CIBY Pictures
The last week of August across the decades produced a lot of new films but not many of them went on to great success or became part of the public conscience. What we did see was an early silent featuring Lon Chaney in 1922, while 1942 took us into the love life of Edgar Allan Poe. 1952 saw John Wayne make his was to the present, and 1962 put Elvis in the boxing ring. 1972 put a new spin on the vampire genre, and gave Wes Craven his first chance to direct … which was almost his last. 1992 saw a cult TV series get an even more culty movie, 2002 gave Jennifer Aniston a chance to break free from her Friends, and 2012 produced one of the biggest box office bombs in history. Read on to learn more about these films and others celebrating anniversaries this week!
1922
August 27 – Flesh and Blood (USA)
- Cast: Lon Chaney, Edith Roberts, Ralph Lewis, Jack Mulhall, Noah Beery, DeWitt Jennings, Togo Yamamoto, Kate Price, Wilfred Lucas
- Director: Irving Cummings
- Production Company: Irving Cummings Productions, distributed by Western Pictures Exploitation Company
- Trivia: The film originally had a color flashback scene with Chinese actors, but the color footage no longer exists in any of the surviving prints.
August 27 – The Three Must-Get-Theres (USA)
- Cast: Max Linder, Bull Montana, Frank Cooke, Jobyna Ralston
- Director: Max Linder
- Production Company: Max Linder Productions, distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: The film was meant to be a parody of 1921’s The Three Musketeers, starring Douglas Fairbanks.
August 27 – The Young Diana
- Cast: Marion Davies, Macklyn Arbuckle, Forrest Stanley, Gypsy O’Brien, Pedro de Cordoba
- Director: Albert Capellani, Robert G. Vignola
- Production Company: Cosmopolitan Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures
- Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on August 7, 1922. Based on the 1918 novel The Young Diana by Marie Corelli.
August 28 – The Frozen North (USA)
- Cast: Buster Keaton, Joe Roberts, Sybil Seely, Bonnie Hill, Freeman Wood, Edward F. Cline
- Director: Buster Keaton, Edward F. Cline
- Production Company: First National Pictures, distributed by Associated First National Pictures
- Trivia: Released in the UK in November 1924. The film was meant to parody the films of William S. Hart, who had launched a verbal assault on Fatty Arbuckle after his arrest for the rape and manslaughter of Virginia Rappe, presuming Arbuckle’s guilt. The two had never met, and Buster Keaton was one of the few in Hollywood who supported Arbuckle. Hart himself was believed in the industry to be ‘prone to domestic violence’ and after Arbuckle wrote a screenplay parodying Hart as a thief, bully and wife beater, Keaton bought the script and produced The Frozen North.
1932
- No new films were released this week in 1932.
1942
August 24 – Uncensored (UK)
- Cast: Eric Portman, Phyllis Calvert, Griffith Jones, Raymond Lovell, Peter Glenville, Irene Handl, Felix Aylmer, Eliot Makeham, John Slater, Aubrey Mallalieu, Frederick Culley, Carl Jaffe, Walter Hudd, J.H. Roberts, Peter Godfrey, Ben Williams
- Director: Anthony Asquith
- Production Company: Gainsborough Pictures, distributed by General Film Distributors
- Trivia: Based on the 1937 novel of the same title by Oscar Millard. The film’s original 108 minute running time was cut to 83 minutes for international markets, and it is this version which is widely circulated.
August 25 – Attack on Baku (Germany)
- Cast: Willy Fritsch, René Deltgen, Fritz Kampers, Hans Zesch-Ballot, Paul Bildt, Lotte Koch, Erich Ponto, Aribert Wascher, Walter Janssen, Joachim Brennecke
- Director: Fritz Kirchhoff
- Production Company: UFA
- Trivia: The film was intended as anti-British propaganda during the Second World War.
August 28 – The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (USA)
- Cast: Linda Darnell, Shepperd Strudwick, Virginia Gilmore, Jane Darwell, Mary Howard, Frank Conroy, Harry Morgan, Walter Kingsford, Morris Ankrum
- Director: Harry Lachman
- Production Company: 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Production was held up because Linda Darnell had lost 14 pounds prior to filming and needed to gain some weight back so she could fit into her costumes.
1952
August 30 – Big Jim McLain (USA)
- Cast: John Wayne, James Arness, Nancy Olson, Alan Napier, Vernon ‘Red’ McQueen, Gayne Whitman, Veda Ann Borg, Robert Keys, Sarah Padden
- Director: Edward Ludwig
- Production Company: Wayne-Fellows Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: Released in the UK on December 15, 1952. The first film in which John Wayne played a contemporary law enforcement officer instead of an Old West lawman.
1962
August 29 – The 300 Spartans (USA)
- Cast: Richard Egan, Ralph Richardson, Diane Baker, Barry Coe, David Farrar, Donald Houston, Anna Synodinou, Kieron Moore, John Crawford, Robert Brown, Laurence Naismith, Anne Wakefield
- Director: Rudolph Maté
- Production Company: 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Opened in the UK on November 11, 1952. The Greek Defense Ministry agreed to make available to the producers up to 5,000 members of the Hellenic Army for a pre-negotiated fee. However, the film’s budgetary constraints reduced the numbers drawn to only two battalions (approximately 1,100 men).
August 29 – Kid Galahad (USA)
Mirisch Company
- Cast: Elvis Presley, Gig Young, Lola Albright, Joan Blackman, Charles Bronson, David Lewis, Robert Emhardt, Roy Roberts, Liam Redmond, Judson Pratt, Ned Glass, Ed Asner, Red West, Del ‘Sonny’ West, Joe Esposito, Michael Dante, Richard Devon, Mushy Callahan
- Director: Phil Karlson
- Production Company: Mirisch Company, distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on August 11, 1962. It was released in the UK on December 16. A remake of the 1937 version starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.
August 30 – Life for Ruth (London)
- Cast: Michael Craig, Patrick McGoohan, Janet Munro, Paul Rogers, Malcolm Keen, Megs Jenkins, Michael Bryant, Leslie Sands, Norman Wooland, John Barrie, Walter Hudd, Michael Aldridge, Basil Dignam, Maureen Pryor, Kenneth J. Warren
- Director: Basil Dearden
- Production Company: Allied Film Makers, distributed by Rank Film Distributors
- Trivia: The film was not released in the US until January 1966 under the title Walk in the Shadow.
August 30 – The Female: Seventy Times Seven (Argentina)
- Cast: Isabel Sarli, Francisco Rabal, Jardel Filho, Blanca Lagrotta, Ignacio Finder, Nelly Prono
- Director: Leopoldo Torre Nilsson
- Production Company: Araucania Films, distributed by Cambist Films (USA)
- Trivia: Screened at Cannes in May 1962. Released in the US on March 18, 1968.
1972
August 25 – Blacula (USA)
American International Pictures
- Cast: William Marshall, Denise Nicholas, Vonetta McGee, Gordon Pinsent, Thalmus Rasulala, Ketty Lester, Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Elisha Cook, Jr., The Hues Corporation
- Director: William Crain
- Production Company: Power Productions, American International Productions, distributed by American International Pictures
- Trivia: The first film to receive an award for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards. William H. Marshall’s Mamuwalde was the first black vampire to appear on film.
August 30 – The Last House on the Left (USA)
- Cast: Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham, David A. Hess, Fred Lincoln, Jeramie Rain, Martin Kove
- Director: Wes Craven
- Production Company: Sean S. Cunningham Films, The Night Company, Lobster Enterprises, distributed by Hallmark Releasing, American International Pictures
- Trivia: The film premiered in Kokomo, Indiana on August 2, 1972. It was also released in Brazil and Turkey on August 30. Wes Craven’s directorial debut. Craven based the film on the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman. The film was initially damaging to Craven’s career because of the extreme violence, and many actors in the film have expressed regret for appearing in it.
August 30 – The Salzburg Connection (USA)
- Cast: Barry Newman, Anna Karina, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Karen Jensen, Joe Maross, Wolfgang Preiss, Helmut Schmid, Udo Kier, Mischa Hausserman, Whit Bissell, Raoul Retzer, Elisabeth Felchner, Bert Fortell, Adolf Beinl, Patrick Jordan, Eduard Linkers, Christine Buchegger, Johannes Buzalski
- Director: Lee H. Katzin
- Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox
- Trivia: Based on the 1968 novel of the same title by Helen MacInnes.
1982
August 25 – La Morte Vivante (France)
- Cast: Marina Pierro, Françoise Blanchard, Mike Marshall, Carina Barone, Fanny Magiere, Patricia Besnard-Rousseau, Véronique Pinson, Sandrine Morel, Sam Selsky
- Director: Jean Rollin
- Production Company: Films A.B.C., Les Films Aleriaz, Les Films du Yaka
- Trivia: English title is The Living Dead Girl.
1992
August 26 – Storyville (USA)
- Cast: James Spader, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Jason Robards, Piper Laurie, Charlotte Lewis, Michael Warren, Michael Parks, Chuck McCann, Charles Haid, Woody Strode, Justine Shapiro, George Cheung, Steve Forrest, Jeff Perry
- Director: Mark Frost
- Production Company: Davis Entertainment, Grand Bay Films International Pty., distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Released in the UK on July 23, 1993. Mark Frost directed the film after falling out with David Lynch over the production of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
August 26 – The Last of the Mohicans (France)
Morgan Creek Productions
- Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, Jodhi May, Steven Waddington, Wes Studi, Maurice Roëves, Patrice Chéreau, Edward Blatchford, Terry Kinney, Tracey Ellis, Justin M. Rice, Dennis Banks, Pete Postlethwaite, Colm Meaney, Mac Andrews, Malcolm Storry, David Schofield, Tim Hopper, Jared Harris, Sebastian Roché
- Director: Michael Mann
- Production Company: Morgan Creek Productions, distributed by 20th Century Fox (North America), Warner Bros. (International)
- Trivia: The US premiere was held on September 24, 1992, followed by a general release on September 25. Also released in Canada on September 25. Opened in the UK on November 6. Based on the 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper and the 1936 film adaptation, owing more to the film than the novel. Won the Oscar for Best Sound. Daniel Day-Lewis received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.
August 28 – Honeymoon in Vegas (USA)
- Cast: James Caan, Nicolas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, Peter Boyle, Seymour Cassel, Pat Morita, Johnny Williams, John Capodice, Bruno Hernandez, Robert Costanzo, Anne Bancroft, Tony Shalhoub, Burton Gilliam, Clearance Giddens, Ben Stein, Brent Hinkley
- Director: Andrew Bergman
- Production Company: Castle Rock Entertainment, New Line Cinema, distributed by Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: Released in the UK on February 26, 1993. ‘Little Elvis’ actor Bruno Hernandez is better known today as Bruno Mars.
August 28 – Pet Sematary Two (USA)
- Cast: Edward Furlong, Jason McGuire, Anthony Edwards, Darlanne Fluegel, Jared Rushton, Sarah Trigger, Lisa Waltz, Clancy Brown
- Director: Mary Lambert
- Production Company: Columbus Circle Films, distributed by Paramount Pictures
- Trivia: Mary Lambert wanted Ellie Creed to be the lead character in the film, but Paramount was not confident in having a teenage girl as the star so the story was rewritten and Edward Furlong was cast off of his successful turn in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Stephen King had his name removed from the film prior to its release.
August 28 – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (USA)
- Cast: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Kyle MacLachlan, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Phoebe Augustine, David Bowie, Eric Da Re, Miguel Ferrer, Pamela Gidley, Heather Graham, Chris Isaak, Moira Kelly, Peggy Lipton, David Lynch, James Marshall, Jürgen Prochnow, Harry Dean Stanton, Kiefer Sutherland, Lenny Von Dohlen, Grace Zabriskie, Frances Bay, Catherine E. Coulson, Michael J. Anderson, Frank Silva, Walter Olkewicz, Al Strobel, Gary Hershberger, Andrea Hays, Carlton Lee Russell
- Director: David Lynch
- Production Company: CIBY Pictures, distributed by AMLF (France), New Line Cinema (United States)
- Trivia: The film opened in Japan first in May 1992, then was screened at Cannes on May 16, followed by released in France (June 3), Sweden (July 3) and Germany (August 20) ahead of the US release. Opened in the UK on November 20. Original Twin Peaks series cast members Michael Ontkean, Warren Frost, Everett McGill, Jack Nance, Kimmy Robertson, Joan Chen, Harry Goaz, Michael Horse, Russ Tamblyn, Wendy Robie, Don S. Davis, Charlotte Stewart and Mary Jo Deschanel shot scenes for the movie which were cut from the theatrical release, but were compiled in Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces, a feature-length compilation of deleted and extended scenes from the movie. Kyle MacLachlan was reluctant to reprise the role of Special Agent Dale Cooper for fear of being typecast which resulted in a smaller presence in the film than anticipated. MacLachlan refused to appear at all when the offer was first made because of the absence of Lynch and Frost during the show’s second season, which nearly derailed the entire film. The film was intended to be the first in a trilogy to conclude the series, but the next two planned films were cancelled when the first under-performed at the US box office. David Lynch and Mark Frost disagreed on the direction of the film and Frost left the project to direct Storyville. Sherilyn Fenn claimed in 1995 that she did not appear in the film because of how the second season got off track, but in 2014 she claimed it was scheduling conflicts with her appearance in Of Mice and Men. David Bowie filmed all of his scenes in about five days.
2002
August 25 – The Good Girl (Canada)
- Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, John Carroll Lynch, Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel, Mike White, Deborah Rush, Aimee Garcia
- Director: Miguel Arteta
- Production Company: Myriad Pictures, Flan de Coco Films, distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Trivia: Screened at Sundance on January 12, 2002, and the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 29. Opened in the US in limited release on August 7 and expanded on August 30. Released in the UK on January 10, 2003. The film’s writer (as well as cast member) Mike White was at one time set to direct with Laura Dern starring.
August 28 – The Adversary (France)
- Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Géraldine Pailhas, François Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Nadine Alari, Bernard Fresson, François Berléand, Sibylle Blanc, Anne Benoît
- Director: Nicole Garcia
- Production Company: Les Films Alain Sarde, France 3 Cinéma, Pauline’s Angel, Vega Film, Vértigo Films, CanalPlus, Sofica Studio Images 8, Télévision Suisse-Romande, Vía Digital, Bundesamt für Kultur, distributed by Bac Films
- Trivia: Premiered at Cannes on May 25, 2002. Based on the book by Emmanuel Carrère, which was based on the true story of Jean-Claude Romand, who on January 9, 1993, killed his wife, two children and both his parents. Nominated for a Palme d’Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
August 29 – Australian Rules (Australia)
- Cast: Nathan Phillips, Simon Westaway, Celia Ireland, Harrison Gilbertson, Kelton Pell, Luke Carroll, Tony Briggs, Lisa Flanagan, Tom Budge, Kevin Harrington, Martin Vaughan
- Director: Paul Goldman
- Production Company: Beyond Productions, distributed by Beyond Distribution
- Trivia: Adapted from the novels Deadly, Unna? (1998) and Nukkin Ya by Phillip Gwynne.
August 30 – 13 Moons (USA, limited)
- Cast: Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Bracco, Steve Buscemi, Peter Dinklage, Daryl Mitchell, Karyn Parsons, David Proval, Rose Rollins, Peter Stormare, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gareth Williams, Austin Wolff, Francesco Messina, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Sussman, Lester Speight
- Director: Alexandre Rockwell
- Production Company: 13 Moons Productions LLC, Gold Circle Films, distributed by 13 Moons Productions LLC, Lot 47 Films
- Trivia: Screened at Sundance in January 2002, Slamdance on January 13 and the Seattle International Film Festival on June 7.
August 30 – City of God (Brazil)
- Cast: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Alice Braga, Jonathan Haagensen, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Daniel Zettel, Seu Jorge
- Director: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund
- Production Company: O2 Filmes, VideoFilmes, Hank Levine Film, Globo Filmes, distributed by Globo Filmes, Miramax Films
- Trivia: Screened at Cannes on May 18, 2002, and TIFF on September 6. Released iu the UK on January 3, 2003, and received a limited US release on January 17. Adapted from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, but the plot is loosely based on real events. Nominated for four Academy Awards: Cinematography, Director, Editing and Adapted Screenplay. Shot on 16mm film stock. Matheus Nachtergaele was the only professional actor among the cast.
2012
August 24 – Keith Lemon: The Film (UK)
- Cast: Leigh Francis, Verne Troyer, Kevin Bishop, Laura Aikman, Kelly Brook, Harish Patel, Nina Wadia, Paddy McGuinness, Graeme Keast
- Director: Paul Angunawela
- Production Company: Generator Entertainment, Molinare Studio, Northern Ireland Screen, distributed by Lionsgate
- Trivia: Celebrity cameos include Peter Andre, Gary Barlow, Emma Bunton, Jason Donovan, David Hasselhoff, Jedward, Ronan Keating, Billy Ocean and Denise van Outen. Verne Troyer’s final film appearance. The film holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely considered by critics to be one of the worst films ever made.
August 24 – Kon-Tiki (Norway)
- Cast: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson, Jakob Oftebro, Agnes Kittelsen, Manuel Cauchi, Søren Pilmark, Peter Wight
- Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
- Production Company: Nordisk Film, Film i Väst, Recorded Picture Company, DCM Productions, Roenbergfilm, distributed by Nordisk Film
- Trivia: Screened at TIFF on September 7, 2012. Opened in the US on April 26, 2013, and in the UK on December 19, 2014. Norway’s most expensive production to date, and its highest grossing film of 2012. Nominated for both the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Ocean scenes were shot in the open ocean instead of in a tank. The film was shot in both Norwegian and English.
August 24 – Premium Rush (USA)
- Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Jamie Chung, Wolé Parks, Aasif Mandvi, Ashley Austin Morris, Henry O, Brian Koppelman, Anthony Chisholm, Lauren Ashley Carter, Aaron Tveit, Wai Ching Ho
- Director: David Koepp
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures, Pariah, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
- Trivia: The new York City premiere was held on August 22, 2012. Also released in Canada on August 24. Opened in the UK on September 14. While filming, Joseph Gordon-Levitt rode his bike into a cab and smashed into the rear windshield, shattering it. He managed to block his face with his arms and needed 31 stitches on the right.
August 24 – The Apparition (USA)
Warner Bros. Pictures
- Cast: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton, Julianna Guill, Rick Gomez, Luke Pasqualino, Tim Williams
- Director: Todd Lincoln
- Production Company: Dark Castle Entertainment, Studio Babelsberg, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures (United States), StudioCanal (Germany)
- Trivia: Not released in the UK until October 3, 2013. Todd Lincoln’s directorial debut. Loosely inspired by the Philip experiment conducted in 1972. Also cited by critics as one of the worst films of 2012. The film’s trailer received criticism for spoiling the ending of the movie. Penultimate film for Dark Castle.
August 29 – Lawless (USA)
- Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Chris McGarry, Tim Tolin, Lew Temple, Marcus Hester, Bill Camp, Alex Van, Noah Taylor
- Director: John Hillcoat
- Production Company: Annapurna Pictures, Red Wagon Entertainment, Revolt Films, BlumHansonAllen Films, Benaroya Pictures, FilmNation Entertainment, distributed by The Weinstein Company
- Trivia: Screened at Cannes on May 19, 2012. The Los Angeles premiere was held on August 22. Also released in Canada on August 29, followed by the UK on September 7. Based on Matt Bondurant’s historical novel The Wettest County in the World. Shia LaBeouf gained 40 pounds for his role and consumed actual moonshine to get into his character.
August 29 – The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (USA)
- Cast: Malerie Grady, Alex Greene, Stephanie Renz, Carol Sweeney, Misty Miller, Eric Dunman, Toni Braxton, Cloris Leachman, Christopher Lloyd, Chazz Palminteri, Cary Elwes, Jaime Pressly, Maya Stange, Nick Drago
- Director: Matthew Diamond
- Production Company: Kenn Viselman Presents, Big Balloon Adventure Movie, distributed by Kenn Viselman Presents, Freestyle Releasing
- Trivia: Also released in Canada on August 29. The film is a legendary box office bomb, opening in 2,160 with a per screen average of $47.00. On a $20 million, the film’s total domestic gross was $1,065,907.00. Based loosely on the children’s television series My Bedbugs by Alex Greene and Carol Sweeney. Razzie nominated for Worst Picture and Worst Screen Ensemble.
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