Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #249 :: May 1•7

Marvel Studios

In the later part of the last century, the first weekend of May became the designated start of the Summer movie season, and 2015 put that on full display with a new entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2005 also went big with an historical epic and a classic horror movie remake. Things cooled down moving backwards with a 1995 rom-com, a 1985 action drama that gave its star a new career path, a 1975 movie took a scathing look at Hollywood, a 1965 romance starred a popular TV star at the time, a 1955 musical endured some off-screen tragedy, a 1944 cartoon short introduced a now familiar character, a 1935 film proved gangsters weren’t glorified in Hollywood, and the premiere of a 1925 film led to a tragic end for one of its extras. Scroll down to see all the films that were released this week across the decades and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.

1925

May – Confessions (UK, Stoll Picture Productions)
May – Moccasins (USA, Independent Pictures)
May – Red Love (USA, Lowell Film Productions)
May – Silent Pal (USA, Gotham Productions)
May 1 – The Squire of Long Hadley (London, Stoll Picture Productions)
May 2 – Zander the Great (USA, Cosmopolitan Productions)
May 3 – Alias Mary Flynn (USA, Film Booking Offices of America)
May 3 – His Supreme Moment (USA, George Fitzmaurice Productions)
May 3 – Lilies of the Streets (USA, Belban Productions)
May 3 – Soul-Fire (USA, Inspirations Pictures)
May 3 – The Fugitive (USA, Arrow Film Corporation)
May 3 – Up the Ladder (USA, Universal Jewel)
May 4 – Any Woman (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
May 4 – The Spaniard (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
May 4 – The White Desert (USA, Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation)
May 7 – Salome of the Tenements (Canada, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
May 7 – The Bushwhackers (AUS, Longford-Lyell Productions)
May 7 – Too Much Youth (USA, Paul Gerson Pictures Corporation)

Confessions has no known US theatrical release date. The Squire of Long Hadley did not open in general release in the UK until January 11, 1926, and has no known US theatrical release date. Soul-Fire began its New York engagement on May 5, 1925 and expanded nationwide on May 31. Salome of the Tenements first opened in the US on February 23, 1925. The Bushwhackers has no known US theatrical release date.

Lost films: Alias Mary Flynn, His Supreme Moment, Lilies of the Streets, Any Woman, The Spaniard, Salome of the Tenements, The Bushwhackers, Too Much Youth

Status unknown: Confessions, Moccasins, Red Love, Silent Pal, Soul-Fire, The Fugitive, Up the Ladder

Silent Pal was produced as a starring vehicle for Thunder, the Marvel Dog, who was featured in several films of the 1920s. The Squire of Long Hadley is also known as Romance of Riches.

William Randolph Hearst was the producer of Zander the Great, and meddled with the film to the point of reportedly burning the original footage after firing director Clarence Badger and hiring George W. Hill. Prints of Zander the Great are preserved at the Cinematheque Royale de Belgique, Library of Congress, and the Museum of Modern Art. The film was restored in 2021 with original tinting and a new score by Ben Model.

His Supreme Moment included sequences filmed in Technicolor. A print of The White Desert was donated by MGM to the George Eastman House.

Elderly residents of the Home of Old Israel were used as extras in Salome of the Tenements. When the residents were told the morning of the premier that they were invited to attend to see Fanny Weintraub’s performance, Mrs. Weintraub was overwhelmed and died from the excitement.

1935

May 1 – Alias Mary Dow (USA, Universal Pictures)
May 1 – Kentucky Blue Streak (USA, C.C. Burr Productions)
May 1 – One Frightened Night (USA, Mascot Pictures)
May 1 – Rustler’s Paradise (USA, William Berke Productions Inc.)
May 1 – Social Error (USA, William Berke Productions Inc.)
May 2 – Silent Valley (USA, Reliable Pictures Corporation)
May 3 – Chasing Yesterday (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
May 3 – Circus Shadows (USA, Peerless Pictures)
May 3 – Vagabond Lady (USA, Hal Roach Studios)
May 4 – $10 Raise (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
May 4 – G Men (USA, First National Pictures)
May 4 – Swellhead (USA, Bryan Foy Productions)
May 5 – Men of the Hour (USA, Columbia Pictures)
May 5 – Toll of the Desert (USA, William Berke Productions Inc.)
May 7 – Air Hawks (USA, Columbia Pictures)

Kentucky Blue Streak was released in the UK as The Blue Streak. Chasing Yesterday was adapted from the 1881 novel Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, by Anatole France.

G Men featured Lloyd Nolan in his film debut. The film was deliberately produced to repudiate the belief that the gangster film genre of the 1930s glorified the criminals. A prologue was added to the film for the 1949 re-release on the FBI’s 25th anniversary with David Brian playing an agent introducing a screening of the film to a group of recruits so they can learn about the Bureau’s history.

Air Hawks features about a minute of footage of famed pilot Wiley Post, who was in the midst of a series of record flights. While surveying mail and passenger air routs from the West Coast to Russia, Post and his friend and passenger Will Rogers were killed in a crash near Point Barrow, Alaska on August 15, 1935.

1945

May – Blonde Ransom (USA, Universal Pictures)
May – Without Love (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
May 1 – Escape in the Desert (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
May 2 – Diamond Horseshoe (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
May 2 – The Phantom of 42nd Street (USA, Producers Releasing Corporation)
May 2 – Trouble Chasers (USA, Banner Productions)
May 3 – The Battle of San Pietro (USA, documentary, U.S. Army Pictorial Services)
May 3 – The Valley of Decision (USA, Loew’s)
May 4 – Patrick the Great (USA, Universal Pictures)
May 5 – Hare Trigger (USA, Warner Bros. Cartoon Studios)
May 5 – The Mouse Comes to Dinner (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
May 7 – Enemy of the Law (USA, Alexander-Stern Productions)

The Valley of Decision began its New York City engagement on May 3, 1945 before expanding nationwide in June. Patrick the Great was first released in the UK on July 28, 1944, and had a premiere engagement in New York City beginning April 12, 1945 before opening nationwide.

Without Love was based on the 1942 play of the same name by Philip Barry. Katharine Hepburn reprised her stage role for the film. The part had been written specifically for her. Lucille Ball was also in the film, and she broke a toe while filming a dance number. Ball approached the film’s cinematographer, Karl Freund, six years later to help launch a new filmed TV comedy series, I Love Lucy.

The opening credits say Escape in the Desert was adapted from a play by Robert E. Sherwood, but failed to identify the play, The Petrified Forest, which Warner Bros. had previously adapted into a film in 1936.

Diamond Horseshoe, aka Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe, featured the final film performance of William Gaxton. The film was shot in Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe, a nightclub located in the basement of the Paramount Hotel. The film is a remake of two previous films derived from the same story, The Barker (1928) and Hoop-La (1933). Julie London appears unbilled as a chorus girl in her first or second major studio film.

The Battle of San Pietro was directed by John Huston, whose crew was attached to the U.S. Army’s 143rd Regiment of the 36th Division. The film took an unflinching look at the death of soldiers, which some officers feared would damage morale. General George Marshall came to the film’s defense and suggested it would make a good training film, with the depcition of death an inspiration for the recruits to take their training seriously. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1991. The Academy Film Archive also preserved the film in 2005.

Pittsburgh native John Hodiak was cast in Pittsburgh set The Valley of Decision, but was replaced with Gregory Peck before production began. Hume Cronyn was cast as Peck’s brother, but was replaced with Marshall Thompson due to the height disparity between Peck and Cronyn.Eight-year-old Dean Stockwell made his screen debut in the film. Greer Garson recevied her sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination for the film, which was also her fifth consecutive nomination, a record that still stands (and tied with Bette Davis).

Patrick the Great was the last film for Donald O’Connor and Peggy Ryan, who had been a teenage team for several years. It was also O’Connor’s last film before he went to serve in World War II.

Hare Trigger features the first appearance of Yosemite Sam, and was the first short to credit the entire animation team. In The Mouse Comes to Dinner, both cats Tom and Toots speak. Enemy of the Law was the nineteenth of twenty-two ‘Texas Rangers’ films.

1955

Twentieth Century Fox

May – The End of the Affair (USA, Coronado Productions)
May – The Looters (USA, Universal International Pictures)
May – Top of the World (USA, Landmark Productions)
May 1 – Seminole Uprising (USA, Sam Katzman Productions)
May 4 – Daddy Long Legs (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
May 5 – The Eternal Sea (USA, Republic Pictures)
May 6 – Air Strike (USA, Cy Roth Productions Inc.)
May 6 – The Prodigal (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

The End of the Affair was based on the 1951 novel by Graham Greene, and was filmed mostly on location in London.

The United States Air Force worked closely with the production of Top of the World as an effort to inform the public of the work of the USAF in the far north. USAF photographers would work directly with studio cinematographers. Major Stockton Shaw was assigned to the production as a technical advisor. The film began production under Warner Bros but the rights were purchased in 1954 by Lippert Pictures and United Artists.

Daddy Long Legs was the first of three Fred Astaire films set in France or with a French theme, followed by Funny Face and Silk Stockings. Based on the novel of the same title by Jean Webster, 20th Century Fox produced two previous versions of the film, one with Janet Gayor and one with Shirley Temple. Producer Darryl F. Zanuck wanted Mitzi Gayor for the female lead but Astaire insisted on Leslie Caron, who was loaned to Fox by MGM, where she was under contract. Astaire’s wife Phyllis died from lung cancer during production, which was halted so Astaire could grieve. Replacements were considered but too much had already been spent on the production so he returned and completed the film. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Art Direction (Color), Scoring of a Motion Picture, and Best Song (‘Something’s Gotta Give’ by Johnny Mercer).

The Eternal Sea is also known as The Admiral Hoskins Story. The film was produced with support from the US Navy. The naval battle scenes, including multiple shots of planes being shot down, is true documentary footage from the Pacific War rather than special effects.

Dancer Taina Elg made her film debut in The Prodigal. The film was based on a Biblical parable, and producer Dory Schary felt it would draw an audience but forgot, as he put it, that C.B. De Mille had an exclusive on the Bible. After seeing the first two weeks of footage, Schary knew the film was in trouble and asked the studio to calculate how much it would cost to abandon the project. With sets built, costumes designed and contracts signed, the studio would have lost $1.2 million so Schary completed the film on an accelerated schedule hoping they wouldn’t lose too much after the film’s release. The decision did end up saving the studio about $500,000, with a loss totalling $771,000.

1965

May 1 – Fort Courageous (USA, Steve Productions)
May 5 – Brainstorm (USA, William Conrad Productions)
May 5 – Joy in the Morning (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
May 5 – Synanon (USA, Columbia Pictures)
May 5 – Wild Seed (USA, Pennebaker Productions)
May 7 – Goldstein (USA, Montrose Film Productions)

Brainstorm was the third of three suspense films directed by actor and future TV star William Conrad, following Two on a Guillotine and My Blood Runs Cold. Character actors Strother Martin, John Mitchum and Richard Kiel play patients at the sanitarium.

Richard Chamberlain was given the lead role in Joy in the Morning as he was under contract to MGM at the time as the star of TV series Dr. Kildare. Co-star Yvette Mimieux, who had played Chamberlain’s love interest in two episodes of the series, was also under contract to MGM. Bernard Herrmann provided the film’s score. Chamberlain performed the film’s title song, which was released as a single and appeared on his 1964 self-titled album.

Synanon was originally titled Get Off My Back. Wild Seed was originally titled Daffy. The script was written in 1957 and sold to Marlon Brando’s production company with Brando to star, but by the time production began he was deemed too old for the lead role.

1975

Paramount Pictures

May – The Specialist (Renaissance Productions)
May 7 – The Day of the Locusts (USA, Paramount Pictures)

The Day of the Locusts is based on the 1939 novel by Nathanael West. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards – Supporting Actor (Burgess Meredith) and Cinematography (Conrad Hall) – three BAFTAs including Supporting Actor, and winning for Ann Roth’s costumes, and two Golden Globes, again for Meredith and Best Actress for Karen Black.

1985

May 3 – Code of Silence (USA, Orion Pictures)
May 3 – Gotcha! (USA, Universal Pictures)
May 3 – Gymkata (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
May 3 – Movers & Shakers (USA, Asher-Grodin Productions)
May 3 – Private Resort (USA, Delphi III Productions)

Code of Silence was originally written as a potential fourth ‘Dirty Harry’ film. The film took Chuck Norris out of his usual martial arts element and helped legitimize his career, while then-Chicago police officer Dennis Farina used the film to launch his transition into full-time acting. Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, Charles Bronson, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Jon Voight and Kurt Russell all turned down the lead role before Norris was cast. It was also Molly Hagan’s first film right out of acting school.

Gymkata was based on the 1957 novel The Terrible Game by Dan Tyler Moore. The rights to the novel were first acquired by Universal-International as a vehicle for Rock Hudson. The rights were later acquired by Fred Weintraub, and Christopher Atkins was considered for the lead role before Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas was cast in his film debut. Thomas received a Razzie nomination for Worst New Star, but the film has developed a cult following due to its unintentional comedy.

Movers & Shakers was written by Charles Grodin, who also stars in the film.Steve Martin makes a cameo appearance as Fabio Longio.

Private Resort was the third in a series of teen sex comedies from R. Ben Efraim, each with the word ‘Private’ in the title folowing Private Lessons and Private School.

1995

May 3 – My Family (USA, American Playhouse)
May 3 – Panther (USA, Gramercy Pictures)
May 4 – Metal Skin (AUS, Daniel Scharf Productions)
May 5 – French Kiss (USA, Polygram Filmed Entertainment)
May 5 – The Steal (UK, Poseidon Pictures)

Metal Skin and The Steal have no known US theatrical release dates.

My Family is also known as Mi Familia. The final scene is duplicated shot-for-shot from the final scene of Satyajit Ray’s 1959 film The World of Apu. The movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2024.

Panther was adapted from Melvin Van Peebles’ novel of the same name, and was directed by his son Mario Van Peebles. It was the first narrative feature to depict the Black Panther Party.

French Kiss was the last film shot by Owen Roizman before his death in 2023. The lead role of Luc was written for Gérard Depardieu, but when he became unavailable for the film Kevin Kline accepted the part. The film was shot mostly on location around France. The film’s original title was Paris Match, a play on the name of a popular French magazine, but was changed after Billy Crystal challenged it with the MPAA as being too close to his own film, Forget Paris, which was released two weeks later.

2005

Dark Castle Entertainment

May 3 – Kingdom of Heaven (Kuwait, Scott Free Productions)
May 5 – You and Your Stupid Mate (AUS, Mondayitis Productions)
May 6 – Crash (USA/Canada, Bob Yari Productions)
May 6 – House of Wax (USA/Canada, Dark Castle Entertainment)
May 6 – Jiminy Glick in Lalawood (USA, limited, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment)

Kingdom of Heaven was released in the US, UK and Canada on May 6, 2005. You and Your Stupid Mate has no known US theatrical release date. House of Wax first opened in Singapore on May 5, 2005.

A Director’s Cut of Kingdom of Heaven was released on December 23, 2005, which critics have called the definitive version of the film. Director Ridley Scott blamed his unhappiness with the original theatrical release on reactions from preview audiences, and 20th Century Fox’s request to trim it by 45 minutes. Scott felt the Director’s Cut was always the version that should have been released. The DVD of the Director’s Cut was released as a ‘roadshow presentation’ with an overture and intermission. The first Blu-ray release omitted the roadshow elements, but they were restored for a 2014 ‘Ultimate Edition’ release.

Crash was based on writer-director Paul Haggis’ personal experience of having his Porsche carjacked in 1991 outside a video store on Wilshire Blvd. while driving home from the premiere of The Silence of the Lambs. The film was criticized for its overly simplistic views and unsubtle portrayal of race relations, and it has been noted by many as one of the worst Best Picture Oscar winners of all time, drawing more controversy as it was competing against Brokeback Mountain (which lost due to what many perceived as homophobia among the Academy members). In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter polled hundreds of Academy members, asking them to revote on past controversial decisions. Brokeback Mountain beat Crash in the revote. Haggis originally attempted to sell the project to television producers, but was offered $7.5 million to make it as a feature film if he could assemble a cast of major stars. Don Cheadle was the first actor cast, and he also came on as a producer. Forest Whitaker was also cast but had to drop out and was replaced by Terrence Howard. Brendan Fraser’s casting was pivotal in getting the film greenlighted. Heath Ledger and John Cusack also had roles in the film but dropped out after production delays. Ledger’s departure resulted in the film’s budget being reduced by $1 million. Haggis made up for the loss by taking out three mortgages on his house, cutting exterior shots and reusing locations. Production was delayed for a week after Haggis suffered a heart attack while filming a scene, but he defied docor’s orders to find a new director and returned to work. At one point, Cheadle also considered dropping out to star in Hotel Rwanda, but he ended up appearing in both films. Besides the Best Picture Oscar, the film also won Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon), Best Director and Best Original Song (‘In the Deep’).

House of Wax, a remake of the 1953 classic — which was a remake of the 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum — was the feature directorial debut of Jaume Collet-Serra. Though the film has developed a cult following over the years, upon its release it earned three Razzie nominations including Worst Supporting Actress (Paris Hilton), Worst Picture, and Worst Remake of Sequel. Hilton won her Razzie (she also won the Best Scream Scene of the Year Teen Choice Award, and was nominated for Best Scared-As-Shit Performance at the MTV Movie Awards). A prequel movie was discussed but did not move forward due to the film’s box office failure.

Several stars make cameo appearances as themselves in Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, including Willem Dafoe, Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Kline, Rob Lowe, Steve Martin, Kurt Russell, Chloë Sevigny, Sharon Stone, Kiefer Sutherland and Forest Whitaker.

2015

May 1 – Avengers: Age of Ultron (USA/Canada, Marvel Studios)
May 1 – Gerontophilia (USA, limited, 1976 Productions)

Avengers: Age of Ultron first opened in several countries including Belgium, France, Italy, the Philippines and Sweden on April 22, 2015. It is the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Marvel chief Kevin Feige stated that the character of Captain Marvel was in an early draft of the screenplay, but was removed since the character had not been cast and had not yet appeared in her own film. The film began production at Shepperton Studios under the title After Party. Tom Hiddleston filmed scenes as Loki, but test audiences believed he was controlling Ultron so the character was dropped from the film. Joss Whedon also wanted Spider-Man to appear at the end of film but a deal with Sony Pictures was not completed in time for filming. The film contains 3,000 special effects shots produced by ten different visual effects studios. Grossing over $1.4 billion worldwide, it was the fourth highest grossing film of 2015, and the fifth highest grossing of all-time during its run.

Gerontophilia has been described as a gay Harold & Maude.