Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #185 :: February 7•13

Warner Bros. Pictures

It was another big week for new movie releases, and there were a few that have become favorites over the years. Several of the 1924 films still survive today, while 1934 had two films about two women’s rise to power. 1944 produced what many consider to be the greatest ghost story of all time, while 1954 gave us a creature feature that leapt off the screen. 1964 produced one cult movie with an improbably long title, as well as a film that served as the inspiration for a classic sitcom a year later, with the female lead appearing in both but in very different roles. 1974 gave us one of the greatest comedy films of all time, 1984 had an exploitation film that has developed a devoted cult following, a 2004 film reteamed Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore following their 1998 hit, and a 2014 film brought a popular toy to vivid life. Scroll down to see the list of this week’s movie premieres and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating a milestone anniversary.

1924

• February 9 – Daddies (USA, limited, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 10 – Gambling Wives (USA, Arrow Film Corporation)
• February 10 – Love Letters (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• February 10 – My Man (USA, Vitagraph Company of America)
• February 10 – The Eagle’s Claw (USA, Aywon Film Corporation)
• February 10 – The Yankee Consul (USA, Associated Exhibitors)
• February 10 – Three Miles Out (USA, Associated Exhibitors)
• February 10 – Three Weeks (USA, Goldwyn Pictures)
• February 10 – Week End Husbands (USA, Equity Pictures)
• February 10 – Why Get Married? (USA, Regal Films)
• February 11 – The Uninvited Guest (USA, Metro Pictures)
• February 11 – Torment (USA, Associated First National)
• February 11 – Young Lochinvar (UK, Stoll Picture Productions)

Daddies survives today in 16mm form. Gambling Wives, My Man, Week End Husbands, Torment are considered lost films. The preservation status of Love Letters, Why Get Married? and Young Lochinvar are unknown. The Eagle’s Claw survives and has been released on DVD. A print of The Yankee Consul is held by Getty Images. Prints of Three Miles Out, Three Weeks and The Uninvited Guest are held in the Gosfilmofond archive in Moscow. Young Lochinvar has no known US theatrical release date.

1934

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

• February 8 – Devil Tiger (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• February 9 – Queen Christina (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• February 9 – Rip Van Winkle (USA, short, Educational Film Exchanges)
• February 9 – Six of a Kind (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 9 – The Rise of Catherine the Great (USA, United Artists)
• February 10 – Madame Spy (USA, Universal Pictures)
• February 10 – Mandalay (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)

1944

• February 7 – Bell-Bottom George (UK, Columbia Pictures Corporation)
• February 7 – Rhumboogie (USA, short, Soundies Distributing Corporation of America)
• February 8 – Cowboy Canteen (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• February 8 – Texas Masquerade (USA, United Artists)
• February 10 – Lady in the Dark (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 10 – Outlaw Roundup (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
• February 10 – Song of Russia (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• February 10 – The Ghost That Walks Alone (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• February 10 – The Impostor (USA, Universal Pictures)
• February 10 – The Uninvited (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 11 – In Our Time (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 11 – The Bridge of San Luis Rey (USA, United Artists)
• February 12 – Men on Her Mind (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
• February 12 – Tom Turk and Daffy (USA, short, Warner Bros. Pictures)

Bell-Bottom George has no known US theatrical release date.

1954

Universal-International

• February 7 – Highway Dragnet (USA, Allied Artists Pictures)
• February 8 – Beachhead (USA, United Artists)
• February 8 – The French Line (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• February 9 – Duffy of San Quentin (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 9 – Red Garters (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 9 – You Know What Sailors Are (UK, General Film Distributors)
• February 10 – Dragon’s Gold (USA, United Artists)
• February 10 – Phantom Stallion (USA, Republic Pictures)
• February 10 – Ride Clear of Diablo (USA, Universal Pictures)
• February 10 – The Glenn Miller Story (USA, Universal-International)
• February 12 – Creature from the Black Lagoon (USA, Universal-International)
• February 12 – Jivaro (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 12 – The Far Country (USA, Universal Pictures)
• February 13 – Feline Frame-Up (USA, short, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 13 – The Command (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)

You Know What Sailors Are was released in the US on November 4, 1954 through United Artists.

1964

• February 8 – A Message to Gracias (USA, short, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 10 – The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (USA, Fairway International Pictures)
• February 11 – Father Came Too! (UK, J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors)
• February 12 – Seven Days in May (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• February 13 – The Brass Bottle (USA, Universal Pictures)

Father Came Too! has no known US theatrical release date.

1974

• February 7 – Blazing Saddles (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 7 – Nurses Report (USA, Hemisphere Pictures)
• February 8 – Crazy Joe (Italy, Cineriz)
• February 8 – The Lion Has Seven Heads (USA, New Yorker Films)
• February 8 – Policewomen (USA, Crown International Pictures)
• February 9 – Hatchet for the Honeymoon (USA, G.G. Communications Inc.)
• February 11 – Thieves Like Us (USA, United Artists)
• February 13 – Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (USA, American International Pictures)

Crazy Joe was released in the US on February 15, 1974 through Columbia Pictures. The Lion Has Seven Heads was a French-Italian-Brazilian co-production originally titled Der Leone Have Sept Cabeças which first played in France in 1971. Hatchet for the Honeymoon was originally released in Italy as Il rosso segno della follia (The red sign of madness) on June 2, 1970 through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

1984

• February 10 – The Black Cat (USA, World Northal)
• February 10 – The Last Hunter (USA, World Northal)
• February 10 – Unfaithfully Yours (USA, 20th Century Fox)
• February 11 – Angel (USA, New World Pictures)
• February 13 – Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (USA, Howco International Pictures)

The Black Cat was originally released in Italy as Gatto nero on April 4, 1981 through Distribuzione Lanciamento Film. The Last Hunter was originally released in Italy as L’ultimo cacciatore on August 9, 1980 through Flora Film. David Warbeck appeared in both films.

1994

• February 10 – Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (USA, Miramax)
• February 11 – Blank Check (USA, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)
• February 11 – Germinal (Sweden, AMLF)
• February 11 – My Girl 2 (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• February 11 – The Getaway (USA, Universal Pictures)
• February 11 – Twogether (USA, Borde Releasing)
• February 12 – Exile (AUS, Beyond International)

Germinal originally opened in France on September 29, 1993 through AMLF, and received a limited US release on December 17, 1993 through Sony Pictures Classics. Exile has no known US theatrical release date.

2004

Sony Pictures Releasing

• February 7 – The Big Swell (USA, documentary, FilmWorks Entertainment)
• February 10 – Killer Weekend (USA, Artisan Entertainment)
• February 11 – Blueberry : L’expérience secrète (France, UGC-Fox Distribution)
• February 12 – Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken (Germany, X Verleih AG)
• February 13 – 50 First Dates (USA, Sony Pictures Releasing)
• February 13 – Highwaymen (USA, limited, New Line Cinema)
• February 13 – I — Proud to Be an Indian (UK, Sohail Khan Productions)
• February 13 – The Adventures of Ociee Nash (USA, Flying Zebra Films Inc.)
• February 13 – The Code (USA, Electric Movies)

Blueberry : L’expérience secrète was released to home video in the US as Renegade on November 2, 2004. Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken (What good is love in thoughts?) played several film festivals in the US as Love in Thoughts but did not receive a theatrical release. I — Proud to Be an Indian has no known US theatrical release date. The Adventures of Ociee Nash originally opened in the UK on May 3, 2002.

2014

• February 7 – A Field in England (USA, Drafthouse Films)
• February 7 – After the Dark (USA, limited, Phase 4 Films)
• February 7 – Nurse 3-D (USA, limited, Lions Gate Films)
• February 7 – Someone Marry Barry (USA, limited, FilmBuff)
• February 7 – The LEGO Movie (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• February 7 – The Patrol (UK, Soda Pictures)
• February 7 – Vampire Academy (USA, The Weinstein Company)
• February 12 – Død snø 2 (Norway, Film1)
• February 12 – RoboCop (USA, Sony Pictures Releasing)
• February 13 – Romeo and Juliet (USA, limited, Broadway HD)

A Field in England first opened in the UK on July 5, 2013 through Picturehouse Entertainment. After the Dark first opened in Russia on October 10, 2013 through Bazelevs Production. Nurse 3-D originally opened in Russia on October 24, 2013 through Cascade Film. The Patrol received a home video release in the US on May 20, 2014. Død snø 2 was released in the US as Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead via the internet on October 7, 2014.