Alternate versions

An additional ending was made during post production for some European countries due to certain laws prohibiting a film from letting a "bad guy" get away at the end of a film. In the new ending, after Scottie looks down from the bell tower (the original ending) there is a short scene of Midge in her apartment sitting next to a radio and listening to reports of the police tracking down Gavin Elster hiding out in Europe. As Midge turns off the radio, the news flash also reports that three Berkeley students got caught bringing a cow up the stairs of a campus building. Scottie enters the apartment, looks at Midge plainly, and then looks out a window. Midge makes two drinks and gives one to Scottie. The scene ends with both of them looking out the window without saying a single word to each other. This alternate ending can be found on the restoration laser disc.

An entirely new audio track was created for the 1996 re-release using modern recordings and mixed in DTS surround sound. New elements not present in the original film were added and several important details (such as creaky roof tiles) were omitted. This was the version used on all subsequent theatrical re-issues, home video releases and television broadcasts until 2012, when Universal made a DTS soundtrack retaining the original sound effects.

The version shown by AMC on 11/29/2013 contains the original VistaVision soundtrack.

When Universal bought the rights to the pre-1960 Alfred Hitchcock films from Paramount in 1962, the 1996 theatrical re-release had the 1991 Universal Pictures logo with the MCA byline; meanwhile, VHS and DVD releases had the 1997 Universal Pictures logo, and the Blu-Ray and streaming prints had the current Universal Pictures logo with the Comcast byline.

For the German market, this movie was dubbed three times: for the original theatrical release in 1959 (by Paramount Pictures), for the re-release in 1984 (by Universal Pictures), and in 1999 for the restoration (again by Universal Pictures). Only the 1999 version has been used on home video releases.