Apocalypse Now (Zoetrope, 1979), Fred Roos' Personal Copy of Final Continuity Script, Narration Script, Michael Herr R...

Description

Apocalypse Now (Zoetrope, 1979), Fred Roos' Personal Copy of Final Continuity Script, Narration Script, Michael Herr Rewrites, and Copy of Willard's Voice Over Narration Script Pages (ca. 1979). Apocalypse Now took nearly five years to complete, including a punishing 238-day shoot that was originally scheduled for just 16 weeks. Francis Ford Coppola risked his personal fortune to see the project through, guiding it from John Milius' early draft through years of rewriting, editing, continuity work, and voiceover revisions. When Coppola and his crew finally emerged from the jungle, they had the pieces of a film-what remained was shaping it into a coherent whole. Offered here are several Zoetrope studio script versions from the final stage of production, documenting how the film took its ultimate form, including (1) studio-bound and bradded "Combined Continuity" script, marked "2ND REV. 2ND DRAFT," measuring 8.5" x 11" with a light blue cover dated June 25, 1979. It bears the studio "006" wet stamp at the top right corner and a handwritten "Property of" line above Fred Roos' stamped address. The title page notes, "This Continuity does not include the voice over narration of Willard, because it would overly complicate and confuse it." Additional notes detail the exhibition reel footage at "13,222 feet 07 frames" and the running time as "2 hours 26 minutes and 55 seconds." This script offers unique insight into the editorial process led by award-winning editor Walter Murch. Visual sequences are detailed in one column, with measurements of film length, dialogue, and sound effects needed for the final cut. It also contains the evolved version of Colonel Kilgore's famous line, which appears on page 15 (or Reel 3B): "If I say it's safe to surf this beach..." Also includes (1) 15-page document stapled in the top left corner, labeled "APOCALYPSE NOW (taken from scratch mix) / Reel One Voice Over 6/27/79." It begins with Willard's iconic line: "Saigon... Shit. I'm still only in Saigon." Roos' archive also includes (1) studio-bound, bradded script with a baby blue cover, 8.5" x 14" legal-sized paper, featuring a file label reading "MICHAEL HERR NARRATION - APOCALYPSE, NOW," and "'AN' NARRATION" handwritten in black ink on the spine. This document appears to show a pared-down version of Willard's original voiceover script, revised post-production by Michael Herr. One revealing page, dated July 31, 1978 and labeled "DRAFT" and "FOR EYES ONLY," suggests Herr performed extensive rewrites before Martin Sheen's final ADR recording. These revisions sharpened the tone and content of Willard's narration and shaped one of the film's most defining elements. Together with the other Apocalypse Now scripts offered in this sale, Fred Roos' personal copies document the evolving structure of the film and the collaborative effort between Coppola, Roos, Herr, and others to bring it to its final form. Also included is a note from Roos dated March 26, 1985, addressed to "Jack," indicating he had lent these materials for a later project. A handwritten reply, signed by Anna Underwood of Newsweek, reads: "Many thanks. This was most helpful", confirming these materials were used in an article about the film. This script, along with lots 38416, 38418, 38419, and 38421, reveals the many changes and creative decisions that shaped the film before it reached its final, celebrated form. Items exhibit production wear and age, including bumped corners, minor edge wear, toning around page edges and folding to the lower corners of pages in the Herr script. The poster is for reference only and is not included with this lot. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. From the Estate of Fred Roos.

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