Original mimeographed shooting script for the 1984 epic crime film Once Upon a Time in America, which was co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone. The script, 8.5 x 11, 264 pages, contains some pencil notations and strike-throughs to various scenes and pages. Contained in a three-ring binder. Includes a mimeographed location shooting calendar for June through December, marked in pink, yellow, and black felt tip. In fine condition, with the title page detached but present.
Once Upon a Time in America was the final film directed by Leone before his death five years later, and the first feature film he had directed in 13 years. Leone originally envisaged two three-hour films, then a single 269-minute version, but was convinced by distributors to shorten it to 229 minutes. The American distributors, The Ladd Company, further shortened it to 139 minutes, and rearranged the scenes into chronological order, without Leone's involvement. The shortened version was a critical and commercial flop in the United States, and critics who had seen both versions harshly condemned the changes that were made. The original ‘European cut’ has remained a critical favorite and frequently appears in lists of the greatest films of all time, especially in the gangster genre.
Originates from the personal collection of Gail Kearns, who worked as a production supervisor on David Lynch's Blue Velvet and as the production coordinator on the Robert De Niro vehicle Jacknife.
