This version is still available commercially, the original one-disc DVD. About $10.
MGM have been total wankers in releasing their movies to DVD, there's always something wrong with their DVDs, and Leone's westerns are no exception. The video quality of the old GBU disc was washed out, with a greenish-gold tint, while the SE has an awful reddish-pink tint and noticeably zoomed in!The 5.1 remixed English soundtrack is literally unlistenable and guess what, no English mono available so the DVD is quite useless! They also only have the option of the restored 179 minute cut (not even the full cut of the film, since it is still missing shots from the beating scene and the original intermission) and don't give a shred of thought to the fact that many people prefer the classic 161 minute cut of the film because of it's faster pace.A perfect DVD of the film would, of course, offer the film in both 161 minute and the full Italian version (running about 186 minutes), with original mono mixes.
I want the remastered theatrical version.
That would be soooo cool!!!