Warner Bros. Pictures
While there were many films released this week in each of the last ten decades, very few of them have stood the test of time. Two 1923 silents are lost, and 1933 was full of Westerns and stage adaptations but none were considered for awards. 1943 had a big hit for Betty Grable, and 1953 gave audiences a real poke in the eye when the Three Stooges went into the third dimension, as well as some low-budget horror and the King of the Jungle. 1963 had a movie more famous for its theme song, and a fantasy classic that was not popular in its time. 1973 had a classy mystery, the last film in a popular series, a horror film and two Blaxploitation flicks, while 1983 brought together four horror icons, and inexplicably paired Superman with Richard Pryor. 1993 gave us a massive Schwarzenegger flop, and 2003 had one of the worst movies of all time, and the first big screen appearance of a Marvel character before the MCU existed, and 2013 saw the beginning of the first iteration of the DC filmic universe. Read on to learn more and tell us if your favorites are on the list!
1923
June 15 – Daughters of the Rich (USA)
- Cast: Miriam Cooper, Gaston Glass, Ethel Shannon, Ruth Clifford, Josef Swickard, Truly Shattuck, Stuart Holmes
- Director: Louis J. Gasnier
- Production Company: B.P. Schulberg Productions, distributed by Preferred Pictures
- Trivia: Based upon the 1900 novel of the same name by Edgar Saltus. There are no known prints of the film in any archives.
June 17 – Human Wreckage (USA)
- Cast: Mrs. Wallace Reid, James Kirkwood, Bessie Love, George Hackathorne, Claire McDowell, Robert McKim, Harry Northrup, Victory Bateman, Eric Mayne, Otto Hoffman
- Director: John Griffith Wray
- Production Company: Los Angeles Bureau of Drug Addiction, Thomas H. Ince Corporation, distributed by Film Booking Offices of America
- Trivia: Mrs. Wallace Reid was the screen name for Dorothy Davenport. The film is considered lost. The film portrayed the dangers of drug addiction and was presented at screenings across the country by Davenport, whose husband was addicted to morphine.
1933
June 14 – I Lived with You (UK)
- Cast: Ivor Novello, Ursula Jeans, Ida Lupino, Minnie Rayner, Eliot Makeham
- Director: Maurice Elvey
- Production Company: Gaumont British Picture Corporation, Twickenham Films, Julius Hagen Productions
- Trivia: Based on the West End hit play I Lived With You by Ivor Novello.
June 15 – Dangerous Crossroads (USA)
- Cast: Charles ‘Chic’ Sale, Diane Sinclair, Frank Albertson, Preston Foster, Jackie Searl, Niles Welch, Eddie Kane, Tom Forman
- Director: Lambert Hillyer
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures
June 15 – Falling for You (UK)
- Cast: Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Tamara Desni, Garry Marsh, Alfred Drayton, Tonie Bruce, O. B. Clarence, Morton Selten, Ivor McClaren, Leo Sheffield
- Director: Robert Stevenson, Jack Hulbert
- Production Company: Gainsborough Pictures, Gaumont British Picture Corporation, distributed by Woolf & Freedman Film Service
June 15 – Fighting Texans (USA)
- Cast: Rex Bell, Luana Walters, Betty Mack, Yakima Canutt, Wally Wales, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Alan Bridge, Gordon De Main, Lafe McKee
- Director: Armand Schaefer
- Production Company: Monogram Pictures
June 15 – I Have Lived (USA)
- Cast: Alan Dinehart, Anita Page, Allen Vincent, Gertrude Astor, Maude Truax, Matthew Betz, Eddie Boland
- Director: Richard Thorpe
- Production Company: Chesterfield Pictures
June 16 – I Loved You Wednesday (USA)
- Cast: Warner Baxter, Elissa Landi, Victor Jory, Miriam Jordan, Laura Hope Crews, June Lang, Anne Nagel, Chris-Pin Martin, Gino Corrado, Ethan Laidlaw
- Director: Henry King, William Cameron Menzies
- Production Company: Fox Film Corporation
- Trivia: Adapted from the 1932 play of the same title by Molly Ricardel and William DuBois.
June 16 – Reunion in Vienna (USA)
- Cast: John Barrymore, Diana Wynyard, Frank Morgan, Henry Travers, May Robson, Eduardo Ciannelli, Una Merkel, Bodil Rosing
- Director: Sidney Franklin
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Trivia: Adapted from the 1931 stage play of the same name by Robert Emmet Sherwood.
June 17 – Heroes for Sale (USA)
- Cast: Richard Barthelmess, Aline MacMahon, Loretta Young, Gordon Westcott, Robert Barrat, Berton Churchill, Grant Mitchell, Charles Grapewin, Robert McWade, G. Pat Collins
- Director: William Wellman
- Production Company: First National Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: The original release ran for 76 minutes and is now considered lost. The 71-minute version exists.
June 17 – Strange People (USA)
- Cast: John Darrow, Gloria Shea, Hale Hamilton, Wilfred Lucas, J. Frank Glendon, Michael Visaroff, Jack Pennick, Jerry Mandy, Lew Kelly, Jane Keckley
- Director: Richard Thorpe
- Production Company: Chesterfield Pictures
June 19 – Corruption (USA)
- Cast: Evalyn Knapp, Preston Foster, Charles Delaney, Tully Marshall, Warner Richmond, Huntley Gordon, Lane Chandler, Natalie Moorhead, Mischa Auer, Jason Robards Sr., Gwen Lee, Sidney Bracey
- Director: Charles E. Roberts
- Production Company: William Berke Productions Inc., distributed by Imperial Distributing Corporation
- Trivia: Released as Double Exposure in the UK.
June 19 – The Wizard of Oz (USA, short)
- Director: Ted Eshbaugh
- Production Company: Film Laboratories of Canada, Ted Eshbaugh Studios, distributed by Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: The film was produced in Technicolor without proper licensing from the company resulting in prints only being produced in black and white. A 1985 home video release keeps the Kansas scenes in black and white, with the Oz scenes colorized to match the intent of MGM’s 1939 version of the story, but this is not the actual Technicolor print.
1943
June 15 – Border Buckaroos (USA)
- Cast: James Newill, Dave O’Brien, Guy Wilkerson, Christine McIntyre, Eleanor Counts, Jack Ingram, Ethan Laidlaw, Charles King
- Director: Oliver Drake
- Production Company: Alexander-Stern Productions, distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation
- Trivia: The fourth of 22 ‘Texas Rangers’ films produced between 1942 and 1945.
June 18 – Colt Comrades (USA)
- Cast: William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Lois Sherman, Victor Jory, George Reeves, Douglas Fowley, Herbert Rawlinson, Earle Hodgins, Robert Mitchum
- Director: Lesley Selander
- Production Company: Harry Sherman Productions, distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: The 47th of 66 Hopalong Cassidy movies.
June 18 – Coney Island (USA)
Twentieth Century Fox
- Cast: Betty Grable, George Montgomery, Cesar Romero, Charles Winninger, Phil Silvers, Matt Briggs, Paul Hurst, Frank Orth
- Director: Walter Lang
- Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox
- Trivia: One of Betty Grable’s biggest hits, and she also starred in the 1950 remake, Wabash Avenue. Alfred Newman’s score was nominated for an Oscar.
June 18 – Two Tickets to London (USA)
- Cast: Michèle Morgan, Alan Curtis, C. Aubrey Smith, Barry Fitzgerald, Dooley Wilson, Robert Warwick, Matthew Boulton
- Director: Edwin L. Marin
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Film debut of John Doucette.
June 19 – Who Killed Who? (USA, short)
- Voice Cast (Uncredited): Billy Bletcher, Sara Berner, Kent Rogers
- Director: Tex Avery
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, distributed by Loew’s Inc.
- Trivia: Instead of employing the MGM orchestra, the score is performed by a solo organ to imitate the style of radio dramas of the era.
1953
June 14 – Murder Without Tears (USA)
- Cast: Craig Stevens, Joyce Holden, Richard Benedict, Edward Norris, Clair Regis, Tom Hubbard, Murray Alper, Robert Carson, Leonard Penn
- Director: William Beaudine
- Production Company: William F. Broidy Pictures Corporation, distributed by Allied Artists
June 15 – Spooks! (USA, short)
- Cast: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Phil Van Zandt, Tom Kennedy
- Director: Jules White
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: 148th of 190 Three Stooges shorts released by Columbia, and the first (of two) in 3D. The film was released with Columbia’s 3D Western Fort Ti, with the short including a reference to Fort Ticonderoga. The film was released just 31 days after production was completed because the studio wanted to cash in on the 3D craze of the time. Filming took five days, compared to the normal three, due to the complicated 3D set-ups.
June 17 – Mesa of Lost Women (USA)
- Cast: Jackie Coogan, Allan Nixon, Richard Travis, Lyle Talbot, Mary Hill, Robert Knapp, Tandra Quinn
- Director: Herbert Tevos, Ron Ormond
- Production Company: A Ron Ormond Production, distributed by Howco Productions, Inc.
- Trivia: The film was originally titled Tarantula for release in 1951 by Pergor Productions. The film was acquired by Howco Productions in the Spring of 1952 and additional footage was shot, including Jackie Coogan’s and Tandra Quinn’s characters being shot.
June 18 – Tarzan and the She-Devil (USA)
- Cast: Lex Barker, Joyce MacKenzie, Raymond Burr, Monique van Vooren, Tom Conway, Michael Grainger, Henry Brandon
- Director: Kurt Neumann
- Production Company: Sol Lesser Productions, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
- Trivia: Lex Barker’s fifth and final appearance as Tarzan.
June 19 – The Neanderthal Man (USA)
- Cast: Robert Shayne, Joyce Terry, Richard Crane, Doris Merrick, Robert Long, Jeanette Quinn, Lee Morgan, Beverly Garland, Dick Rich, Robert Easton
- Director: Ewald André Dupont
- Production Company: Global Productions Inc., distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: Beverly Garland’s first feature film role under her new stage name. She was previously credited as Beverly Campbell. The film’s working title was Madagascar.
June 20 – Affair with a Stranger (USA)
- Cast: Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, Monica Lewis, Jane Darwell, Linda Douglas, Dabbs Greer, Wally Vernon
- Director: Roy Rowland
- Production Company: RKO Pictures
- Trivia: The film’s original title was Break Up, and was changed to Kiss and Run before settling on the release title. Steve Rowland’s film debut.
1963
June 14 – The Stripper (West Germany)
- Cast: Joanne Woodward, Richard Beymer, Claire Trevor, Carol Lynley, Robert Webber, Louis Nye, Gypsy Rose Lee, Michael J. Pollard
- Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
- Production Company: Jerry Wald Productions, distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
- Trivia: Based on the play A Loss of Roses by William Inge. Feature film debut of director Franklin J. Schaffner. William Travilla was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White. The film was intended to star Fox contract players Marilyn Monroe and Pat Boone. Monroe died before production could commence, and Boone objected to the role on moral grounds.
June 16 – The Mouse on the Moon (UK)
- Cast: Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody, Bernard Cribbins, Ed Bishop, David Kossoff, Terry-Thomas, June Ritchie
- Director: Richard Lester
- Production Company: Walter Shenson Films, distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: Opened in the US on June 17, 1963. Sequel to The Mouse That Roared. Adaptation of the 1962 novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. Peter Sellers played three characters in the first film but did not return for the sequel. Two of his characters were portrayed by Margaret Rutherford and Ron Moody, while the third character did not appear. Roddy McMillan took over the role originated by Leo McKern. The film was made on sets left over from Cornel Wilde’s film Sword of Lancelot.
June 19 – Jason and the Argonauts (USA)
- Cast: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Niall MacGinnis, Michael Gwynn, Douglas Wilmer, Jack Gwillim, Honor Blackman, John Cairney, Patrick Troughton, Andrew Faulds, Nigel Green
- Director: Don Chaffey
- Production Company: Morningside Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: The working title was Jason and the Golden Fleece. The film was a box office disappointment upon its release, but was critically acclaimed and later became a cult classic. Todd Armstrong was dubbed by Tim Turner, and Nancy Kovack was dubbed by Eva Haddon. Composer Bernard Herrmann’s fourth collaboration with special effects artist Ray Harryhausen. To contrast with Herrmann’s all-strings Psycho score, this score contains no strings.
1973
June 14 – The Last of Sheila (USA)
Hera Productions
- Cast: Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, Raquel Welch, Yvonne Romain
- Director: Herbert Ross
- Production Company: Hera Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: The film’s script was written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, inspired by an irregular series of elaborate, real-life scavenger hunts they arranged for their show business friends in Manhattan in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Dyan Cannon’s character was based on talent agent Sue Mengers. Mengers was offered the role but turned it down saying too many of her clients were out of work. She pitched Cannon for the role, who initially turned it down. Mengers talked her into taking the part to show off her talents, and Cannon gained 19 pounds to play the role. Raquel Welch said her and Ian McShane’s characters were based on Ann-Margret and her husband Roger Smith, but Sondheim claimed the part was actually based on Welch and her husband Patrick Curtis. Shooting on an actual yacht became difficult so production was halted until a set could be built in a soundstage, leaving the cast to while away their time in the South of France. Joel Schumacher worked on the film as costume designer.
June 15 – Battle for the Planet of the Apes (USA)
- Cast: Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, Austin Stoker, Noah Keen, Richard Eastham, John Huston, France Nuyen, Paul Stevens, John Landis
- Director: J. Lee Thompson
- Production Company: APJAC Productions, distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Fifth and final film in the original Planet of the Apes franchise. The film’s producer, Arthur P. Jacobs, died less than two weeks after its release. An extended cut of the film was used for television broadcast and was released to home video in 2006.
June 15 – Idaho Transfer (USA)
- Cast: Kelley Bohanon, Kevin Hearst, Caroline Hildebrand, Keith Carradine, Ted D’Arms, Judy Motulsky
- Director: Peter Fonda
- Production Company: Pando Company, distributed by Cinemation Industries
- Trivia: The only film Peter Fonda directed in which he did not appear. Fonda self-financed the film’s $500,000 budget. Fonda either negelected or did not wish to renew his rights to the film and it passed into the Public Domain.
June 15 – Super Fly T.N.T. (USA)
- Cast: Ron O’Neal, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheila Frazier, Robert Guillaume, Jacques Sernas, William Berger, Silvio Noto, Olga Bisera, Federico Boido
- Director: Ron O’Neal
- Production Company: Superfly Ltd., distributed by Paramount Pictures
- Trivia: Sequel to 1972’s Super Fly. To date, the film has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray, although it did receive a VHS release in 1993. Warner Bros. Pictures was to be the film’s distributor but dropped it a month before the date due to concerns about unfavourable reaction from certain groups, similar to that received by the original. The film’s NYC premiere on June 15, 1973 was boycotted by members of the Congress of Racial Equality.
June 15 – The Legend of Hell House (USA)
- Cast: Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, Gayle Hunnicutt, Roland Culver, Peter Bowles
- Director: John Hough
- Production Company: Academy Pictures Corporation, distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: The screenplay was written by American author Richard Matheson, based upon his 1971 novel Hell House, removing the more extreme sexual elements of the novel and changing the setting from rural Maine to England. Michael Gough appears in the uncredited role of Emeric Belasco, an embalmed corpse seated upright in a chair.
June 15 – Wicked, Wicked (USA)
- Cast: David Bailey, Tiffany Bolling, Randolph Roberts, Scott Brady, Edd Byrnes, Madeleine Sherwood, Arthur O’Connell, Indira Danks
- Director: Richard L. Bare
- Production Company: United National Productions, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Trivia: The film was presented in ‘Duo-Vision’, a gimmick more commonly known as split-screen, which allowed truth and untruth, flashbacks in time, visions of the future or cause and effect to be shown without abrupt interruption of the story’s main continuity. When there was dialogue on one side of the screen, there would be none on the other to avoid overlapping. The film’s soundtrack was presented in stereo so the dialogue would come from the appropriate side of the screen.
June 16 – Voices (UK)
- Cast: David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, Lynn Farleigh, Eva Griffiths, Russell Lewis, Peggy Ann Clifford
- Director: Kevin Billington
- Production Company: Hemdale, Warden, distributed by Hemdale (UK), The Mirisch Video Company (USA)
- Trivia: Based on the play by Richard Lortz.
June 17 – Blume in Love (USA)
- Cast: George Segal, Susan Anspach, Kris Kristofferson, Marsha Mason, Shelley Winters, Donald F. Muhich, Paul Mazursky, Erin O’Reilly, Annazette Chase, Shelley Morrison, Mary Jackson, Ed Peck
- Director: Paul Mazursky
- Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: The film received a WGA nomination for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.
June 20 – Invasion of the Bee Girls (USA)
- Cast: William Smith, Anitra Ford, Victoria Vetri, Cliff Osmond, Wright King
- Director: Denis Sanders
- Production Company: Sequoia Pictures, distributed by Centaur
- Trivia: Released on video in the UK as Graveyard Tramps. The first film written by Nicholas Meyer, who wanted to remove his name after he saw revisions made without his knowledge. His manager convinced him to keep it because he needed the credit.
June 20 – One Little Indian (USA)
- Cast: James Garner, Vera Miles, Pat Hingle, Clay O’Brien, John Doucette, Morgan Woodward, Andrew Prine, Robert Pine, Bruce Glover, Ken Swofford, Jay Silverheels, Jodie Foster
- Director: Bernard McEveety
- Production Company: Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
- Trivia: James Garner wrote about the film: ‘I’ve done some things I’m not proud of. This is one of them. The only bright spot was a ten year old Jodie Foster.’
June 20 – Shaft in Africa (USA)
- Cast: Richard Roundtree, Frank Finlay, Vonetta McGee, Neda Arnerić, Debebe Eshetu, Marne Maitland, Spiros Focás, Jacques Herlin, Frank McRae, Nadim Sawalha
- Director: John Guillermin
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Shaft Productions Ltd., distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Trivia: Third film in the original Shaft series. The film was a flop, earning $1 million against a $1.5 million budget and MGM quickly sold the property to television, but the TV series was cancelled after seven episodes.
June 20 – Showdown (USA)
- Cast: Rock Hudson, Dean Martin, Susan Clark, Donald Moffat, John McLiam, Ed Begley Jr.
- Director: George Seaton
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Final film for George Seaton, who had directed Airport three years earlier. It was Dean Martin’s last Western. The film while in production, with Seaton playing himself, is featured in an episode of McMillan & Wife.
1983
June 16 – Educating Rita (UK)
- Cast: Michael Caine, Julie Walters, Michael Williams, Dearbhla Molloy, Jeananne Crowley, Malcolm Douglas, Godfrey Quigley
- Director: Lewis Gilbert
- Production Company: Acorn Pictures, distributed by Rank Film Distributors (UK), Columbia Pictures (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on October 28, 1983. Based on the 1980 stage play by Willy Russell. Nominated for three Oscars. Michael Caine and Julie Walters both won BAFTAs and Golden Globes for their performances. Director Lewis Gilbert claimed raising funds for the film was difficult, and Columbia wanted him to cast Dolly Parton as Rita. It was Walters’ film debut, reprising her role from the stage production.
June 16 – Now and Forever (AUS)
- Cast: Cheryl Ladd, Robert Coleby, Carmen Duncan, Christine Amor, Aileen Britton, Alex Scott, Kris McQuade
- Director: Adrian Carr
- Production Company: Now & Forever Film Partnership, distributed by Roadshow Films (AUS), American First Run Studios (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on July 15, 1983. Based on a 1978 novel by Danielle Steel.
June 17 – House of the Long Shadows (UK)
- Cast: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Desi Arnaz Jr., John Carradine, Sheila Keith, Julie Peasgood, Richard Todd, Louise English, Richard Hunter, Norman Rossington
- Director: Pete Walker
- Production Company: London-Cannon Films, distributed by Cannon Film Distributors Ltd.
- Trivia: Released in the US on April 6, 1984. Based on the 1913 novel Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers. The 24th and final film in which Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing appeared together. John Carradine was asleep for much of a dinner scene. Money ran out three weeks into production. It is the only film in which Lee, Cushing, Carrdine and Vincent Price all appear.
June 17 – Superman III (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O’Toole, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Margot Kidder, Gavan O’Herlihy
- Director: Richard Lester
- Production Company: Dovemead Ltd., distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: Frank Oz had a cameo as a surgeon, but the scene was cut from the release print. It did, however, show up in the extended TV edition broadcast. Shane Rimmer, who appeared in Superman II, has a small role as a different character. Aaron Smolinski, baby Kal-El from the original film, cameos as a boy standing next to the photo booth where Clark changes into Superman. The original film’s director, Richard Donner, wanted to write two more films with the third featuring the villain Brainiac. The film’s original treatment by Ilya Salkind did include the villain, as well as Mister Mxyzptlk, with Dudley Moore a top choice for the role, and Supergirl. By the end of the film, after defeating Mxyzptlk, Superman and Supergirl would have married (apparently ignoring the comic book canon that they are cousins). Warner Bros. rejected the screenplay as too complicated and expensive, and Ilya Salkind decided to save Supergirl for her own solo film. The film’s original title was Superman vs Superman, but was changed when the producers of Kramer vs Kramer threatened a lawsuit. Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder were unhappy over the way the Salkind’s treated Donner with Hackman refusing to rperise the role of Lex Luthor in the film. Kidder was punished for speaking out by having her Lois Lane role reduced to a brief appearance. Hackman denied the allegations saying he was just busy with other projects and didn’t think it was a great idea to make Luthor a constant villain in the films. Hackman did, however, return for Superman IV. Ilya Salkind also denied the claim of an ill will with Kidder, saying the creative team simply felt the Superman & Lois love story had been played out and a more prominent role was created for Lana Lang. Richard Pryor was cast after producers saw him on The Tonight Show talking about how much he enjoyed Superman II. He was paid $5 million to appear in the film. Giorgio Morodor created songs for the film but their use ended up being minimal.
1993
June 17 – Im Bann des Zweifels (Germany)
- Cast: Donald Sutherland, Amy Irving, Rider Strong, Christopher McDonald, Graham Greene, Theodore Bikel, Ferdy Mayne
- Director: Jonathan Heap
- Production Company: Benefit Productions, Cinevox Filmproduktion GmbH, Monument Pictures, distributed by CineVox Filmverleih (Germany), Miramax (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on July 16, 1993 as Benefit of the Doubt. The first film released by Miramax after being acquired by The Walt Disney Company.
June 17 – The Heartbreak Kid (AUS)
- Cast: Claudia Karvan, Alex Dimitriades, Steve Bastoni, Nico Lathouris, Doris Younane, Scott Major, George Vidalis
- Director: Michael Jenkins
- Production Company: View Films, distributed by Roadshow Films
- Trivia: Based on the 1987 stage play of the same name. The 1994 TV series Heartbreak High was a spin-off of the film with several cast members reprising their roles.
June 18 – Boxing Helena (UK)
- Cast: Sherilyn Fenn, Julian Sands, Bill Paxton, Kurtwood Smith, Art Garfunkel
- Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
- Production Company: Mainline Pictures, distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors (UK), Orion Classics (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on September 3, 1993. Madonna and Kim Basinger both backed out of playing Helena, resulting in legal issues that hampered the production. Basinger lost an $8.1 million lawsuit, which bankrupted her, but the verdict was set aside on appeal and she later settled for $3.8 million. Ed Harris had been cast in the Nick Cavanaugh role but also backed out due to the extensive delays. The film originally received an NC-17 rating, which was changed to an R upon appeal. Graeme Revell composed the music heard while Helena showers in a fountain, with vocals by Bobbi Page. The music was replaced in subsequent releases by Wendy Levy’s ‘The Fountain Song’ at the producers’ request.
June 18 – Fly By Night (UK)
- Cast: Jeffrey D. Sams, Ron Brice, David Adami, Sharon Angela, Michael Harris Austin, Nancy Bellany, Leo Burmester, Kevin Cahoon, Omar Carter, Kathleen Chalfant
- Director: Steve Gomer
- Production Company: Lumiere Productions, distributed by Rank Organisation
- Trivia: Erika Jayne’s debut.
June 18 – Last Action Hero (USA)
- Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O’Brien, Charles Dance, Robert Prosky, Tom Noonan, Frank McRae, Anthony Quinn, Bridgette Wilson, F. Murray Abraham, Mercedes Ruehl, Art Carney, Professor Toru Tanaka
- Director: John McTiernan
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures, Steve Roth/Oak Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: Art Carney’s final film. Tina Turner’s last film appearance. Cameos include Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Sylvester Stallone, Angie Everhart, Maria Shriver, Little Richard, Leeza Gibbons, Jim Belushi, Damon Wayans, Chevy Chase, Melvin Van Peebles, Jean-Claude Van Damme, MC Hammer, Wilson Phillips, Ian McKellan, Danny DeVito (voice), Colleen Camp, and Joan Plowright. Carrie Fisher was one of several uncredited ‘script doctors’. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s salary was $15 million. Universal Pictures moved the release of Jurassic Park to June 11, 1993 after Sony staked out June 18 for Last Action Hero. The film lost $26 million. It was the first film to be released using Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, even though most theaters weren’t equipped for the format and experienced audio issues. Insiders at Paramount reportedly referred to it as ‘Still Doesn’t Do Shit’. The film’s stature has grown over time with many feeling it is an overlooked gem in Schwarzenegger’s filmography.
June 18 – Once Upon a Forest (USA/Canada)
- Voice Cast: Michael Crawford, Benji Gregory, Paige Gosney, Elisabeth Moss, Ben Vereen, Will Estes, Charlie Adler, Rickey D’Shon Collins, Don Reed, Robert David Hall, Paul Eiding, Janet Waldo, Susan Silo
- Director: Charles Grosvenor
- Production Company: Hanna-Barbera Productions, Endangered Film Company, HTV Cymru Wales, distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Based on the Furlings characters created by Rae Lambert. The project started as a made-for-TV movie titled The Endangered. The title was initially changed to Beyond the Yellow Dragons because it was felt the original title was too ominous for a children’s film. Due to time constraints and budget overruns, a character voiced by Glenn Close was completely removed from the film.
2003
June 20 – Alex & Emma (USA)
- Cast: Kate Hudson, Luke Wilson, David Paymer, Sophie Marceau, Rob Reiner, Chino XL, Lobo Sebastian, Paul Willson, Rip Taylor, Cloris Leachman
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Production Company: Castle Rock Entertainment, Franchise Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: Developed under the working title Loosely Based on a True Love Story, and loosely based on the true love story of author Fyodor Dostoevsky. The film was modeled after the 1964 Audrey Hepburn film, Paris When It Sizzles.
June 20 – From Justin to Kelly (USA)
- Cast: Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Katherine Bailess, Anika Noni Rose, Brian Dietzen, Greg Siff
- Director: Robert Iscove
- Production Company: 19 Entertainment, distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: Winner of the Golden Raspberry Award for ‘Worst ‘Musical’ of Our First 25 Years’ in 2005, and is regarded as one of the worst films ever made. Many theaters threatened to not play the film when Fox announced plans to release it to home video six weeks after its theatrical release. Fox relented and pushed the release date back a few months, but after a dismal opening weekend the studio went back to the original plan and released the film to home video on August 26, 2003. Kelly Clarkson begged to be released from the film but was contractually obligated to appear after winning American Idol.
June 20 – Hulk (USA/Canada)
Universal Pictures
- Cast: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte
- Director: Ang Lee
- Production Company: Universal Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, Valhalla Motion Pictures, Good Machine, Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Development on the film started in 1990. Edward Norton had expressed interest in the role of Bruce Banner but turned it down because he was disappointed with the script. He did take over the role from Eric Bana in The Incredible Hulk. Actors also considered for the role were Billy Crudup, Johnny Depp, Steve Buscemi, David Duchovny, Jeff Goldblum and Tom Cruise. Sam Elliott accepted the role of Thaddeus Ross without reading the script, excited to work with Ang Lee. Stan Lee and TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno have cameos as security guards. Daniel Dae Kim has a small role as a soldier.
2013
June 14 – 200 Cartas (USA, limited)
- Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jaime Camil, Dayanara Torres, Monica Steuer, Mayra Matos Pérez, Iris Chacón
- Director: Bruno Irizarry
- Production Company: Vanguardia Films, distributed by Puerto Rico Film Commission
- Trivia: Released worldwide as Looking for María Sánchez.
June 14 – A Hijacking (USA, limited)
- Cast: Pilou Asbæk, Søren Malling, Dar Salim, Roland Møller
- Director: Tobias Lindholm
- Production Company: Nordisk Film, distributed by Magnolia Pictures
- Trivia: Originally opened in Denmark as Kapringen on September 20, 2012. The film was shot on location and used a real ship, with a mix of professional and first-time actors.
June 14 – Call Me Kuchu (USA, documentary)
- Cast: David Bahati, Lou Engle, Long John, David Kato, Giles Muhame, Naome Ruzindana, Christopher Senyonjo, Sylvia Tamalé
- Director: Malika Zouhali-Worrall, Katherine Fairfax Wright
- Production Company: Chicken And Egg Pictures, distributed by Cinedigm Entertainment Group
- Trivia: Originally opened in the UK on November 2, 2012. The film jointly received the 2014 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary alongside Bridegroom.
June 14 – Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story (USA, documentary, limited)
- Cast: Tomi Ungerer, Maurice Sendak, Jules Feiffer, Steven Heller, Michael Patrick Hearn
- Director: Brad Bernstein
- Production Company: Corner of the Cave Media, Far Out Films, distributed by First Run Features
- Trivia: Originally released in France as L’esprit Frappeur on December 19, 2012. The film took four years to complete, and incorporates snippets of over 40 hours of interviews with Ungerer. Features one of Maurice Sendak’s final interviews.
June 14 – Hatchet III (USA, limited)
- Cast: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Caroline Williams, Zach Galligan, Robert Diago DoQui, Rileah Vanderbilt, Parry Shen, Derek Mears, Sean Whalen, Sid Haig
- Director: B. J. McDonnell
- Production Company: Dark Sky Films, ArieScope Pictures, distributed by Dark Sky Films
- Trivia: Joel David Moore appears in the uncredited role of Ben. Kane Hodder plays antogonist Victor Crowley for the third time. Danielle Harris reprises her role from the second film. The film was released simultaneously to Video On Demand on June 14.
June 14 – In the Fog (USA, limited)
- Cast: Vladimir Svirskiy, Vladislav Abashin, Sergei Kolesov, Yulia Peresild, Nadezhda Markina, Vlad Ivanov
- Director: Sergei Loznitsa
- Production Company: Belarusfilm, Eurimages, GP Cinema Company, Lemming Film, MEDIA, Ma.ja.de. Fiction, National Film Centre of Latvia, Rija Films, ZDF/Arte, distributed by Strand Releasing
- Trivia: Originally opened in Germany on November 15, 2012.
June 14 – Man of Steel (USA/Canada/UK)
- Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni, Russell Crowe
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, DC Entertainment, Syncopy, Peters Entertainment, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: The first installment of the DC Extended Universe. Henry Cavill is the first non-American actor to play the role of Clark Kent/Superman. He had been considered for the role in Superman Returns, but lost out to Brandon Routh. Tyler Hoechlin, Matthew Goode, Armie Hammer, Jamie Dornan, Joe Manganiello and Colin O’Donoghue were considered for the role, with Hoechlin eventually getting it for the TV series Superman & Lois. Manganiello was eventually cast as Deathstroke in Justice League. Kristen Stewart, Zoe Saldaña, Olivia Wilde, and Mila Kunis were under consideration for the role of Lois Lane. Viggo Mortensen and Daniel Day-Lewis were considered for the role of Zod. Gal Gadot was offered the role of Faora-Ul, but was pregnant at the time … which allowed her to be cast as Wonder Woman in the film’s sequel. Alice Eve, Diane Kruger and Rosamund Pike were also considered for the role. Sean Penn and Clive Owen were considered for the role of Jor-El. Zach Snyder was reluctant to shoot the film in native 3D due to technical limitations, and opted for a post-conversion process. He also chose to shoot on film rather than digitally to give the film a ‘big movie experience’.
June 14 – The Guillotines (USA)
- Cast: Huang Xiaoming, Ethan Juan, Shawn Yue, Li Yuchun, Jing Boran, Wen Zhang, Purba Rygal, Andrew Lau, Jimmy Wang
- Director: Andrew Lau
- Production Company: Media Asia Films, Polyface Entertainment, Starling Road Productions, Stellar Mega Films, We Pictures, distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment
- Trivia: Originally opened in Australia on December 20, 2012. Remake of the 1975 Shaw Brothers film Flying Guillotine. The film was post-converted to 3D.
June 14 – The Stroller Strategy (USA, limited)
- Cast: Raphaël Personnaz, Charlotte Le Bon , Jérôme Commandeur, Camélia Jordana, Julie Ferrier
- Director: Clément Michel
- Production Company: StudioCanal, TF1 Films Production, Alvy Développement, TPS Star, Ciné+, TF1, NT1, Palatine Étoile 9, Soficinéma 6 Développement, Société des Producteurs de Cinéma et de Télévision (Procirep), Angoa-Agicoa, Sombrero Films, distributed by Rialto Pictures
- Trivia: Originally opened in France as La stratégie de la poussette on January 2, 2013.
June 14 – Vehicle 19 (USA, limited)
- Cast: Paul Walker, Naima McLean, Gys de Villiers, Leyla Haidarian, Tshepo Maseko, Andrian Mazive, Welile Nzuza, Mangaliso Ngema
- Director: Mukunda Michael Dewil
- Production Company: The Safran Company, Forefront Media Group, Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, K5 International, Skyline Motion Picture Fund, Picture Tree, Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa, Efish Entertainment, distributed by Ketchup Entertainment
- Trivia: Originally opened in Bahrain on February 7, 2013.
June 16 – My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (USA/Canada, limited)
- Voice Cast: Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck, Rebecca Shoichet
- Director: Jayson Thiessen
- Production Company: DHX Media, Hasbro Studios, distributed by Screenvision
- Trivia: The movie was produced in Flash animation. The story is set between the third and fourth seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
June 18 – Breakup at a Wedding (USA)
- Cast: Alison Fyhrie, Philip Quinaz, Victor Quinaz, Mary Grill, Chris Manley, Damian Lanigan, Anna Martemucci, Brian Shoaf, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Hugh Scully
- Director: Victor Quinaz
- Production Company: Before the Door Pictures, Anonymous Content, distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories
- Trivia: The first film from comedy collective PERIODS.
June 20 – The Blue Umbrella (Germany)
- Director: Saschka Unseld
- Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Trivia: Opened in the USA on June 21, 2013 with Monsters University.
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