Anyone watching the film in American theaters in 1969—and not watching any subsequent releases—will not know this scene; it was cut by Paramount Pictures during its theatrical run in an attempt to cut its 166 minute length to a more double-bill-friendly length of 144 minutes. As director Sergio Leone's film expanded in length and breadth, the American studios releasing them, despite Leone's previous box-office successes for them, made a habit of cutting and snipping, whether it caused confusion or not.*
MORTON: I've had enough
of your butcher tactics. I know that woman is here. 
MORTON: I don't want
any more useless killing. 
MORTON: I'm ready to make a deal
for that land. 
MORTON: To pay what's necessary. 
MORTON: I don't want to waste any more time. 
FRANK: You've made a big mistake, Morton. 
FRANK: When you're not on that train, you
look like a turtle out of its shell. 
FRANK: Just funny. 
FRANK: Poor cripple talking big
so nobody'll know how scared you are. 
MORTON: I'm here to make a deal, Frank. 
MORTON: I don't have time
to compete with you. 
FRANK: Compete? 
FRANK: Why, you... 
FRANK: You can't even
stand on your own feet by yourself. 
MORTON: Is that sufficient
to make you feel strong? 
FRANK: I could squash you
like a wormy apple. 
MORTON: Sure, but you won't do it. 
MORTON: Because it's not to your advantage. 
FRANK: Hm.
FRANK: Who knows how far you'd have gone
with two good legs, huh? 
FRANK: Help him back to the train.
Keep your eye on him. 
FRANK: Oh, Morton... 
FRANK: Don't worry about the land.
If you feel like paying for it,
you can pay. 
FRANK: Course, it won't make any difference to you,
dealing with the new owner.
This scene occurs between the moment Jill (the widow McBain) realizes that her late husband's intention was to build a way-station and subsequent town at their ranch-house as it lays in the path of a railway crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific. She desperately searches for the plans for the town, which she had assumed earlier, she had first seen as toys, rather than scale models. But, her search is interrupted by Frank ("The meanest man in the world"), who had murdered the McBain family before Jill's arrival at Flagstone, Arizona.
The next scene was supposed to be this one set in the Navajo Cliffs, to be followed by the discovery of the building materials at the McBain ranch by Cheyenne and "Harmonica," then to the bedroom scene between Frank and Jill, where he has his way with her, telling her that the way to gain her land might be by forcing marriage on her, but concluding that the easiest way is just to kill her.
The jump between the two "Jill" scenes is an abrupt one, without the confrontation between crippled railroad baron Morton and Frank. It also climaxes the power struggle between Morton the Boss and Frank the Hireling, that was spelled out in an earlier scene on board Morton's train. Here, Frank clearly demonstrates that he's in control...over the railroad, the woman, and the situation that would clearly make him a rich and powerful man.
But, there are two wild cards out in the West, over which he has no control. They will prove to be his undoing, and bring him down to Earth.
The Set-Up: Plots are circling in the area around the area of Flagstone, Arizona like buzzards looking for death: Jill (Claudia Cardinale) has left New Orleans to formally marry Brett McBain only to find the entire McBain family slaughtered by unknown assassins. Some think it's the work of Cheyenne (Jason Robards). But, a man with no name (Charles Bronson)—just the borrowed names of dead men—knows it has to be Frank (Henry Fonda), with whom he has a past. And Frank? He's working on the railroad for Morton (Gabrielle Ferzetti) "removing small obstacles" from the line. One of those was the McBain family, their ranch positioned a little further down the track. Now, Frank has kidnapped Jill McBain with the purpose of...what? But, it can't be to any good, and Morton, who's been seeing Frank grow in ambition lately, finally grows a spine and confronts him.
Action.
Words by Sergio Donati, Sergio Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Dario Argento (and Mickey Knox)
Pictures by Tonino Delli Colli and Sergio Leone
Once Upon a Time in the West is available on Paramount Home Media
* Leone's last film—the long-in-planning Once Upon a Time in America—was butchered by The Ladd Company and Paramount, which took its flashback structure and re-cut it in chronological order. The effect was maddening and confusing...and was an interminable watch. A couple years later, the European cut, which was far closer to Leone's intent, made its way to America, and seemed to breeze right by...despite being a full one hour, 25 minutes longer.
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