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I've just watched "The Cage" on Blu-ray. All of the versions available to date do appear to have at least some minor variances from the original 1965 cut in both image and audio.

The "Episode with Original Effects" version on the Blu-ray disc has the color removed from or severly muted on the opening credits (except for the credits themselves). At 42:48-42:52 some frames have been removed as well as Captain Pike's line "You were like a wild little animal." At 50:00-50:02 there is a view of the elevator doors opening to reveal "The Keeper" that should not be here, does not appear in the B&W version (Roddenberry work print) at this point, and appears to be copied from a shot that is shown later. This version also has the reworked higher pitch voice for "The Keeper". In the original version Malachi Throne provided the voice for this part, but in the 2-part "Menagerie" he also played Commodore Mendez, requiring a modification. His voice for "The Keeper" was then either redubbed by another actor, electronically modified, or both. A shot just after Captain Pike materializes on the transporter pad, showing Spock and Number One looking at him has been corrected. In the DVD, under close obeservation this shot was apparently taken from the Menagerie, which was projected on a viewscreen and refilmed. The Blu-ray uses the original film for this scene. Also the closing credits appear to be taken from the B&W workprint and then colorized.

The Blu-ray looks great, but it's dissapointing we don't have a version of "The Cage" that precisely matches what the network executives watched and rejected in 1965. Supposedly the only source of the audio that's not included in "The Menagerie" is Gene Roddenberry's work print. The film located by Bob Furmanek supposedly had no audio. So it's doubtful we'll ever have a good quality audio version througout. It still would be nice to have a version with Malachi Throne's voice throughout, even if it has to be taken from the work print. As far as image, the few minor issues above should be easy to resolve, except perhaps the closing credits (assuming they weren't in the can of trims).

Thanks so much to Bob Furmanek for recovering the nearly lost footage from "The Cage".

I'm a good consumer, but ... I still don't have the original intact episode, do I?

None of us do. It may not be possible audio wise, but we could get closer with using Malachi Thrones voice from GR's workprint. Image and edit wise, we're very very close, but there are still a few variances. Intentional or not?