So last night I did, indeed, watch the theatrical cut of TOPAZ. This was the laserdisc, which must be the identical release to that first VHS one in all its "full screen" glory. To all indications, it's at least open matte, but while I'm able to "zoom" that to approximate the 1.85 ratio (which worked fine), the loss in resolution is just too great to endure. It's amazing to think that laserdisc was the "HD" of its time, in comparison with the broadcast standard but especially compared with VHS. But my eyes adapted quickly enough, and I found myself liking the film more than ever.
BK is totally correct, of course, about the casting and the music. The score by Maurice Jarre has its French and Zhivago-ish charms at times, but ..... that's all you get. It doesn't lift the movie above a certain level. The very thought of what could have been, with a Herrmann score, is a tantalizing one for the ages. And those poor Devereauxs. They're like talking mannequins.
But the parts that are great, oh my god, the Harlem and the Cuban scenes are just brilliant. And the quick conclusion in the "American" ending. Just perfect. What in the HELL were they thinking with those alternate endings?
Anyway, I'm all rarin' to go to watch the Blu-ray now, to get the low-res image out of my mind and savor a "proper" video presentation, and to see what those extra 23 minutes are. I'm now wondering if I've even seen them. I'm pretty sure I watched the DVD at some point years ago, so I would have then, but at this point I don't remember anything that I didn't see last night.