Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #301 :: April 30 to May 6

It’s not a huge movie week, but there are certainly a few notable films that made their debuts including a noir classic, two shorts by a popular comedy trio and one from a cartoon cat and mouse duo, a movie that has architecture more memorable than the actual film, a comedy feature several actors from a popular 1960s sitcom, an early role for the Muscles from Brussels, dramatizations of true life tragedies, a cult classic about teen witches, the third in a popular series of high octane action films, a comedy with a TV comedy teen and an adorable kitten, and a superhero extravaganza. Scroll down to see all the movies released this week, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries in the comments section below!

1926  •  1936  •  1946  •  1956  •  1966  •  1976  •  1986  •  1996  •  2006  •  2016

1926

• April 30 – The Truth About Men (USA, MacFadden True Story Pictures)
• May – The Sign of the Claw (USA, Gotham Productions)
• May 1 – Daniel Boone Thru the Wilderness (USA, Sunset Productions)
• May 1 – Hands Across the Border (USA, Robertson-Cole Pictures Corporation)
• May 1 – Hell-Bent for Heaven (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• May 1 – The Roaring Road (USA, Bud Barsky Corporation)
• May 2 – Brown of Harvard (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• May 2 – Chasing Trouble (USA, Blue Streak Western)
• May 2 – The Greater Glory (USA, First National Pictures)
• May 2 – The Prince of Pilsen (USA, Belasco Productions)
• May 2 – The Shamrock Handicap (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• May 2 – The Still Alarm (USA, Universal Pictures)
• May 3 – The Self Starter (USA, Harry J. Brown Productions)
• May 3 – Wet Paint (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
• May 5 – Morganson’s Finish (USA, Tiffany Productions)

A print of Daniel Boone Thru the Wilderness exists. A restored version of The Roaring Road premiered on Turner Classic Movies in 2021, with the print provided by Mark Heller’s Streamline Cinema and funded by The Academy Film Archive. A digital copy of The Still Alarm made from a complete 16mm print from the collection of a private collector is held by the Library of Congress.

Hands Across the Border, The Greater Glory, The Prince of Pilsen, and Wet Paint are considered lost.

Brown of Harvard is John Wayne’s film debut. The Shamrock Handicap was the first John Ford film to incorporate an Irish theme, something he would go back to in numerous films, most famously in The Quiet Man.

1936

• April 30 – 13 Hours by Air (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• April 30 – Half Shot Shooters (USA, short, Columbia Pictures)
• April 30 – Under Two Flags (USA, 20th Century Productions)
• May – Marihuana (USA, Roadshow Attractions)
• May 1 – Devil’s Squadron (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• May 1 – Frankie and Johnny (USA, William Saal Productions)
• May 1 – Melody in May (USA, short, RKO Radio Pictures)
• May 2 – Arbor Day (USA, short, Hal Roach Studios)
• May 2 – F-Man (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• May 2 – Roaming Lady (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• May 2 – Treachery Rides the Range (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• May 4 – Grandad Rudd (UK, Cinesound Productions Limited)
• May 6 – The Mine with the Iron Door (USA, Sol Lesser Productions)

Grandad Rudd first opened in Australia in February 1935.

13 Hours by Air is also known as 20 Hours by Air, and was an early example of the disaster movie genre. Half Shot Shooters is the 14th of 190 Three Stooges films from Columbia Pictures. Simone Simon was originally cast as ‘Cigarette’ in Under Two Flags, but producer Darryl Zanuck didn’t like her footage and recast her with Claudette Colbert. Frankie and Johnny sat on the shelf for two years before being released due to issues with US state censor boards.

Arbor Day is the 145th Our Gang short from Hal Roach Studios. Grandad Rudd was a sequel to On Our Selections, and was followed by Dad and Dave Come to Town and Dad Rudd, MP. The Mine with the Iron Door is based on the novel of the same title, which had been filmed previously in 1924.

1946

• May 1 – So Goes My Love (USA, Universal Pictures)
• May 1 – Terrors on Horseback (USA, Sigmund Neufeld Productions)
• May 2 – The Phantom Thief (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• May 2 – The Postman Always Rings Twice (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• May 3 – Her Kind of Man (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• May 3 – Night in Paradise (USA, Walter Wanger Productions)
• May 3 – They Made Me a Killer (USA, Pine-Thomas Productions)
• May 4 – Badman’s Territory (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• May 6 – Rendezvous 24 (USA, Sol M. Wurtzel Productions)

So Goes My Love was released in the UK as A Genius in the Family. The Postman Always Rings Twice first opened in London in April 1946.

Several house facades built on soundstages at Universal for So Goes My Love were later moved to the new ‘Colonial Street’ on the backlot. The ‘Maxim House’ was later used for The Munsters, the ‘Alison House’ was used in Harvey, and the ‘Harvey House’ was used in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. The entire street was renamed Wisteria Lane for Desperate Housewives.

Terrors on Horseback was the 31st of 36 ‘Billy the Kid’ films starring Buster Crabbe. The Phantom Thief was part of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Boston Blackie’ series. The Postman Always Rings Twice was the third film based on the 1934 novel of the same title, but the first to carry the original title. Night in Paradise was Walter Wanger’s second attempt to adapt the novel Peacock’s Feathers to the screen after a failed try in 1934. The film cost a whopping $1.6 million, and ended up losing $800,000 for Universal.

They Made Me a Killer was the final screen appearance of Lola Lane. Badman’s Territory was followed by loose sequels Return of the Bad Men and Best of the Badmen.

1956

• May – Quincannon, Frontier Scout (USA, Bel-Air Productions)
• May 1 – Bhowani Junction (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• May 2 – A Day of Fury (USA, Universal International Pictures)
• May 2 – Hilda Crane (USA, 20th Century Fox)
• May 3 – For Crimin’ Out Loud (USA, short, Columbia Pictures)
• May 4 – Busy Buddies (USA, short, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• May 4 – Wetbacks (USA, Pacific Coast Pictures)

Quincannon, Frontier Scout was based on Will Cook’s first novel, Frontier Feud. Bhowani Junction was Ava Gardner’s first film at MGM after being placed on suspension for refusing to appear in Love Me or Leave Me. Hilda Crane is also known as The Many Loves of Hilda Crane. The film was announced for Susan Hayward, but Jean Simmons was cast instead.

For Crimin’ Out Loud is the 170th Three Stooges short from Columbia Pictures, and is a reworking of the 1949 short, Who Done It? Busy Buddies is the 100th of 163 Tom & Jerry animated shorts.

1966

• May – Don’t Worry, We’ll Think of a Title (USA, Courageous Films)
• May – Lost Command (USA, Red Lion)
• May 5 – Arabesque (USA, Stanley Donen Films)
• May 5 – Puss ‘n’ Boats (USA, short, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Don’t Worry, We’ll Think of a Title was co-written by Morey Amsterdam, and starred Amsterdam, Rose Marie and Richard Deacon, all of whom were appearing on The Dick Van Dyke Show at the time, with the show’s executive producer, Danny Thomas, and creator, Carl Reiner, making cameo appearances. Also making cameos are Moe Howard, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Cliff Arquette, with Irene Ryan also making a cameo as her Granny character from The Beverly Hillbillies.

Mark Robson bought the rights to the novel The Centurions in 1963, but held off on producing the film adaptation, Lost Command, until Anthony Quinn was available for the lead. The film was to carry the novel’s title, but had to be changed because of another announced film titled The Centurians, which was apparently never produced or released.

Arabesque was one of two spy comedy thrillers made by Stanley Donen, following Charade, that were described as ‘Hitchcockian’. The working title was Crisscross. Donen wanted his Charade star, Cary Grant, to star in the film, for whom the dialogue was written, but he turned it down. Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren were interested and cast. The film earned three BAFTA nominations, winning Best Cinematography, and Henry Mancini’s score received a Grammy nomination. Puss ‘n’ Boats was the 147th of 163 Tom & Jerry shorts.

1976

• May – The Pom Pom Girls (USA, Marimark Productions)
• May – The Student Body (USA, Brandywine Productions)
• May 5 – Baby Blue Marine (USA, Spelling-Goldberg Productions)

The Pom Pom Girls is also known as Palisades High, and features an early performance by Robert Carradine. The Student Body is also known as The Classroom Teasers.

1986

• May 1 – Breeders (USA, Entertainment Concepts)
• May 2 – Blue City (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• May 2 – Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• May 2 – No Retreat, No Surrender (USA, Seasonal Film Corporation-Balcor Films)
• May 2 – On the Edge (USA, Alliance Communications Corporation)
• May 2 – Saving Grace (USA, Embassy Pictures)

Blue City was Judd Nelson’s return to film a year after making St. Elmo’s Fire, as he directed his attention to the stage. After appearing in several films for Paramount, including An Officer and a Gentleman and Thief of Hearts, the part of Joey was written specially for David Caruso. Preview audiences disliked the ending so it was reshot.

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling was the one and only directorial credit for Richard Pryor, who also starred in the semi-autobiographical film, which was released six years after Pryor’s life-threatening accident that occurred while he was freebasing cocaine.

No Retreat, No Surrender was director Corey Yuen’s English-language directorial debut. The film features one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s earliest roles. Van Damme was warned during the action scenes not to make contact with the other actors, but after one roundhouse kick, he knocked out kickboxer Pete Cunningham. The film was riffed as part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Tour in 2019.

On the Edge was the final film for John Marley. Bruce Dern worked for a deferred salary to appear in the low-budget indie film. Pam Grier’s role was cut from the theatrical release, but reinstated on home video. Saving Grace was the last film distributed by Embassy Pictures.

1996

• May 1 – I Shot Andy Warhol (USA, The Samuel Goldwyn Company-BBC Films)
• May 2 – Video Fool for Love (AUS, Kennedy Miller Productions)
• May 3 – Barb Wire (USA/UK, Propaganda Films)
• May 3 – Captives (USA, BBC Films-Distant Horizon)
• May 3 – Last Dance (USA, Touchstone Pictures)
• May 3 – The Craft (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• May 3 – The Great White Hype (USA, Atman Entertainment)
• May 3 – The Pallbearer (USA, The Chess Club)

Video Fool for Love has no known US theatrical release date. Captives first opened in the UK on April 28, 1995.

I Shot Andy Warhol marked the feature film directorial debut of Mary Harron. The Velvet Underground’s John Cale wrote the score despite protests from former band member Lou Reed. Yo La Tengo appears as a band in the film reminiscent of The Velvet Underground. The film was originally intended to be a documentary. Star Lili Taylor won several awards for her performance as Valerie Solanas.

Video Fool for Love was compiled from nearly 600 hours of camcorder footage shot by director Robert Gibson, focusing on his personal life between 1988 and 1991. Eighty-five actresses tested for the four main roles in The Craft, including Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson and Alicia Silverstone. The Pallbearer was Matt Reeves’ directorial debut.

2006

• May 5 – An American Haunting (USA, Midsummer Films)
• May 5 – Art School Confidential (USA, Mr. Mudd Productions)
• May 5 – Down in the Valley (USA, Element Films)
• May 5 – Hoot (USA, Kennedy/Marshall Productions)
• May 5 – The King (USA, FilmFour)
• May 5 – Mission: Impossible III (USA/Canada, Cruise/Wagner Productions)
• May 5 – The Proposition (USA, Surefire Film Productions)

Down in the Valley first opened in Greece on September 22, 2005. The King first opened in Italy on November 25, 2005. Mission: Impossible III first opened in France and other territories on May 3, 2006. The Proposition first opened in Australia on October 6, 2005.

The UK version of An American Haunting is longer than the US version, and has been called ‘radically different’. It also includes a voice over by actor James D’Arcy, who plays Richard Powell, which is not heard in the US release. The film has also been released to home video in the US as a rated and unrated version.

Hoot was filmed in Florida, and the set was struck by Hurricane Katrina. Brie Larson and Cody Linley had to be moved from their beach-front hotel because of the storm. Mission: Impossible III was the feature directorial debut of J.J. Abrams. Abrams was hired in 2004 as Tom Cruise was a fan, but the film had to be delayed due to Abrams’ commitments to Alias and Lost, losing cast members Kenneth Branagh, Carrie-Anne Moss and Scarlet Johansson to the delay.

2016

• April 29 – Keanu (USA, Artists First)
• April 29 – Mother’s Day (USA, Rice Films)
• April 29 – Ratchet & Clank (USA/Canada, Blockade Entertainment)
• May 6 – Captain America: Civil War (USA/Canada, Marvel Studios)

Ratchet & Clank first opened in France on April 13, 2016. Captain America: Civil War began its theatrical release in dozens of foreign territories on April 27, 2016.

Keanu was the first film for Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key following the end of their five season TV series, Key & Peele. The film was initially thought to be a parody of John Wick, but the two films were produced independently of each other. Actor Keanu Reeves reached out to the producers to provide the voice of the titular kitten in a dream sequence after initially turning it down. He took the role after his sister showed him the trailer. Seven tabby kittens were used for the film, trained for three weeks with treats, and able to play with the cast between takes. Key has a cat allergy and had to take medication to work with the cats.

Mother’s Day was the final film directed by Garry Marshall, and the final film of his sister Penny. The film earned Razzie nominations for Julia Roberts (Worst Actress) and Kate Hudson (Worst Supporting Actress). Ratchet & Clank was the final film from Gramercy Pictures.

Captain America: Civil War is the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first in the Phase Three slate of films. A disagreement between Marvel Entertainment executives and directors Anthony and Joe Russo over Captain America and Iron Man coming to blows nearly caused the brother to exit the project, while Kevin Feige and Disney backed the brothers’ plan. The dispute led to oversight of Marvel Studios transferring from Marvel Entertainment to Disney in 2015. It was the first Marvel Studios film that included Spider-Man, which Marvel had previously licensed to Sony Pictures. There was still a possibility that the deal could fall apart, and the Russos were told to have a Plan B just in case, but they did not, only envisioning the film with Spider-Man.