 The original ending was shown overseas in various countries (eg. Germany and  the UK) when the film was orignially released.  It appears that the film was  actually released in two different versions worldwide and the shortened  ending was done specifically for the domestic USA theatrical release. In the  UK, although there was a longer ending, the theatrical release was heavily  cut for violence by the BBFC with the result that the film became  nonsensical.  For example,  the entire scene of Cloris Leachman being  tortured was excised and the film cuts from Hammer being knocked out to him  waking up again doused with petrol so that you never know what happened to  Leachman or the significance of the shoes worn by Albert Dekker.  UK TV  prints are uncut.