Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #49 :: June 30 to July 6

Warner Bros. Pictures

Eight decades produced new movies this week including several films regarded as classics from Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Mike Nichols, Curtis Harrington, Nicolas Roeg, Gordon Parks, Penelope Spheeris, James Cameron, and Richard Linklater. And one film this week introduced us to a ‘land of pure imagination’. Read on to see if any of your favorite films are celebrating anniversaries this week!

1921

• No new films were released this week in 1921.

1931

• No new films were released this week in 1931.

1941

June 30 – Kipps

• Cast: Philip Frost, Michael Redgrave, Diana Wynyard, Diana Calderwood, Phyllis Calvert, Arthur Riscoe, Max Adrian, Helen Haye, Michael Wilding, Lloyd Pearson, Edward Rigby, Mackenzie Ward, Hermione Baddeley, Betty Ann Davies, Arthur Denton, Betty Jardine, Frank Pettingell, Beatrice Varley, George Carney, Irene Browne, Peter Graves, Viscount Castlerosse
• Director: Carol Reed
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Based on H. G. Wells’s 1905 novel of the same name. The film premiere in London on March 26, 1941 before its general UK release on June 30. The film did not play in the US until May 24, 1942 under the title The Remarkable Mr. Kipps. Production took place during the Blitz with filming often interrupted by air raids.

June 30 – Love on the Dole

• Cast: Deborah Kerr, Clifford Evans, George Carney, Mary Merrall, Geoffrey Hibbert, Joyce Howard, Frank Cellier, Martin Walker, Maire O’Neill, Iris Vandeleur, Marie Ault, Marjorie Rhodes
• Director: John Baxter
• Studio: British National Films, distributed by Anglo-American Film Corporation (UK), United Artists (USA)
• Trivia: The film premiered in London on April 2, 1941 before its general UK release on June 30. The film did not play in the US until October 12, 1945. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Walter Greenwood. It was the first English-made feature film to show English police wielding batons against a crowd. Deborah Kerr recalled that this film featured her first on-screen kiss.

July 4 – Caught in the Draft

• Cast: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Lynne Overman, Eddie Bracken, Clarence Kolb, Paul Hurst, Ferike Boros, Phyllis Ruth, Irving Bacon, Arthur Loft, Edgar Dearing
• Director: David Butler
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on June 25, 1941. Paramount’s second most successful film of the year. National Guardsmen trained the actors to be soldiers for the movie.

July 4 – Moon Over Miami

• Cast: Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley, Charlotte Greenwood
• Director: Walter Lang
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: The film premiere in Miami, Florida on June 18, 1941. Adapted from the play by Stephen Powys. The film’s original title was simply Miami. This is a Technicolor, musical remake of 1938’s Three Blind Mice. Betty Grable’s dance partner in the ‘Kindergarten Conga’ number was the film’s choreographer Hermes Pan. Joan Davis had been cast in March 1941 but was replaced by Carole Landis. Laird Cregar was replaced by George Lessey in March 1941 due to illness.

1951

Warner Bros. Pictures

June 30 – Strangers on a Train

• Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock, Kasey Rogers, Marion Lorne, Jonathan Hale, Howard St. John, John Brown, Norma Varden, Robert Gist
• Director: Alfred Hitchcock
• Studio: Transatlantic Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: The film opened in limited release in the US on June 27, 1951 before expanding on June 30. based on the 1950 novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. Hitchcock’s cameo appears 11 minutes into the film as he carries a double bass while boarding the train. Hitchcock originally wanted William Holden for the role of Guy Haines but then felt he was ‘too sturdy’ for the part. Warner Bros. insisted on using contract players when possible and forced Ruth Roman on Hitchcock, in the process becoming the target of his scorn throughout production. Highsmith sold her first novel for $7,500. Hitchcock kept his name out of the negotiations to keep the price low. Highsmith was annoyed when she learned Hitchcock bought the rights for a small amount. Hitchcock was turned down by eight writers for the screenplay job, including John Steinbeck and Thornton Wilder who found the story too tawdry and were put off by Highsmith’s ‘first timer’ status. Dashiell Hammett was also under consideration. Raymond Chandler took the job but their personalities clashed and after writing a second draft, Hitchcock notified Chandler he was fired. While little of Chandler’s work remains in the screenplay that was filmed, Warner Bros. insisted his name remain in the credits to draw in audiences. Cinematographer Robert Burks received the film’s only Academy Award nomination for his black and white photography. This was Robert Walker’s last film, dying eight months after filming had completed from an allergic reaction to a drug used to treat his alcoholism. Walker had been delighted to know he was Hitchcock’s only choice for the role of Bruno. This was the theatrical film debut of Marion Lorne.

July – Two of a Kind

• Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Lizabeth Scott, Terry Moore, Alexander Knox, Griff Barnett, Robert Anderson, Virginia Brissac
• Director: Henry Levin
• Studio: Columbia Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on June 29, 1951 in New York City. The exact release date seems to be unknown.

July 3 – Strictly Dishonorable

• Cast: Ezio Pinza, Janet Leigh, Millard Mitchell, Gale Robbins, Maria Palmer, Esther Minciotti, Silvio Minciotti, Arthur Franz, Sandro Giglio, Hugh Sanders, Mario Siletti
• Director: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
• Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Trivia: Based on Preston Sturges’ 1929 hit Broadway play of the same name. Although Opera and Broadway star Ezio Pinza filmed Mr. Imperium before this film, Strictly Dishonorable was released first so this marks his film acting debut. Kathleen Freeman appears uncredited as a movie theater organist. Lux Radio Theater broadcast a 60-minute adaptation of the film on December 8, 1952 with Janet Leigh reprising her role.

July 4 – Ace in the Hole

• Cast: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur, Porter Hall, Frank Cady, Richard Benedict, Ray Teal, Lewis Martin, John Berkes, Frances Dominguez, Gene Evans, Frank Jaquet, Harry Harvey Sr., Bob Bumpas, Richard Gaines
• Director: Billy Wilder
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Premieres for the film were held in Albuquerque on June 14, 1951, London (June 15), Los Angeles (June 15) and New York City (June 29). Also known as The Big Carnival, which Paramount changed to without Wilder’s input. Broadcasts on TCM and the DVD release carried the original title. The film’s working title was The Human Interest Story. This was Billy Wilder’s first film as director, producer and writer, and his first to be a critical and commercial failure. When his next film was a hit, Paramount deducted the losses from this film from his profits of Stalag 17. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2017. The film bore similarities to two real-life events in which a person was trapped — one in a landslide in 1925 and the other a well in 1949 — that became media sensations. In the original script, Joseph Breen objected to the reporter colluding with the local sheriff and demanded dialogue be added to make clear he would be made to answer for his actions. For the Hays Office production code, no sin goes unpaid. Frank Cady’s character is identified as an agent from Pacific All-Risk Insurance, the same fictitious firm featured in Wilder’s Double Indemnity. The film did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Story and Screenplay. The Indian copy boy at the newspaper office is an uncredited Iron Eyes Cody.

July 4 – Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion (serial)

• Cast: Walter Reed, Mary Ellen Kay, Dick Curtis, Fred Coby, John Pickard, Pierce Lyden, Arthur Space, Mauritz Hugo, George Meeker
• Director: Fred C. Brannon
• Studio: Republic Pictures
• Trivia: While the official release date is listed as July 4, 1951, this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available. The cheapest of Republic’s 1951 serials, it came in $529 over budget. The working title was Government Agents vs. Underground Legion. The serial’s tenth chapter is a budget-saving recap episode with footage from previous chapters.

July 6 – Take Care of My Little Girl

• Cast: Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor, Jean Peters, Jeffrey Hunter, Betty Lynn, Helen Westcott, Lenka Peterson, Carol Brannon, Natalie Schafer, Beverly Dennis, Kathleen Hughes, Peggy O’Connor, Marjorie Crossland, John Litel
• Director: Jean Negulesco
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy Goodin. Anatole Litvak was originally named as the film’s director, with Susan Hayward and Jeanne Crain under consideration for the lead role. When Jean Negulesco took over as director, Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck was so enthusiastic about the film he increased the budget so Negulesco could film additional scenes. Sororities around the country protested the film because of its negative portrayal and pressured Fox to not release it, but the protests were dropped because of the publicity they were drawing to the film. Lux Radio Theater presented a one-hour adaptation of the film on February 4, 1952 with Crain and Dale Robertson reprising their roles.

1961

June 30 – The Naked Edge

• Cast: Gary Cooper, Deborah Kerr, Eric Portman, Ray McAnally, Diane Cilento, Hermione Gingold, Peter Cushing, Michael Wilding, Ronald Howard, Sandor Elès, Wilfrid Lawson, Helen Cherry, Joyce Carey, Diane Clare, Frederick Leister, Martin Boddey, Peter Wayn
• Director: Michael Anderson
• Studio: United Artists
• Trivia: The film premiered in Helena, Montana on June 28, 1961. This was Gary Cooper’s final film, released one month after his death from cancer.

July – The Big Gamble

• Cast: Stephen Boyd, Juliette Gréco, David Wayne, Gregory Ratoff, Sybil Thorndike, Fernand Ledoux, Marie Kean, Harold Goldblatt, J. G. Devlin, Philip O’Flynn, Fergal Stanley, Jess Hahn, Alain Saury, Jacques Marin
• Director: Richard Fleischer
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Elmo Williams directed the African action sequences. Stephen Boyd nearly drowned while shooting the film, saved by David Wayne. While Boyd was born just outside of Belfast, this was the only film he made in Ireland. The film opened in the UK in July 1961, but the exact date is unknown. The film made its US debut on September 1.

July 6 – The Blonde from Buenos Aires

• Cast: Mamie Van Doren, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Carlos Estrada, Catherine Zabó, Juan Carlos Mareco, Nathán Pinzón, Guido Gorgatti, Chela Ruíz
• Director: George Cahan
• Studio: D’An-Fran, Cofilms
• Trivia: The film opened in Argentina on July 6. 1961. Also known as An American in Buenos Aires.

1971

June 30 – Carnal Knowledge

• Cast: Jack Nicholson, Arthur Garfunkel, Candice Bergen, Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno, Carol Kane, Cynthia O’Neal
• Director: Mike Nichols
• Studio: AVCO Embassy Pictures
• Trivia: Jules Feiffer originally wrote the script as a play and contains numerous curse words which were rarely heard on the screen before this time. When Mike Nichols received the script, he felt it would make a better movie. On January 13, 1972 a theater in Albany, Georgia was raided and the film confiscated. The theater manager was convicted of ‘distributing obscene material’ and the conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court of Georgia. The US Supreme Court found the State had gone too far in classifying the film as obscene and overturned the conviction. Ann-Margret was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and won the Golden Globe in that category. Jack Nicholson was nominated for the Best Actor – Drama Golden Globe, and Art Garfunkel was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The fight scene between Nicholson and Ann-Margret took a week to film. When Sandy (Garfunkel) takes out a condom while in bed with Susan (Candice Bergen), it’s the first time a condom had ever been seen on film. Nichols spent six months looking for the right actress to play Bobbie (Ann-Margret), rejecting Jane Fonda, Raquel Welch, Natalie Wood, Karen Black and Dyan Cannon in the process. Ellen Burstyn had also auditioned for the role, but after seeing the film admitted she could not have played the part as well as Ann-Margret. This was Carol Kane’s second film, and she has no dialogue. The film was banned in Ireland upon its release, but was given a limited theatrical release in 1980.

June 30 – The Million Dollar Duck

• Cast: Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan, Joe Flynn, Tony Roberts, James Gregory, Lee Montgomery, Jack Kruschen, Virginia Vincent, Jack Bender, Billy Bowles, Sammy Jackson, Arthur Hunnicutt, Frank Wilcox, Bryan O’Byrne, Ted Jordan, Bing Russell, Peter Renaday, Frank Cady, George O’Hanlon, Jonathan Daly, Hal Smith, Edward Andrews
• Director: Vincent McEveety
• Studio: Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
• Trivia: Based on the goose that lays golden eggs scenario. Near the end of the film, a Volkswagen Beetle is seen with the license plate OFP 857, the same as Herbie’s in The Love Bug, also starring Dean Jones. Final film of Frank Wilcox.

June 30 – What’s the Matter with Helen?

• Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, Dennis Weaver, Michael MacLiammoir, Agnes Moorehead, Logan Ramsey, Samee Lee Jones, Robbi Morgan, Timothy Carey, Swen Swenson, Debbie Van Den Houten, Teresa De Rose, James Dobson, Harry Stanton, Helene Winston, Peggy Rea, Yvette Vickers, Molly Dodd
• Director: Curtis Harrington
• Studio: Filmways Pictures, Raymax Productions, distributed by United Artists
• Trivia: The screenplay’s original title was The Best of Friends but Curtis Harrington’s studio, Universal, turned it down because they could not find a name star to take a role. Joanne Woodward, Shirley MacLaine and Estelle Parsons were offered roles but passed. Rita Hayworth was considered for Adelle, but was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Debbie Reynolds took a role because she had a deal with NBC to be an uncredited producer of a film, so she chose this one and took no salary. Shelley Winters took the lead role without reading the script. The night before Reynolds’ death scene she dreamed the prop knife had been swapped for a real one. The next day she checked the knife and discovered it was, in fact, real. Winters was advised by her psychiatrist not to play the role of a woman having a nervous breakdown because she was having a nervous breakdown. Seeing her state, Reynolds offered to drive her to and from the set. Winters was so difficult on set that the studio threatened to replace her with Geraldine Page. A scene featuring Winters and Reynolds kissing was cut to avoid an R-rating. Yvette Vickers was instructed to dye her blonde hair red so as not to compete on-screen with Reynolds. The film was liked by critics and audiences, but was given the worst advertising campaign in history, featuring the murdered Adelle (Reynold) in print and TV ads, minimizing the shock and giving away the ending. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. A novelization of the film by Richard Deming was rushed into bookstores to coincide with the film’s release.

June 30 – Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

• Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole, Leonard Stone, Denise Nickerson, Nora Denney, Paris Themmen, Ursula Reit, Michael Bollner, Diana Sowle, Aubrey Woods, David Battley, Günter Meisner, Peter Capell, Werner Heyking, Peter Stuart, Dora Altmann, Franziska Liebing, Ernst Ziegler, Victor Beaumont, Frank Delfino, Gloria Manon, Stephen Dunne, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Ed Peck
• Director: Mel Stuart
• Studio: Wolper Pictures, The Quaker Oats Company, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s premiere was held in Chicago on June 28, 1971. An adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Dahl wrote the screenplay but David Seltzer was brought in to rework it against Dahl’s wishes, making major changes to the ending and adding musical numbers. The changes led to Dahl disowning the film. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score, and Gene Wilder was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. The film introduced the song ‘The Candy Man’ which became a hit for Sammy Davis Jr. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2014. Producer David L. Wolper had been in talks with the Quaker Oats Company about a project to introduce a new candy bar from its Breaker Confections subsidiary and convinced the company to buy the rights to Dahl’s book. Quaker financed the film and introduced the Wonka Bar, eventually renaming Breaker Confections the Willy Wonka Candy Company (since sold to Nestlé). All six members of Monty Python expressed interest in the role of Willy Wonka, but were deemed not big enough names for a global audience. John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin were considered for the role in Tim Burton’s remake. Before Wilder was cast, Fred Astaire, Joel Grey, Ron Moody, and Jon Pertwee were considered. Spike Milligan was Dahl’s choice for Wonka. Peter Sellers was said to have begged Dahl for the role. Wilder accepted on the condition that he could enter the film with a limp and a cane, then falling and somersaulting back up to great applause so no one from that point on would even know if Wonka was being honest. Jean Stapleton turned down the role of Mrs. Teevee. Jim Backus was considered for the role of Sam Beauregarde. Sammy Davis Jr. wanted to play Bill, the candy store owner but was rejected because producers felt such a big name there would break the film’s reality. Anthony Newley also wanted that role but was rejected for the same reason. The film was shot in Munich because it was significantly less expensive than shooting in the US. The reactions of the children entering the Chocolate Room are genuine as it was the first time they’d been allowed to see the set. The cast was also unaware of Wilder’s limp gag and the reaction to his somersault and leap are also very real. Wilder’s acting during the boat ride was so convincing he frightened the other actors who thought he was going mad from being in the tunnel. Most of the chocolate bars were made of wood. This is Peter Ostrum’s (Charlie) only film. He turned down a five-picture deal because he didn’t want to make a career of acting. As of 2013, Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) was the only one of the child actors still acting.

July 1 – Walkabout

• Cast: Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, David Gulpilil, John Meillon, Robert McDarra, Pete Carver, John Illingsworth, Hilary Bamberger, Barry Donnelly, Noeline Brown, Carlo Manchini
• Director: Nicolas Roeg
• Studio: Max L. Raab-Si Litvinoff Films, distributed by 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Loosely based on the 1959 novel Walkabout by James Vance Marshall. This was Nicolas Roeg’s second feature film. The film was largely improvised, with only a 14 page treatment as a guideline. Tony Bennett sang the film’s theme song but it was removed from the final cut. The song appears on his album ‘Summer of 42’. Luc Roeg’s older brother Nico was originally cast as the boy, but because of production delays he was too old for the part by the time production began.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

July 2 – Shaft

• Cast: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman, Victor Arnold, Tony King, Sherri Brewer, Rex Robbins, Camille Yarbrough, Margaret Warncke, Joseph Leon, Arnold Johnson, Antonio Fargas
• Director: Gordon Parks
• Studio: Shaft Productions, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Trivia: The film’s Los Angeles premiere was held on June 25, 1971. Adaptation of Ernest Tidyman’s novel of the same name. The score by Isaac Hayes won a Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture, and the ‘Theme from Shaft’ won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Hayes was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Song. The Academy tried to disqualify Hayes from the Best Original Song category because he hadn’t written down the music. Hayes also auditioned for the title role. Ron O’Neal auditioned for the role but was turned down because producers felt his complexion was too light. The background singers on the theme song are Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson from Tony Orlando & Dawn. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2000. Considered to be the third ‘blaxploitation film’ released.

1981

July 1 – S.O.B.

• Cast: Julie Andrews, William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Robert Webber, Robert Vaughn, Marisa Berenson, Larry Hagman, Stuart Margolin, Loretta Swit, Craig Stevens, Shelley Winters, Robert Loggia, Jennifer Edwards, Rosanna Arquette, John Lawlor, John Pleshette, Ken Swofford, Hamilton Camp, Paul Stewart, Benson Fong, Larry Storch, Mimi Davis, David Young, Byron Kane, Virginia Gregg, Herb Tanney, Joe Penny, Erica Yohn, Colleen Brennan, Charles Lampkin, Bert Rosario, Gene Nelson
• Director: Blake Edwards
• Studio: Lorimar Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: The film premiered in Malibu, California on June 26, 1981. William Holden’s final film. The characters of Felix Farmer and Sally Miles are thinly veiled representations of Blake Edwards and his wife Julie Andrews, and the plot of the film is a fictionalized account of the production and fallout of Edwards’ and Andrews’ notorious flop Darling Lili. This was one of eight films directed by Edwards that starred Andrews. The film divided critics and award givers. The screenplay was nominated for both a Writers Guild of America Award and a Razzie Award. It was nominated for the Golden Globes Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, while Edwards was Razzie nominated as Worst Director. Robert Vaughn’s character was based on producer Robert Evans.

July 1 – The Decline of Western Civilization

• Cast: Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Catholic Discipline, Fear, Germs, X
• Director: Penelope Spheeris
• Studio: Nu-Image Film
• Trivia: The film depicts the Los Angeles punk scene, and in 1981 LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrote a letter demanding the film not be shown again in the city after a screening led to fights among the punk music fans. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2016. The voice of a female audience member heckling Lee Ving was added in post-production. Director Penelope Spheeris originally wanted The Go-Go’s to appear in the film.

1991

July 3 – Problem Child 2

• Cast: John Ritter, Michael Oliver, Jack Warden, Laraine Newman, Amy Yasbeck, Ivyann Schwan, Gilbert Gottfried, Paul Willson, Bob Smith, Alan Blumenfeld, Krystle Mataras, Tiffany Mataras, Charlene Tilton, Kristina Simonds, Eric Edwards, Aaron Vaughn, James Tolkan, Martha Quinn, Zach Grenier, June Foray, Barclay
• Director: Brian Levant
• Studio: Imagine Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures
• Trivia: The film was shot on location in Orlando, Florida, and at the then newly opened Universal Studios Florida. The screenwriters were so frustrated by the criticism of the first film, they intentionally tried to make a John Waters film for children by increasing the poor taste, going so far overboard the first cut of the film received an R-rating. There is even an explicit reference to John Waters’ Desperate Living with the name of the town Ben and Junior move to: Mortville. The film contains many subtle references to the Back to the Future films. While Jack Warden appeared in all three Problem Child films, Gilbert Gottfried appeared in the three films and the cartoon series.

Carolco Pictures

July 3 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day

• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Joe Morton, Earl Boen, Michael Edwards, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, S. Epatha Merkerson, Cástulo Guerra
• Director: James Cameron
• Studio: Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western Productions, Lightstorm Entertainment, Le Studio Canal Plus, distributed by Tri-Star Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s Los Angeles premiere was held on July 1, 1991. The film’s groundbreaking CG imagery featured the first use of natural human movement for a computer generated character, and the first partially computer generated main character. At the time of its release, the film was the most expensive ever made with a budget between $94 – $102 million (although adjusted for inflation, 1963’s Cleopatra would have been the most expensive film ever made to that point at $219 million in 1995 dollars). The budget was nearly recouped before the film was released with foreign, home video and television rights. The film won Oscars for Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Sound, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects. It’s the only Terminator film to receive Oscar nominations. Michael Biehn has a cameo appearance in Sarah Connor’s dream but it was cut from the theatrical version and restored for an extended version of the film for home video. Technical issues with the computer generated effects delayed the sequel from being produced shortly after the release of the original film. James Cameron’s use of CGI in The Abyss proved the issues had been satisfactorily resolved. The film was also caught in a legal gridlock with Hemdale, 50% owner of the original film, reluctant to let the rights go to Carolco. But Hemdale was in financial trouble and Schwarzenegger urged Mario Kassar to bid for the rights, and Carolco paid Hemdale $5 million for the franchise, allowing production to commence. Linda Hamilton’s sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren was used in scenes that required two Sarah Connors, alternating between playing the real or the T-1000 Sarah that was standing farthest away from the camera. Hamilton’s son Dalton Abbott plays the toddler John Connor in Sarah’s nuclear nightmare. Twins Don and Dan Stanton were used when the T-1000 mimics a guard at the asylum. Robert Patrick trained in a rigorous running regiment while breathing only through his nose to appear to run at high speed without showing fatigue. He got so fast that he could catch up to Edward Furlong on his dirtbike, so he had to slow down considerably. Production took so long that Furlong visibly ages and his voice began to crack, requiring his vocals to be pitched one level in post-production. At one point, he grew so tall he had to stand in a hole next to Linda Hamilton to maintain continuity. The destruction of the Cyberdyne Systems building was in the first film, but cut from the final release. Cameron said it was lucky he decided to cut the scene since Cyberdyne was the focal point of the sequel. A refrigerated set was used for a scene featuring melted steel, which needed cold temperatures to maintain the correct viscosity, so the actors had to be sprayed with fake sweat between shots. This was the first film to cross $300 million at the international box office. Denzel Washington turned down the role of Miles Dyson, saying when he read the script all Dyson did was look scared and sweat.

July 5 – Slacker

• Cast: Richard Linklater, Rudy Basquez, Mark James, Bob Boyd, Terrence Kirk, Stella Weir, Teresa Taylor, Mark Harris, Frank Orrall, Abra Moore, Louis Black, Sarah Harmon, John Slate, Lee Daniel, Charles Gunning, Louis Mackey, Scott Rhodes, Kim Krizan, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Kalman Spelletich
• Director: Richard Linklater
• Studio: Orion Classics
• Trivia: The film was screened at the USA Film Festival on April 21, 1990, then at the Dobie Theatre in Austin, Texas on July 27, 1990, and at the New York New Directors and New Films Festival on March 22, 1991 before its general release on July 5. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012. The film’s working title was No Longer/Not Yet. The film was to be released with the title The Nobody Boy but the studio changed it. The bar scene was shot with a Fisher-Price PixelVision camcorder.

2001

July 4 – Cats & Dogs

• Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins, Alexander Pollock, Miriam Margolyes
• Voice Cast: Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hayes, Susan Sarandon, Charlton Heston, Jon Lovitz, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Clarke Duncan, Billy West, Danny Mann, Glenn Ficarra, Paul Pape, Victor Wilson, Charles Howerton, Richard Steven Horvitz, John Michael Higgins
• Director: Lawrence Guterman
• Studio: Cat Fight Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment, Mad Chance, Zide/Perry Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s Los Angeles premiere was held on June 23, 2001. Robert Rodriguez turned down an offer to direct the film in order to continue working on his Spy Kids franchise.

July 4 – Scary Movie 2

• Cast: Anna Faris, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, Christopher Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, David Cross, Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, James Woods, Andy Richter, Richard Moll, Veronica Cartwright, Natasha Lyonne, Beetlejuice, Matt Friedman, Vitamin C, Suli McCullough, Jennifer Curran
• Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
• Studio: Gold/Miller Productions, Wayans Bros. Entertainment, Brad Grey Pictures, distributed by Dimension Films
• Trivia: Though their characters were seemingly killed off in the first film, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans all return for the sequel. The filmmakers watched over 130 horror films for background research for the script. Marlon Brando had completed one day of filming as Father McFeely but had to drop out due to illness. Charlton Heston and Bill Clinton were considered as replacements. The Wayans brothers didn’t feel the film was as successful as the first because Dimension Films wanted the sequel produced and released within nine months of the original. Tori Spelling claims most of her role, which covered about three-quarters of the movie, was reduced to a cameo when she refused to do a topless scene. Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears turned down the role of Megan Voorhees.

July 6 – Kiss of the Dragon

• Cast: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tchéky Karyo, Ric Young, Burt Kwouk, Max Ryan, Kentaro, Laurence Ashley, Cyril Raffaelli, Didier Azoulay, John Forgeham, Paul Barrett, Colin Prince, Vincent Glo, Vincent Wong, Isabelle Duhauvelle
• Director: Chris Nahon
• Studio: StudioCanal, EuropaCorp, distributed by 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: The film’s Los Angeles premiere was held on June 25, 2001. Li wanted the actions scenes to be realistic and opted to forgo CGI and wire work. Only two scenes required CGI enhancement and one involved wire work because the actors were moving so quickly during a fight scene the action was not being captured clearly.

July 6 – Lost and Delirious

• Cast: Piper Perabo, Jessica Paré, Mischa Barton, Jackie Burroughs, Mimi Kuzyk, Graham Greene, Emily VanCamp, Amy Stewart, Caroline Dhavernas, Luke Kirby, Alan Fawcett, Peter Oldring, Grace Kung
• Director: Léa Pool
• Studio: Greg Dummett Films, Cite-Amerique, distributed by Seville Pictures (Canada), Lions Gate Entertainment (USA)
• Trivia: The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2001, then was screened on June 1 at the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival before its release on July 6. Loosely based on the novel The Wives of Bath by Susan Swan. Film debut of Luke Kirby and Emily VanCamp.

2011

July 1 – Larry Crowne

• Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Pam Grier, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Bryan Cranston, Rami Malek, Maria Canals-Barrera, Rita Wilson, George Takei, Sy Richardson, Dale Dye, Ian Gomez, Malcolm Barrett, Chet Hanks, Nia Vardalos, Jon Seda, Grace Gummer, Rob Riggle, Tina Huang, Randall Park
• Director: Tom Hanks
• Studio: Vendôme Pictures, Playtone, distributed by Universal Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s Hollywood premiere was held on June 27, 2011. Inspired by Tom Hanks’ time studying at Chabot College, and based on the life of Jim Chandler, a friend of Hanks. The film’s original title was Talk of the Town.

July 1 – Monte Carlo

• Cast: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy, Cory Monteith, Pierre Boulanger, Luke Bracey, Catherine Tate, Andie MacDowell, Brett Cullen, Giulio Berruti, Valérie Lemercier, Franck de Lapersonne, Jeremiah Sullivan
• Director: Thomas Bezucha
• Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, Di Novi Pictures, Dune Entertainment, Blossom Films, distributed by 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: The film’s New York City premiere was held on June 23, 2011. Based on Headhunters by Jules Bass. Fox bought the rights to the novel three years before it was published. The film was originally announced in 2005 with Nicole Kidman in the lead role. The script was rewritten in 2010 to make it more youthful, and Selena Gomez was cast in March of that year. Kidman remained on board as a producer. This was the first film to be shot at Raleigh Studios Budapest.

July 2 – Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

• Japanese Voice Cast: Maaya Sakamoto, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Sakiko Tamagawa
• English Voice Cast: Alexis Tipton, Matt Mercer, Patrick Seitz, Shelley Calene-Black
• Director: Kazuya Murata
• Studio: Bones, distributed by Shochiku (Japan), Funimation Entertainment (US)
• Trivia: The film premiered in Tokyo on May 2, 2011 before its general release on July 2 in Japan. The film was screened in the US at Otakon on July 29, 2011 but did not go into general release until January 20, 2012. The film is not considered canonical in the Fullmetal Alchemist storyline.