Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #16 :: November 11•17

Walt Disney Pictures

There are some interesting movie premieres through the decades this week. 1930 offers one of the earliest films shot in a widescreen format, 20 years before it became an industry standard, and was the inspiration for the Batman. 1930 also introduced Marlene Dietrich to American audiences. This week also brings two Disney animated films in two different decades, 1940 and 1990, as well as two John Wayne films, one in 1950 and one in 1960. And with Christmas on the horizon, there are holiday classics in 1990 and 2000. On top of that, there are several major award nominees and winners, and a couple of Razzie contenders as well. Check out the highlighted links for some holiday gift ideas in movies and related books.

1920

November 11 – Flying Pat

• Cast: Dorothy Gish, James Rennie, Morgan Wallace, Harold Vizard, Porter Strong, Tom Blake, Kate Bruce, Dorothy Walters, Miss Waters
• Director: F. Richard Jones
• Studio: New Art Film Co., distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Stars Gish and Rennie were married in real life at the time. The film was still in circulation in the US as late as March 1922. The film is preserved in the Cinémathèque Française.

November 13 – Life

• Cast: Nita Naldi, Hubert Druce, Jack Mower, J.H. Gilmour, Arline Pretty, Leeward Meeker, Rod La Rocque, Edwin Stanley, Curtis Cooksey, Geoffrey Stein, Effingham Pinto
• Director: Travers Vale
• Studio: William A. Brady Picture Plays, World Film, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Based upon the play by Thompson Buchanan. The film is considered lost.

November 14 – Always Audacious

• Cast: Wallace Reid, Margaret Loomis, Clarence Geldart, J.M. Dumont, Rhea Haines, Carmen Phillips, Guy Oliver, Fanny Midgley
• Director: James Cruze
• Studio: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Based on the short story ‘Toujours de l’Audace’ by Ben Ames Williams. The film’s status is currently unknown, indicating it may be lost.

November 14 – Her Husband’s Friend

• Cast: Enid Bennett, Rowland V. Lee, Tom Chatterton, Mae Busch, Aileen Manning, George C. Pearce, Robert Dunbar
• Director: Fred Niblo
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: The film is preserved at the Library of Congress.

November 14 – Kismet

• Cast: Otis Skinner, Rosemary Theby, Elinor Fair, Marguerite Comont, Nicholas Dunaew, Herschel Mayall, Fred Lancaster, Leon Bary, Sidney Smith, Hamilton Revelle, Tom Kennedy, Sam Kaufman, Emmett King, Fanny Ferrari, Emily Seville
• Director: Louis J. Gasnier
• Studio: Waldorf Film Corporation, distributed by Robertson-Cole
• Trivia: Based on the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock. Otis Skinner’s daughter Cornelia has a small role in the film. Skinner appeared in a 1930 talkie version of the film which is lost, but the soundtrack survives. The 1920 version has been previously released to home video on VHS tape.

November 15 – The Blue Moon

• Cast: Pell Trenton, Elinor Field, Harry Northrup, James Gordon, Margaret McWade, Herbert Standing, Sidney Franklin, Frederick Monley
• Director: George L. Cox
• Studio: American Film Company, distributed by Pathé Exchange
• Trivia: Adapted from the Novemberel by David Anderson.

1930

November 13 – The Bat Whispers

• Cast: Chance Ward, Richard Tucker, Wilson Benge, DeWitt Jennings, Sidney D’Albrook, S.E. Jennings, Grayce Hampton, Maude Eburne, Spencer Charters, Una Merkel, William Bakewell, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Chester Morris, Hugh Huntley, Charles Dow Clark, Ben Bard
• Director: Roland West
• Studio: Joseph M. Schenck Productions for Art Cinema Corporation, distributed by United Artists
• Trivia: Based on the 1920 play The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, based on the book The Circular Stairacse by Roberts. The story was previously adapted to film in 1926, also directed by West. The Bat Whispers is one of the first widescreen films, and was once lost but was restored with duplicate film stock in 1988. As film cameras were not portable at the time, a special camera was built to film from the back seat of a moving car and to show The Bat in flight. The film is noted by Bob Kane as an inspiration for elements of the Batman character. The film was shot in three versions: two in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, 35mm prints for US and foreign distribution, and a 2:1 aspect ratio, 65mm widescreen ‘Magnifilm’ version. The domestic negative was cut down to 72 minutes for the 1938 reissue and was subsequently lost. The UCLA Film and Television Archive was able to restore and preserve the 35mm foreign and 65mm widescreen editions from elements preserved in the Library of Congress, which received the film elements after Mary Pickford’s death in 1979 when she willed them her film collection. The film was remade again in 1959 as The Bat with Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price.

November 14 – Morocco

• Cast: Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Adolphe Menjou, Ullrich Haupt, Eve Southern, Francis McDonald, Paul Porcasi
• Director: Josef von Sternberg
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Based on the Novemberel Amy Jolly by Benno Vigny. The film is famous for Dietrich performing a song in a man’s tuxedo and kissing another woman, both scandalous at the time. The film received four Oscar nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Marlene Dietrich), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Director (Josef von Sternberg). The film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1992. On the basis of test footage from the yet to be released The Blue Angel, producer B.P. Schulberg agreed to bring Dietrich to Hollywood from Germany under a two-picture deal in 1930. She received the full power of Paramount’s publicity machine which launched her into international stardom before American audiences had seen her in The Blue Angel, which was released in the US in 1931. The Moroccan government responded favorably to the ‘picturesque’ depiction of the country, running travel ads inviting tourists to enjoy the unforgettable landscapes as Gary Cooper had. The film was shot entirely in Southern California. Cooper and von Sternberg did not get along, with the director often shooting Cooper looking up at Dietrich, emphasizing her at Cooper’s expense. Cooper complained to the studio and had it stopped. Von Sternberg welcomed Dietrich to the US with a green Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which was featured in some scenes in the film.

November 15 – Hell’s Angels

• Cast: Ben Lyon, James Hall, Jean Harlow, John Darrow, Lucien Prival, Frank Clarke, Roy Wilson, Douglas Gilmore, Jane Winton, Evelyn Hall, William B. Davidson, Wyndham Standing, Lena Melana, Marian Marsh, Carl von Haartman, Ferdinand Schumann-Heink, Stephen Carr, Thomas Carr, Rupert Syme Macalister, J. Granville-Davis, Hans Joby, Pat Somerset, Wilhelm von Brincken
• Director: Howard Hughes
• Studio: The Caddo Company, distributed by United Artists
• Trivia: The film had its premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on May 27, 1930. James Whale directed the dialogue scenes. The film was originally shot as a silent film but was retooled by Hughes over a three-year period. Several scenes are tinted in a single color for dramatic effect. There is also one full color scene which is the only color footage from Harlowe’s career. The film included a ten minute intermission after just over an hour. The film endured controversy with its depiction of the German enemy and deaths of several stunt pilots, the release was postponed repeatedly, and ran over budget, failing to recover its exorbitant cost, but became one of the highest grossing films of the early sound era and is hailed today as a landmark of early sound, early color, and of the epic action film genre. The film went through several directors due to Hughes’ overbearing techniques, forcing Hughes to finally take over himself. As a silent, the film was to star Greta Nissen, a Norwegian film star, but as the film was converted to sound she was the first casualty due to her pronounced accent. Harlowe was discovered by James Hall in a revue and was brought to Hughes’ attention. James Whale was an unknown when hired to direct the dialogue scenes, which prepared him for later success in Hollywood, including 1931’s Frankenstein. Unhappy with the script, Whale hired Joseph Moncure March to do a re-write. Whale shut down production for three days to work on scenes with the inexperienced Harlowe. One flying stunt scene was deemed too dangerous by the stunt coordinator, so Hughes flew it himself … and was seriously injured when his plane crashed as predicted. He spent three days in the hospital. Three other pilots and a mechanic were killed during production. During all of the delays while Hughes worked out the flying scenes, Whale was able to shoot and release Journey’s End, making his debut film the second to be released (and without credit). The film was publicized as the most expensive ever made at $4 million, but this was a myth created by Hughes. The film cost $2.8 million, significantly less than the $4 million Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ released in 1927.

1940

November 13 – Fantasia

• Cast: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor
• Director: Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson
• Studio: Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio Pictures
• Trivia: The third Disney animated feature film. The film was developed after the short ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’, a comeback for Mickey Mouse, was going over budget, so Disney decided to include the short as part of a feature film with other segments set to classical music. The soundtrack was recorded using multiple audio channels in Fantasound, making it the first commercial film shown with stereophonic sound. The film was first released as a roadshow in 13 US cities. European markets were cut off from distribution due to World War II, and the film was unable to turn a profit due to the high production costs and the costs of installing Fantasound in the roadshow theaters. The film has been re-released many times with footage deleted, modified or restored for each version (the current version streaming on Disney+, which was actually edited in the late 1960s, has raised objections by deleting certain images that may be considered racist in nature in today’s political climate). The film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 1990. When presented with the idea of combining classical music with animation, Leopold Stokowski told Disney he liked the music of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ and offered to conduct the piece at no cost. Disney allowed Stowkowski to select and employ a complete symphony orchestra with 85 musicians for a session that began at midnight on January 9, 1938 at Culver Studios and lasted for three hours. As the short was expanded to a feature film, the original title was simply The Concert Feature, or sometimes Musical Feature. Distributor RKO Radio Pictures wanted a different title and suggested Filmharmonic Concert. A contest was held at the studio which generated almost 1,800 entries with titles including Bach to Stravinsky and Bach and Highbrowski by Stokowski. The favorite among the film’s supervisors was Fantasia, an early working title that had grown on RKO publicist Hal Horne. Over 1,000 artists were used in the making of the film which features more than 500 animated characters. Fantasia‘s first roadshow engagement was at New York’s Broadway Theatre where the film ran for 49 consecutive weeks, a record at the time. The run continued for a total of 57 weeks. The film also enjoyed a 39 week run in Los Angeles, breaking the record 28-week run of Gone With the Wind at the Carthay Circle Theatre. The Pittsburgh engagement ran for eight weeks, attracting over 50,000 people and generating reservations from people 100 miles away from the city. After acquiring full distribution rights in April 1940, RKO continued the roadshow engagements but with mono sound, which was easier to exhibit. The film’s soundtrack was rerecorded in 1982 in Dolby Stereo by conductor Irwin Kostal as the Stowkowski recording had degraded and no longer matched the visuals. The 1982 re-release also removed the filmed introductions by Deems Taylor which were replaced with voice-over narration by Hugh Douglas. The 1982 re-release at the Pitt Century Plaza Theatre in Los Angeles was the first theatrical feature film presented with digital stereo sound. A standard recording was used for the film’s wider release, with Tim Matheson providing the narration. A two-year restoration program using the original film negatives was undertaken for the film’s 50th anniversary. A new print including Taylor’s introductions was produced but with a new end credits sequence. The 1990 re-release also restored the Stowkowski soundtrack, which underwent a digital restoration. A 2010 re-release was the first time the roadshow version was shown in Europe. Seven new segments were produced for the sequel Fantasia 2000. A project based on Fantasia was announced for the Disney+ streaming service.

November 15 – One Night in the Tropics

• Cast: Allan Jones, Nancy Kelly, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Robert Cummings, Mary Boland, William Frawley, Peggy Moran, Leo Carrillo, Don Alvarado, Nina Orla
• Director: A. Edward Sutherland
• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Trivia: Based on the 1914 Novemberel Love Insurance by Earl Derr Biggers, the creator of Charlie Chan. It was filmed in 1919 by Paramount as Love Insurance, and again in 1925 by Universal as The Reckless Age. The film’s working title was Riviera. Other titles under consideration were Moonlight in the Tropics, Love Insurance, and Caribbean Holiday. This was the film debut of Abbott & Costello. Their work earned them a two-picture deal with Universal, with their next film Buck Privates making them bona fide movie stars. It was hoped the film would help Universal financially, but it did not. However, a string of hit films with Abbott & Costello did save the studio. The film had its world premiere in Lou Costello’s home town of Paterson, NJ on October 30, 1940. The film was re-released in 1950, cut from 82 to 69 minutes on a double bill with The Naughty Nineties, and again in 1954 with Little Giant.

November 16 – South of Suez

• Cast: George Brent, Brenda Marshall, George Tobias, James Stephenson, Lee Patrick, Eric Blore, Miles Mander, Cecil Kellaway, Mary Forbes, Gilbert Emery, Stanley Logan, Frederick Worlock, Edward Fielding, Leonard Mudie, Crauford Kent, Holmes Herbert, Prince Modupe
• Director: Lewis Seiler
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: The lead was meant to be played by George Raft, but he turned it down.

1950

November 11 – Rocky Mountain

• Cast: Errol Flynn, Patrice Wymore, Scott Forbes, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Dickie Jones, Howard Petrie, Slim Pickens, Chubby Johnson, Robert ‘Buzz’ Henry, Sheb Wooley, Peter Coe, ‘Rush’ Williams
• Director: William Keighley
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: Flynn and co-star Wymore married in 1950. At the time of filming, Flynn was engaged to Princess Irene Ghika but fell in love with Wymore. The film’s original title was Ghost Mountain. Ronald Reagan claimed to have brought the story to Warner Bros. as a starring vehicle for himself, and he was originally named as the lead. By April 1950, the film was retitled Rocky Mountain and Flynn was the star. Annoyed, Reagan left Warner Bros. soon after. Flynn had intended to do Carson City but felt the script was not ready. Lauren Bacall was assigned the female lead under her contract but refused the role and was suspended. By July 1950, Bacall terminated her contract with Warners. James Garner has stated that the film’s script was used as the basis for the first episode of his series Maverick. The script was also used as the basis for the first episode of Cheyenne, titled ‘Mountain Fortress’.

November 15 – Right Cross

• Cast: June Allyson, Dick Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Lionel Barrymore, Teresa Celli, Barry Kelley, Tom Powers, Mimi Aguglia, Marianne Stewart, John Gallaudet, Wally Maher, Larry Keating, Kenneth Tobey, Bert Davidson
• Director: John Sturges
• Studio: MGM
• Trivia: Marilyn Monroe has a small, uncredited role in the film.

November 15 – Rio Grande

• Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson, Claude Jarman Jr., Harry Carey Jr., Chill Wills, J. Carrol Naish, Victor McLaglen, Grant Withers, Sons of the Pioneers, Peter Ortiz, Steve Pendleton, Karolyn Grimes, Albert Morin, Stan Jones, Fred Kennedy
• Director: John Ford
• Studio: Argosy Pictures, distributed by Republic Pictures
• Trivia: The third of Ford’s ‘cavalry trilogy’ after Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). The script is based on the short story ‘Mission with No Record’ by James Warner Bellah from the Saturday Evening Post. John Wayne is the lead in all three films. Ford did not want to make another Western, focusing his attention on The Quiet Man which was to star Wayne and O’Hara. The studio insisted Ford make Rio Grande first with the stars because it was believed The Quiet Man would hold little interest for audiences and expected Rio Grande to offset the losses from that film. The Quiet Man (1952) vastly out-grossed Rio Grande. Wayne and O’Hara’s third and last film together with Ford was The Wings of Eagles (1957). The pair also starred together in McLintock! (1963) and Big Jake (1971). Rio Grande marked the film debut of 11-year-old Patrick Wayne.

November 16 – Cyrano de Bergerac

• Cast: José Ferrer, Mala Powers, William Prince, Morris CarNovembersky, Ralph Clanton, Lloyd Corrigan, Virginia Farmer, Edgar Barrier, Elena Verdugo, Albert Cavens, Arthur Blake, Don Beddoe, Percy Helton, Francis Pierlot
• Director: Michael Gordon
• Studio: Stanley Kramer Productions, distributed by United Artists
• Trivia: Based on the 1897 French Alexandrin verse drama by Edmond Rostand. The film uses the 1923 English blank verse translation as the basis for the screenplay. This marked the first English motion picture version of the story. The film lapsed into public domain in the 1980s. The sparse sets are concealed by camera angles, lighting and darkness as the film was budgeted lower than most costume dramas because producers feared it would fail at the box office … which it did. One of the first films to use the new Western Electric magnetic sound recording system which would become commonplace by 1953, and a necessity for stereo sound recording. Ferrer and Clanton had appeared in the 1946 Broadway revival of the play in the same roles they play in the film. Ferrer won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Actor.

1960

November 11 – Girl of the Night

• Cast: Anne Francis, Lloyd Nolan, Kay Medford, John Kerr, Arthur Storch, James Broderick, Eileen Fulton, Julius Monk, Lauren Gilbert, Judy Tucker, Noah Keen, René Enríquez, Patricia Basch, Jo Anna March, Richard Bauman, Louise Manning
• Director: Joseph Cates
• Studio: Vanguard Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: Based on the Novemberel The Call Girl by Harold Greenwald.

November 13 – Hell is a City

• Cast: Stanley Baker, John Crawford, Donald Pleasence, Maxine Audley, Billie Whitelaw, Joseph Tomelty, George A. Cooper, Geoffrey Frederick, Vanda Godsell, Charles Houston, Joby Blanshard, Charles Morgan, Peter Madden, Dickie Owen, Lois Daine, Warren Mitchell, Sarah Branch, Alister Williamson, Russell Napier
• Director: Val Guest
• Studio: Hammer Films, distributed by Warner-Pathé Distributors (UK), Columbia Pictures (USA)
• Trivia: The film premiered in the UK on April 10, 1960. Based on the Novemberel by Maurice Procter.

November 13 – North to Alaska

• Cast: John Wayne, Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, Capucine, Mickey Shaughnessy, Karl Swenson, Kathleen Freeman, John Qualen, Stanley Adams, Stephen Courtleigh, Lilyan Chauvin, Douglas Dick
• Director: Henry Hathaway
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Based on the 1939 play Birthday Gift by Ladislas Fodor set during the Nome gold rush. The film was announced as The Alaskans, the first in a three-film contract Wayne had with Fox. Wayne chose Hathaway to direct but he was unavailable and replaced by Richard Fleischer, who was under contract to Fox. Fleischer wanted to work with Wayne but hated the script. Agent Charles Feldman insisted Fleischer make the movie or Wayne might pull out, but Fleischer got out of the film by saying he didn’t want to work with Capucine, who was Feldman’s girlfriend. Hathaway then became available and was hired in March 1959. The movie spent a long time in pre-production, under the title Go North, and was delayed by a writers strike and Wayne’s involvement with The Alamo. Filming on the movie did not begin until May 1960. Gary Crosby was cast as Granger’s brother but was replaced by Fabian, who Fox thought might draw a younger audience to the film. Production on the film began without a completed script and much of it wound up being improvised. The film received a comic book adaptation in Dell Four Color #1155.

November 14 – The Facts of Life

• Cast: Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Ruth Hussey, Don DeFore, Louis Nye, Philip Ober, Marianne Stewart, Hollis Irving
• Director: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
• Studio: United Artists
• Trivia: Nominated for five Academy Awards — Art Direction (Black & White), Cinematography (Black & White), Original Song, Original Screenplay, Costume Design – winning for Best Costume Design for Edith Head and Edward Stevenson. Lucille Ball was Golden Globe nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Saul Bass created the film’s animated opening titles. Melvin Frank directed A Touch of Class thirteen years later, and while the stories share similarities, it has never been considered a remake.

1970

November 12 – The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

• Cast: Peter Cook, Denholm Elliott, Ronald Fraser, Vanessa Howard, Arthur Lowe, George A. Cooper, Harold Pinter, James Cossins, Roland Culver, Dudley Foster, Dennis Price, Ronnie Corbett, John Cleese, Diana Coupland, Michael Bates, Graham Chapman, Valerie Leon
• Director: Kevin Billington
• Studio: David Paradine Productions, London Weekend Television, distributed by Warner-Pathé (United Kingdom), Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
• Trivia: Producer David Paradine was actually television host David Frost, who helped fund the writing of the screenplay. Peter Cook admitted he based Michael Rimmer on David Frost. The set for Rimmer’s living room was almost identical to Frost’s even though the set designer had never seen it. The writing team hoped the film would be released prior to the 1969 general election in the UK (the results of which the film predicted), but the studio feared it would be a source of controversy and it was held until November 1970, almost a year after the election, losing much of its topical punch. The film never received a release in the US.

1980

November 11 – Shogun Assassin

• Cast: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Shôgen Nitta, Shin Kishida, Akihiro Tomikawa, Reiko Kasahara, Akiji Kobayashi, Taketoshi Naitô, Tokio Oki
• Dubbing Voice Actors: Lamont Johnson, Marshall Efron, Sandra Bernhard, Lennie Weinrib, Sam Weisman, Mark Lindsay, Robert Houston, David Weisman, Gibran Evans
• Director: Kenji Misumi, Robert Houston
• Studio: Katsu, distributed by New World Pictures
• Trivia: The film is edited and compiled from the first two films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, using twelve minutes of the first, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, with the rest of the film taken from Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx. There were six films total in the series, which were based on the 1970s manga Lone Wolf and Cub. The film was nearly banned in the UK due to its extreme violence. Lead actor Tomisaburo Wakayama is the brother of the film’s producer Shintaro Katsu, who is known for playing Zatoichi in a series of 26 films. In Kill Bill: Volume 2, Beatrix (The Bride) and her daughter watch the film as a bedtime story.

November 14 – Alligator

• Cast: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Dean Jagger, Sydney Lassick, Jack Carter, Perry Lang, Henry Silva, Bart Braverman, Angel Tompkins, Sue Lyon, Royce D. Applegate, Jim Boeke, Peter Miller, Pat Petersen, Micole Mercurio, Dick Richards, Kendall Carly Browne, Mike Mazurki
• Director: Lewis Teague
• Studio: Group 1 Films
• Trivia: This was Sue Lyon’s last screen role. Shot in Los Angeles, commentary on the DVD gives the film’s location as Chicago, even though police vehicles seem to have Missouri license plates, and a sign reading ‘Welcome to Missouri’ is seen. Bryan Cranston worked as a special effects assistant on the film, making and rigging the ‘alligator guts’ for the film’s finale. Screenwriter John Sayles also wrote Piranha two years earlier. Quentin Tarantino said the character of Max Cherry in Jackie Brown was inspired by Alligator‘s David Madison. Robert Forster played both characters.

November 14 – The Idolmaker

• Cast: Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher, Tovah Feldshuh, Joe Pantoliano, Paul Land, Maureen McCormick, Olympia Dukakis, John Aprea
• Director: Taylor Hackford
• Studio: United Artists
• Trivia: Based on the life of rock promoter and manager Bob Marcucci, whose discoveries included Frankie Avalon and Fabian. The feature film debut of Gallagher, Pantoliano and Land. Fabian filed a $64 million lawsuit against the film alleging defamation of character and invasion of privacy, citing the character Guido/Caesare was inspired by him, making him look like ‘a totally manufactured singer, a mere pretty face without any singing ability or acting talent.’ An out of court settlement required apologies published in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, and Marcucci’s 7.5% ownership of the film. Ray Sharkey won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

1990

November 14 – Europa Europa

• Cast: Marco Hofschneider, Julie Delpy, Hanns Zischler, René Hofschneider, Piotr Kozlowski, André Wilms, Ashley Wanninger, Halina Łabonarska, Klaus Abramowsky, Michèle Gleizer, Marta Sandrowicz, Nathalie Schmidt, Delphine Forest, Martin Maria Blau, Andrzej Mastalerz, Solomon Perel
• Director: Agnieszka Holland
• Studio: Orion Pictures (US)
• Trivia: Based on the 1989 autobiography of Solomon Perel, a German Jewish boy who escaped the Holocaust by masquerading as a ‘Nazi’ German. Perel appears briefly in the film as himself. Lars von Trier’s 1991 film Europa was initially released in the US as Zentropa to avoid confusion. Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film. Oscar nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Germany did not submit the film for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

20th Century Fox

November 16 – Home Alone

• Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, Catherine O’Hara, Angela Goethals, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, Hillary Wolf, Michael C. Maronna, John Candy, Kieran Culkin, Billie Bird, Hope Davis
• Director: Chris Columbus
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: The film was shot at various locations throughout Illinois, and had its premiere on November 10, 1990 in Chicago. The film was produced for Warner Bros. but was transferred to 20th Century Fox when John Hughes exceeded the $10 million budget imposed by Warners. The final budget was $18 million. The film went on to earn $476.7 million, the highest grossing comedy ever until The Hangover Part II. The film has spawned a successful franchise but only Home Alone 2: Lost in New York features most of the original cast. Patrick Read Johnson was originally asked to direct but was unavailable due to a commitment to Spaced Invaders. Chris Columbus was offered the job after he quit National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation after a clash with Chevy Chase (Columbus said Chase treated him like dirt). Columbus was given two scripts, Home Alone and Reach the Rock, and chose the former because it was funnier and had a Christmas theme. Columbus did an uncredited rewrite and included the character Old Man Marley to give the film a more serious layer and a more emotional ending. Hughes suggested Culkin for the lead role after working with him on Uncle Buck. Columbus met with 200 other actors but agreed Culkin was right for the role. Robert De Niro and Jon Lovitz were both considered for, and rejected, the role of Harry which went to Joe Pesci. The role of Uncle Frank was written for Kelsey Grammer but went to Gerry Bamman when Grammer was unavailable. Daniel Stern dropped out of the film after the schedule was extended by two weeks but there was no budget to pay for the extra time. Daniel Roebuck was hired as his replacement but after two days of work, Columbus saw no chemistry between him and Pesci and Stern was rehired. John Candy was available for one day and his scenes were filmed in 23 hours, accepting a $414 salary because he did the film as a favor to Hughes. In return, he was the only actor allowed to go off script with all of his dialogue completely improvised. Pesci was said to be more difficult to work with than Culkin, insisting on later call times so he could start his day with nine holes of golf. After an altercation with an assistant director, the call times were pushed from 7 AM to 9 AM. Nighttime filming was limited because Culkin could not be on set past 10 PM. Culkin sustained an injury when Pesci’s Harry was trying to bite off Kevin’s finger. Culkin still has the scar. Bruce Broughton was originally credited as the film’s composer but had to drop out due to work on The Rescuers Down Under. Columbus contacted Steven Spielberg who put him in touch with John Williams, who received Oscar nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. The film received Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Culkin.

November 16 – The Rescuers Down Under

• Cast: Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, John Candy, Adam Ryen, George C. Scott, Frank Welker, Tristan Rogers, Peter Firth, Wayne Robson, Douglas Seale, Carla Meyer, Bernard Fox, Russi Taylor, Peter Greenwood
• Director: Hendel Butoy, Mike Gabriel
• Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Silver Screen Partners IV, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
• Trivia: Disney’s 29th animated feature film and a sequel to 1977’s The Rescuers. Based on the Novemberels of Mergery Sharp. It is the first feature film to be created digitally without the use of a camera.

November 16 – Rocky V

• Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone, Tommy Morrison, Burgess Meredith, Richard Gant, Tony Burton, Paul J. Micale, Michael Williams
• Director: John G. Avildsen
• Studio: United Artists, distributed by MGM/UA Communications Company
• Trivia: This film marked the last appearances of Talia Shire and Burgess Meredith in the Rocky films. The film made $180 million less than Rocky IV and was the last of the series produced by United Artists. Jodi Letizia reprised her role from the original film, a street kid who ended up as Rocky had predicted: a prostitute, but the scene was ultimately cut from the film. The character appeared in 2006’s Rocky Balboa, but played by Geraldine Hughes. Kevin Connolly makes his first acting appearance as the neighborhood bully Chickie. The famous Rocky statue gifted to Philadelphia had been moved to the entrance of the Spectrum, so it had to be moved back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for filming. Rocky was originally supposed to die in Adrian’s arms after a street fight, but everyone had second thoughts and decided to change it to reflect the themes of perseverance and redemption. The film was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards in 1990 including Worst Picture, Worst Actor and Worst Screenplay for Stallone, Worst Actress for Shire, Worst Supporting Actor for Young, Worst Director for Avildsen and Worst Original Song for ‘The Measure of a Man’.

2000

November 17 – The 6th Day

• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Goldwyn, Michael Rapaport, Michael Rooker, Sarah Wynter, Wendy Crewson, Rodney Rowland, Terry Crews, Ken Pogue, Colin Cunningham, Robert Duvall, Wanda Cannon, Taylor Anne Reid, Jennifer Gareis, Andrea Libman
• Director: Roger Spottiswoode
• Studio: Phoenix Pictures, Columbia Pictures, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
• Trivia: The film premiered October 28, 2000 at TIFF. This was Terry Crews’ acting debut. Schwarzenegger was paid $25 million for the film. It made $13 million its opening weekend. Schwarzenegger was nominated for three Razzie Awards: Worst Actor (as the real Adam), Worst Supporting Actor (as the clone of Adam) and Worst Screen Couple (Schwarzenegger as Adam and Schwarzenegger as the clone). Battlefield Earth ‘won’ in each category. The film was also nominated for four Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film (it lost to X-Men).

November 17 – Bounce

• Cast: Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natasha Henstridge, Edward Edwards, Jennifer Grey, Tony Goldwyn, Lisa Joyner, Caroline Aaron, Alex D. Linz, David Dorfman, Juan Garcia, Joe Morton, Johnny Galecki, David St. James
• Director: Don Roos
• Studio: Miramax Films
• Trivia: Before Miramax’s involvement, the film was set up at Polygram Filmed Entertainment. It was the first major motion picture to be delivered via satellite, with the AMC Empire playing the film exclusively in its digital format.

November 17 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas

• Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jim Carrey, Josh Ryan Evans, Frank Welker, Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, Taylor Momsen, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, Clint Howard, Mindy Sterling, Deep Roy, Rance Howard, Verne Troyer, Bryce Dallas Howard
• Director: Ron Howard
• Studio: Imagine Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures
• Trivia: Known as The Grinch in the UK. Based on Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book, the first Seuss book to be adapted into a feature film. Some music (‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch’) and character elements from the 1966 animated TV special were borrowed for the film. It was the sixth highest grossing film of 2000. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and was nominated for Art Direction and Costume Design. Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks and Eddie Murphy were briefly considered for the role of The Grinch. Before Dr. Seuss’ death in 1991, he had refused to sell the film rights to any of his books. His widow Audrey Geisel agreed to various merchandising deals and in 1998 Geisel’s agents announced she would auction the rights to How the Grinch Stole Christmas for $5 million and 4% of the box office, 50% of the merchandising and 70% from book tie-ins. Any actor submitted for the role had to be comparable to Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, and only a director whose previous film had earned at least $1 million would be considered. 20th Century Fox pitched director Tom Shadyac with Nicholson as the Grinch. The Farrelly Brothers and John Hughes pitched their own versions. Universal made its pitch with Brian Grazer and Gary Ross, but Geisel refused their offer. Grazer pressed Howard to help with negotiations, and although he was not interested in directing, he re-read the book and came up with an idea to give Cindy Lou Who a bigger role and expand the backstory of the Grinch. Geisel approved and Universal announced the film on September 16, 1998 with Howard directing and Jim Carrey attached to star. Universal paid Geisel $9 million for the rights to The Grinch and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Geisel had final script approval and objected to a family named the Who-steins, and a stuffed Cat in the Hat trophy on the Grinch’s wall. The Whoville set was constructed on the Universal lot behind the Bates Motel set. It took two-and-a-half hours to apply Carrey’s makeup, which caused Carrey much frustration, resulting in angry outbursts directed at makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, who quit until makeup designer Rick Baker explained to Carrey how important Tsuji was. Carrey agreed to keep his anger in check and Tsuji returned. Carrey spent 92 days in the Grinch makeup. Carrey earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

November 17 – Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

• Voice Cast: Christine Cavanaugh, Michael Bell, E. G. Daily, Cheryl Chase, Kath Soucie, Cree Summer, Tara Strong, Dionne Quan, Julia Kato, Joe Alaskey, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Bell, Jack Riley, Melanie Chartoff, Tress MacNeille, Phil Proctor
• Director: Stig Bergqvist, Paul Demeyer
• Studio: Nickelodeon Movies, Klasky Csupo, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: The film marks the first appearance of Kimi Watanabe and her mother, Kira. It also features the only appearance of two legitimate human villains in the Rugrats franchise, Coco LaBouche and Jean-Claude. The film takes place before the seventh season of the Rugrats TV series. Guest stars lending their voices include John Lithgow, Mako, Tim Curry, Billy West, Dan Castellaneta, and Casey Kasem.

2010

November 12 – Skyline

• Cast: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, Neil Hopkins, David Zayas, Donald Faison, Robin Gammell, Tanya Newbould, J. Paul Boehmer
• Director: Greg and Colin Strause
• Studio: Rogue, Relativity Media, Hydraulx Entertainment, Transmission, Rat Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures, IM Global, Momentum Pictures (UK)
• Trivia: The film was followed by the sequel Beyond Skyline in 2017. A third and final film in the trilogy, Skylines, was due to be released in 2020. Most of the film was shot in Greg Strause’s condo in Marina Del Rey. The physical production only cost $500,000, but the effects work added $10-$20 million. Sony Pictures filmed a lawsuit against Hydraulx Entertainment, which was also hired to produce effects for Sony’s Battle: Los Angeles. The suit attempted to delay the release of Skyline, which was set to open four months before Sony’s film, but the case was dropped when Sony was satisfied that none of the effects for its film were used for Skyline.

November 12 – Unstoppable

• Cast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Corrigan, Kevin Chapman, Lew Temple T. J. Miller, Jessy Schram, David Warshofsky Andy Umberger, Elizabeth Mathis, Meagan Tandy, Aisha Hinds, Ryan Ahern
• Director: Tony Scott
• Studio: Dune Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, Prospect Park, Millbrook Farm Productions, distributed by 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: Loosely based on the real-life CSX 8888 incident. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing but lost to Inception. The film suffered many challenges before filming could commence. Mark Bomback was hired to direct the film, then titled Runaway Train, to film in early 2006. Martin Campbell was in negotiation to replace Bomback in June 2007. The film was now titled Unstoppable. Tony Scott took over directing duties in March 2009. Washington and Pine signed to star in April 2009. Attempting to trim the budget from $107 million to the $90 million range, Fox asked Scott and Washington to reduce their fees. Washington declined and withdrew from the film, citing lost patience with the lack of a start date. Fox modified its offer and enticed Washington back two weeks later. Production for the film was headquartered in Pittsburgh.