- market ▁the ▁film ▁under ▁the ▁new ▁title ▁Those ▁W ere ▁the ▁Happy ▁Times . ▁W ise , ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁believe ▁cutting ▁the ▁film ▁would ▁work , ▁decl ined ▁to ▁be ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁editing , ▁and ▁asked ▁that ▁the ▁credit ▁" A ▁Robert ▁W ise ▁Film " ▁be ▁removed . ▁Following ▁instructions ▁from ▁Z an uck , ▁William ▁H . ▁Reyn olds , ▁the ▁film ' s ▁original ▁editor , ▁rel uct antly ▁but ▁very ▁compet ently ▁removed ▁scenes ▁and ▁whole ▁sequences , ▁including ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁musical ▁numbers , ▁par ing ▁the ▁film ' s ▁running ▁time ▁from ▁ 1 7 5 ▁to ▁ 1 2 0 ▁minutes , ▁( which ▁involved ▁over la pping ▁sound ▁and ▁adding ▁a ▁new ▁shot ▁to ▁bridge ▁some ▁cut s ). ▁A ▁very ▁simple ▁new ▁title ▁card ▁was ▁created ▁as ▁well . ▁However , ▁when ▁the ▁short ▁ret itled ▁version ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁the ▁changes ▁left ▁some ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁plot , ▁and ▁did ▁little ▁to ▁improve ▁box - office ▁rece i pts . ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁re issue ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁shown ▁only ▁in ▁ 3 5 mm ▁coinc ident ally ▁saved ▁the ▁original ▁camera ▁negative ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁from ▁being ▁alter ed . ▁ ▁Box ▁Office ▁By ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁Fox ▁estimated ▁the ▁film ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁studio ▁$ 1 5 , 0 9 1 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁Ren ata ▁Ad ler ▁of