erri_wan said:
I'm starting to get confused and lost with all these versions.
We've got:
1) a theatrical release the shortest existing that no one has ever seen but at the cinema (am I right?)
Correct, but this US '71 theatrical cut is more or less at the same length as your Italian version.
erri_wan said:
2) the original cut (longer) that was made into laserdisc and VHS.
Correct, restored and released in Cinemas for a limited time in '77 or '78 and later on video in US, UK and Japan on LD and VHS, after Lucas enormous succes of Star Wars let him do it.
erri_wan said:
3) an Italian (possibly European) release with a flashback sequence inserted at the beginning and an extended scene (SEN and the kids). Where does this extended scene fit into the story? Now that we have agreed this was perhaps an International cut made by Warner the question is, has this extended scene ever been seen by Americans?
It's impossible to know if that extended scene was in the US 1971 theatrical release version, it's not in either the restored cut or CGI-crap edition but it is in your broadcasted version and also in that German broadcast, which in itself is yet another cut of the film, only 45 seconds shorter than the restored original '78 cut, a sort of a hybrid of your version and that cut as it share the same weird editing choices (re-ordering of scenes), if those are leftovers from the US '71 theatrical we don't know, probably not but you never know, some of the cuts in your version probably is.
The only trustworthy info we have are Lucas' own statements in the '71 tv-documentary, "Maker of Films" and that info from "Skywalking", zombie provided, and that isn't so much unfortunately.