Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #48 :: June 23•29

Paramount Pictures

This was a huge week for new releases over the last century from a British comedy classic in 1951 to the third film in a series based on Hasbro toys in 2011. 1961 gave us a new William Castle ‘gimmick’ film, 1971 has a Robert Altman classic, and an Oscar-winning role for Jane Fonda. 1991 has the second film in a comedic trilogy and 2001 has a Kubrick film by way of Spielberg. But 1981 is the biggest year this week with four major hits covering genres of action, fantasy, comedy and family. And there are plenty more! So read on to see if any of your favorites made their debuts this week.

1921

No new films were released this week in 1921.

1931

June 27 – I Take This Woman

Cast: Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, Helen Ware, Lester Vail, Charles Trowbridge, Clara Blandick, Gerald Fielding, Al Hart, Guy Oliver, Syd Saylor, Mildred Van Dorn, Leslie Palmer, Ara Haswell, Frank Darien, David Landau
Director: Marion Gering
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Based on the novel Lost Ecstasy (1927) by Mary Roberts Rinehart. The film has no connection to the 1940 film I Take This Woman starring Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr. This was the film debut of Marion Gering, who had previously directed for the stage. The film’s working titles included Lost Ecstasy, Rodeo Romance, Half Angel, and In Defense of Love. The original 35mm negative and all supporting material were shipped to author Rinehart when the rights to the story reverted back to her. Having no interest in keeping the film or proper storage, she disposed of the negative and kept a 16mm print. A surviving 35mm nitrate studio print was used for a restoration that was screened at the Festival of Preservation at the UCLA Film and Television Archives in March 2017. Ann Harding and Fay Wray were considered for the role that went to Carole Lombard.

June 28 – Goldie

Cast: Warren Hymer, Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow
Director: Benjamin Stoloff
Studio: Fox Film Corporation
Trivia: Remake of Howard Hawks’ 1928 silent film, A Girl in Every Port. George Raft appears uncredited as a pickpocket.

1941

June 27 – Hit the Road

Cast: The Dead End Kids, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Bobs Watson, Evelyn Ankers, Charles Lang, Shemp Howard, Walter Kingsford, Eily Malyon, Edward Pawley, John Harmon, Charles R. Moore, Hally Chester
Director: Joe May
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trivia: The last film in which the boys were billed as the Dead End Kids. They then became known as the East Side Kids, and then the Bowery Boys.

1951

June 28 – No Highway in the Sky

Cast: James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Janette Scott, Elizabeth Allan, Ronald Squire, Jill Clifford
Director: Henry Koster
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Trivia: The film opened in the UK on June 28, 1951 but did not see a US release until September 21. The film is known as No Highway in the UK. Based on the 1948 novel No Highway by Nevil Shute. One of the first films to depict an aviation disaster involving metal fatigue. References to the supernatural in the novel were omitted from the film. Robert Donat was originally cast as the lead, but his deal fell through and James Stewart got the role in his second film with Marlene Dietrich. Stewart had to undergo an emergency appendectomy during production in London. Stewart and Dietrich reprised their roles for a Lux Radio Theater version of the film on April 28, 1952. The central element of the story — a passenger feels there is imminent danger on the plane and takes drastic action to eliminate it — is similar to the Twilight Zone episode ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet’, starring William Shatner. Three years after the film (six years after the novel’s publication), two fatal crashes of the world’s first passenger airliner, the de Havilland Comet, occurred under eerily similar circumstances. Dietrich was said to have had several line of her dialogue re-written by an uncredited Noel Coward.

Ealing Studios

June 28 – The Lavender Hill Mob

Cast: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sid James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding, Edie Martin, John Salew, Ronald Adam, Arthur Hambling, Gibb McLaughlin, John Gregson, Clive Morton, Sydney Tafler, Marie Burke, Audrey Hepburn, William Fox, Michael Trubshawe, Jacques B. Brunius, Paul Demel, Eugene Deckers, Andreas Malandrinos, Cyril Chamberlain, Moultrie Kelsall, Christopher Hewett, Meredith Edwards, Patrick Barr, David Davies
Director: Charles Crichton
Studio: Ealing Studios, distributed by General Film Distributors
Trivia: The film premiered in the UK on June 28, 1951 but was not released in the US until October 15 and Canada on November 8. The film was digitally restored and released to UK cinemas on July 29, 2011 for its 60th anniversary. It is one of 15 films listed under the category ‘Art” on the Vatican film list. Desmond Llewelyn, future Bond movie gadget expert Q, appears in an uncredited role. Robert Shaw makes his film debut toward the end of the movie, but most of his work was cut. Patricia Garwood makes her first film appearance at the age of 9. This is considered to be Audrey Hepburn’s first film appearance. She was considered for a larger role, but stage commitments limited her availability. Oscar winner for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay. Alex Guinness was nominated for Best Actor. BAFTA winner for Best British Film.

June 29 – The Frogmen

Cast: Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter, Warren Stevens, Robert Wagner, Harvey Lembeck, Robert Rockwell, Henry Slate
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Trivia: The film’s US premiere was held at the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia on May 24, 1951 before its general release on June 29. The film opened in the UK on September 17. The film’s storyline is based on operations by United States Navy Underwater Demolition Teams, popularly known as ‘frogmen’, against the Japanese Army and naval forces. It was the first such film about scuba diving and became a popular cultural hit. The film’s Oscar nominations include Best Cinematography (Black and White) and Best Screenplay. Several studios wanted to make similar films, but Fox was the only one to obtain exclusive cooperation from the US Navy. Henry Hathaway was originally set to direct the film with Millard Mitchell set to star. Richard Conte, Jack Elam and Craig Hill were also original cast members who ended up being replaced. A TV remake of the film titled ‘Deep Water’ was broadcast in May 1957 on the 20th Century-Fox Hour, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Ralph Meeker, James Whitmore and Richard Arlen. Working conditions on the film were deemed ‘too riotous’ for women so all of the female roles were written out of the screenplay. Jack Warden makes an uncredited appearance at the beginning of the film.

1961

June 28 – Fanny

Cast: Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer, Georgette Anys, Salvatore Baccaloni, Lionel Jeffries, Raymond Bussieres, Joel Flateau
Director: Joshua Logan
Studio: Mansfield Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Based on the book for the 1954 stage musical of the same title by Joshua Logan and S.N. Behrman, which in turn had been adapted from Marcel Pagnol’s trilogy Marius, Fanny and César. Marius, Fanny and César were produced as films in 1931, 1932 and 1936 respectively. Warner’s acquisition of the screen rights to the stories removed these films from circulation for decades. There is also an Italian version of Fanny (1933), the 1934 German Der Schwarze Walfisch (‘The Black Whale’), and 1938’s Port of Seven Seas directed by James Whale. The film deleted all of the songs from the stage production because Jack Warner believed the musical genre was waning. West Side Story was released the same year and was a hit, winning the Best Picture Oscar. The decision did benefit the film because Charles Boyer refused an offer to make the film if it were a musical, not wanting to sing or have his voice dubbed. The underscore, though, served as the film’s soundtrack and even though it was written for a different medium, it was nominated for the Best Original Score Oscar and Golden Globe. Boyer and Maurice Chevalier were old friends and were delighted to finally be working together for the first time. Warner grew concerned he made the wrong decision about the songs and asked Logan to film two of them. Chevalier performed his first number but when Logan tried to edit it into the film, he found it didn’t work so the songs were dropped. Chevalier was relieved because he wanted this to be his first non-singing role in English. The film’s original title, Joshua Logan’s Fanny, was scrapped for obvious reasons. Audrey Hepburn had agreed to play Fanny but was forced to drop out due to other commitments. Jane Fonda auditioned for the role. Leslie Caron was hesitant to accept the role because she thought the French would be offended by an English-language remake, but she liked the script and accepted the part three weeks before the start of production. Aside from Original Score, the film received four more Oscar nominations — Best Picture, Best Actor (Boyer), Cinematography, and Film Editing — and three additional Golden Globe nominations — Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress (Caron), Best Actor (Chevalier). Logan received a Directors Guild nominations as well. It was the only Best Picture Oscar nominee to not be nominated for Best Director.

June 28 – Homicidal

Cast: Joan Marshall, Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Jean Arless, Eugenie Leontovich, Alan Bunce, Richard Rust, James Westerfield, Gilbert Green, Wolfe Barzell, Hope Summers, Teri Brooks, Ralph Moody, Joe Forte
Director: William Castle
Studio: William Castle Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures
Trivia: The film’s premieres were held in Minneapolis and St. Paul on June 9, 1961. The film then opened in Japan on June 17 before its June 28 US release. The film was released with one of William Castle’s patented ‘gimmicks’ – the Fright Break, which allowed patrons to receive a refund and leave the theater is they were too scared to see the rest of the movie. About 1% of the audience demanded refunds, so Castle implemented a ‘Coward’s Corner’ which forced the exiting patrons to follow yellow footsteps up the aisle while bathed in a yellow spotlight while a recorded blared at the audience to ‘Watch the chicken!’, greeted by a ‘nurse’ (a theater employee) who took their blood pressure and forced them to sign a yellow card stating ‘I am a bona fide coward’. Refunds dwindled to zero. Joan Marshall was credited under the name Jean Arless. Castle had planned to cast two different actors for the role of Emily and Warren, but after Marshall’s audition for Emily, she returned dressed as a man, fooling Castle’s secretary, and winning the audition for both roles. For the role of Warren, Marshall cut her hair and dyed it brown, wore brown contacts and had prosthetic appliances made to alter the shape of her nose, mouth and hands. Castle also had Warren’s dialogue dubbed by an uncredited male actor. Upon its release, critics were divided with some saying it was better than Psycho, released a year earlier, and others calling it a pale imitation.

June 28 – The Ladies Man

Cast: Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, Pat Stanley, Kathleen Freeman, George Raft, Harry James, Marty Ingels, Buddy Lester, Gloria Jean, Hope Holiday, Mary LaRoche, Ann McCrea
Director: Jerry Lewis
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Trivia: The film’s premiere was held in Opelika, Alabama on May 26, 1961 before its general release on June 28. The main set is a four-story dollhouse-like interior of a mansion turned into a boarding house with a central courtyard that allowed for crane shots spanning the structure. It cost $500,000 to build. Jerry Lewis attached a small video camera to the 35mm film camera which, in effect, pioneered the use of a ‘video assist’ system that is commonplace today. This was the only film appearance of Karyn Kupcinet, who was murdered two years later in a crime that remains unsolved. Mel Brooks stated he wrote the original screenplay for the film, but since most of his work was written out in later versions he asked for his name to be removed, although a few of his comedy bits remain in the film.

June 29 – Goodbye Again

Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Jessie Royce Landis, Jackie Lane, Jean Clarke, Michèle Mercier, Pierre Dux, Uta Taeger, André Randall, Lee Patrick, Annie Duperoux, Raymond Gerome, Jean Hebey, Alison Leggatt, Michel Garland, David Horne, Colin Mann, Diahann Carroll, Peter Bull
Director: Anatole Litvak
Studio: United Artists
Trivia: The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1961 and opened in France on May 24 before its US release on June 29. It then opened in the UK on August 17. Based on the novel Aimez-vous Brahms? by Françoise Sagan and released in Europe as Aimez-vous Brahms? The original title chosen for the US release was Time on My Hands after the song of the same name that had been selected as the main theme. The music publisher demanded $75,000 to license the rights and the song and title were dropped. Star Anthony Perkins suggested Goodbye Again, taken from a Broadway production in which his father Osgood had appeared. Perkins said Ingrid Bergman was a bit too aggressive in trying to rehearse their kissing scene, suggesting she would have welcomed an affair. Bergman claimed in her autobiography that it was shyness in displaying intimacy on screen with a man who is practically a stranger. Bergman and Perkins would go on to be a part of the ensemble cast of 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express. Yul Brynner makes an uncredited appearance as he was on a photographic assignment to shoot Bergman, and he had worked with the director a year earlier on The Journey.

1971

June 23 – The Hellstrom Chronicle

Cast: Lawrence Pressman
Director: Ed Spiegel, Walon Green
Studio: Cinema 5 Distributing
Trivia: The film screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1971 then opened in France on June 23. A US opening followed on June 28. David Seltzer received a Writers Guild nomination for the screenplay. The film won the Oscar and the BAFTA for Best Documentary Feature. The producers got audiences into theaters by promoting the film as a science fiction thriller. It was paired on a double-bill with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The film inspired Frank Herbert’s 1973 novel Hellstrom’s Hive.

June 23 – Le Mans

Cast: Steve McQueen, Siegfried Rauch, Elga Andersen, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Fred Haltiner, Luc Merenda, Christopher Waite, Louise Edlind, Angelo Infanti, Jean-Claude Bercq, Michele Scalera, Gino Cassani, Alfred Bell, Carlo Cecchi
Director: Lee H. Katzin
Studio: Cinema Center Films, distributed by National General Pictures
Trivia: The film features actual footage captured during the 1970 race held the previous June. John Struges was the film’s original director and had worked with Steve McQueen on the project when it was set up at Warner Bros. as Day of the Champion. When WB sold the studio to Kinney National Services, Inc., McQueen’s multi-picture deal with the studio was cancelled. The project moved to Cinema Center Films, and Sturges quit after a troubled pre-production and partial production period. Lee H. Katzin was brought in to complete the film. There is no audible dialogue for the first 37 minutes of the film. McQueen’s contract stipulated he would do all of his own driving, but the pro drivers refused to drive with him while doing particularly dangerous shots. Maud Adams was considered for the role of Lisa Belgetti, but when it was discovered she was taller than McQueen she was hastily dropped. Following the troubled production, McQueen didn’t attend the premiere and he never raced again. McQueen hired his friend Alan Trustman to write the script, but after a falling out Trustman was fired and barely worked in Hollywood again. Filming began without a completed script. A documentary detailing McQueen’s quest to get the movie made, Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, was released in 2015.

Warner Bros. Pictures

June 24 – McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, René Auberjonois, Michael Murphy, Antony Holland, Bert Remsen, Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Hugh Millais, Jace Van Der Veen, Manfred Schulz, Corey Fischer, William Devane, John Schuck, Jackie Crossland, Elizabeth Murphy, Carey Lee McKenzie, Thomas Hill, Linda Sorenson, Elisabeth Knight, Janet Wright, Maysie Hoy, Linda Kupecek, Jeremy Newson, Wayne Robson, Jack Riley, Edwin Collier, Robert Fortier, Wayne Grace, Rodney Gage, Lili Francks, Wes Taylor
Director: Robert Altman
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Based on the 1959 novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. Julie Christie received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2010. Robert Altman was finishing M*A*S*H and snuck producer David Foster into a screening. Foster liked what he saw and offered Altman the job on this film. They agreed to wait for M*A*S*H to prove itself a hit before pitching their film. Altman offered the lead to M*A*S*H star Elliott Gould, who turned it down for I Love My Wife. Altman told him he was making a huge mistake. Altman also wanted to cast Pat Quinn, and after seeing Alice’s Restaurant Gould realized Altman was right. Warren Beatty was in England when he got the call for the film, flying to New York City to see M*A*S*H, and then to Los Angeles to sign on for McCabe. The film’s original title was to be The Presbyterian Church Wager. An official from the church contacted Warner Bros. to object to the church’s name being used in a film about brothels and gambling, so the title was changed to John McCabe, then released as McCabe and Mrs. Miller. The film was shot almost in sequential order. As it began to snow near the end of filming, Beatty didn’t want to continue because he felt the rest of the film would require snow for continuity. Altman countered there was nothing else to film, so the snow in the movie is real. The crew built snowmen and had snowball fights between takes. For the film’s climactic gunfight, Altman pre-fogged the film negative and used filters on the camera rather than add effects during post-production so the studio couldn’t force him to change the look of the film. The editing took nine months, longer than it took to shoot the movie. Other than church music, the only music in the film are three songs by Leonard Cohen. Altman called Cohen personally and hoped to trade on the success of M*A*S*H to get Cohen and his record company to license the songs. Cohen was not familiar with M*A*S*H but loved Altman’s Brewster McCloud and arranged to have his label license the music cheaply, and that some of the royalties from sales of his album after the release of the film would go to Altman. Beatty loved to do multiple takes, and for one scene Altman was ready to wrap so he left his assistant with Beatty who did more than 30 additional takes. Altman got his revenge by making Beatty do 25 takes of a scene in the snow. Carpenters for the film were dressed in period clothing with tools of the era and did their business in the background while the plot advanced in the foreground. This was Keith Carradine’s film debut. This was the second of seven films Shelley Duvall made with Altman. Julie Christie makes a cameo appearance in Altman’s Nashville.

June 25 – Klute

Cast: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider, Dorothy Tristan, Rita Gam, Nathan George, Vivian Nathan, Morris Strassberg, Barry Snider, Betty Murray, Jane White, Shirley Stoler, Robert Milli, Anthony Holland, Fred Burrell, Richard Shull, Mary Louise Wilson, Marc Marvin, Jean Stapleton, Jan Fielding, Antonia Ray, Robert Ronan, Richard Ramos,Rosalind Cash
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: The film premiered in Akron, Ohio and New York City on June 23, 1971 before its US and Canada release on June 25. The film did not open in the UK until October 7. Considered the first installment of Alan J. Pakula’s informal ‘Paranoia Trilogy’, followed by The Parallax View and All the President’s Men. The film was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and Jane Fonda won the Oscar for Best Actress. Fonda prepared for her role by spending a week in New York City observing call girls and madams. Fonda had doubts she could pull off the role and asked Pakula to release her from her contract and hire Faye Dunaway. Fonda worried that as a feminist, she shouldn’t be playing a prostitute. The scene with the psychiatrist was mostly ad-libbed and shot with one camera. The therapist was originally written as male, but Fonda felt her character would never open up to a man so the part was changed to a female. Fonda also asked these scenes be shot at the end of filming so she would have already internalized her character. Fonda and Donald Sutherland developed a nonexclusive relationship during filming, and he was her date to the Oscars. Bree’s apartment was built on a sound stage in New York where Fonda could spend the night. It included a working toilet, and Fonda contributed to the decorating. An unknown Sylvester Stallone appears as an extra. Barbra Streisand turned down the role of Bree Daniels before Fonda was cast.

1981

June 25 – For Your Eyes Only

Cast: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Julian Glover, Cassandra Harris, Michael Gothard, Jill Bennett, Jack Hedley, Walter Gotell, James Villiers, Desmond Llewelyn, John Moreno, Geoffrey Keen, Lois Maxwell, John Wyman
Director: John Glen
Studio: Eon Productions, distributed by United Artists
Trivia: The film premiered in London on June 24, 1981 followed by its UK release on June 25, and a US/Canada release on June 26. The twelfth film in the James Bond franchise. The last Bond film distributed by United Artists, which was absorbed by MGM soon after the film’s release. The directorial debut of John Glen, who was an editor and second unit director on three previous Bond films. Sheena Easton performed the theme song and is, to date, the only singer to appear in the opening credits. Debbie Harry was originally hired to sing the song but quit the film when producers refused to let her band Blondie write and perform an original song for the film. Blondie’s rejected ‘For Your Eyes Only’ is included on the 1982 album The Hunter. The title song was nominated for both an Oscar and Golden Globe, and lost in both cases to Arthur’s Theme. The film was intended to follow The Spy Who Loved Me, as listed at the end of that film’s credits, but the success of Star Wars made the producers change course and go for the more science-fictiony Moonraker as the follow-up. For Your Eyes Only was an attempt to bring Bond back to Earth with a more gritty, realistic tone. Long-time production designer Ken Adam was busy with Pennies From Heaven so Peter Lamont, who had worked in the art department since Goldfinger, was promoted to production designer, creating more realistic scenery instead of the usual elaborate set-pieces. The film’s opening sequence was meant to introduce a potential new Bond to audiences, and it was described as both ‘out-of-place’ and ‘roaringly enjoyable’. Roger Moore’s participation in the film was uncertain so producers began looking at other actors including Lewis Collins, Ian Ogilvy, Michael Billington (who had auditioned for the role of Bond five times) and Michael Jayston. Timothy Dalton was considered but turned down an offer because he didn’t like the direction the series was taking at the time. When Moore learned other actors were being sought he announced he would not return to the role, but producers convinced him to come back two weeks later. Bernard Lee died of cancer after filming began but had not filmed his scenes as M. Refusing to replace him out of respect, M was said to be ‘on leave’ and the role was re-written for Chief of Staff Bill Tanner to be the acting head of MI6, and some of Q’s scenes were expanded. It is the only film in the franchise to not feature M. Underwater scenes of Bond and Melina were faked on a dry sound stage with effects added in post-production. Moore was uncomfortable kicking a car over the edge of a cliff with villain Locque inside and had to be persuaded to be more ruthless than he felt comfortable. Carole Bouquet’s voice is dubbed, however she dubbed her own voice for the French release. Cassandra Harris was married to Pierce Brosnan at the time of filming and introduced him to the producers. Brosnan was almost hired for The Living Daylights but was committed to Remington Steele. This movie saved United Artists from financial ruin after the disastrous Heaven’s Gate nearly drove the studio into bankruptcy. The appearance of Margaret Thatcher, played by impersonator Janet Brown, marks the first time a real head of government was portrayed in a Bond film. Director John Glen has said there was talk of bringing the Jaws character back for a third time but he ultimately did not fit in this film. This was Charles Dance’s first screen role. Smithers, played by Jeremy Bulloch, also appears in The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy.

June 26 – Dragonslayer

Cast: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre, Albert Salmi, Sydney Bromley, Chloe Salaman, Emrys James, Roger Kemp, Ian McDiarmid
Director: Matthew Robbins
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Productions
Trivia: This was the second of two joint productions between Paramount and Disney, the first being Popeye. The special effects by Industrial Light & Magic earned an Oscar nomination but lost to Raiders of the Lost Ark by … Industrial Light & Magic. They were the only two nominees that year. This was the first film with effects by ILM that wasn’t a Lucasfilm Ltd. production. It took eight months to complete 160 SPFX shots of the dragon. It was also nominated for Best Original Score but lost to Chariots of Fire. The film was inspired by ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ segment in Disney’s Fantasia, and the story of St. George and the Dragon. Peter MacNicol agreed to take the part even though he disliked performing magic tricks, for which he had to take lessons. He also had a vocal coach to disguise his Texas accent. It was his feature film debut. Eric Roberts had been considered for the role. Caitlin Clarke was hesitant to be involved because she was preparing to audition for a play in Chicago. She eventually said she learned more from Ralph Richardson in one rehearsal that she did in years of acting classes. Costumes were dyed colors that would only have been available at the time from vegetable dyes. George R.R. Martin said the dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative, is ‘the best dragon ever shown on film.’ On the first season of Game of Thrones, Viserys Targaryen mentions a deceased dragon by the name of Vermithrax. It is also Guillermo del Toro’s favorite dragon alongside Dragon Maleficent.

June 26 – Stripes

Cast: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, Sean Young, John Candy, John Larroquette, Roberta Leighton, John Voldstad, John Diehl, Lance LeGault, Conrad Dunn, Judge Reinhold, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Robert J. Wilke, Antone Pagán, Bill Paxton

Director: Ivan Reitman

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Trivia: John Larroquette, John Diehl, Conrad Dunn, and Judge Reinhold were featured in their first significant film roles. Ivan Reitman envisioned the film as ‘Cheech and Chong join the Army’ and pitched it to Paramount, which greenlit the film the same day. When the duo wanted complete control, Reitman suggested the script be tailored for Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, figuring if they got Ramis interested, he would bring in Murray. Now at Columbia Pictures, the studio hated Ramis’ audition, and Ramis was reluctant to act in the film. P.J. Soles said Dennis Quaid had read for the part, but Reitman said he was hiring Ramis and Murray said he would not work with anyone else. Quaid is, however, in a crowd scene. Judge Reinhold got the best jokes from the Cheech & Chong version of the script. John Candy was not required to audition. Every scene had an element of improv. Warren Oates’ front tooth got chipped after Reitman told some actors to surprise him by pulling him into the mud to get a genuine reaction. Oates yelled at Reitman for what he did. Reitman was surprised by the cooperation of the US Army since the film depicts the military largely as buffoons. Reitman did not tell the cast actual Army barbers were going to shave their heads to get a genuine reaction. Murray and Sean Young did not get along because Young didn’t like Murray’s ad-libbing. Murray vowed to never work with her again. P.J. Soles wore the same uniform in Stripes that she wore in Private Benjamin a year earlier. Kim Basinger was offered a part in the film but wanted too much money. Film debut of Timothy Busfield.

June 26 – The Great Muppet Caper

Cast: Diana Rigg, Charles Grodin, Erica Creer, Kate Howard, Della Finch
Muppet Performers: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Caroll Spinney
Cameos: John Cleese, Joan Sanderson, Jack Warden, Peter Falk, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Michael Robbins, Peter Hughes, Peggy Aitchison, Tommy Godfrey, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson
Director: Jim Henson
Studio: ITC Films, Henson Associates, distributed by Universal Pictures, Associated Film Distribution
Trivia: Jim Henson’s feature film directorial debut. The Great Gonzo’s classification as a ‘whatever’ is cemented in this film. Henson did not like the film’s working title, Muppet Mania, and accepted suggestions from friends and staff including The Rocky Muppet Picture Show and A Froggy Day in London. Henson’s daughter Lisa suggested The Great Muppetcapade, but also included choices like ‘escapade’, ‘escpigaide’ and ‘caper’. Jack Warden was always Henson’s first choice for the role of Mike Tarkanian, but he also considered Jim Backus, Tom Bosley, Jackie Cooper, Hume Cronyn, David Doyle, Charles Durning, Broderick Crawford, Edward Asner, Martin Balsam, Harvey Korman, Walter Matthau, Jack Klugman, Jack Lemmon, and Lionel Stander. The film was a composite of two scripts: The Muppets Hit the Road and The Good, The Bad, and The Muppets.

June 29 – Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Cast: Sylvia Kristel, Nicholas Clay, Shane Briant, Ann Mitchell, Elizabeth Spriggs, Pascale Rivault, Peter Bennett, Anthony Head, Frank Moorey, Bessie Love, John Tynan, Michael Huston, Fran Hunter, Ryan Michael, Mark Colleano
Director: Just Jaeckin
Studio: Cannon Films (U.S.), Columbia Pictures (non-U.S.)
Trivia: The film opened in France on June 29, 1981, followed by the UK in December. It was not released in the US until May 7, 1982. An adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel of the same name. At one point, Ken Russell was interested in making a film from the book but lost the rights. The role of Oliver Mellors was to be played by Ian McShane, the ex-boyfriend of star Sylvia Kristel but his wife objected to him filming sex scenes with his ex. Oliver Reed was the second choice for the role. Nicholas Clay was a third choice because he was an unknown at the time, but started to gain attention after his role in Excalibur.

1991

June 27 – Europa

Cast: Max von Sydow, Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Udo Kier, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Henning Jensen, Erik Mørk, Eddie Constantine, Jørgen Reenberg, Benny Poulsen, Erno Müller, Michael Phillip Simpson, Holger Perfort, Anne Werner Thomsen, Lars von Trier, Baard Owe
Director: Lars von Trier
Studio: Det Danske Filminstitut, Svenska Filminstitutet, Eurimages, UGC, distributed by Nordisk Film Biografdistribution
Trivia: The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1991, then opened in Germany on June 27. It saw a UK release on April 17, 1992, followed by a screening at the USA Film Festival on April 27 before its general US release on May 22. Not to be confused with Europa Europa. Known as Zentropa in North America. The third film of Lars von Trier, and the final film of his Europa trilogy. Influenced by Franz Kafka’s Amerika. Steven Spielberg is a fan of the film and offered von Trier the chance to work in Hollywood. He politely declined, working solely in Denmark. He’s never been to the United States. Von Trier has a cameo in the film.

June 28 – The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear

Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O. J. Simpson, Robert Goulet, Richard Griffiths, Jacqueline Brookes, Anthony James, Lloyd Bochner, Tim O’Connor, Peter Mark Richman, Ed Williams, John Roarke, Margery Ross, Peter Van Norden, Gail Neely, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Sally Rosenblatt, Alexander Folk, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Gina Mastrogiacomo
Director: David Zucker
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Trivia: The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 27, 1981 before its general release in the US and UK on June 28. Lloyd Bochner spoofs his own character from The Twilight Zone episode ‘To Serve Man’. ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic appears in all three Naked Gun movies, but this is the only one in which he is not playing himself. Robert Goulet was the ‘Special Guest Star’ killed off at the start of the third episode of the Police Squad! series. Footage of a train entering a tunnel and exploding fireworks, used in the implied sex scene, are the same clips used in Big Top Pee-Wee. Director David Zucker has a cameo as a Colonial era man shooting a flintlock in the scene where police are surrounding a house and start shooting. In the theatrical version, when Robert Goulet falls from a window he can be heard singing ‘on a clear day’. The song does not appear in the video and television versions.

2001

June 27 – Baby Boy

Cast: Tyrese Gibson, Omar Gooding, Taraji P. Henson, Snoop Dogg, Adrienne-Joi Johnson, Ving Rhames, Mo’Nique, Angell Conwell, Tamara LaSeon Bass, Candy Ann Brown, Tawny Dahl, Big Tray Deee, Goldie Loc
Director: John Singleton
Studio: Columbia Pictures, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on June 21, 2001 before its general US release on June 27. Film debut of Taraji P. Henson and Tyrese Gibson. The film was originally to have starred Tupac Shakur. Tupac’s ‘Hail Mary’ is heard in the film. The role of Rodney was written for Ice Cube. John Singleton’s daughter plays Jody’s daughter at the beginning of the film. Singleton’s mother plays a mourner in a dream sequence. Singleton also has a cameo. This was the last film written by Singleton. The store where Jody is robbed is the same store from Boyz N the Hood. A.J. Johnson lived in South Central for two weeks to prepare for her role.

Amblin Entertainment

June 29 – A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Cast: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Steven Spielberg
Studio: Amblin Entertainment, Stanley Kubrick Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures (North America), DreamWorks Pictures (International)
Trivia: The film held premieres in New York City on June 26, 2001, and Los Angeles on June 28 before its US/Canada release on June 29. The film did not open in the UK until September 21. Loosely based on the 1969 short story ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long’ by Brian Aldiss. The film was originally being developed by Stanley Kubrick in the early 1970s. Kubrick gave the project to Spielberg, whom had been asked to direct the film in 1985, in 1995, but it did not gain momentum until Kubrick’s death in 1999. The film received Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score. Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley, Meryl Streep and Chris Rock provide voices in the film. The band Ministry, chosen by fan Kubrick, appears as the Flesh Fair band. This was Spielberg’s first solo writing credit since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg’s script remained faithful to Kubrick’s vision, including the ending which is often attributed to Spielberg. Aside from a couple of weeks of location shooting, the entire film was shot on sound stages. Each day before filming, any of Haley Joel Osment’s exposed skin was shaved to give him a more plastic look. Osment suggested to Spielberg that his character should not blink and he agreed, even telling the other actors playing androids to do the same (but some do). The World Trade Center’s twin towers are seen in the film which takes place many years in the future. They were destroyed less than three months after the film’s release. Spielberg decided to leave them in for the video release, risking controversy and criticism. The film was originally titled A.I., but too many people thought it was A1, so the title was changed to prevent people thinking it was about steak sauce. Robin Williams recorded his dialogue with Kubrick directing, long before Spielberg was attached to direct. When work began on the movie in 1993 with Kubrick directing, Jurassic Park star Joseph Mazzello was cast as David.

June 29 – The Anniversary Party

Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, John C. Reilly, Jane Adams, Parker Posey, John Benjamin Hickey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Denis O’Hare, Mina Badie, Michael Panes, Jennifer Beals
Director: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Studio: Ghoulardi Film Company, Pas de Quoi, distributed by Fine Line Features
Trivia: The film premiered at Cannes on May 15, 2001 and was released in France on May 23. The film opened in limited release in the US on June 8, was screened at the Newport International Film Festival on June 9, and entered general release on June 29. Jennifer Jason Leigh & Alan Cumming make their feature directing debuts. Because of conflicting schedules, there was only a period of 19 days when the entire cast would be available for filming. Phoebe Cates came out of retirement as a favor to her best friend Leigh. Mina Badie is Leigh’s half-sister. The entire movie was shot at a house owned by Sofia Coppola. Actors did their own hair and makeup, and had no dressing rooms or trailers. The yoga instructor is played by Leigh and Cumming’s real yoga instructor. All of the toast speeches were written by the actors except for Gwyneth Paltrow’s. Jennifer Beals took all of the pictures on the walls in her house. Leigh’s dog appears in the film as Otis. One of the first theatrical films shot in all digital except for one underwater scene, because the waterproof casing for the digital camera made the image look terrible. The one minute of shooting on film underwater cost more than the entirety of the digital footage.

June 29 – Crazy/Beautiful

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison, Lucinda Jenney, Taryn Manning, Soledad St. Hilaire, Rolando Molina, Herman Osorio, Miguel Castro, Tommy De La Cruz, Richard Steinmetz, Ana Argueta, Cory Hardrict
Director: John Stockwell
Studio: Touchstone Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on June 28, 2001 before its general release on June 29. Director John Stockwell wanted to cast Kirsten Dunst after seeing her in The Virgin Suicides. The film was planned to have an R-rating, but Disney insisted the editing of 35 obscenities, a sex scene and drug use to get a more commercial pg-13 rating. The film’s original title was At Seventeen. Jay Hernandez had to learn many of his Spanish lines phonetically as he does not speak Spanish. Dunst was supposed to have a nude scene, but she was 17 at the time of production and her mother would not allow it. High school scenes were shot at a real school with real students as extras.

June 29 – Pootie Tang

Cast: Lance Crouther, J. B. Smoove, Jennifer Coolidge, Wanda Sykes, Robert Vaughn, Chris Rock, Reg E. Cathey, J.D. Williams, Mario Joyner, Dave Attell, Laura Kightlinger, Rick Shapiro, Missy Elliott, David Cross, Cole Hawkins, Andy Richter, Kristen Bell, Jon Glaser, Keesha Sharp, Todd Barry, Bob Costas
Director: Louis C.K.
Studio: Alphaville Films, 3 Arts Entertainment, HBO Downtown Productions, MTV Films, Chris Rock Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Adapted from a comedy sketch that first appeared on The Chris Rock Show. The film was originally set up at Paramount Classics with the title Pootie Tang in Sine Your Pitty on the Runny Kine, but the budget was increased and transferred to the Paramount Pictures division.

2011

June 24 – A Better Life

Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Carlos Linares, Eddie ‘Piolín’ Sotelo, Joaquín Cosío, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria
Director: Chris Weitz
Studio: Lime Orchard Productions, distributed by Summit Entertainment
Trivia: Demián Bichir received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Bichir did his own stunts. The plot shares similarities with Bicycle Thieves and Mildred Pierce.

June 24 – Bad Teacher

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins, Dave Allen, Jillian Armenante, Matthew J. Evans, Kaitlyn Dever, Kathryn Newton, Molly Shannon, Eric Stonestreet, Noah Munck, Finneas O’Connell, Thomas Lennon, Jeff Judah, Nat Faxon, Stephanie Faracy, David Paymer, Christine Smith, Paul Feig, Deirdre Lovejoy, Jerry Lambert
Director: Jake Kasdan
Studio: Columbia Pictures, Mosaic Media Group, distrbuted by Sony Pictures Releasing
Trivia: The film opened in the UK on June 17, 2011 before its US premiere on June 20 and its general release on June 24. Bradley Cooper was considered for a role. Thomas Lennon auditioned for the role of the principal before being cast as Carl Halabi. A TV series based on the movie premiered on CBS on April 24, 2014. The series was cancelled after three episodes. A sequel to the film was announced in 2013.

June 24 – Bol

Cast: Humaima Malik, Atif Aslam, Iman Ali, Mahira Khan, Shafqat Cheema, Manzar Sehbai, Zaib Rehman, Naima Khan, Amr Kashmiri, Humaira Ali, Irfan Khoosat, Rashid Khawaja, Mahnoor Khan, Gulfam Ramay
Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Studio: Shoman Productions, distributed by Geo Films, Eros International Ltd.
Trivia: The film opened in Pakistan on June 24, 2011, and then was released in the UK, India and the US on August 31. Film debuts of singer Atif Aslam and Mahira Khan. One of the highest grossing Pakistani films of all time.

June 24 – Cars 2

Cast: Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, Thomas Kretschmann, Joe Mantegna, Bruce Campbell, Tony Shalhoub, Darrell Waltrip, Guido Quaroni, Brent Musburger, Colin Cowherd, Jason Isaacs, David Hobbs, Stanley Townsend, Lloyd Sherr, Paul Dooley, Michel Michelis, Sig Hansen, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Jenifer Lewis, Michael Wallis, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger, Jeff Garlin, Patrick Walker, Lewis Hamilton, Velibor Topic, Greg Ellis, John Mainier, Brad Lewis, Richard Kind, Edie McClurg, Teresa Gallagher, Jeff Gordon, John Lasseter
Director: John Lasseter
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Trivia: The film premiered in Hollywood on June 18, 2011, then opened in several international territories on June 23. The film opened in the US, Canada and more international markets on June 24, but did not open in the UK until July 22. The 12th Pixar animated film. Three of the original voice cast died before production began — Joe Ranft, George Carlin and Paul Newman. The character of Red (Ranft) appears in the film but does not speak. Doc Hudson (Newman) was written out, with a few references that the character had died. Fillmore (Carlin) was voiced by Lloyd Sherr. The Jeff Gorvette character (voiced by Jeff Gordon) is re-voiced by race car drivers better known in their own countries. Sophia Loren voices Mama Topolino (Vanessa Redgrave) for the Italian release. The second Pixar film to have a sequel. The film was originally set to premiere in the Summer of 2012. The first Pixar movie to not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film. Characters from the following Pixar film, Brave, can be seen as cars in a piece of artwork on a wall in the London pub. Gusteau’s restaurant from Ratatouille makes an appearance in this movie under the name “Gastows”.

June 28 – Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Keiko Agena, Lester Speight, Josh Kelly, Alan Tudyk, Mark Ryan, Ken Jeong, Glenn Morshower, Buzz Aldrin, Elya Baskin, Andy Daly, Iqbal Theba, Sammy Sheik, Anthony Azizi, Mindy Sterling, Chris Sheffield
Transformers: Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, Leonard Nimoy, Jess Harnell, Charlie Adler, Robert Foxworth, James Remar, Francesco Quinn, George Coe, Tom Kenny, Reno Wilson, Frank Welker, Ron Bottitta, John DiMaggio, Keith Szarabajka, Greg Berg, Jim Wood
Director: Michael Bay
Studio: Hasbro Films, Di Bonaventura Pictures, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: The film opened in Hong Kong and premiered in the US on June 28, 2011, then was released nearly worldwide on June 29. Received three Oscar nominations for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. Paramount surprised director Michael Bay with the announcement that the film would be released on July 1, 2011 as he was planning to take a year off and had a 2012 release date in mind. The film was shot (mostly) natively in 3D because Michael Bay didn’t like the look of the post-conversion process from 2D to 3D. Bay recycled some footage from his 2005 film The Island into the movie. Alan Tudyk decided his character was the same character he played in the film 28 Days. Patrick Dempsey was cast by chance after bumping into Michael Bay at a Ferrari launch event in Los Angeles. Blake Lively, Gemma Arterton, Ashley Greene, Brooklyn Decker, Miranda Kerr, Bar Refaeli, Amber Heard, Camilla Belle, Katie Cassidy, Heidi Montag, Lucy Hale, Julianne Hough and Anna Kendrick were all considered to replace Megan Fox after her exit. Francesco Quinn’s last completed film. The Autobot animal Steeljaw was going to be in the film but got cut from the script. Tony Todd was going to be in the film but his role got cut from the script. James Avery was to voice Silverbolt but the character was cut from the film.

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