New Line Cinema
This is an interesting week for new movie releases. Quite a few titles are very well-known and have large or cult followings. But there are some very interesting facts about this week’s movies. A 1923 silent film carries the title of a popular salad dressing, and its source material may have been the inspiration for said dressing. 1943 put Red Skelton and Lucille Ball in a musical … and then removed the music. Comedy teams The Three Stooges, The Bowery Boys and Martin & Lewis all show up this week. 1953 had three 3D movies opening on three consecutive days. 1963 had a faithful literary adaptation and introduced the world to a lovable dolphin. 1973 had Elizabeth Taylor in a thriller, George Lucas reliving his youth, and Jesus Christ in a musical. 1983 gave us one of the best Stephen King adaptations, 1993 sent Jason Voorhees to the Underworld — and then had him face off against another iconic horror star in 2003 — and 2003 and 2013 had two films with the same name. Read on to learn more about these and other films celebrating anniversaries this week!
1923
August 11 – The Cricket on the Hearth (USA)
- Cast: Josef Swickard, Fritzi Ridgeway, Paul Gerson, Virginia Brown Faire, Paul Moore, Lorimer Johnston, Margaret Landis, Joan Standing
- Director: Lorimer Johnston
- Production Company: Paul Gerson Pictures Corporation
- Trivia: Prints of The Cricket on the Hearth are in the Archives Du Film Du CNC in Bois d’Arcy, UCLA Film and Television Archive, and Library of Congress.
August 13 – The Love Brand (USA)
- Cast: Roy Stewart, Wilfrid North, Margaret Landis, Arthur Stuart Hull, Sidney De Gray, Marie Wells
- Director: Stuart Paton
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
August 14 – The Green Goddess (USA)
- Cast: George Arliss, Alice Joyce, David Powell, Harry T. Morey, Jetta Goudal, Ivan Simpson, William Worthington
- Director: Sidney Olcott
- Production Company: Distinctive Productions, distributed by Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan Distributing Corporation
- Trivia: Based on the play The Green Goddess by William Archer. George Arliss, Alice Joyce and Ivan Simpson reprised their roles from the play, and again in the 1930 sound remake. A copy of the film is in the UCLA Film and Television Archive and has been restored by Warner Brothers. Green Goddess salad dressing was concocted, many believe, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923 to pay tribute to the hit play of the same name.
August 14 – Tipped Off (USA)
- Cast: Arline Pretty, Harold Miller, Tom Santschi, Noah Beery, Stuart Holmes, Zella Gray, Tom O’Brien, James Wang
- Director: Finis Fox
- Production Company: Harry A. McKenzie Productions, distributed by Playgoers Pictures
August 15 – Yesterday’s Wife (USA)
- Cast: Irene Rich, Eileen Percy, Lottie Williams, Josephine Crowell, Lewis Dayton, Philo McCullough, William Scott
- Director: Edward LeSaint
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: No prints of the film have been located in any archives so it is considered lost.
1933
August 10 – The Avenger (USA)
- Cast: Ralph Forbes, Adrienne Ames, Arthur Vinton, Claude Gillingwater, Charlotte Merriam, J. Carrol Naish, Berton Churchill, Murray Kinnell, Thomas E. Jackson, Paul Fix, Leonard Carey, James Donlan
- Director: Edwin L. Marin
- Production Company: Trem Carr Pictures, distributed by Monogram Pictures
August 11 – No Marriage Ties (USA)
- Cast: Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, Doris Kenyon, Alan Dinehart, David Landau, Hobart Cavanaugh, Hilda Vaughn, Charles C. Wilson
- Director: J. Walter Ruben
- Production Company: RKO Radio Pictures
- Trivia: Arthur Housman, who spent much of his career playing a comic drunk, here appears on the other side of the bar as a bartender. This pre-Code film features a rare example of a four-letter word slipping past the censors with a drunk Foster (Dix) describing his boss as ‘a shit-faced mongrel.’
August 13 – He Couldn’t Take It (UK)
- Cast: Ray Walker, Virginia Cherrill, George E. Stone, Stanley Fields, Dorothy Granger, Jane Darwell, Paul Porcasi, Don Douglas, Astrid Allwyn, Franklin Parker
- Director: William Nigh
- Production Company: William T. Lackey Productions, distributed by Monogram Pictures
- Trivia: Released in the US on December 15, 1933.
August 15 – Ranger’s Code (USA)
- Cast: Bob Steele, Doris Hill, Ernie Adams, George Nash, Ed Brady, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Hal Price, Dick Dickinson
- Director: Robert North Bradbury
- Production Company: Monogram Pictures
- Trivia: The film is considered lost.
1943
August 11 – The Good Fellows (USA)
- Cast: Cecil Kellaway, Helen Walker, Mabel Paige, James Brown, Patti Hale, Kathleen Lockhart, Douglas Wood, Norma Varden, Olin Howland, Tom Fadden, William B. Davidson
- Director: Jo Graham
- Production Company: Paramount Pictures
August 12 – Silver Spurs (USA)
- Cast: Roy Rogers, Trigger, Smiley Burnette, John Carradine, Phyllis Brooks, Jerome Cowan, Joyce Compton, Dick Wessel, Hal Taliaferro, Forrest Taylor
- Director: Joseph Kane
- Production Company: Republic Pictures
August 13 – DuBarry Was a Lady (USA)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Cast: Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Virginia O’Brien, Rags Ragland, Zero Mostel, Donald Meek, Douglass Dumbrille, George Givot, Louise Beavers, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
- Director: Roy Del Ruth
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, distributed by Loew’s, Inc.
- Trivia: Hugh Beaumont, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner (as herself) have uncredited cameos. Based on the 1939 stage musical of the same name. The film was shot in Technicolor. The film was to re-team Red Skelton and Ann Sothern, who had recently had a hit with MGM’s Panama Hattie. Sothern had to turn down the film because she was pregnant. MGM’s new contract player Lucille Ball was cast in her place. The play’s script had to be drastically altered to meet the requirement of the Hays Code, losing much of the risqué material. Most of Cole Porter’s songs from the show were eliminated to accommodate non-singers Skelton and Ball, with music provided by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Cinematographer Karl Freund was later hired by Ball to be Director of Photography on I Love Lucy.
August 13 – ‘I Can Hardly Wait’ (USA, short)
- Cast: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Al Thompson, Bud Jamison, Lew Davis, Adele Mara
- Director: Jules White
- Production Company: Columbia Pictures
- Trivia: The 73rd of 190 Three Stooges shorts released by Columbia Pictures. A remake of Laurel & Hardy’s 1928 silent short Leave ‘Em Laughing. The film’s title is listed with quotation marks because it represents a phrase said by Curly throughout the movie.
August 14 – This Is the Army (USA)
- Cast: George Murphy, Joan Leslie, Ronald Reagan, George Tobias, Alan Hale Sr., Charles Butterworth, Dolores Costello, Una Merkel, Stanley Ridges, Rosemary DeCamp
- Director: Michael Curtiz
- Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: Adapted from the 1942 wartime stage musical with the same name by James McColl and Irving Berlin. The Warner Ranch in Calabasas, California was used for the World War I battle scenes. Received Oscar nominations for Music Score, Art Direction in a Color Film, and Sound Recording, with Ray Heindorf the sole winner for the score.
August 15 – Isle of Forgotten Sins (USA)
- Cast: John Carradine, Gale Sondergaard, Sidney Toler, Frank Fenton, Veda Ann Borg, Rita Quigley, Rick Vallin, Tala Birell, Patti McCarty, Betty Amann
- Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
- Production Company: Atlantis Pictures Corporation, distributed by PRC
- Trivia: The film has been reissued as Monsoon, cut from 74 to 62 minutes. Final film of Betty Amann, and the last film from Atlantis Pictures Corporation. The film’s pre-release title was Island of Forgotten Sins. It was shot in six days. The Production Code Administration demanded the self-sacrificing watery suicide of Clancy and Marge to save Diane be changed, and insisted that the nightclub hostesses of the film in no way could resemble prostitutes.
August 15 – The Black Hills Express (USA)
- Cast: Don ‘Red’ Barry, Wally Vernon, Ariel Heath, George J. Lewis, William Halligan, Hooper Atchley
- Director: John English
- Production Company: Republic Pictures
1953
August 9 – Topeka (USA)
- Cast: Wild Bill Elliott, Phyllis Coates, Rick Vallin, Fuzzy Knight, John James, Denver Pyle, Dick Crockett, Harry Lauter
- Director: Thomas Carr
- Production Company: Allied Artists Pictures
August 10 – The Caddy (USA)
- Cast: Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Joseph Calleia, Fred Clark, Clinton Sundberg, Howard Smith, Marshall Thompson
- Director: Norman Taurog
- Production Company: York Pictures Corporation, distributed by Paramount Pictures
- Trivia: Dean Martin introduces the song ‘That’s Amore’, Oscar nominated for Best Original Song, in this film. Pro golfers Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, and Julius Boros make cameo appearances as themselves. This film and From Here to Eternity, released five days earlier, sparked a resurgence in the career of Donna Reed, who won a Supporting Actress Oscar for From Here to Eternity.
August 10 – Three Steps in the Dark (UK)
- Cast: Greta Gynt, Hugh Sinclair, Sarah Lawson, Elwyn Brook-Jones, John Van Eyssen, Nicholas Hannen
- Director: Daniel Birt
- Production Company: Corsair Pictures, distributed by Associated British-Pathé
- Trivia: No known US release. The film had been on the BFI’s ’75 Most Wanted’ list of missing British features due to interest in the relatively short career of Daniel Birt, who died at 47 in 1955. The National Film and Sound Archive in Australia subsequently informed the BFI it has the film.
August 11 – The Red Beret (UK)
- Cast: Alan Ladd, Leo Genn, Susan Stephen, Harry Andrews, Donald Houston, Anthony Bushell, Patric Doonan, Stanley Baker, Lana Morris, Tim Turner
- Director: Terence Young
- Production Company: Warwick Film Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures Corporation (UK), Columbia Pictures (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US as Paratrooper on December 30, 1953. Also known as The Red Devils and The Big Jump. Partly based on the 1950 non-fiction book with the same title written by Hilary Saint George Saunders. The film was originally to be co-produced with RKO but a deal could not be made so it was offered to Columbia. When accepting the role, Alan Ladd insisted on his scriptwriter Richard Maibaum to be allowed to rewrite the script. This led to a long association between Maibaum and producer Albert R. Broccoli on several James Bond films.
August 12 – Inferno (USA)
- Cast: Robert Ryan, Rhonda Fleming, William Lundigan, Larry Keating, Henry Hull, Carl Betz, Robert Burton, Barbara Pepper
- Director: Roy Ward Baker
- Production Company: 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: The film was produced in 3D, Fox’s first, with stereophonic sound. A 2D version was released on October 8, 1953. The film was remade as a TV movie in 1973 titled Ordeal.
August 13 – Devil’s Canyon (USA)
- Cast: Virginia Mayo, Dale Robertson, Stephen McNally, Arthur Hunnicutt, Robert Keith, Jay C. Flippen, George J. Lewis, Whit Bissell, Earl Holliman, Paul Fix
- Director: Alfred L. Werker
- Production Company: RKO Pictures
- Trivia: The film was produced in 3D.
August 14 – Clipped Wings (USA)
- Cast: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, David Condon, Bennie Bartlett, Bernard Gorcey, Todd Karns, June Vincent, Fay Roope, Philip Van Zandt, Lyle Talbot
- Director: Edward Bernds
- Production Company: Allied Artists Pictures
- Trivia: The 31st film in the Bowery Boys series. The ‘Atomic Jet’ amusement coin-operated ride form Nat Cohn’s Riteway Sales that appeared in the film was offered to be installed in every theatre that showed Clipped Wings.
August 14 – I, the Jury (USA)
- Cast: Biff Elliot, Preston Foster, Peggie Castle, Margaret Sheridan, Alan Reed, Mary Anderson, John Qualen, Tom Powers
- Director: Harry Essex
- Production Company: Parklane Pictures, distributed by United Artists
- Trivia: Based on the 1947 novel I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane, the first film based on a Spillane novel. It was produced in 3D with stereophonic sound.
August 14 – The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (USA)
- Cast: Bobby Van, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Fosse, Barbara Ruick, Hans Conried, Hanley Stafford, Lurene Tuttle, Charles Lane
- Director: Don Weis
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, distributed by Loew’s Inc.
- Trivia: Based on the short stories by Max Shulman collected as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which was also the name of a later TV series. MGM’s first non-color musical in several years. Bob Fosse’s first big screen appearance, although it was his second film but the first to be released. MGM originally intended to turn the film into a series like the successful Andy Hardy and Dr. Kildare films. The film lost $131,000 so the plans for a franchise were scrapped.
August 15 – Champ for a Day (USA)
- Cast: Alex Nicol, Audrey Totter, Charles Winninger, Hope Emerson, Joseph Wiseman, Barry Kelley, Harry Morgan, Jesse White, Horace McMahon, Grant Withers
- Director: William A. Seiter
- Production Company: Republic Pictures
1963
August 13 – Lord of the Flies (USA)
- Cast: James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards, Roger Elwin, Tom Gaman, David Surtees, Simon Surtees, Nicholas Hammond, Roger Allan, Kent Fletcher
- Director: Peter Brook
- Production Company: Lord of the Flies Company, Allen-Hodgdon Productions, Two Arts, distributed by Continental Distributing
- Trivia: Based on William Golding’s 1954 novel of the same name. A script for the film was commissioned for Ealing Studios, but the studio shut down in 1959 before it could be produced. The film was in production for most of 1961 but not released until 1963 in the US and 1964 in the UK. Another adaptation of the novel was released in 1990, but the 1963 version is considered the more faithful. The film was shot in Puerto Rico with mostly non-professional actors, who had not read the book or the script. Scenes were explained to the boys and they acted them out with some improvised dialogue. 60 hours of film was edited down to 4 hours and then to 100 minutes for a screening at the Cannes Film Festival. For the US release, the distributor demanded the film be further cut to 90 minutes, losing a fire scene and character development for Ralph in the process.
August 14 – Flipper (USA)
- Cast: Chuck Connors, Luke Halpin, Kathleen Maguire, Connie Scott, Jane Rose, Joe Higgins, Robertson White, George Applewhite
- Director: James B. Clark
- Production Company: Ivan Tors Productions, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Trivia: Based upon a story by Ricou Browning and Jack Cowden. The film was a surprise hit and inspired the TV series of the same name, which ran from 1964-1967, and film sequels. Browning said he got the idea for the film after watching his children watch the TV series Lassie, so he replaced the dog with a dolphin and sent the idea to producer Ivan Tors.
August 15 – 80,000 Suspects (UK)
- Cast: Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Yolande Donlan, Cyril Cusack, Michael Goodliffe, Mervyn Johns, Kay Walsh, Norman Bird, Vanda Godsell
- Director: Val Guest
- Production Company: The Rank Organisation, Val Guest Productions, distributed by J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK), Continental Distributing (USA)
- Trivia: Released in the US in 1964, exact date unknown. Based on the novel Pillars of Midnight by Elleston Trevor, which had also been adapted for television five years earlier. Last film of Graham Moffatt.
1973
August 9 – Gordon’s War (USA)
- Cast: Paul Winfield, Carl Lee, David Downin, Tony King, Gilbert Lewis, Carl Gordon, Nathan Heard, Grace Jones
- Director: Ossie Davis
- Production Company: Palomar Pictures, distributed by 20th Century Fox
- Trivia: The film’s music became a well-respected album on its own with music by Badder Than Evil, a funk/R&B project of Albert Sahley Elias (credited as Al Elias) and Angelo Badalamenti (credited as Andy Badale). The track ‘Hot Wheels (the chase)’ has been sampled by many artists including Public Enemy, Coldcut and Blade.
August 10 – Aches and Snakes (USA, short)
- Voice Cast: Larry D. Mann, Joan Gerber
- Director: David Denneen
- Production Company: DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Film Graphics,distributed by United Artists
August 10 – Night Watch (USA)
- Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Billie Whitelaw, Robert Lang, Tony Britton, Bill Dean
- Director: Brian G. Hutton
- Production Company: Brut Productions, Nightwatch Films, distributed by Avco Embassy Pictures
- Trivia: Based on the 1972 play of the same name by Lucille Fletcher, who also wrote the play Sorry, Wrong Number. The second and last time Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey appeared on screen together after 1960’s BUtterfield 8. The film was one of the first for Brut Productions, a division of the Fabergé Company. Taylor accepted a smaller salary for a larger percentage of the film’s profits. Filming was interrupted for a week when director Brian G. Hutton contracted bronchitis, and later for six weeks when Harvey had a stomach operation. Harvey said it was appendicitis, but it was really for stomach cancer which would take his life in 1973.
August 11 – American Graffiti (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ronny Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charlie Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams, Wolfman Jack, Bo Hopkins, Harrison Ford
- Director: George Lucas
- Production Company: Lucasfilm Ltd., The Coppola Company, distributed by Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Every major studio turned down the film before Universal showed interest, allowing Lucas complete creative control and final cut provided he could stick to a strict low budget. This is the first film to be produced by Lucasfilm. Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1995. Notable supporting cast members include Lynne Marie Stewart, Kathleen Quinlan, Susan Richardson, Kay Lenz, Joe Spano, Debralee Scott and Suzanne Somers. George Lucas included a card at the end of the film revealing the fates of the male characters, but not the females because he didn’t want to add another card and prolong the ending. That decision resulted in accusations of chauvinism. Lucas was so impressed with the audition of Richard Dreyfus he was offered either the role of Curt or Terry ‘The Toad’. He took Curt. Ron Howard accepted his role to break out of his child star career. Harrison Ford took the role of Bob Falfa on the condition he would not have to cut his hair. The character has a flat-top in the script so a compromise was made where he would wear a Stetson. Location filming in San Rafael, CA ended after one day because the city council was concered about the disruption to local businesses and the permits to film were revoked (although Lucas convinced the city to allow two more night shoots for cruising shots). Petaluma was selected as the new location and no time was lost. The film did encounter problems during production: Paul Le Mat was sent to the hospital after an allergic reaction to walnuts; Le Mat, Ford and Bo Hopkins were alleged to be drunk most nights and every weekend and had climbing competitions to the top of the local Holiday Inn sign; an actor set Lucas’ hotel room on fire; Le Mat threw Dreyfus into a swimming pool, gashing his forehead the night before he was to shoot his close-ups; Dreyfus hated his wardrobe; Ford was kicked out of his hotel room; two camera operators were nearly killed when filming the climactic race scene. The film was Oscar nominated for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Candy Clark), Original Screenplay and Film Editing. It also received four Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Most Promising Newcomer – Male for Paul Le Mat.
August 15 – Jesus Christ Superstar (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Larry T. Marshall, Joshua Mostel, Kurt Yaghjian, Philip Toubus, Robert LuPone
- Director: Norman Jewison
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Based on the 1970 rock opera of the same name, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. This was the first film for the actors except for Barry Dennen and Josh Mostel. Ted Neeley was an understudy for Jesus in the Broadway cast. Carl Anderson was the understudy for Judas, but did take over the role on Broadway and in Los Angeles when Ben Vereen fell ill. Dennen, Yvonne Elliman and Bob Bingham reprised their Broadway roles in the film. Elliman and Dennen also appeared on the original concept album. Ian Gillan played Jesus on the concept album but turned down the film so he could tour with Deep Purple. David Cassidy, Mickey Dolenz, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Barry Gibb, and Robert Plant were all considered for the titular role. The Vatican questioned director Norman Jewison on why he cast a Black actor for Judas, and Jewison said it was because he was the most talented actor for the role. The film was shot on location in Israel. The film received one Oscar nomination for Original Score, ans seven Golden Clobe nominations including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. The film won a BAFTA for Best Soundtrack.
1983
August 10 – Cujo (France)
Sunn Classic Pictures
- Cast: Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh-Kelly, Christopher Stone, Ed Lauter, Kaiulani Lee, Billy Jacoby, Mills Watson, Jerry Hardin, Sandy Ward, Arthur Rosenberg
- Director: Lewis Teague
- Production Company: Sunn Classic Pictures, TAFT Entertainment Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: Opened in the US and Canada on August 12, 1983. Based on Stephen King’s 1981 novel of the same name. The film’s original director, Peter Medak, and the Director of Photography left the project after two days. Cujo was played by four St. Bernards, several mechanical and a Black Lab-Great Dane mix in a St. Bernard costume. In some shots, stuntman Gary Morgan plays Cujo in the dog costume.
August 11 – Phar Lap (AUS)
- Cast: Tom Burlinson, Richard Morgan, Robert Grubb, Martin Vaughan, Ron Leibman, Pat Thomson, Gia Carides, Judy Morris
- Director: Simon Wincer
- Production Company: Michael Edgley International, Phar Lap Management, Twentieth Century Fox, distributed by Hoyts Distribution (AUS), Twentieth Century Fox (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on April 13, 1984. The film was re-edited for the US, moving the opening of the film showing Phar Lap’s death to the end to make it more dramatic as most US audiences were unfamiliar with the horse’s story.
August 12 – Curse of the Pink Panther (USA)
- Cast: Ted Wass, Herbert Lom, David Niven, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Robert Loggia, Joanna Lumley, André Maranne, Burt Kwouk, Harvey Korman, Bill Nighy, Joe Morton, Denise Crosby, Peter Arne
- Director: Blake Edwards
- Production Company: United Artists, Blake Edwards Entertainment, Titan Productions Inc., distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Company
- Trivia: Roger Moore makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film as Inspector Clouseau billed as Turk Thrust II. This was the second Pink Panther film produced following the death of Peter Sellers, and was an attempt to relaunch the franchise with a new lead. David Niven’s final film appearance. He died two weeks before the film was released. His voice was dubbed by Rich Little in post-production. Sixth of seven appearances by Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus, and third and final appearance by Capucine as Simone. Also the sixth appearance of Burt Kwouk as Cato, and André Maranne as Sgt. Chevalier. John Ritter was in talks for the lead before Ted Wass was cast. Wass was placed under contract for six Pink Panther films, but the film’s box office failure doomed any plans for a continuation of the franchise.
August 12 – Hercules (Italy)
- Cast: Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, Brad Harris, Ingrid Anderson, William Berger, Rossana Podestà, Mirella D’Angelo, Bobby Rhodes, John Garko
- Director: Luigi Cozzi
- Production Company: Cannon Italia SrL, Golan-Globus, distributed by Cannon Film Distributors
- Trivia: Opened in the US on August 26, 1983. Lou Ferrigno’s voice was dubbed by Marc Smith. The film was shot back-to-back with The Seven Magnificent Gladiators, with Hercules being shot second. It was supposed to have started earlier but was delayed due to difficulties with the special effects. Sybil Danning did not get along with Ferrigno during filming, claiming he had her role reduced and switched from love interest to villain because of their differences.
August 12 – Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (USA)
- Cast: Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick, Mike Henry, Colleen Camp, Faith Minton, Burt Reynolds
- Director: Dick Lowry
- Production Company: Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Burt Reynolds only appeared in a cameo as the original Bandit at the end of the film. The film was originally titled Smokey IS the Bandit, and did not include Jerry Reed in the cast. Jackie Gleason was to play two roles, Sheriff Buford T. Justice and a different ‘Bandit’. This version was reportedly filmed and shown to test audiences who were confused by Gleason’s dual roles. The Bandit scenes were re-shot with Reed. Other accounts suggest the character of Justice would be both the sheriff and the Bandit, becoming his own worst enemy to defeat the Bandit.
1993
August 11 – Searching for Bobby Fischer (USA)
- Cast: Max Pomeranc, Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Stephens, David Paymer, Hal Scardino, Austin Pendleton, Anthony Heald, William H. Macy, Dan Hedaya, Laura Linney, Tony Shalhoub
- Director: Steven Zaillian
- Production Company: Mirage Enterprises, distributed by Paramount Pictures
- Trivia: Adapted from the book of the same name by Fred Waitzkin, father of prodigy chess player Joshua. Released in the UK as Innocent Moves. Steven Zaillian’s directorial debut. Max Pomeranc’s film debut. Oscar nominated for Best Cinematography.
August 13 – Heart and Souls (USA)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Eric Lloyd, Kyra Sedgwick, Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore, Elisabeth Shue, David Paymer
- Director: Ron Underwood
- Production Company: Alphaville, Stampede Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Kurtwood Smith and Chloe Webb make uncredited appearances.
August 13 – Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (USA)
- Cast: Kane Hodder, John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Steven Williams, Allison Smith, Erin Gray, Steven Culp, Rusty Schwimmer, Leslie Jordan, Jonathan Penner
- Director: Adam Marcus
- Production Company: Sean S. Cunningham Films, distributed by New Line Cinema
- Trivia: Ninth installment of the Friday the 13th franchise. Sean Cunningham originally pitched a film in which Jason battled Freddy Krueger, and after negotiating with New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures granted the rights to the Jason character but retained control of the Friday the 13th title. The Freddy vs. Jason concept was put on hold until 2003. The character of Steven Freeman was written as Tommy Jarvis from Parts 4-6, but New Line only had the rights to the Jason character. Adam Marcus’ feature directorial debut. A clash between Marcus and Kari Keegan over nudity resulted in Cunningham taking over directing for a few days. He ultimately ended up re-shooting half the film, unsatisfied with the initial cut of the film. Marcus revealed an overlooked plot point of the film connects Jason to the Evil Dead franchise with Pamela Voorhees reading from the Necronomicon to bring back her son, which explains how he went from child to grown man to zombie Jason in a matter of months, so in Marcus’ opinion Jason is a Deadite.
August 14 – Slaughter of the Innocents (Italy)
- Cast: Scott Glenn, Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus, Darlanne Fluegel, Sheila Tousey, Jan Broberg Felt, Elizabeth Johnson, Zitto Kazann, Terri Hawkes, Armin Shimerman, Aaron Eckhart, Linden Ashby
- Director: James Glickenhaus
- Production Company: Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment, distributed by Amsell Entertainment
- Trivia: Premiered on television in the US on December 2, 1993. Director James Glickenhaus required his son to audition like any other actor, and did not include his name on the audition tape when he showed it to Scott Glenn. Glenn liked his audition best and didn’t believe it was the director’s son when the truth was revealed. The film’s original release title was The Ark. Feature film debut of Aaron Eckhart.
2003
August 14 – Take Away (AUS)
- Cast: Vince Colosimo, Stephen Curry, Rose Byrne, John Howard, Nathan Phillips
- Director: Marc Gracie
- Production Company: Australian Film Finance Corporation, Macquarie Film Corporation, The Movie Network, Film Victoria, Mondayitis Productions, Media World Features, distributed by Roadshow Films
- Trivia: Not released in the US. Star Vince Colosimo once owned a take away shop very similar to that in the movie. Michael Veitch played Freddie the Fry in the first part of the movie but due to scheduling issues was replaced with Peter Rowsthorne. Director Marc Gracie provides the voice of Freddie.
August 14 – The Night We Called It a Day (AUS)
- Cast: Dennis Hopper, Melanie Griffith, Portia de Rossi, Joel Edgerton, Rose Byrne, David Hemmings, David Field, Victoria Thaine
- Director: Paul Goldman
- Production Company: The Night We Called It a Day Pty. Ltd., Icon Entertainment International, Ocean Pictures Pty. Limited, Ocean Pictures, distributed by ContentFilm International (AUS), Miracle Entertainment (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in Canada and limited US release as All the Way on April 12, 2005, and premiered on DVD in the US on the same date. The movie is based on the true events surrounding Frank Sinatra’s 1974 tour in Australia. The Night We Called It a Day was the title of the first song Sinatra recorded in 1942. The American title refers to a song recorded in 1957. Sinatra’s vocals are performed by Tom Burlison.
August 15 – Elysium (South Korea)
- Voice Cast: Alexandra Boyd, Lee Cherry, Justin Cowden, Hilary Huber, Megan Parlen, David Lodge, Pat Fraley, Kevin Michael Richardson, Crispin Freeman
- Director: Jae-woong Kwon
- Production Company: Big Film Entertainment, distributed by Miramax (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on May 10, 2005.
August 15 – Freddy vs. Jason (USA/Canada/UK)
- Cast: Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena, Kelly Rowland, Jason Ritter, Chris Marquette, Lochlyn Munro, Katharine Isabelle, Brendan Fletcher, Zack Ward, Kyle Labine, Chris Gauthier
- Director: Ronny Yu
- Production Company: New Line Cinema, Crystal Lake Entertainment, distributed by New Line Cinema
- Trivia: Eighth Freddy Krueger film and eleventh Jason Voorhees film. It was the highest grossing film for each franchise. Robert Englund’s last film appearance as Freddy. An early draft of the script included returning characters from several films. Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson were offered the director’s job. One proposal included the film having two endings in which either protagonist was victorious. Another ending also included Pinhead from the Hellraiser franchise, but New Line didn’t want to secure rights to another character. Betsy Palmer was asked to reprise her Pamela Voorhees role but declined due to salary disputes.
August 15 – Grind (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Mike Vogel, Vince Vieluf, Joey Kern, Adam Brody, Jennifer Morrison, Jason London, Summer Altice, Bam Margera, Erin Murphy, Stephen Root, Christopher McDonald, Brian Posehn, Dave Foley, Jason Acuña, Christine Estabrook, Randy Quaid, Bob “Bobcat” Goldthwait, Tom Green
- Director: Casey La Scala
- Production Company: Pandora Cinema, Gaylord Films, Gerber Pictures, 900 Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
- Trivia: The pregnant woman who turns away the Super Duper skate team is actually director Casey La Scala’s wife. Film debut of Mike Vogel.
August 15 – Open Range (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi, Dean McDermott, Kim Coates
- Director: Kevin Costner
- Production Company: Touchstone Pictures, Beacon Communications, Tig Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- Trivia: Based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. Final screen appearance by Michael Jeter, who died before the film’s release. The film was dedicated to his memory. Kevin Costner only had Robert Duvall in mind for the role of Boss Spearman, and said if Duvall had not taken the role the film may not have been made. Duvall accepted the role immediately, and he was also bucked off a horse and broke six ribs while practicing for the role. Costner has said he cast Abraham Benrubi as a way of apologizing for his role being cut from The Postman. Over a million dollars was spent to construct a town from scratch because Costner didn’t like any of the existing ones proposed for the location. $40,000 also had to be spent to build a road to the location because it was so far from civilization.
August 15 – The Medallion (Hong Kong)
- Cast: Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, Claire Forlani, Alex Bao, Julian Sands, Johann Myers, John Rhys-Davies, Anthony Wong, Christy Chung
- Director: Gordon Chan
- Production Company: Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Golden Port Productions Ltd., Living FilmsScreen Gems, TriStar Pictures, distributed by Emperor Motion Pictures (Hong Kong), TriStar Pictures (USA)
- Trivia: Opened in the US on August 22, 2003. Director Gordon Chan’s first English-language film. The film’s working title was Highninders.
August 15 – Uptown Girls (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Marley Shelton, Donald Faison, Jesse Spencer, Austin Pendleton, Heather Locklear, Pell James, Fisher Stevens
- Director: Boaz Yakin
- Production Company: GreeneStreet Films, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Trivia: The denim dress worn by Brittany Murphy was a vintage dress that belonged to the costume designer’s sister Kate when she was 12. The name “Kate” was bedazzled on the back of the dress, so Murphy wore a backpack to cover it so the history of the dress was not ruined.
2013
August 9 – Elysium (USA/Canada)
- Cast: Matt Damon, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Valentina Giron, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner
- Director: Neill Blomkamp
- Production Company: TriStar Pictures, Media Rights Capital, QED International, Alphacore, Kinberg Genre, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
- Trivia: Director Neill Blomkamp’s second film. The lead role was offered to Eminem, but he wanted to film in Detroit which was not agreeable to the studios. Earth scenes were shot in a dump on the outskirts of Mexico City, while Elysium scenes were shot in Vancouver and the wealthy Huixquilucan-Interlomas suburbs of Mexico City.
August 9 – Planes (USA/Canada)
Walt Disney Pictures
- Voice Cast: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Priyanka Chopra, Danny Mann, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Cedric the Entertainer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Roger Craig Smith, Gabriel Iglesias, John Cleese, Carlos Alazraqui, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Colin Cowherd, Sinbad, Oliver Kalkofe, Brent Musburger, John Ratzenberger, Barney Harwood
- Director: Klay Hall
- Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures, Disneytoon Studios, distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures - Trivia: Spin-off of Pixar’s Cars franchise, though it was not produced by Pixar. The film was originally produced as a direct-to-video feature. Jon Cryer was originally cast as the voice of Dusty but dropped out, replaced by Dane Cook. Cryer received a credit for ‘additional story material’.
August 9 – Thalaivaa (India)
- Cast: Vijay, Amala Paul, Ragini Nandwani, Sathyaraj, Santhanam, Abhimanyu Singh, Nassar, Rajiv Pillai, N. L. Srinivasan, Udhaya, Tanu Vidyarthi, Ponvannan, M. R. Kishore Kumar, Rekha
- Director: A. L. Vijay
- Production Company: Sri Mishri Productions, distributed by Vendhar Movies
- Trivia: Originally opened in the US on August 8, 2013. The film’s title translates to ‘The Leader’.
August 13 – Finding Joy (USA, limited)
- Cast: Josh Cooke, Liane Balaban, Barry Bostwick, Lainie Kazan, Tyler Bunch, Kiki Harris, Arielle Hoffman
- Director: Carlo De Rosa
- Production Company: Kreate Films, distributed by Applied Art Productions
- Trivia: Released to Video on Demand services in the US on June 7, 2013.
August 14 – Hide & Seek (South Korea)
- Cast: Son Hyun-joo, Moon Jung-hee, Jeon Mi-seon, Kim Ji-young, Jung Joon-won, Kim Su-an, Kim Won-hae, Gi Ju-bong
- Director: Huh Jung
- Production Company: Studio Dream Capture, distributed by Next Entertainment World
- Trivia: No known US release.
August 14 – Kick-Ass 2 (UK)
- Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Clark Duke, Morris Chestnut, Jim Carrey, Donald Faison, John Leguizamo, Iain Glen, Lindy Booth, Daniel Kaluuya, Yancy Butler, Benedict Wong, Lyndsy Fonseca
- Director: Jeff Wadlow
- Production Company: Universal Pictures, Marv Films, Plan B Entertainment, Dentsu Inc., Fuji Television Network, Inc., distributed by Universal Pictures
- Trivia: Opened in the US and Canada on August 16, 2013. Based on the graphic novels Book Two and Book Three of Kick-Ass: The Dave Lizewski Years by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.
August 15 – Mystery Road (AUS)
- Cast: Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten, Jack Thompson, Tony Barry, Robert Mammone, Tasma Walton, Damian Walshe-Howling, David Field
- Director: Ivan Sen
- Production Company: Bunya Productions, Mystery Road Films, Screen Australia, distributed by GEM Entertainment
- Trivia: Opened in the UK on August 29, 2014. Only played festivals in the US. The film spawned a 2016 sequel and 2018 TV series.
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