Village Roadshow Pictures
As we make our way through the winter doldrums, February is beginning to heat things up at the box office with many memorable, and groundbreaking, films making their debuts this week across the decades. A 1925 silent broke new ground in the world of special effects, while a 1935 film had appearances from future stars and led to the marriage of its battling star and director. A 1945 American war film offended the Brits and got pulled from distribution in the UK. 1955 saw a future princess win an Oscar, while Esther Williams took her last dive at MGM. 1965 romanticized the life of a prominent religious figure, and 1975 took the week off. A 1985 teen film changed the way teen films were marketed, and another film brought a popular singer to the big screen for the first time. 1995 saw a classic TV series reverently parodied on the big screen, 2005 brought a popular graphic novel to life, and a 2015 film put a new spin on the secret agent genre. Scroll down to see the list of films that premiered this week and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.
1925
- February 15 – Bad Company (USA, St. Regis Pictures)
- February 15 – Flattery (USA, Mission Film Corporation)
- February 15 – If I Marry Again (USA, First National Pictures)
- February 15 – The Cloud Rider (USA, Van Pelt-Wilson Productions)
- February 15 – The Great Divide (USA, Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation)
- February 15 – The Mad Dancer (USA, Burton King Productions)
- February 15 – The Midnight Girl (USA, Chadwick Pictures Corporation)
- February 15 – The Re-Creation of Brian Kent (USA, Sol Lesser Productions)
- February 15 – The Salvation Hunters (USA, Academy Photoplays)
- February 16 – Contraband (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
- February 16 – The Girl of Gold (USA, Regal Pictures)
- February 16 – The Rag Man (USA, Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation)
- February 16 – The Swan (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
- February 17 – Coming Through (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
- February 17 – The Lost World (UK, First National Pictures)
- February 17 – Savages of the Sea (USA, Hercules Film Productions)
Lost films: Bad Company, Flattery, If I Marry Again, Coming Through
Status unknown: Savages of the Sea
A copy of The Cloud Rider is preserved in the Cineteca Italiana, Milan. Previously thought lost, a copy of The Great Divide was located in the Cinemateket-Svenska Filminstitutet in Stockholm. Prints of The Mad Dancer are held in the UCLA Film and Television Archive and George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection.
A print of The Midnight Girl survives. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the film was restored in 2K and released on DVD and Blu-ray. The Re-Creation of Brian Kent is preserved in the Library of Congress collection.
The Salvation Hunters marked the directorial debut of the 30-year old Josef von Sternberg. Contraband was the last film directed by Alan Crosland for Paramount Pictures. A copy of The Girl of Gold is preserved in a private collection and it has been released on DVD.
The Rag Man was the first Jackie Coogan movie made entirely under the MGM banner. The studio holds a print of the film. The Swan survives and is available on home video. The film was remade in 1930 as One Romantic Night, an early talkie for Lillian Gish, and as a 1956 Technicolor vehicle for Grace Kelly titled The Swan. Coming Through was A. Edward Sutherland’s dirctorial debut.
The Lost World is adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel of the same name. Doyle appeared in a frontispiece to the film, which has gone missing from some existing prints. The film features stop-motion effects by Willis O’Brien, a forerunner to his work on 1933’s King Kong. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1998. The is the first feature film made in the US, possible the world, to feature stop-motion aniimation as the primary special effect. For the live action scenes, an open sewer behind the MGM studio in Los Angeles was used as a river. Some home video versions of the film contain stills to fill in missing scenes. A 2K restoration from Flicker Alley used the original 35mm nitrate film, a safety print and various 16mm copies to reconstruct the film and restore about eight additional minutes of film for the Blu-ray release, which also included a new orchestral score by Robert Israel.
1935
- February 14 – The Fighting Pilot (USA, Reliable Pictures Corporation)
- February 15 – Carnival (USA, Columbia Pictures)
- February 15 – Gigolette (USA, Select Productions)
- February 15 – Law Beyond the Range (USA, Columbia Pictures)
- February 15 – One More Spring (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
- February 15 – Shadow of Doubt (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- February 15 – When a Man’s a Man (USA, Atherton Productions)
- February 16 – The Woman in Red (USA, First National Pictures)
- February 18 – The Good Fairy (USA, Universal Pictures)
A young Lucille Ball appears in a small, uncredited role as a nurse in Carnival. Parts of When a Man’s a Man were filmed in Zion National Park.
The Good Fairy is based on the 1930 play A jó tündér by Ferenc Molnár as translated and adapted by Jane Hinton, which was produced on Broadway in 1931. The screenplay differs significantly from the play, and was the basis for the book of the 1951 Broadway musical Make a Wish. Future film star Ann Miller makes her second film appearance. A nine-year-old Jane Withers makes her seventh film appearance. Director William Wyler and star Margaret Sullavan frequently clashed during production, but when it was brought to Wyler’s attention that Sullavan’s work was better on the days they didn’t fight, he went out of his way not to clash with her. The two then eloped in the middle of production, and the marriage lasted two years. It was the first film booked at Radio City Music Hall without having a preview first.
1945
- February 15 – Fog Island (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
- February 15 – Great Stagecoach Robbery (USA, Republic Pictures)
- February 16 – Gun Smoke (USA, Monogram Pictures)
- February 16 – The Cisco Kid Returns (USA, Monogram Pictures)
- February 16 – There Goes Kelly (USA, Monogram Pictures)
- February 17 – Objective, Burma! (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
- February 19 – A Song for Miss Julie (USA, Republic Pictures)
Great Stagecoach Robbery was the sixth of twenty-three ‘Red Ryder’ films from Republic. Gun Smoke was the fifteenth film in the ‘Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie’ series. The Cisco Kid Returns was the first of three ‘Cisco Kid’ films made in 1945 with Duncan Renaldo. There Goes Kelly is a remake of the 1940 film Up in the Air, and also acts as a sequel to the 1943 film Here Comes Kelly.
Objective, Burma! is loosely based on the six-month raid by Merrill’s Marauders in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War, with the film being produced immediately after the raid. The plot of the film is almost a carbon copy of 1940’s Northwest Passage. The film is notable for using authentic World War II American military material such as the aircraft and gliders. The movie also contains a large amount of actual combat footage filmed by U.S. Army Signal Corps cameramen in the China-Burma-India theatre as well as New Guinea. The film was withdrawn from release in the United Kingdom after it infuriated the British public, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill protested the Americanization of the huge and almost entirely British, Indian and Commonwealth conflict. The film earned three Academy Award nominations for Editing, Original Score and Best Story.
1955
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- February 13 – The Big Combo (USA, Security Pictures)
- February 14 – Out of the Clouds (UK, Michael Balcon Productions)
- February 14 – The Country Girl (Canada, Perlberg-Seaton Productions)
- February 16 – White Feather (USA, Panoramic Productions)
- February 18 – Jupiter’s Darling (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
- February 18 – Timberjack (USA, Republic Pictures)
Out of the Clouds was released in the US on July 31, 1957. The Country Girl was released in the US on May 17, 1955.
The Big Combo features Helen Walker’s final screen appearance. The film’s original title was The Hoodlum. Star Cornel Wilde’s production company co-produced the film, and Wilde had the title changed to The Big Combination, while his wife Jean Wallace — who also appeared in the film — suggested The Big Combo. Jack Palance was originally cast to co-star, but he dropped out after claiming he wanted a week off after completing his first film, The Silver Chalice. Some sources claimed he dropped out because he was unhappy his wife was not cast as the second female lead. Richard Conte replaced him, causing the start of production on Cry Vengeance to be pushed back.
Out of the Clouds used one of the largest sets ever constructed at Ealing Studios to create the terminal of London Airport (now Heathrow), while some of the production was shot on location. An exact replica set of the visual control room (air traffic control tower cab) was also built, as filming at the actual location was impractical.
The Country Girl was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with George Seaton winning for Best Screenplay, and Grace Kelly winning Best Actress. Seaton was also nominated for directing, Bing Crosby was nominated for Best Actor and the film was up for Best Picture.
While White Feather is based on fact, the particulars of the plot and the characters of the story are fictional. The film was based on the magazine story My Great Aunt Appearing Day by John Prebble. It was the last of Panoramic Productions’ ten-picture deal with 20th Century Fox. Rita Moreno was among the original cast, but was ultimately replaced with Debra Paget. Terry Moore and Dale Robertsone were also announced, but did not appear in the film. It was the first Hollywood film shot in Durango, Mexico. Producer Leonard Goldstein died unexpectedly early into the shoot.
Jupiter’s Darling was based on Robert E. Sherwood’s anti-war comedy play The Road to Rome (1927). It was the last of three films Esther Williams and Howard Keel made together. The film was a flop and was the last movie Williams made for MGM. The film was originally considered as a star vehicle for Clark Gable. The film was an adaptation of the 1927 play Road to Rome, but Keel said the title was changed so people didn’t think it was a ‘Road’ picture. He suggested Hannibal’s Darling, which led to Jupiter’s Darling. Williams ruptured her left eardrum while filming, which had been ruptured in five other films. She was fitted with a prosthesis made from latex that covered her nose and ears that prevented water from rushing in, causing difficulty in breathing and hearing while wearing it, and her diving had to be limited.
Though not technically a musical, Timberjack has such a high number of musical selections, including one by Hoagy Carmichael, that it is nearly a musical in format. The movie was filmed on location in Glacier National Park and Western Montana using Trucolor film technology.
1965
- February 15 – The Greatest Story Ever Told (USA, George Stevens Productions)
- February 16 – Lord Jim (UK, Keep Films)
- February 19 – Ferry Cross the Mersey (USA, Subafilms)
Lord Jim was released in the US on February 25, 1965. Ferry Cross the Mersey first opened in the UK on December 13, 1964.
The Greatest Story Ever Told features the final film performances of Claude Rains and Joseph Schildkraut. Director George Stevens wanted an actor unknown to international audiences, free of secular and unseemly associations in the mind of the public for the role of Jesus, and cast Max von Sydow, who had never appeared in an American film at that point, known primarily for his work with Ingmar Bergman. Elizabeth Taylor was originally considered for Mary Magdalene, but the role went to Joanna Dunham. Telly Savalas was cast as Pontius Pilate, and Stevens asked him to shave his head for the role. Savalas did and continued to do so for the rest of his career. After scouting locations in Europe and the Middle East, Stevens opted to film in the US as many of the historic locations had been worn down over time. His vision was a more romanticized account of the life of Jesus and he felt US locations were better options. 47 sets were created to depict Jerusalem at the Desilu Culver Studios. Cinematographer William C. Mellor died of a heart attack during production in June 1963. He was replaced with Loyal Griggs, who had worked with Stevens on Shane. Due to Stevens’ lengthy camera set-up process, filming was stretching beyond its 20 week schedule, so after a meeting with the execs at United Artists Stevens agreed to allow other directors, including Jean Negulesco, to helm some scenes to get the production completed. At the end, Stevens had shot more than six million feet of Ultra Panavision 70 film, with the production budget close to $20 million, which is the equivalent to more than $206 million today, making it the most expensive movie produced at that time.
Lord Jim was the second film adaptation of the 1900 novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad, the first being a 1925 silent directed by Victor Fleming. The film earned two BAFTA nominations for art direction and cinematography.
Ferry Cross the Mersey has been referred to as Gerry and the Pacemakers’ version of A Hard Day’s Night. Since its release, the film was rarely been shown on television and has not been released to the home video market.
1975
- No new films were released this week in 1975.
1985
A&M Films
- February 15 – Fast Forward (USA, Verdon-Cedric Productions)
- February 15 – The Breakfast Club (USA, A&M Films)
- February 15 – The Mean Season (USA, David Foster Productions)
- February 15 – Turk 182 (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
- February 15 – Vision Quest (USA, The Guber-Peters Company)
The Breakfast Club was filmed entirely at Maine North High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, which was also used as interiors for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off which was shot concurrently, sharing the films’ crews. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2016. The film’s original title was The Lunch Bunch. John Hughes wrote the script at about the same time as Sixteen Candles, which he completed in days, impressing the studio which selected that as his directorial debut. Anthony Michael Hall’s real-life mother and sister played those same characters in the film. Molly Ringwald was asked to play Allison, but she really wanted to play Claire (named Cathy in the first draft of the script) and finally convinced Hughes to give her the part. Ally Sheedy got the role of Allison. Emilio Estevez was originally cast as John Bender, but Hughes was unable to find someone to play Andrew Clark, so Estevez was recast. Bender was the last role to be cast with Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and Judd Nelson in the running, while Alan Ruck also auditioned. Hughes cast Cusack but then decided to go with Nelson right before shooting began because Cusack did not look intimidating enough. Hughes, though, was disappointed with Nelson who stayed in character and harassed Ringwald off-camera, and the other cast members had to convince Hughes not to fire him. Rick Moranis was cast as the janitor but was let go because his over-the-top Russian caricature didn’t suit the serious nature of the film. He was replaced with John Kapelos. Investors didn’t want Hughes to direct, but he assured them with a small budget and a one-room set he would be able to minimize any risk. The school’s library was too small for filming so a nearly identical, larger version was built in the gymnasium. The actors rehearsed for three weeks and the film was shot in sequence. The film’s iconic poster image was shot by Annie Leibovitz, and influenced how teen films were marketed from that point on.
The Mean Season is based on the 1982 novel In the Heat of the Summer by John Katzenbach. The screenplay was written by Christopher Crowe under the pseudonym Leon Piedmont. Turk 182 was among the first batch of movies to receive a PG-13 rating. The film was originally announced in 1980 by Dyan Cannon, who planned to direct and star in the film. Vision Quest was released in the UK and Australia as Crazy for You. The film includes the first major motion picture appearance by Madonna, who plays a singer at a local bar, where she performs the songs ‘Crazy for You’ and ‘Gambler’.
1995
- February 17 – Heavyweights (USA, Caravan Pictures)
- February 17 – Just Cause (USA, Fountainbridge Films)
- February 17 – Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie (USA,short, Interfilm Technologies)
- February 17 – Priest (Italy, BBC Film)
- February 17 – The Brady Bunch Movie (USA, Sherwood Schwartz Productions)
Priest was released in the US on March 24, 1995.
Sean Connery turned down the role of King Edward I in Braveheart to star in Just Cause. Director Arne Glimcher was close friends with Connery and took the job so the two could work together.
Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie comprises slightly over two hours of footage, approximately 20 minutes of which is seen in each viewing. It requires the audience to vote for various directions the story will take, using a joystick attached to the armrests of their seats. A special LaserDisc-based machine in the projection booth was designed to make instantaneous edits as the story unfolded.
The Brady Bunch Movie featured cameos from some of the original TV series stars — Florence Henderson (as her original character’s mother), Ann B. Davis (with the name of her other classic TV character Schultzy), Barry Williams, and Christopher Knight — as well as Monkees members Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork as themselves. Paramount initially offered the directing job to Paul Reubens, who turned it down. Producer Alan Ladd Jr. hoped the film would launch a long-running franchise. The exterior of the original house used for the series had been altered significantly since 1969, so a facade was erected around another house in Encino for scenes filmed in the front yard. The movie was followed by A Very Brady Sequel in 1996 and TV movie The Brady Bunch in the White House in 2002.
2005
- February 18 – Because of Winn-Dixie (USA, Walden Media)
- February 18 – Constantine (USA, Village Roadshow Pictures)
- February 18 – Son of the Mask (USA, Radar Pictures)
AnnaSophia Robb was brought in early during pre-production on Because of Winn-Dixie to make sure the dogs in the film got along with her. She spent time with them giving them treats and by the time shooting started they considered her a ‘safe’ area. The dog of the title, Winn-Dixie, was played by four Picardy Shepherds, a rare breed from France. The film’s mouse was played by a rat because rats are more easy to train than mice.
Constantine marked the directorial debut of Francis Lawrence. The film is loosely based on DC/Vertigo Comics graphic novels, Hellblazer. The title was changed to Constantine to avoid confusion with the first Hellraiser film, released a year earlier. Michelle Monaghan filmed several scenes as half-breed demon Ellie, but her role was reduced to two brief shots and one line of dialogue. The character was cut to make Constantine a more lonely character.
Son of the Mask is a sequel to The Mask (1994), without star Jim Carrey. Ben Stein makes a cameo appearance as Doctor Arthur Neuman from the first film. Carrey was originally announced for a sequel after the release of the first film, to be titled The Mask II. Carrey was offered $10 million but turned it down after his experience making the ‘Ace Ventura’ sequel offered him no opportunity to challenge himself as an actor playing the same role again. Jack Black and Ryan Reynolds were offered the lead role in Son of the Mask but turned it down. Jamie Kennedy was eventually cast, although he nearly turned down the role due to conflicts with his The WB series, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, but the network and studios were able to work out a schedule so he could do the film. He nearly withdrew again because of limited time playing The Mask, and instead wanted the role of Loki, but a chance encounter with Carrey convinced him to take the role. The original cut of the film ran nearly two hours, but studio execs did not think it was funny after a screening and ordered 38-minutes cut, which Kennedy referred to as an ‘ADHD clusterfuck’. The released film earned eight Razzie nominations, winning for Worst Prequel or Sequel.
2015
Marv Films
- February 13 – Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (USA, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks)
- February 13 – Kingsman: The Secret Service (USA, Marv Films)
- February 13 – The Last Five Years (USA/Canada, limited, Lucky Monkey Pictures)
- February 13 – Wyrmwood (USA/AUS, Guerilla Films)
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus premiered on the internet in the US on January 13, 2015 before its theatrical release. Kingsman: The Secret Service first opened in the UK on January 29, 2015. The Last Five Years first opened in Australia on February 12, 2015.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a remake of 1973’s Ganja & Hess. It was the first Spike Lee film to be funded through Kickstarter. Director Steven Soderbergh contributed $10,000. The goal was $1.25 million, and the campaign raised $1.4 million.
In order to have the time to make Kingsman: The Secret Service the way he wanted, director Matthew Vaughn had to opt out of directing X-Men: Days of Future Past. Samuel L. Jackson took the role of the villain because his dream was to be in a Bond movie and he figured this was as close as he’d ever get.
The Last Five Years is based on Jason Robert Brown’s musical of the same name. The show only had two characters, Cathy and Jamie, while the film adds peripheral characters. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan play the lead roles in the film. Sherie Rene Scott and Betsy Wolfe, who played Cathy in the original Off-Broadway production and the revival, respectively, have small roles in the film. Jordan’s wife, Ashley Spencer, also has a small role in the film.
Wyrmwood, also known as Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, is the directorial debut of Kiah Roache-Turner.