September 2002 |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref>

=== Restored director's cut ===
A restored version was undertaken by [[Robert A. Harris]] and Jim Painten under the supervision of David Lean. It was released in 1989 with a 216-minute length (plus overture, intermission and exit music). Most of the cut scenes were dialogue sequences, particularly those involving General Allenby and his staff. Two scenes were excised—Brighton's briefing of Allenby in Jerusalem before the Deraa scene and the British staff meeting in the field tent—and the Allenby-briefing scene has still not been entirely restored. Much of the missing dialogue involves Lawrence's writing of poetry and verse, alluded to by Allenby in particular, saying "the last poetry general we had was [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]]". The opening of Act II existed in only fragmented form, where Faisal is interviewed by Bentley, as well as the later scene in Jerusalem where Allenby convinces Lawrence not to resign. Both scenes were restored to the 1989 re-release. Some of the more graphic shots of the Tafas massacre scene were also restored, such as the lengthy panning shot of the corpses in Tafas and Lawrence shooting a surrendering Turkish soldier.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Most of the missing footage is of minimal import, supplementing existing scenes. One scene is an extended version of the Deraa torture sequence, which makes Lawrence's punishment more overt. Other scripted scenes exist, including a conversation between Auda and Lawrence immediately after the fall of Aqaba, a brief scene of Turkish officers noting the extent of Lawrence's campaign and the battle of Petra (later reworked into the first train attack) but these scenes were probably not filmed. Living actors dubbed their dialogue and [[Jack Hawkins]]'s dialogue was dubbed by [[Charles Gray (actor)|Charles Gray]], who had provided Hawkins' voice for several films after Hawkins developed throat cancer in the late 1960s.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 November 2012 |title=Lawrence of Arabia – review |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/25/lawrence-of-arabia-review |access-date=29 November 2022 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> A full list of cuts can be found at the [[IMDb]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/alternateversions |title=Alternate versions for Lawrence of Arabia (1962) |website=imdb.com |access-date=1 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125150431/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/alternateversions |archive-date=25 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Reasons for the cuts of various scenes can be found in Lean's notes to Sam Spiegel, Robert Bolt and [[Anne V. Coates]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://davidlean.com/fun/fun/leannotes.html |title=Director's Notes on Re-editing Lawrence of Arabia |publisher=davidlean.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307024557/http://davidlean.com/fun/fun/leannotes.html |archive-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> The film runs 227&nbsp;minutes (216 minutes of proper film plus 11 minutes of overture, intermission, and exit music) in the most recent [[director's cut]] available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD.<ref name="Runtime">{{cite web |title=Lawrence of Arabia |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/lawrence-of-arabia-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0ynzy4mdq |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008151919/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/lawrence-arabia-3 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Home media ===
The initial home video release of the film was in [[pan and scan]] and lacked the full vertical height. After the film was restored in 1989, [[The Criterion Collection]] issued two Laserdisc editions, one in CAV and one in CLV. RCA/Columbia Pictures also issued a movie-only widescreen release of this restoration on Laserdisc.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pratt |first=Douglas |title=The Laser Video Disc Companion Expanded Edition}}</ref>

''Lawrence of Arabia'' has been released in five different DVD editions, including an initial release as a two-disc set (2001),<ref>{{cite web |first=Bruce |last=Apar |url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=1021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418032017/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=1021 |title=Lawrence' Star O'Toole Marvels at DVD |website=hive4media.com |archive-date=18 April 2001 |date=5 April 2001 |access-date=8 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by a shorter single disc edition (2002),<ref>{{cite web |first=Enrique |last=Rivero |url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=3325 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020702164646/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=3325 |title=Columbia Trims Its DVDs |website=hive4media.com |archive-date=2 July 2002 |date=20 June 2002 |access-date=12 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> a high resolution version of the director's cut with restored scenes (2003) issued as part of the [[Superbit]] series, as part of the Columbia Best Pictures collection (2008), and in a fully restored special edition of the director's cut (2008).<ref name="Turn Classic Movies">{{cite web |url=http://shop.tcm.com/lawrence-of-arabia-collectors-edition-dvd/detail.php?p=351469 |title=Lawrence of Arabia (Collector's Edition) DVD |access-date=4 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012110908/http://shop.tcm.com/lawrence-of-arabia-collectors-edition-dvd/detail.php?p=351469 |archive-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Martin Scorsese]] and [[Steven Spielberg]] helped restore a version of the film for a DVD release in 2000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wasser |first=Frederick |year=2010 |title=Steven Spielberg's America |series=Polity America Through the Lens |publisher=Polity |page=222 |isbn=978-0-7456-4082-2}}</ref>

=== New restoration, Blu-ray, and theatrical re-release ===
An [[8K resolution|8K]] scan/[[4K resolution|4K]] intermediate [[Film preservation|digital restoration]] was made for [[Blu-ray]] and theatrical re-release<ref name="HT4kWay">{{cite web |title=Home Theater: Hollywood, The 4K Way |url=http://www.hometheater.com/content/hollywood-4k-way-page-2 |author=Rob Sabin |publisher=Source Interlink Media |work=HomeTheater.com Ultimate Tech |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=24 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083237/http://www.hometheater.com/content/hollywood-4k-way-page-2 |archive-date=22 February 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> during 2012 by [[Sony Pictures]] to celebrate the film's 50th anniversary.<ref>[http://www.blu-raydefinition.com/news/lawrence-of-arabia-on-blu-ray-later-this-year.html Lawrence of Arabia on Blu-ray Later This Year] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618022053/http://www.blu-raydefinition.com/news/lawrence-of-arabia-on-blu-ray-later-this-year.html |date=18 June 2012 }}. Blu-rayDefinition.com (12 June 2012).</ref> The Blu-ray edition of the film was released in the United Kingdom on 10&nbsp;September 2012 and in the United States on 13&nbsp;November 2012.<ref>[http://hometheater.about.com/b/2012/08/07/lawrence-of-arabia-blu-ray-disc-release-finalized.htm Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray Disc Release Finalized] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811090112/http://hometheater.about.com/b/2012/08/07/lawrence-of-arabia-blu-ray-disc-release-finalized.htm |date=11 August 2012 }}. Hometheater.about.com (7 August 2012).</ref>

According to Grover Crisp, executive VP of restoration at Sony Pictures, the new 8K scan has such high resolution that it showed a series of fine concentric lines in a pattern "reminiscent of a fingerprint" near the top of the frame. This was caused by the film emulsion melting and cracking in the desert heat during production. Sony had to hire a third party to minimise or eliminate the rippling artefacts in the new restored version.<ref name="HT4kWay" /> The digital restoration was done by Sony Colorworks DI, [[Prasad Studios]], and MTI Film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://library.creativecow.net/kaufman_debra/Lawrence-of-Arabia-Restoration/1 |title=CreativeCOW |work=creativecow.net |access-date=8 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911103639/http://library.creativecow.net/kaufman_debra/Lawrence-of-Arabia-Restoration/1|archive-date=11 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 4K digitally restored version of the film was screened at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref>[http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58952.html Cannes Classics 2012 – Festival de Cannes 2013 (International Film Festival)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215183141/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58952.html |date=15 February 2017 }}. Festival-cannes.fr.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Nigel M. |url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/jaws-lawrence-of-arabia-once-upon-a-time-in-america-and-tess-to-get-the-cannes-classics-treatment |title='Jaws,' 'Lawrence of Arabia,' 'Once Upon a Time in America' and 'Tess' to Get the Cannes Classics Treatment |date=26 May 2012 |website=Indiewire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526145907/http://www.indiewire.com/article/jaws-lawrence-of-arabia-once-upon-a-time-in-america-and-tess-to-get-the-cannes-classics-treatment |archive-date=26 May 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> at the 2012 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,<ref name="kviff.com" /> at the V Janela Internacional de Cinema<ref>[http://www.janeladecinema.com.br/ Janela Internacional de Cinema do Recife | Festival Internacional de Cinema do Recife] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911045718/http://www.janeladecinema.com.br/ |date=11 September 2016 }}. Janeladecinema.com.br.</ref> in [[Recife]], Brazil, and at the 2013 [[Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival]] in [[San Jose, California]].<ref>cinequest.org</ref>

In 2020, Sony Pictures reissued the film on a multi-film [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K UHD Blu-Ray]] release called the Columbia Classics 4K UltraHD Collection, which included other historically significant films from their library such as ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'' (1964) and ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/columbiaclassics4kultrahdcollection |title=Columbia Classics 4K UltraHD Collection |website=Sony Pictures |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522142728/https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/columbiaclassics4kultrahdcollection |archive-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In honour of the film's 60th anniversary, the film was re-released in an individual four-disc steelbook set by Sony Pictures, with the same substantial collection of special features as the corrected bonus disc for the Columbia Classics release.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lawrence of Arabia: 60th Anniversary Limited Edition |url=https://thedigitalbits.com/item/lawrence-of-arabia-steelbook-4k-uhd-2022 |website=The Digital Bits |date=6 June 2022 |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref>