Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #203 :: June 13•19

DreamWorks Animation

Two decades sit this week out, but the other eight have some notable films that premiered this week. 1924 featured a silent that eschewed miniatures for the real thing for footage so convincing it was reused almost 20 years later. 1934 produced the first sound film based on the work of an iconic American author, and 1944 saw the screen debuts of three actors who would go on to long, successful careers. 1954 gave us the first nuclear big bug movie, and 1994 saw Macaulay Culkin battle a studio over the length of his hair. 1974 and 2004 gave us two films that have the same word in their titles, and 2014 had two money-making sequels, and one other that was less successful than the original. Scroll down to see the films that premiered this week, learns a little more about them, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating anniversaries.

1924

• June 14 – The Sea Hawk (USA, Frank Lloyd Productions)
• June 15 – Babbitt (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• June 15 – Daring Love (USA, M.H. Hoffman Inc.)
• June 15 – Daughters of Pleasure (USA, B.F. Zeidman Productions)
• June 15 – For Sale (USA, Associated First National Pictures)
• June 15 – Lend Me Your Husband (USA, C.C. Burr Productions)
• June 15 – The Bedroom Window (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
• June 15 – Which Shall It Be? (USA, Renaud Hoffman Productions)
• June 16 – The Back Trail (USA, Universal Pictures)

Which Shall It Be? is also known as Not One to Spare. For Sale is considered a lost film. The Bedroom Window is preserved at the Library of Congress and the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

The Sea Hawk was based upon the 1915 Rafael Sabatini novel of the same name. Full size ships were created — because director Frank Lloyd felt moviegoers would be put off by miniatures — by outfitting the wooden exteriors of existing craft to the design of Fred Gabourie. Ocean scenes were filmed off the coast of Catalina Island. A 1940 movie with the same title but different plot used battles scenes from the 1924 film, thinking they could not have been done better.

Babbitt is based on the 1922 novel of the same title by Sinclair Lewis, later also adapted into a 1934 sound film. It is considered a lost film.

Daughters of Pleasure features an early Clara Bow performance in a supporting role. Two of the film’s six reels are missing. The incomplete print is held at the Library of Congress.

1934

• June 14 – The Tell-Tale Heart (USA, Clifton-Hurst Productions)
• June 15 – Black Moon (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• June 15 – Green Eyes (USA, Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corporation)
• June 15 – Money Means Nothing (USA, Monogram Pictures)
• June 15 – Murder on the Blackboard (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• June 15 – The Great Flirtation (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• June 16 – The Silence of Dean Maitland (AUS, Cinesound Productions Limited)
• June 16 – A Man’s Game (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• June 16 – He Was Her Man (USA, The Vitaphone Corporation)
• June 16 – The Hell Cat (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• June 18 – Randy Rides Alone (USA, Paul Malvern Productions)
• June 18 – The River Wolves (UK, Julius Hagen Productions)

The Tell-Tale Heart originally opened in the UK in March 1934. The Silence of Dean Maitland and The River Wolves have no known US theatrical release dates.

The Tell-Tale Heart is the earliest known ‘talkie” to be adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The film was released in the US as Bucket of Blood. It was considered so gruesome that it was withdrawn from some cinemas in the UK. The dialogue was so minimal that a rival studio quipped they were making practically a silent picture.

Black Moon was based on the novel by Clements Ripley which first appeared in Hearst’s International-Cosmopolitan.

Murder on the Blackboard was based on the novel of the same name by Stuart Palmer. It is the second of the Hildegarde Withers film series. Edna May Oliver played Withers in the first three of the original six film series between 1932 and 1937. One additional movie was made in 1950, but the character’s name was changed. It reverted back to the original name in a 1972 TV movie series pilot. James Gleason appeared as Inspector Piper in all six of the original films.

The Silence of Dean Maitland was based on a play which was adapted from Maxwell Gray’s 1886 novel of the same name. The story had previously been filmed in 1914. The film had issues with the censors over scenes where Charlotte Francis swims at the beach and later seduces the clergyman. An appeal was made and the scenes remained in the film, but a shot of Alma’s towel slipping while she was changing was removed.

Randy Rides Alone features George Hayes, before he became more well-known as Gabby Hayes.

1944

• June 14 – The Drifter (USA, Sigmund Neufeld Productions)
• June 14 – Two Girls and a Sailor (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• June 15 – Home in Indiana (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
• June 15 – Man from Frisco (USA, Republic Pictures)
• June 16 – Days of Glory (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• June 16 – Ghost Catchers (USA, Universal Pictures)
• June 17 – Goodnight, Sweetheart (USA, Republic Pictures)

The Drifter is the 17th film in the ‘Billy the Kid’ series.

Two Girls and a Sailor features celebrity cameos from Jimmy Durante, Lena Horne and Gracie Allen in her final film performance. The original screenplay received an Oscar nomination.

Home in Indiana is based on the novel The Phantom Filly by George Agnew Chamberlain, and was remade in 1957 as April Love. The film’s color cinematography received an Oscar nomination. The film was a follow-up to Kentucky (1938) and Maryland (1940). The film marked the debuts of Jeanne Crain and June Haver.

Days of Glory marked the film debut of Gregory Peck. The film’s working title was This Is Russia. The film featured the last performance of Erford Gage, who entered the U.S. Army and was killed in action in 1945. The film was made to increase public support for the country’s alliance with the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany during World War II. It, along with others, became targets of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Effects.

Ghost Catchers is also known as High Spirits.

1954

Warner Bros. Pictures

• June 15 – The Student Prince (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• June 16 – Demetrius and the Gladiators (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
• June 18 – The Big Chase (USA, Be Be)
• June 19 – Them! (USA/Canada, Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Student Prince is an adaptation of the 1924 operetta of the same name composed by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. The operetta is based on the stage play Old Heidelberg by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster, which is adapted from his obscure 1898 novel Karl Heinrich. The film was produced in CinemaScope. Original star Mario Lanza quit the project before production began and was replaced with the lesser-known Edmund Purdom. Because of Lanza’s contract with MGM, his previously recorded vocals were dubbed over Purdom’s voice. Richard Thorpe replaced original director Curtis Bernhardt.

Demetrius and the Gladiators is a sequel to The Robe, the first film released in CinemaScope. Victor Mature reprises his role as Demetrius. Anne Bancroft appears in an early film role, and Julie Newmar can be seen briefly as a dancing entertainer. The film had been planned even before The Robe was released, and the original title was The Story of Demetrius.

The Big Chase stars Glenn Langan and Adele Jergens were married in real life. This was their second film together.

Them! is one of the first 1950s ‘nuclear monster’ films, and the first to use ‘big bugs’ as the monster. Leonard Nimoy appears in a small, uncredited part. Also appearing in small roles are John Beradino, Richard Deacon, Ann Doran, William Schallert, Dub Taylor and Jan Merlin. Walt Disney screened the film to see the performance of James Arness, whom he had in mind for the lead in his new Davy Crockett series. Disney was more impressed by a scene with Fess Parker and realized he had found his Crockett. John Wayne was impressed with Arness and recommended him for the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in the new Gunsmoke TV series, which he played from 1955 to 1975. The film was originally planned for 3D and color, but when a test shot was to be made the camera malfunctioned and all plans for 3D and color were scrapped, changed to widescreen black-and-white. The film, however, was never made in widescreen. Many of the planned 3D shots still remain in the film, such as the opening titles and flamethrowers aimed at the camera. While color was abandoned, the titles were printed in a vivid red and blue to give the opening a dramatic punch. The infamous Wilhelm Scream can be heard several times during action sequences. One shot which accidentally featured a giant ant with its side removed, exposing its mechanical interior, has been obscured in home video releases. The film’s special effects earned an Oscar nomination. A remake was announced in 2023.

1964

• No new films were released this week in 1964.

1974

• June 14 – Swallows and Amazons (UK, Theatre Projects Film Productions Ltd.)
• June 16 – The Gravy Train (USA, Tomorrow Entertainment)
• June 19 – The Parallax View (USA, Doubleday Productions)
• June 19 – The Terminal Man (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)

Swallows and Amazons, adapted from the 1930 novel of the same name by Arthur Ransome, was released in the US in May 1977. The dinghy in the film named Swallow was purchased in 2010 by a group of enthusiasts who restored her to sailing condition.

The Gravy Train is more commonly known as The Dion Brothers. The film was written by Terrence Malick under the pseudonym David Whitney. While the film has garnered fans like Quentin Tarantino and David Gordon Green, it’s never received a home video release.

The Parallax View is based on the 1970 novel by Loren Singer. The film’s plot was changed from events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

The Terminal Man is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. Crichton was hired to adapt his novel but Warner Bros. felt he had drifted too far away from the source, and hired another writer to do the adaptation. Director Mike Hodges wanted to shoot the film and black-and-white but the studio would not let him.

1984

• No new films were released this week in 1984.

1994

Columbia Pictures

• June 15 – Fresh (France, Lumière Pictures)
• June 16 – Ladybird, Ladybird (Germany, Channel Four Films)
• June 17 – Getting Even with Dad (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• June 17 – Wolf (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• June 19 – Dot in Space (AUS, Yoram Gross Films)

Fresh opened in the US in limited release on August 19, 1994, followed by a general release on September 2. Ladybird, Ladybird originally opened in Italy on April 15, 1994, and was released in the US on October 6. Dot in Space has no known US theatrical release date.

Fresh was the directorial debut of Boaz Yakin. The Police’s Stewart Copeland created the film’s score.

Macaulay Culkin’s character in Getting Even with Dad was supposed to have short hair, but he’d been letting his hair grow and and liked the look, refusing to cut it. His father demanded he be allowed to keep his long hair, pointing out the character was a working-class boy not a clean-cut, prep school one, and he got to keep his hair.

Wolf screenwriter Jim Harrison quit the project after clashing with director Mike Nichols over creative differences in how the wolf character would be presented. Because of his experiences, Harrison quit Hollywood. Mia Farrow was signed for the role of Charlotte, but was considered too controversial because of the then-current Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn affair. She agreed to take a pay cut to appease the studio, but eventually bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. She was immediately replaced with Kate Nelligan. Sharon Stone turned down the role played by Michelle Pfeiffer. The film’s release was delayed by eight months due to reshoots for the poorly received ending. Ennio Morricone’s score won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for a Motion Picture or Television.

Dot in Space featured Dot from the Dot and the Kangaroo animated series. Previous Dot films were released in the US, but many American distributors declined to release the film for North American audiences. It was not released anywhere outside of Australia.

2004

Red Hour Films

• June 16 – Around the World in 80 Days (USA, Walden Media)
• June 16 – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (US, Mosaic Film Group)
• June 18 – Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (USA, Red Hour Films)
• June 18 – Freeze Frame (UK, Green Park Films)
• June 18 – The Terminal (USA, Amblin Entertainment)

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead was originally released in the UK on April 30, 2004. Freeze Frame was released in the US on December 10, 2004.

Around the World in 80 Days is based on Jules Verne’s 1873 novel of the same name and remake of the movie of the same name of 1956. Warner Bros. considered a film adaptation reuniting The Mummy director and star Stephen Sommers and Brendan Fraser. 20th Century Fox was also developing a film based on Verne’s story with Ang Lee considered to direct. Frank Corci signed on to direct with Walden Media funding and Summit Entertainment and Paramount handling foreign and domestic distribution, respectively. Johnny Depp was considered for the lead role of Phileas Fogg, but no one thought he could lead a family film. Jackie Chan was cast as Passepartout at a salary of $18 million, so the role of Fogg went to the lesser known Steve Coogan. Paramount then backed out over budget issues and the bankability of the cast. Before Disney acquired domestic rights it was the highest budgeted film, about $110 million, to be produced without a distributor attached. The film was a bomb, earning $48 million worldwide, receiving two Razzie nominations for Worst Supporting Actor (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Worst Remake or Sequel.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead was the last film directed by Mike Hodges. It bears a striking resemblance to Hodges’ 1970 crime drama Get Carter.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story features cameos from Lance Armstrong, Chuck Norris and David Hasselhoff. Ben Stiller’s character was an intentional copy of his Heavyweights character, with Stiller giving the same performance believing no one had seen the previous film. He learned too late that the film has a large cult following. The ending was changed to include a sudden death match with the Average Joe’s winning after negative test audience reaction to the original ending featuring the Globo Gym team winning. Production on a sequel was announced in 2013, but Stiller stated he wasn’t aware of a sequel being made. 20th Century Studios announced on April 27, 2023 that development of a sequel had been restarted.

Freeze Frame had a budget of $2 million. In the US it earned $1,100 at the box office, and $38,750 in the UK. Worldwide the film earned $91,062.

The Terminal is partially inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri who lived in Terminal 1 of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, from 1988 to 2006. No airport was willing to provide facilities for the film’s production so an entire working set was built inside a large hangar at the LA/Palmdale Regional Airport. Most exterior shots were of the Montreal-Mirabel International Airport. The set was built to full earthquake standards and was based on Düsseldorf Airport. The design of the set was also inspired by the Jacques Tati film Play Time. The location of the fictional country in the film, Krakozhia, is kept intentionally vague, but during a scene featuring a TV news report a map is shown with the country bordering North Macedonia. Viktor’s (Tom Hanks) driver’s license is from Belarus, issued to a woman with an Uzbek name. Composer John Williams wrote a national anthem for Krakozhia. Viktor speaks mostly Bulgarian, as well as a constructed Slavic language resembling Bulgarian and Russian. He also buys two New York guide books, in English and Russian, to compare the languages and improve his English.

2014

• June 13 – 22 Jump Street (USA. Original Film)
• June 13 – Hellion (USA, Across Town Productions)
• June 13 – How to Train Your Dragon 2 (USA, DreamWorks Animation)
• June 13 – Lullaby (USA, Avenue Pictures)
• June 27 – Obvious Child (USA, Rooks Nest Entertainment)
• June 13 – Predestination (Vietnam, Blacklab Entertainment)
• June 13 – The Signal (USA, limited, Automatik Entertainment)
• June 25 – Transformers: Age of Extinction (Indonesia, Di Bonaventura Pictures)

Hellion is also known as Retribution. Predestination was released in the US on January 9, 2015. Transformers: Age of Extinction opened in the US and Canada on June 27, 2014.

22 Jump Street is the sequel to 21 Jump Street, which is based on the 1987-1991 TV series of the same name. Plans for the sequel began the week after the first film was released. The sequel was originally scheduled for release on June 6, 2014 but was pushed back a week. Wyatt Russell is said to have turned down a role in The Hunger Games sequels to do the film. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller wanted Cate Blanchett for the end credits sequence in a cameo as a follow-up to the carte blanche joke, but she was busy with Carol, The Monuments Men and How to Train Your Dragon 2. A second sequel was in development in 2016 that would be a crossover with the Men In Black franchise titled MiB 23. A female-driven film was also in the works in 2015 with Tiffany Haddish and Awkwafina. Neither project has come to fruition.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 began development in February 2010, and was formally announced in April 2010. It won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, and was nominated for the Oscar in the same category. Writer and director Dean DeBlois only accepted the offer to make the film if he could turn the series into a trilogy modeled on the original Star Wars trilogy. DeBlois originally wanted to have the character Gobber the Belch killed but when he shared this with Guillermo del Toro, del Toro suggested Stoick the Vast be killed because his narrative contribution to the story had already been exhausted. DeBlois felt this was the right decision and gave del Toro a ‘Thank you’ credit.

Obvious Child was the directorial debut of Gillian Robespierre. The film was expanded on from a short film by Robespierre with the same title, also starring Jenny Slate. Predestination is based on the 1959 short story ‘— All You Zombies —’ by Robert A. Heinlein.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is the fourth film in the Transformers franchise. It does not feature the human cast from the previous three films, and it introduces new Transformers including the Dinobots. It was the only film of 2014 to gross over $1 billion despite negative reviews. Jason Statham was rumored to be signed for the lead and would star in two films produced back-to-back, but these rumors were unfounded. Michael Bay stated he would not return to direct the film but he ultimately did. Three possible subtitles were considered before ‘Age of Extinction’: ‘Last Stand’, ‘Future Cast’, and ‘Apocalypse’. Filming began in 2013 with Detroit standing in for Hong Kong, and McCormick Place in Chicago re-dressed to portray another city in China. The film was the first to be shot with the new digital IMAX 3D cameras. Nine formats were used in total: IMAX film, IMAX digital, single-frame anamorphic film, GoPros, crash cams, Red cameras on 3Ality stereo 3D gigs, and red cameras for 3D. Of the film’s 165 minute run time, about 90 minutes of that contains visual effects.