Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #173 :: November 15•21

MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, Hollywood began to take advantage of the holidays by releasing some of its bigger motion pictures for awards consideration and to draw more people to cinemas for a brief respite from the holiday hubbub, while also focusing on Christmas-specific films in later decades that would hopefully be successful enough to run through the New Year. Also notable this week is that just about every film from 1923 still exists. 1933’s biggest film starred four brothers for the last time before they became three, while 1943 had two films feature two different comedy teams. 1953 had two true-life stories, one 3D adventure, a cat & mouse cartoon, and a colorful widescreen musical. 1963 has a Disney classic starring real-life animals, and 1973 gave us a comedic horror film, a classic sci-fi Western, and a film regarded as one of the best horror films of all time. 1983 gave us the first of our now classic holiday films, a 3D horror sequel, a film about a male exotic dancer who isn’t Magic Mike, a gender-bending musical, and a gender-bending horror film with a twist ending no one saw coming. 1993 gave us a sequel to a comedy film based on a classic, darkly coming TV series, and 2003 produced a psychological horror film and another based on a classic children’s story that offended just about everyone. 2013 had another holiday sequel, as well as a Christmas story featuring a British singer in her first film appearance. Check out this week’s list of film premieres and tell us if your favorites are celebrating!

1923

November 18 – Unseeing Eyes (USA, Goldwyn Pictures)
November 18 – Wild Bill Hickok (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 19 – The Acquittal (USA, Universal Pictures)
November 19 – The Dangerous Maid (USA, Associated First National Pictures)
November 20 – In Search of a Thrill (USA, Metro Pictures)

Part of Unseeing Eyes was filmed at the Gray Rocks Resort in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada. A print of The Acquittal is held in the Library of Congress archives in the Raymond Rohauer collection. A complete print of In Search of a Thrill is held by Gosfilmofond in Moscow.

Wild Bill Hickok was the first film to depict Wyatt Earp, although in a very brief role, and the only film made before he died in 1929 that included his character, and he was a technical adviser on the film. A print of the film is maintained in the Museum of Modern Art and Cinematheque Royale de Belgique film archives.

The Dangerous Maid was based upon the novel Barbara Winslow, Rebel by Elizabeth Ellis. A print of the film is preserved in the Library of Congress collection.

1933

Paramount Pictures

November 15 – The Wandering Jew (UK, Gaumont British Distributors)
November 16 – From Headquarters (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
November 17 – Blood Money (USA, United Artists)
November 17 – Christopher Bean (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
November 17 – Duck Soup (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 17 – The Right to Romance (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
November 18 – Before Midnight (USA, Columbia Pictures)
November 18 – Before Morning (USA, State Rights)
November 18 – Havana Widows (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
November 19 – Cradle Song (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 20 – Fargo Express (USA, Sono Art-World Wide Pictures)
November 20 – Man’s Castle (USA, Columbia Pictures)

The Wandering Jew was released in the US through Olympic Pictures on January 11, 1935. It is a remake of the 1923 silent film of the same name, based on a play of the same name by E. Temple Thurston.

Blood Money was considered lost for nearly 40 years until it was rediscovered. Christopher Bean was based on the 1932 play, The Late Christopher Bean, by Sidney Howard. It was Marie Dressler’s final film before her death in July 1934 from cancer.

Duck Soup was the final film appearance of Zeppo Marx as part of the Marx Brothers team. It was the last of five Marx Brothers films released by Paramount Pictures. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1990. The film was developed under the title Oo La La. The first draft of the screenplay was titled Firecrackers, then Cracked Ice, then the title was changed to Grasshoppers when filming was set to begin in February 1933. The brothers were involved in a bitter contract dispute with the studio which was settled in May 1933, pushing filming to July under the new title Duck Soup. The film’s director came up with the title which he had used previously for a Laurel & Hardy film, and it continued the ‘animal titles’ of the brothers’ three previous films.

The Right to Romance was one of the ‘lost RKO films’ that were owned by Merian C. Cooper and withheld from distribution until Turner Classic Movies acquired the rights in April 2007 and aired all six of the films on TCM. Previously, Cooper had only allowed the films to be shown on TV in New York City in 1955-1956.

Before Midnight was the first of four films to feature the character Inspector Steve Trent of the NYPD. Ralph Bellamy appeared in all four films as Trent. Before Morning was based on the 1933 Broadway play of the same name by Edward and Edna Riley. Havana Widows was the first of five movies starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell as a blonde bombshell comedy team. Cradle Song was based on the 1911 play of the same name by Gregorio Martínez Sierra.

Man’s Castle was reissued in 1938 to take advantage of Spencer Tracy’s much greater popularity but coming after the advent of the Production Code, the Hays Office demanded nine minutes of cuts to win approval, resulting in blatant jump cuts that remove dialogue, and a nude scene as Loretta Young (or her double) dives into the river. TCM now has the full 75-minute version of the film.

1943

November 15 – Here Comes Elmer (USA, Republic Pictures)
November 16 – Women in Bondage (USA, Monogram Pictures)
November 18 – Phony Express (USA, short, Columbia Pictures)
November 19 – Campus Rhythm (USA, Monogram Pictures)
November 19 – Never a Dull Moment (USA, Universal Pictures)
November 19 – The Dancing Masters (USA, 20th Century Fox)
November 20 – Boss of Rawhide (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
November 20 – Daffy – The Commando (USA, short, Warner Bros. Pictures)
November 20 – Overland Mail Robbery (USA, Republic Pictures)

Phony Express was the 75th of 190 Three Stooges short released by Columbia Pictures. Some plot and stock footage was recycled in 1951’s Merry Mavericks.

Laurel & Hardy’s The Dancing Masters features a small, uncredited role by a young Robert Mitchum.

1953

November 15 – Crazylegs (USA,Republic Pictures)
November 15 – Flight Nurse (USA, Republic Pictures)
November 15 – Vigilante Terror (USA, Allied Artists Pictures)
November 16 – Decameron Nights (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
November 16 – The Girl on the Pier (UK, Apex Film Distributors)
November 20 – Captain John Smith and Pocahontas (USA, United Artists)
November 20 – How to Marry a Millionaire (USA, 20th Century Fox)
November 21 – Flight to Tangier (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 21 – Life with Tom (USA, short, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

The Girl on the Pier has no known US theatrical release date.

Crazylegs was based on the football career of Elroy Hirsch, known for his unconventional running style that led the media to dub him ‘Crazylegs’, which stuck with him throughout his life. The film was Oscar nominated for Best Film Editing.

Flight Nurse is also known as Angels Take Over and Angels Over Korea. The film is based on the life of Lillian Kinkella Keil, one of the most decorated women in American military history, who also served as a technical adviser on the film.

Decameron Nights was based on three tales from The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, specifically the ninth and tenth tales of the second day and the ninth tale of the third.

Most of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas was filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, with some exteriors filmed around Bronson Canyon. The film is also known as Burning Arrows.

How to Marry a Millionaire was based on the plays The Greeks Had a Word for It (1930) by Zoe Akins and Loco (1946) by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. Betty Grable is top billed in the credits, but Marilyn Monroe received top billing in the advertising and trailer. It was Fox’s first film to be shot in the new process of CinemaScope, although it was released after The Robe which the studio felt was more family-friendly to introduce the new format. It was also the first color and CinemaScope film shown on television (though panned-and-scanned) on NBC’s Saturday Night at the Movies on September 23, 1961. The film’s score was one of the first to be recorded in stereophonic sound. The film spawned a Syndicated TV series that aired for two seasons from 1957-1959, starring Barbara Eden in the Betty Grable role. The film was remade in 2000 as a TV movie, How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale, that swapped the genders of the main characters.

Flight to Tangier was produced and released in 3D. Life with Tom is a Tom & Jerry cartoon short.

1963

November 15 – Girl in the Headlines (UK, Bryanston Distributing)
November 19 – The Victors (UK, Columbia Pictures Corporation)
November 20 – The Incredible Journey (USA, Buena Vista Distribution)
November 20 – Uncle Vanya (UK, Arthur Cantor Films)

Girl in the Headlines was released in the US as The Model Murder Case by Cinema V on November 24, 1964. The Victors was released in the US by Columbia Pictures on December 19, 1963. Uncle Vanya made its US premiere on television on February 10, 1967.

Girl in the Headlines was based on the 1961 novel The Nose on my Face by actor Laurence Payne. The Victors was adapted from a collection of short stories called The Human Kind by English author Alexander Baron, based upon his own wartime experiences. The British characters were changed to Americans in order to appeal to American audiences.

The Incredible Journey was based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Scottish writer Sheila Burnford. Burnford spent seven days on location with the film crew.

Uncle Vanya is a British film adaptation of the 1899 play by Anton Chekhov, a filmed version of the Chichester Festival Theatre production starring Laurence Olivier, who also co-directed the film.

1973

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

November 16 – Arnold (USA, Cinerama Releasing Corporation)
November 16 – Breezy (USA, Universal Pictures)
November 16 – Westworld (Canada, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
November 18 – Don’t Look Now (UK, British Lion Films)
November 21 – Hex (USA, 20th Century Fox)

Westworld opened in the US on November 21, 1973. Don’t Look Now opened in New York City through Paramount Pictures on December 9, 1973 before entering wide US release in January 1974.

Breezy was the third film directed by Clint Eastwood, the first in which he didn’t star. The film earned three Golden Globe nominations, including Most Promising Newcomer – Female for Kay Lenz. Star William Holden had not made a major film since 1969’s The Wild Bunch and was so happy to be approached he agreed to appear for no salary, accepting a percentage of the film’s profits. When the film earned no profits, the Screen Actors Guild notified Eastwood he’d have to pay Holden the union scale of $4,000. That role was intended for Eastwood, but he felt he was too young at the time to play the older man falling in love with a teenage girl. Holden conducted the screen tests with all ten actresses up for the role of Breezy, with Lenz winning the role due to her chemistry with Holden. Eastwood gave Lenz power over all of the nude scene required, and unless she approved them he would not include them in the film. Holden’s son Scott has a small role as a veterinarian, his last attempt at an acting career.

Westworld was Michael Crichton’s feature directorial debut, following one TV movie. It was the first feature film to use digital image processing to pixellate photography to simulate an android point of view. Every major studio but MGM turned the film down. MGM would only make the film for under $1 million, and Crichton had no control over casting. The studio did add $250,000 to the budget which was paid to the cast. $40,000 went to the crew, the rest was spent on the production, including $75,000 for sets. The film was shot in 30 days with a minimum of takes. It was one of the final films shot on the MGM backlot before it was sold and torn down for development. Yul Brynner’s Gunslinger character is based on his character from The Magnificent Seven, with their costumes nearly identical. He accepted the role for $75,000 because he needed the money. A slightly longer version of the film than was released theatrically or to home video aired on NBC on February 28, 1976. The film spawned a 1976 sequel, Futureworld, a 1980 TV series, a 1996 videogame, and the 2016 HBO series.

Don’t Look Now was adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier. It was Nicolas Roeg’s third feature as director. Real life couple Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood were originally suggested for the leads, but Roeg wanted Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie from the start. Renato Scarpa was cast as Inspector Longhi, but was unable to speak English and had no idea what he was saying.

Hex was filmed in 1971 and shelved for almost two years as the studio re-cut it into a more straightforward occult-themed horror film, removing the comic undertones. The film’s working title was Grassland. Photos show John Carradine, father of the film’s star Keith, apparently shooting a scene together but there is no footage of that in the final cut of the film.

1983

November 16 – À Nos Amours (France, Gaumont)
November 18 – A Christmas Story (USA/Canada, MGM/UA Entertainment Co.)
November 18 – A Night in Heaven (USA, 20th Century Fox)
November 18 – Amityville 3-D (USA, Orion Pictures)
November 18 – Savage Islands (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 18 – Sleepaway Camp (USA, United Film Distribution Company)
November 18 – The Being (USA, Best Film & Video)
November 18 – Yentl (USA, MGM/UA Entertainment Company)

À Nos Amours played US film festivals but had no theatrical release. The title translates to To Our Loves in English. It won the César Award for Best Film in 1984. The script was originally written in the 1970s for a three or four hour TV movie. Due to the small budget, the 1960s period setting was changed to the present.

A Christmas Story was based on Jean Shepherd’s semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, with some elements from his 1971 book Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters. Three of the original stories were published in Playboy between 1964 and 1966. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012. Director Bob Clark and Shepherd did not see eye to eye during production, with Clark resentful of Shepherd trying to guide the actors’ performances, to the point that Clark had Shepherd barred from the set. Location scouts had been unsuccessful finding a department store willing to appear in the film. Higbee’s vice president Bruce Campbell agreed to allow the store to be featured as long as he was allowed to edit the script for cursing. Higbee’s was used for three major scenes in the film. The film’s year is never mentioned but is believed to be the early 1940s based on various images in the film that are dated from the late 1930s to early 1940s.

A Night in Heaven was originally titled Ladies’ Night, and is best known for the Bryan Adams song ‘Heaven’. Nicolas Roeg was originally announced as director, but he was replaced by John G. Avildsen. The film’s title was changed to Heaven then released as A Night in Heaven.

Amityville 3-D is also known as Amityville III: The Demon. It was the only film from Orion Pictures released in 3D. Due to a lawsuit between the Lutz family and Dino De Laurentiis, the film was not promoted as a sequel to The Amityville Horror, and the Lutzes are never mentioned. The film used the same house in Tom’s River, NJ from the first two films that resembled the infamous house in Amityville, New York. Interiors were filmed at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico.

Savage Islands is known as Nate and Hayes in the US. The story was based on the adventures of real-life blackbirders Bully Hayes and Ben Pease.

Sleepaway Camp features Mike Kellin’s last screen appearance and Christopher Collet’s first. The film’s twist ending is considered one of the most shocking in the horror genre and in film history in general. The film had been storyboarded but after the first day of filming, it was already behind schedule. The storyboards were unusable and thrown out. A close look at the turning leaves on the trees at the summer camp belies the summer setting of the film. Unlike many of the films of the era in which adults played teenagers, Sleepaway Camp was primarily made up of adolescent actors.

The Being was Jackie Kong’s directorial debut. Producer Bill Osco is billed as Rexx Coltrane in the opening credits and Johnny Commander in the closing credits. Production began in 1980 under the title of Easter Sunday. Kong wooed Martin Landau by pretending to be an actor interested in his theater workshop and gave him a script. Impressed with her straightforwardness, he accepted the role.

Yentl was based on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short story ‘Yentl the Yeshiva Boy’. Streisand read the original story in 1968 and wanted to make the film her next after completing Funny Girl. Singer wrote a screenplay titled Masquerade, but backed out because he believed Streisand’s age and celebrity would detract from the story. Streisand tried again in 1973, but her partner and producer Jon Peters felt she was too old and feminine to play the part of a young woman masquerading as a boy. By 1976, Streisand herself believed she was too old for the role and decided to just direct. Studios did not want to make the film fearing novice director Streisand would not be able to handle a multi-million dollar film. In 1978, Streisand’s friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman suggested making the film a musical, hoping that a musical starring Streisand would be more attractive to the studios. Streisand turned down million for concerts in London and Las Vegas to pursue the film. Her age was no longer an issue after she disguised herself as a man and fooled Peters, thinking there was a stranger in their house. Peters was convinced she could play the role, signed a three-year deal with Orion Pictures, and the age of the character was changed from 16 to 26. Unfortunately, Heaven’s Gate lost $35 million for Orion and the studio cancelled all projects over $10 million. The film moved to Polygram Pictures, but a dispute between studio and producers cancelled the project again. With United Artists merging with MGM, Streisand’s former agent David Begelman, now one of the studio heads, greenlighted the film with a $14.5 million budget and production began in April 1982, concluding in October. Streisand needed ten weeks to dub the soundtrack and in the end the film went $1.5 million over budget which Streisand was contractually obligated to cover from her salary. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards — Supporting Actress (Amy Irving), Art Direction, Original Song Score and two Original Songs (‘Papa, Can You Hear Me?’ and ‘The Way He Makes Me Feel’) — winning for Original Song Score. It received six Golden Globe nominations, winning two for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Director, the first win in that catefory for a female director. On the flip side, it also scored three Razzie nominations for Worst Actor (Streisand), Worst Supporting Actress (Irving) and Worst Musical Score.

1993

November 19 – Addams Family Values (USA, Paramount Pictures)
November 19 – Man’s Best Friend (USA, New Line Cinema)

Addams Family Values was Raul Julia’s final film released during his lifetime (he appeared posthumously in 1994’s Street Fighter), although his castmates could tell he was seriously ill while filming. The film includes cameo appearances from director Barry Sonnenfeld, Julie Halston, Nathan Lane, David Hyde Pierce, Peter Graves, Sam McMurray, Harriet Sansom Harris, Ian Abercrombie, Tony Shalhoub and Cynthia Nixon. The song ‘Addams Groove/Family Thing’ by Michael Jackson was supposed to have been included in the film, but was removed due to a contractual dispute between Jackson and Paramount. The film received an Oscar nomination for Art Direction (losing to Schindler’s List), and Anjelica Houston received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. It also was a Razzie Award for Worst Original Song, Tag Team’s ‘Addams Family (Whoomp!)’.

2003

November 19 – 21 Grams (Mexico, United International Pictures)
November 21 – Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (UK, documentary, Channel 4 Films)
November 21 – Gothika (USA/Canada, Warner Bros. Pictures)
November 21 – The Cat in the Hat (USA/Canada, Universal Pictures)

21 Grams received a limited US release through Focus Features starting on November 21, 2003 before expanding on January 16, 2004. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer received a limited US release through Lantern Lane Entertainment on January 9, 2004.

21 Grams was the second part of writer Guillermo Arriaga’s and director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘Trilogy of Death’, preceded by Amores perros (2000) and followed by Babel (2006). As the story was presented in a non-linear fashion, various processes such as bleach bypass, different film stocks, and color casts were used to distinguish each character’s storyline. The film earned two Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Naomi Watts) and Supporting Actor (Benecio del Toro), and four BAFTA nominations.

Gothika was the fourth film from Dark Castle Entertainment and the first to feature a high profile cast (Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., Penélope Cruz), and the most expensive at $40 million. The film was shot in Montréal, Quebec. Filming was delayed for several weeks after Downey grabbed and twisted Berry’s arm in a tense scene, accidentally breaking it.

The Cat in the Hat was the second and last, to date, live action adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story. The film stars Mike Myers as the title character but Tim Allen had originally been cast and had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts with The Santa Clause 2. Myers was actually obligated to make the film as a result of a settlement related to the cancellation of a film based on his SNL sketch Sprockets. The film garnered universally negative reviews, and Audrey Geisel forbid any further live-action films based on the works of her late husband. All Dr. Seuss films since that time have been animated. An animated remake of the film was announced in 2018 but so far has not materialized (directors were announced in 2020). Rick Baker was to create the makeup for The Cat but left the project due to conflicts with the studio and production team, as well as Myers’ behavior (showing up late to meetings and refusing to appear on time for makeup tests). One of his earliest apprentices, Steve Johnson, took over. The Cat’s suit was fitted with a cooling system to keep Myers from overheating during filming. Prior to filming, giant props had been stolen from the set and found vandalized in a mall parking lot. Co-star Amy Hill said Myers was difficult to work with and would not speak to anyone on set aside from his assistants or the director. Myers did not know a piece of the house would fall behind him near the end of the film and his reaction to it, which was kept in the film, was real and unscripted. The film was nominated for ten Golden Raspberry Awards including two for Myers (Worst Actor and Worst Actor of the Decade) and Worst Picture, winning one for Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie.

2013

Universal Pictures

November 15 – Future My Love (UK, documentary, limited, Creative Scotland)
November 15 – Geography Club (USA, limited, Breaking Glass Pictures)
November 15 – Sunlight Jr. (USA, limited, Samuel Goldwyn Films)
November 15 – The Best Man Holiday (USA, Universal Pictures)
November 15 – The Christmas Candle (USA, EchoLight Studios)

Future My Love originally opened in Sweden on May 31, 2013, but had no known US theatrical release. Geography Club was based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Brent Hartinger. It won the Audience Award – Best Feature Film at L.A. Outfest. Sunlight Jr. was inspired by Barbara Ehrenreich’s non-fiction book Nickel and Dimed which investigates many of the difficulties low-wage workers face.

The Best Man Holiday is a sequel to The Best Man (1999), with the main cast reprising their roles. The film earned four NAACP Image Awards nominations including Outstanding Motion Picture. The film was followed by the limited Peacock TV series The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2021.

The Christmas Candle was based on Max Lucado’s novel of the same name. It features Susan Boyle in her feature film debut.

Share this post