Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #166 :: September 27 to October 3

Warner Bros. Pictures

We’re switching things up a bit this week due to the large number of new films, and keeping it more in line with our sister ‘By The Decade’ post for television. Now you’ll see a list of the films released each year followed by some short bits of notable information for some, but not all, of the films. This week’s notable films include a silent directed by a famous illusionist of the time (1923); some films that were made cheaply to keep the British film industry afloat (1933); one Oscar winner (1943); Joan Crawford’s return to MGM (1953); a film written by a now-famous actor (1963); a political satire (1973); a multi-award winning Golden Raspberry Award recipient, and a film that almost didn’t get completed because of a tragedy (1983); a film that has gone on to become a cult classic (1993); a music-themed film from the creator of The White Lotus (2003); and an Oscar-winning film that pushed the boundaries of technology (2013). Read on to see the films celebrating anniversaries this week and tell us if any of your favorites are on the list!

1923

• September 29 – Defying Destiny (USA)
• September 30 – Breaking Into Society (USA)
• September 30 – Going Up (USA)
• September 30 – Haldane of the Secret Service (USA)
• September 30 – Red Lights (USA)
• September 30 – St. Elmo (USA)
• September 30 – The Cheat (USA)
• September 30 – The Virginian (USA)
• October – The Social Code (USA)
• October – The Unknown Purple (USA)
• October – Boden’s Boy (UK)
• October – Finished (UK, short)
• October – Heartstrings (UK)
• October – The Audacious Mr. Squire (UK)
• October – The Reverse of the Medal (UK)
• October – The Royal Oak (UK)
• October – Three to One Against (UK, short)
• October 1 – Desire (USA)

There are no known US release dates for Boden’s Boy, Finished, Heartstrings, The Audacious Mr. Squire, The Reverse of the Medal, The Royal Oak or Three to One Against. Their exact release dates are lost to history.

Defying Destiny was thought to be lost until a print was found in 2010. Going Up was based on a 1917 comedy Broadway play The Aviator. Haldane of the Secret Service was directed by and starred Harry Houdini. Red Lights was remade in 1934 as Murder in the Private Car. The Cheat is a remake of the 1915 film of the same name directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The Virginian was based upon the 1902 Owen Wister novel, and adapted from the popular 1904 theatrical play. The film was remade as a talkie in 1929. The Unknown Purple was inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, but was not an official adaptation.

St. Elmo, The Cheat, The Social Code, The Unknown Purple and Desire are all considered lost films.

1933

• September 27 – That’s a Good Girl (UK)
• September 29 – Brief Moment (USA)
• September 29 – Stage Mother (USA)
• September 29 – The Emperor Jones (USA)
• September 29 – The Squatter’s Daughter (AUS)
• September 30 – Going Gay (UK)
• September 30 – Police Car 17 (USA)
• October – Commissionaire (UK)
• October – Enemy of the Police (UK)
• October – Smithy (UK)
• October – The Fear Ship (UK)
• October – The Flaw (UK)
• October – The Jewel (UK)
• October – The Laughter of Fools (UK)
• October 1 – Curtain at Eight (USA)
• October 1 – Love, Honor, and Oh Baby! (USA)
• October 1 – Saturday’s Millions (USA)

That’s a Good Girl, The Squatter’s Daughter, Commissionaire, Enemy of the Police, Smithy, The Fear Ship, The Flaw, The Jewel and The Laughter of Fools have no known US release dates. Going Gay was released in the US on November 30, 1935 as Kiss Me Goodbye.

Brief Moment is based on the 1931 play of the same name by S. N. Behrman. Stage Mother was based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. Going Gay was followed by the sequel For Love of You.

The Emperor Jones is an adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s 1920 play of the same title, adding an entire backstory set before the play begins. Star Paul Robeson played the title role on stage in the US and UK. The film was restored by the Library of Congress in 2002 but two cut dream sequences are lost, so the print is technically incomplete.

Enemy of the Police and Smithy were a ‘quota quickies’ from Warner Bros. to help bolster the British film industry. The Flaw was a ‘quota quickie’ from Paramount British Pictures. The Laughter of Fools was a ‘quota quickie’ for Fox. The Jewel is based on an Edgar Wallace novel The Strange Countess. Love, Honor, and Oh Baby! was adapted from the stage play, Oh, Promise Me.

1943

• September 27 – Adventure in Iraq (USA)
• September 29 – Corvette K-225 (USA)
• September 30 – Footlight Glamour (USA)
• September 30 – Raiders of Red Gap (USA)
• October 1 – Bar 20 (USA)

Adventure in Iraq is based on the 1921 play The Green Goddess by William Archer. Footlight Glamour was the 14th of 28 Blondie films, and only one of two that did not feature ‘Blondie’ in the title. Raiders of Red Gap is the 17th and final film in the ‘Lone Riders’ series.

Corvette K-225 was released in the UK as The Nelson Touch, and was produced under the working title Corvettes in Action. Robert Mitchum has a small role, billed as Bob Mitchum. The film was Oscar-nominated for Best Black-and-White Cinematography.

1953

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

• September 27 – The Royal African Rifles (USA)
• September 28 – Shadows of Tombstone (USA)
• September 30 – Donovan’s Brain (USA)
• October – All American (USA)
• October – Little Boy Lost (USA)
• October – Slaves of Babylon (USA)
• October – The Blue Parrot (UK)
• October – The Good Beginning (UK)
• October – The Straw Man (UK)
• October 1 – Combat Squad (USA)
• October 1 – Torch Song (USA)
• October 3 – Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (USA, short)

The Blue Parrot and The Straw Man have no known US release dates. The Good Beginning was released in the US on November 28, 1954.

The Royal African Rifles was the first and only film from star Louis Hayward’s production company Associated Film Artists. The working title was The Queen’s African Rifles, and the film was released in the UK as Storm Over Africa.

Donovan’s Brain was based on the 1942 horror novel by Curt Siodmak. Little Boy Lost is based on the novel by Marghanita Laski. Edith Head designed the costumes, and Wally Westmore supervised the makeup. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Film Promoting International Understanding.

The Straw Man is based on the 1951 novel Straw Man by Doris Miles Disney.

Torch Song marked Joan Crawford’s return to MGM after leaving Warner Bros. In the film, she lip-syncs’ to a recording made by India Adams, singing for Cyd Charisse, for a number that was eventually discarded from 1953’s The Band Wagon. That’s Entertainment Part III includes a segment showing both numbers side-by-side. Marjorie Rambeau received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is the third short in Chuck Jones’ ‘hunting trilogy’ following 1951’s Rabbit Fire and 1952’s Rabbit Seasoning.

1963

• October – Thunder Island (USA)
• October 2 – Johnny Cool (USA)
• October 2 – Stolen Hours (USA)

Jack Nicholson co-wrote the screenplay for Thunder Island. Producer Robert Lippert was so impressed with his work that he hired Nicholson to write and act in Flight to Fury.

Johnny Cool was based on the novel The Kingdom of Johnny Cool by John McPartland, and produced in part by Peter Lawford.

Stolen Hours is a remake of the 1939 Bette Davis film Dark Victory, with Susan Heyward in the Davis role. The time period was updated and the setting was changed to England. It was released in the US as Summer Flight.

1973

• September 27 – From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (USA)
• October – And When She Was Bad… (USA)
• October – The Bad Bunch (USA)
• October – The Werewolf of Washington (USA)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is based on E.L. Konigsburg’s novel of the same name. The film has been released on video as The Hideaways.

The Werewolf of Washington satirizes several individuals in the Richard Nixon administration. The film has been featured as part of Elvira’s Movie Macabre. A 2023 Blu-ray release includes the theatrical version plus a director’s cut prepared in 2021 just before director Milton Moses Ginsberg’s death.

1983

Carson Productions

• September 30 – Beyond the Limit (USA)
• September 30 – Brainstorm (USA/Canada)
• September 30 – Going Berserk (USA)
• September 30 – The Big Chill (USA/Canada)
• September 30 – The Lonely Lady (USA)

Beyond the Limit was based on the 1973 novel The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene, and was released in the UK in December 1983 under that title.

Brainstorm was nearly scuttled following the death of Natalie Wood, who had completed all of her major scenes. With its financial issues, MGM took the opportunity to terminate the troubled production and locked down all the sets so no one could get to them while negotiations were conducted. MGM refused to pay to complete the film so Lloyd’s of London provided over $6 million to finish shooting and post-production. MGM allowed the film to be pitched to other studios but when they saw the interest, they decided to keep it and release it themselves. Wood’s sister Lana was used as a stand-in for her few remaining scenes. The film was an early attempt to depict virtual reality, and all of the VR scenes were filmed in a 24 fps Super Panavision 70 format while the real world scenes were shot on 35mm film in a 1.7:1 aspect ratio.

Kevin Costner was cast as Alex in The Big Chill, but all of his scenes were cut and only bits and pieces of him are seen in the film’s opening credits as Alex’s corpse being dressed for a funeral service. The film was adapted for television as the series Hometown, and it inspired thirtysomething and A Million Little Things. It earned three Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy.

The Lonely Lady was adapted from Harold Robbins’ 1976 novel of the same name, the last of his adaptations before his death in 1997. The film marked Ray Liotta’s film debut. Susan Blakely was cast in the role of Jerilee, but never approved of the screenplay or director and dropped out. The film earned 11 Golden Raspberry Awards nominations, winning six: Worst Actress (Pia Zadora), Worst Director, Worst Musical Score, Worst Original Song (‘The Way You Do It’), Worst Picture, and Worst Screenplay. Zadora joked that she would have hated to have been nominated and not won. Zadora also won Worst New Star of the Decade, and was nominated for Worst Actress of the Century, but lost to Madonna. The film was also nominated as Worst Film of the Decade, but lost to Mommie Dearest, and again as Worst Drama of the Razzies’ First 25 Years, losing to Battlefield Earth.

1993

• September 30 – Raining Stones (Belgium)
• October – Fire on the Amazon (USA, limited)
• October 1 – A Bronx Tale (USA)
• October 1 – Cool Runnings (USA)
• October 1 – For Love or Money (USA)
• October 1 – Freaked (USA, limited)
• October 1 – M. Butterfly (USA)
• October 1 – Malice (USA/Canada)
• October 1 – Short Cuts (Italy)

Raining Stones opened in the US on March 11, 1994. It won the Jury Prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. Short Cuts began a US engagement on October 3, 1993. For Love or Money is also known as The Concierge.

A Bronx Tale was adapted from Chazz Palminteri’s 1989 play of the same name. The film marks Robert De Niro’s feature directorial debut. Cool Runnings was originally conceived as a sports drama, and was the last film with John Candy released in his lifetime. The film’s working title was Blue Maaga. Actual ABC sports footage from the 1988 Olympics was used in the film.

Freaked was conceived as a low-budget horror film featuring the Butthole Surfers, but morphed into a black comedy. After a regime change at 20th Century Fox, the film was deemed ‘too weird’, the title was changed from Hideous Mutant Freekz, and it only played on two screens in the US. Before the change, Fox was high on the film, releasing tie-ins such as action figures, a novelization, resin figures and a comic book which was notable for being released before the film’s casting was complete so none of the characters look like their film counterparts.

M. Butterfly is based on David Henry Hwang’s play of the same name. It was director David Cronenberg’s first film shot outside of Canada with locations in Beijing, Budapest and Paris.

Malice was co-written by Aaron Sorkin, a film that he is not proud of. At one point he was asked to write a steamy sex scene for stars Alec Baldwin and Nicole Kidman, which Sorkin refused so the scene was created and filmed without him. Baldwin’s line from the film, ‘I am God’, was referenced by Baldwin (as Jack Donaghy) on the TV series 30 Rock saying he once said that in a deposition.

Short Cuts was based on nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver, and features an ensemble cast with 22 principal characters. The screenplay was first written in 1969. Robert Altman was Oscar nominated for Best Director. The film was Golden Globe nominated for Best Screenplay, and won a Special Award for Ensemble.

2003

• October 1 – Blind Shaft (France)
• October 3 – Bright Young Things (UK)
• October 3 – Casa de los Babys (USA, limited)
• October 3 – Elephant (Brazil/Italy)
• October 3 – Out of Time (USA/Canada)
• October 3 – School of Rock (USA/Canada)

Blind Shaft began a US engagement on February 4, 2004. Outside of several festival screenings, Bright Young Things had a limited US theatrical release on August 20, 2004. Elephant, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, received a limited US release on October 24, 2003.

Blind Shaft is based on Chinese writer Liu Qingbang’s short novel Shen Mu (Sacred Wood). Most of the filming took place 700 meters underground on the border between the Hebei and Shanxi provinces of northern China. The film has not been approved for display in China due to the subject matter of the country’s illegal coal mines.

Bright Young Things is based on the 1930 novel Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh. It marks the feature film screenwriting and directing debut of Stephen Fry, who also cameos as a chauffeur. It was the last film for John Mills, who appears in a non-speaking role.

Elephant had no script when filming started. It was written to its final form during filming, with the cast freely improvising and collaborating on the direction. The film was shot over 20 days. Out of Time reunited director Carl Franklin and actor Denzel Washington after 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress.

School of Rock was the highest grossing music-themed comedy until 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2. The film was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2015, and a Nickelodeon TV series in 2016 that ran for three seasons. Jack Black received a Golden Globe nominations for his performance.

2013

Columbia Pictures

• September 27 – Baggage Claim (USA)
• September 27 – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (USA)
• September 27 – Don Jon (USA)
• September 27 – Metallica Through the Never (USA)
• September 27 – Ramayya Vasthavayya (USA)
• October 1 – 1 (USA)
• October 3 – Gravity (AUS)
• October 3 – The Counsellor (UK)

Gravity opened in the US and Canada on October 4, 2013. The Counsellor opened in the US and Canada on October 25, 2013.

Baggage Claim features Ned Beatty in his final film role before he retired from acting.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was announced as Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers before the title was changed. Mr. T declined to reprise his role as Earl, the town cop, so Terry Crews replaced him. The film’s original release date was December 20, 2013, then was pushed back to February 7, 2014, then shifted up to September 27, 2013.

Don Jon was the feature directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film originally received an NC-17 rating due to some porn Jon watches. Gordon-Levitt trimmed the graphic footage to get an R-rating so people didn’t think the film was pornographic.

Metallica Through the Never intercuts a roadie’s surreal misadventures with Metallica concert footage filmed in 2012. There is no dialogue. 1, a documentary about the history of Formula One racing, is also known as 1: Life on the Limit.

British VFX company Framestore spent more than three years creating most of the visual effects for Gravity. Angelina Jolie was interested in starring in the film but conflicts with her film In the Land of Milk and Honey, and a possible sequel to Salt, forced her to withdraw. Marion Cotillard tested for the role but accepted a part in Inception instead. Blake Lively was considered but had conflicts with the TV series Gossip Girl and film The Town. Natalie Portman was offered the role but turned it down due to conflicts with other projects. Other actresses considered before Sandra Bullock signed on in October 2012 include Naomi Watts, Carey Mulligan, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, and Olivia Wilde. Robert Downey Jr was in talks for the male lead but left the project to star in How to Talk to Girls. George Clooney replaced him. Most of the shots in the film are computer generated, with just the faces being captured by the cameras. The film contains 156 shots with an average length of 45 seconds, fewer and longer shots than most films of its length. The film’s trailer added audible explosions that were not heard in the film since there is no sound in space. Early test screenings featured crude effects, and audiences requested monsters or aliens to be added. The film earned ten Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress. It won seven — Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. It also received three Golden Globe nominations, with Alfonso Cuarón winning Best Director, and eleven BAFTA nominations, more than any film that year, winning six — Outstanding British Film, Best Direction, Best Original Music, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. While not scientifically accurate, the film has been praised for the realism of its situations and its adherence to physical principles.