Columbia Pictures
It was a pretty decent showing for new movies making their premieres this week with several that received attention from the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, as well as a few finding their way into the film vault at the Library of Congress. Notable this week is the film that gave Jean Harlow her famous nickname, an early animated project from Walt Disney, the first musical in 3D, a big screen adaptation of a classic TV sitcom, a remake of a gritty horror classic, and a sequel to a movie based on a fake trailer. The standout year this week is 1973 which saw three classic films released, two of which featured first-time pairings that have become iconic. Check out the list below to see which films are celebrating and get some interesting facts about them, and tell us if any of your favorites are here.
1923
- October 14 – Big Dan (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
- October 14 – The Exiles (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
- October 14 – The Grail (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
- October 14 – The Ramblin’ Kid (USA, Universal Pictures)
- October 15 – Richard the Lion-Hearted (USA, Associated Authors)
- October 15 – The Eagle’s Feather (USA, Metro Pictures)
- October 15 – Thundergate (USA, Associated First National Pictures)
- October 16 – Alice’s Wonderland (USA, Laugh-O-Gram Studio)
A complete print of Big Dan is held in the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The Exiles is based on the 1894 novel The Exiles by Richard Harding Davis. It is considered a lost film.
The Ramblin’ Kid was based on the novel of the same name by Earl Wayland Bowman. It was remade as a talkie in 1929 titled The Long Long Trail.
Richard the Lion-Hearted is a sequel to 1922’s Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks. The film was based on the 1825 Sir Walter Scott novel The Talisman. A print is held at the Archives du Film du CNC in Bois d’Arcy.
The Grail is a lost film. A copy of The Eagle’s Feather is held in the Gosfilmofond Archive. A print of Thundergate is held by the Archives Du Film Du CNC in Bois d’Arcy.
Alice’s Wonderland was the first of Walt Disney’s ‘Alice Comedies’. Its working title was Alice in Slumberland. It was not released theatrically, but shown to prospective film distributors.
1933
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- October 13 – Bombshell (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- October 13 – Tillie and Gus (USA, Paramount Pictures)
- October 14 – Up for the Derby (AUS, Woolf & Freedman Film Service)
- October 16 – Channel Crossing (UK, Woolf & Freedman Film Service)
Bombshell was based on the unproduced play of the same name by Caroline Francke and Mack Crane, which satirizes the stardom of Clara Bow. The success of the film gave star Jean Harlow the nickname ‘Blonde Bombshell’. The film’s nightclub scene was filmed at the Coconut Grove in mid-town Los Angeles.
Tillie and Gus was based on a short story by Rupert Hughes entitled Don’t Call Me Madame.
Up for the Derby has no known US theatrical release date. Channel Crossing opened in the US on May 24, 1934.
1943
- October 11 – Hostages (USA, Paramount Pictures)
- October 15 – A Scream in the Dark (USA, Republic Pictures)
- October 15 – Outlaws of Stampede Pass (USA, Monogram Pictures)
- October 15 – Paris After Dark (USA, 20th Century Fox)
- October 17 – The Underdog (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
Hostages was based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Stefan Heym. A Scream in the Dark was based on the book The Morgue is Always Open.
Outlaws of Stampede Pass is the fourth film in the ‘Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie’ series.
1953
- October 11 – Hot News (USA, Allied Artists)
- October 12 – The Saint’s Return (UK, Exclusive Films)
- October 13 – Main Street to Broadway (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- October 14 – The Big Heat (USA, Columbia Pictures)
- October 15 – The Intruder (UK, British Lion Films)
- October 15 – The Seafarers (USA, short, Seafarers International Union)
- October 16 – Appointment in Honduras (USA, RKO)
- October 16 – Those Redheads from Seattle (USA, Paramount Pictures)
The Saint’s Return opened in the US on April 15, 1954 as The Saint’s Girl Friday. Star Louis Hayward was the first actor to play Simon Templar in 1938’s The Saint in New York, and this was his last appearance in the role. The story is not based on any of the Saint novels by Leslie Charteris, although Charteris had a percentage participation in the film. The film’s original title was The Saint’s Queen.
Main Street to Broadway featured radio-TV humorist Herb Shriner in a rare acting role as a hardware store owner. Tallulah Bankhead appears in a scene parodying herself. This was Lionel Barrymore’s last film. Other Broadway stars making appearances include includes Ethel Barrymore, Shirley Booth, Louis Calhern, Faye Emerson, Rex Harrison, Helen Hayes, Mary Martin, Lilli Palmer, John Van Druten and Cornel Wilde.
William P. McGivern’s serial in The Saturday Evening Post, which was published as a novel in 1953, was the basis for The Big Heat. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011.
The Intruder opened in the US on January 25, 1955. It was based on the 1949 novel by Robin Maugham called The Line on Ginger. The Seafarers was Stanley Kubrick’s fourth film, and third short documentary. It was also his first film in color. The film was forgotten until 1973 when it was rediscovered. A 16mm print was deposited in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress’ Motion Picture Division.
Those Redheads from Seattle was the first 3D musical, released a month before Kiss Me, Kate which is often billed as the first. The film was originally titled The Sisters from Seattle. It was Teresa Brewer’s first film, and she had to dye her hair red to match star Rhonda Fleming’s.
1963
- October 16 – Peau de banane (France, Variety Distribution)
- October 17 – All the Way Home (USA, Paramount Pictures)
Peau de banane opened in the US on January 18, 1965 as Banana Peel. The film’s costumes were by Pierre Cardin.
All the Way Home was based on the 1957 James Agee novel A Death in the Family and the 1960 Tad Mosel play All the Way Home.
1973
- October 14 – Mean Streets (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
- October 16 – The Paper Chase (USA, 20th Century Fox)
- October 17 – The Way We Were (USA/Canada, Columbia Pictures)
Mean Streets marks the first collaboration between director Martin Scorses and actor Robert De Niro. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1997. Scorsese’s original screenplay was titled Season of the Witch. Roger Corman had agreed to finance the film if all of the characters were Black. Jonathan Taplin, road manager for The Band, agreed to fund the film if Corman agreed to distribute, but after Warner Bros. stepped in to finance the film, the blaxploitation angle was dropped and Scorsese was allowed to make the film with Italian-American characters as the story was based on his own experiences in New York City.
The Paper Chase was based on John Jay Osborn Jr.’s 1971 novel of the same name. John Houseman earned an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and later reprised the role of Professor Charles Kingsfield in a 1978 TV series adaptation that aired for four seasons. The film also earned Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.
The Way We Were was based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Arthur Laurents, who also adapted the screenplay, although the screenplay was rewritten with contributions from various authors to the point of becoming a garbled mess, and Laurents demanded his name be removed from the screenplay. He agreed to return for an exorbitant amount of money to fix the screenplay. Laurents was still horrified by the first rough cut of the film which he felt was badly photographed, lacked coherence, and felt stars Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford were playing themselves. Director Sydney Pollack took responsibility and admitted the film was not good and did his best to make it better in the editing room. Laurents felt the changes helped but it was never as good as it could have been. Despite the problems, it was the fifth highest-grossing film of the year, earning six Oscar and two Golden Globe nominations, winning two Oscars for Marvin Hamlisch’s score and the Best Original Song ‘The Way We Were’. The song also won the Golden Globe, and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. The original score was also a Grammy Winner.
1983
- October 11 – El Norte (UK, Mainline Pictures)
- October 11 – Boh ngau (Hong Kong, Golden Harvest)
- October 14 – Streamers (USA, United Artists Classics)
El Norte opened in New York City on January 11, 1984, and entered general US release on January 27. It was the first Latin American independent film to be Oscar nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1995. Director-Writer Gregory Nava and co-writer Anna Thomas spent two years raising money for the film themselves to avoid interference from major Hollywood studios. PBS’ American Playhouse provided half the funding, with the other half coming from pre-sales overseas including Channel 4 in the UK. Production began in Mexico but was forced out of the country after a regime change, having to re-create a Mexican village in California.
Boh ngau is known in English as The Champions.
Streamers was adapted by David Rabe from his play of the same name. Director Robert Altman financed the film himself so he could cast an ensemble of experienced but relatively unknown actors instead of bankable stars demanded by a studio.
1993
20th Century Fox
- October 13 – Dangerous Game (France, Les Films Number One)
- October 14 – The Nostradamus Kid (AUS, Beyond)
- October 15 – Judgment Night (USA, Universal Pictures)
- October 15 – Mr. Wonderful (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
- October 15 – Ruby in Paradise (Spain, Alta Films)
- October 15 – The Beverly Hillbillies (USA, 20th Century Fox)
Dangerous Game opened in the US on November 19, 1993. The original title was Snake Eyes. The original title for Judgment Night was Escape.
Outside of a screening at the Chicago International Film Festival, The Nostradamus Kid has no known US release date. The film’s original run time was 148 minutes which the director cut to 122 minutes, and then trimmed it to 120 minutes but he felt losing those two minutes hurt the film.
Ruby in Paradise opened in New York City on October 8, 1993, followed by a general US release on November 5. The film was nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards, with Ashley Judd winning for Best Female Lead.
The Beverly Hillbillies was based on the 1962-1971 TV series of the same name, and featured a cameo by Buddy Ebsen, TV’s Jed Clampett, as his other notable TV character Barnaby Jones. It was Ebsen’s final film appearance. Dolly Parton and Zsa Zsa Gabor have cameos as themselves.
2003
- October 15 – Mystic River (USA/Canada/France, Warner Bros. Pictures)
- October 16 – Baltic Storm (Germany/Austria, Buena Vista International)
- October 17 – Bollywood Queen (UK, Redbus Film Distribution)
- October 17 – Runaway Jury (USA/Canada, 20th Century Fox)
- October 17 – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (USA/Canada, New Line Cinema)
Mystic River was based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. It is the first film in which director Clint Eastwood is also credited as the composer of the film’s score. It was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, with Sean Penn winning Best Actor, and Tim Robbins winning Best Supporting Actor, the first time one film won both awards since 1959’s Ben-Hur (it happened again 10 years later with Dallas Buyers Club). The film was shot on location in Boston.
Baltic Storm premiered on DVD in the US on December 27, 2005. Based on the book Die Estonia: Tragödie eines Schiffsuntergangs by German journalist Jutta Rabe.
Bollywood Queen has no known US release outside of a Sundance Film Festival screening. It is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.
Runaway Jury was based on John Grisham’s The Runaway Jury. Warner Bros. bought the rights to the novel in 1996. The story’s plot that focused on the tobacco industry was changed to gun companies after the release of 1999’s The Insider.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a remake of the 1974 film, was Marcus Nispel’s feature directorial debut. Several crew members from the original film were involved in the production of the remake, including original Director of Photography Daniel Pearl. John Larroquette, the narrator of the original film, also returned to narrate the remake. It was the first film produced by Platinum Dunes, which went on to remake other 20th century horror films.
2013
Open Road Films
- October 11 – Captain Phillips (USA, Sony Pictures Releasing)
- October 11 – Machete Kills (USA, Open Road Films)
- October 11 – Romeo & Juliet (UK/US/Canada, Entertainment Film Distributors/Relativity Media/D Films)
- October 11 – The Fifth Estate (UK, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
- October 12 – Wo xiang he ni hao hao de (China, Le Vision Pictures)
- October 14 – The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill (UK, Second Sight Films)
Captain Phillips was based on Richard Phillips’ 2010 book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, detailing his experiences during the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking. The film received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture. The film also received four Golden Globe nominations, and nine BAFTA nominations, winning the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abd. Filming took place off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine weeks were spent filming aboard Alexander Maersk, a container ship identical to Maersk Alabama.
Machete Kills is a sequel to 2010’s Machete. Charlie Sheen appears in the film credited under his birth name Carlos Estévez. Jessica Alba reprises her role from the first film in an uncredited cameo. The film was shot in 29 days.
Romeo & Juliet was based on Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, retaining the setting of Renaissance Verona but only retaining some of Shakespeare’s original dialogue, leading to criticism that the essence of the original work was lost.
The Fifth Estate opened in the US and Canada on October 18, 2013. The film is based in-part on Daniel Domscheit-Berg’s book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website (2011), as well as WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy (2011) by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. Jeremy Renner was originally in talks to play Assange before Benedict Cumberbatch was cast. James McAvoy was cast as Domscheit-Berg, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, replaced by Daniel Brühl. The film’s title was originally reported as The Man Who Sold the World. The film’s title sequence, which depicts the history of news communication, took over a year to create.
Wo xiang he ni hao hao de has no known US theatrical release. The film is known in English as Love Will Tear Us Apart. The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill also has no known US theatrical release.
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