The Eagle Has Landed (film) - Extended Version

Extended Version

The original running time for the film was 134 minutes in Europe, while 11 minutes were cut by the producers before the film was released in the US. The US 131 minutes NTSC DVD version is close to the original European cinema version, and most European PAL DVD versions also have that length (130 minutes). However, in 2004 Carlton Visual Entertainment released a two-disc PAL version which contains two versions of the film: the regular DVD version as well as an extended 145 minute version. This 15 minutes longer version contains a number of scenes that had been deleted even before the European cinema release:

• An alternative opening: originally the film was intended to start with Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence) arriving at Schloss Hohenschwangau for a conference with Hitler, Canaris, Bormann and Goebbels. This deleted opening would have preceded the scenes under the opening credits which are a long aerial shot of a staff car leaving the castle in question. The deleted scene explains why Schloss Hohenschwangau appears in the credits but does not appear in the film.
• Extended scene when Radl arrives at Abwehr headquarters, he discusses his health with a German Army doctor (played by Ferdy Mayne).
• Scene at a Berlin University where Liam Devlin is a teacher.
• Scene in Landsvoort where Steiner and von Neustadt discuss the mission and its merits and consequences.
• Devlin's arrival at Studley Constable is now extended where he and Joanna Grey discuss their part in the mission.
• Devlin drives his motorbike through the centre of the village and on to the cottage, where he inspects the barn before returning to the village.
• Scene where Devlin reads poetry to Molly Prior.
• Extended scene in which Molly interrupts Devlin shortly after he receives the army vehicles.
• Scene on the boat at the end that shows the fate of von Neustadt. (This scene is visible in one of the special edition DVDs extras, in the action photo gallery)