Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #270 :: September 25 to October 2

As we continue to roll into ‘awards season’, many films made their debuts this week across the past century with a handful that are very notable. One film stars an actress who switched studio, took a role no one wanted and won an Oscar. A 1955 film was adapted from a TV serial, and a 2005 film continued a cancelled TV series, while a 2015 film became a serialized television series. In 1955, Joan Collins benefited from Marilyn Monroe’s refusal to accept a role. A 1985 film featured the first appearance by a character that would go on to have a life of its own. 1995 marked the film debut of a young actor who would go on to bigger — and smaller — roles. Two 2015 films put their lead characters in isolated, but very different, situations. Scroll down to see all the films released this week over the decades, and tell us if any of your favorites are celebrating milestone anniversaries.

1925

• September 25 – Around the Boree Log (AUS, Phil K. Walsh Productions)
• September 26 – Below the Line (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• September 27 – Havoc (USA, Fox Film Corporation)
• September 27 – Ridin’ the Wind (USA, Harry J. Brown Productions)
• September 27 – The Dark Angel (USA, George Fitzmaurice Productions)
• September 27 – The Mystic (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• September 27 – Was It Bigamy? (USA, William Steiner)
• September 28 – A Son of His Father (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• September 28 – The Trouble with Wives (USA, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)
• September 29 – A Lover’s Oath (USA, Sol LEsser Productions)
• September 29 – The Wall Street Whiz (USA, Richard Talmadge Productions)
• October – Borrowed Finery (USA, Tiffany Productions)
• October – The Gold Cure (UK, Stoll Picture Productions)
• October – The Lady in Furs (UK, short, Godal International)
• October – Ypres (UK, documentary, British Instructional Films)
• October 1 – The Great Sensation (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• October 1 – The Sagebrush Lady (USA, Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corporation)
• October 1 – Webs of Steel (USA, Morris R. Schlank Productions)

Around the Boree Log, The Gold Cure, The Lady in Furs, and Ypres have no known US theatrical release dates.

The survival status of Havoc, Ridin’ the Wind, Was It Bigamy?, The Gold Cure, The Lady in Furs, The Sagebrush Lady, and Webs of Steel is unknown. A Son of His Father, The Trouble with Wives, and A Lover’s Oath are considered lost films.

Unlike most Australian films of the era, a print of Around the Boree Log survives. Most of the cast were anonymous people who lived in the area. An abridged, incomplete copy of Below the Line survives in a private collection.

The Dark Angel was the first American film for Hungarian actress Vilma Bánky. While two of the film’s eight reels have been preserved in the Library of Congress, it is still considered a lost film.

A print of The Mystic exists, though director Todd Browning was unable to hire his favorite star, Lon Chaney, so mostly unknowns make up the cast and the film is barely remembered. Aileen Pringle’s gowns in the film were designed by Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erté.

Only about 30 seconds of A Lover’s Oath survives. The film is based upon the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and was filmed between 1920 and 1921 but not released until 1925. Actor Edwin Stevens died in 1923 before the film was released.

A print of The Wall Street Whiz, which is also known as The New Butler, is held by Lobster Films in Paris. Borrowed Finery was considered lost until the Czech National Film Archive announced the discovery of film reels in 2016. The Lady in Furs was the third in the series of ‘The Art of Love’ short dramas. Ypres survives and was remastered for DVD in 2010.

Complete copies of The Great Sensation are held by the Library of Congress and Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. Webs of Steel marked the uncredited film debut of Walter Brennan.

1935

• September 25 – Cappy Ricks Returns (USA, Paul Malvern Productions)
• September 25 – The Man Without a Face (UK, George King Productions)
• September 27 – O’Shaughnessy’s Boy (USA, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• September 27 – Powdersmoke Range (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• September 27 – Thunder Mountain (USA, Atherton Productions)
• September 28 – I Live for Love (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• September 28 – The Girl Friend (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• September 29 – His Family Tree (USA, RKO Radio Pictures)
• September 30 – The Public Menace (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• October – Invitation to the Waltz (UK, British International Pictures)
• October – Königsmark (UK, Pathé-Natan/Capitol Film Corporation)
• October – Lend Me Your Wife (UK, Grafton Films)
• October – Sexton Blake and the Mademoiselle (UK, Fox Film Company)
• October – The Divine Spark (Germany, Alleanza Cinematografica Italiana)
• October 1 – Fighting Caballero (USA, Weiss Brothers Artclass Pictures)
• October 1 – Frontier Justice (USA, Walter Futter Productions)
• October 1 – His Night Out (USA, Universal Pictures)
• October 1 – King Solomon of Broadway (USA, Universal Pictures)
• October 1 – Murder by Television (USA, Cameo Pictures)
• October 1 – The Guv’nor (London, Gaumont British Picture Corporation)
• October 1 – The Throwback (USA, Buck Jones Productions)
• October 2 – Speed Devils (London, Melbert Productions)

The Man Without a Face, Königsmark, Lend Me Your Wife, Sexton Blake and the Mademoiselle, and The Divine Spark have no known US theatrical release dates. Invitation to the Waltz was released in the US on July 1, 1938. The Guv’nor was released in the US as Mister Hobo on November 22, 1935, and received a wide UK release on March 2, 1936. Speed Devils first opened in the US on june 21, 1935.

The Man Without a Face and Lend Me Your Wife were produced as quota quickies to help bolster the then-faltering British film industry.

Königsmark is also known as Crimson Dynasty in the US. Separate English and French versions were produced. An Italian-language version of The Divine Spark was produced simultaneously with the English version at Tirrenia Studios in Italy. Murder by Television is also known as The Houghland Murder Case. Hattie McDaniel appears in a small role as The Cook. Speed Devils is also known as Thru Traffic.

1945

• September 26 – The House on 92nd Street (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)
• September 27 – Apology for Murder (USA, Sigmund Neufeld Productions)
• September 27 – The Crime Doctor’s Warning (USA, Larry Darmour Productions)
• September 27 – Song of the Prairie (USA, Columbia Pictures)
• September 28 – Bad Men of the Border (USA, Universal Pictures)
• September 28 – Duffy’s Tavern (USA, Paramount Pictures)
• September 28 – Mildred Pierce (New York City, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• September 28 – That Night with You (USA, Universal Pictures)
• September 29 – Come Out Fighting (USA, Sam Katzman Productions)
• September 29 – Sunset in El Dorado (USA, Republic Pictures)
• September 29 – The Shanghai Cobra (USA, Monogram Pictures)
• September 30 – Scotland Yard Investigator (USA, Republic Pictures)
• October – Here Is Germany (USA, documentary, U.S. War Department)
• October 1 – Journey Together (UK, Royal Air Force Film Production Unit)

Mildred Pierce opened nationwide in the US on October 20, 1945. Journey Together was released in the US on March 3, 1946.

The House on 92nd Street was made with the full cooperation of the FBI, and the agents shown in Washington DC were played by actual agents. Star Lloyd Nolan reprised his role as Inspector Briggs in the sequel, The Street with No Name.

The plot for Apology for Murder was a blatant rip-off of Double Indemnity, which was released a year earlier. PRC wanted to title the film Single Indemnity but Paramount filed an injunction to prevent that from happening. A print of Song of the Prairie is preserved in the Library of Congress.

Mildred Pierce was Joan Crawford’s first starring role for Warner Bros. after leaving MGM. She campaigned for the role as most actresses did not want it due to the implied age of the character with a teenage daughter. She won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. The film received four other nominations including Best Picture. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1996. The film’s working title was House on the Sand. Permission had to be received from the U.S. Navy to shoot in Malibu because of wartime restrictions.

Come Out Fighting was the last film in the East Side Kids series before it was retitled The Bowery Boys. Scotland Yard Investigator was a loose sequel to Secrets of Scotland Yard with many of the same cast and crew.

Journey Together was John Boulting’s film directorial debut. The film was produced by the Royal Air Force Film Production Unit. Richard Attenborough, the picture’s lead, was 22 years old at the time of filming. Attenborough is probably best known to contemporary audiences for his role in Jurassic Park.

1955

• September 28 – The Quatermass Xperiment (London, Hammer Films)
• September 29 – Cross Channel (USA, Republic Pictures)
• September 29 – The McConnell Story (USA, Warner Bros. Pictures)
• October – Count Three and Pray (USA, Copa Productions)
• October – Stolen Time (UK, Charles Deane Productions)
• October – The Flaw (UK, Cybex Film Productions Ltd.)
• October – The Second Greatest Sex (USA, Universal International Pictures)
• October – They Can’t Hang Me (UK, Vandyke Pictures)
• October 1 – Blood Alley (USA, Batjac Productions)
• October 1 – Devil Goddess (USA, Sam Katzman Productions)
• October 1 – The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (USA, Twentieth Century Fox)

The Quatermass Xperiment entered general release in the UK on November 20, 1955, and was released in the US on April 26, 1956 as The Creeping Unknown. Stolen Time was released in the US on January 19, 1958 as Blonde Blackmailer. The Flaw made its premiere in the US on television on October 2, 1956. They Can’t Hang Me has no known US theatrical release date.

The Quatermass Xperiment is based on the BBC television serial The Quatermass Experiment. Several producers turned down the option to buy the rights for a film knowing it would receive an X-rating from the BBFC. Hammer Films deliberately sought the X-rating, which they could exploit with the title, though one studio executive felt the project was not a good fit for the studio. American producer Robert L. Lippert co-produced the film, and insisted on casting Brian Donlevy in the title role to appeal to American audiences. Original writer Nigel Kneale was not keen on the American’s performance, preferring Reginald Tate’s television portrayal of Quatermass as a sensitive scientist. Donlevy also appeared in the first sequel, Quatermass 2, but was replaced by Andrew Keir in Quatermass and the Pit (US title: Five Million Years to Earth). Director Val Guest, known for comedies at the time, was not keen to direct a sci-fi film but was impressed by Kneale’s TV scripts and was pleased to have the opportunity to make the film to break away from the comedy genre. His intention was to make the film more ‘science fact’ than ‘science fiction’.

While the subject matter of Cross Channel places it in the film noir genre, it is not considered tradtional film noir because the lead character is not a private eye.

The McConnell Story is a dramatization the life and career of USAF pilot Joseph C. McConnell. Several months after the film was announced, McConnell died in a plane crash which required the script to be rewritten. Star Alan Ladd hated flying and filmed all of his scenes in a mock-up of a cockpit in front of a blue screen.

Count Three and Pray was the first feature film for Joanne Woodward. The film’s working title was Calico Pony. The Second Greatest Sex is a Western musical adaptation of the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes.

John Wayne was given the lead role in Blood Alley after original lead Robert Mitchum had an altercation with the producers. Wayne took over after Gregory Peck turned it down and Humphrey Bogart asked for too much money. Swedish actress Anita Ekberg, veteran actor Paul Fix, actor Berry Kroeger, and film character actor Mike Mazurki all play Chinese roles in Hollywood ‘yellowface’, while most of the extras are ethnic Chinese. Ekberg won the Golden Globe for Best Female Newcomer for her performance.

Devil Goddess is the sixteenth and final film in the ‘Jungle Jim’ series from Columbia Pictures, which was Johnny Weissmuller’s third and final performance as Johnny Weissmuller (after the Jungle Jim character’s name was changed), and Weissmuller’s final film as well as he quit acting, but he did appear in The Phynx (1970) and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). The film uses archival footage from previous ‘Jungle Jim’ films Mark of the Tiger (1950), Pygmy Island (1950), Voodoo Tiger (1952), Killer Ape (1953), and Savage Mutiny (1953).

Marilyn Monroe was the intended star of The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, but she refused the role and was suspended by 20th Century Fox. Joan Collins was cast instead as Evelyn Nesbit, whose story the film tells. Nesbit was tracked down to get permission to make the film, and while she agreed to do so for a monetary exchange, she was reluctant to do any publicity.

1965

• September 25 – Curse of Simba (UK, Futurama Entertainment Corp.)
• September 27 – Mickey One (USA, Florin-Tatira)
• September 29 – Beach Ball (USA, La Honda Services-The Patton Co.)
• October – Git! (USA, World-Cine Associates Productio)
• October – He Who Rides a Tiger (UK, David Newman Productions)
• October – Spaceflight IC-1 (USA, Lippert Films)

Curse of Simba (aka Voodoo Blood Death) was first released in the US on August 22, 1965 as Curse of the Voodoo. He Who Rides a Tiger was released in the US on September 9, 1968.

Bryant Haliday’s and Lisa Daniely’s names were misspelled on American prints of Curse of Simba as Halliday and Danielly. While Warren Beatty did not get along with director Arthur Penn on Mickey One, the two would work together again on Bonnie and Clyde.

Beach Ball, partly financed by Roger Corman, features appearances by The Supremes, The Walker Brothers and The Righteous Brothers. Producer Bart Patton wanted to direct, but Corman had already selected Lennie Weinrib to make his directorial debut. Patton and Weinrib would later form a production company. Future Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz was an assistant director.

He Who Rides a Tiger was the last film Charles Crichton directed until 1988’s A Fish Called Wanda, perhaps due to his bad experience working on the film. Spaceflight IC-1 is also known as Spaceflight IC-1: An Adventure in Space.

1975

• September 25 – Three Days of the Condor (USA/Canada, Wildwood Enterprises)
• September 28 – Part 2: Walking Tall (USA, Bing Crosby Productions)
• October 2 – The Ultimate Warrior (Netherlands, Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Ultimate Warrior was released in the US on November 25, 1975.

Three Days of the Condor received an Oscar nomination for FIlm Editing, a Golden Globe nominations for Faye Dunaway in the Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama category, and a Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Score for Dave Grusin. Director Sydney Pollack attempted to sue a Danish television broadcaster for airing the film in a cropped, pan-and-scan version which he claimed violated his copyright on the widescreen film. The case was not successful because Pollack did not actually own the copyright on the film.

The on-screen title for Part 2: Walking Tall is Part 2 Walking Tall: The Legend of Buford Pusser. Bo Svenson replaced Joe Don Baker in the title role and also appeared in the third film, Walking Tall: Final Chapter. The story of Pusser in the film was contradicted in August 2025 when he was implicated for the 1967 murder of his wife. Pusser had offered to take over the role from Baker but died in an automobile accident before filming began. The accident was discussed at the end of the film, and further elaborated on in the third film.

The Ultimate Warrior used no location filming except for one beach scene. Director Robert Clouse was deaf and relied on his assistant directors to make sure dialog was delivered effectively.

1985

• September 27 – Agnes of God (USA, Delphi IV Productions)
• September 27 – Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (USA, limited, Carden & Cherry)
• September 27 – Invasion U.S.A. (USA, Cannon FIlms)
• September 27 – Marie (USA, Dino De Laurentiis Company)
• September 27 – Maxie (USA, Elsboy Entertainment)
• September 27 – The Journey of Natty Gann (USA, Walt Disney Pictures)

Agnes of God first opened in Canada on September 13, 1985. The film received three Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Ann Bancroft), Supporting Actress (Meg Tilly) and Original Score. Bancroft and Tilly were also nominated for Golden Globes, with Tilly winning for Supporting Actress.

Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is the first film to feature Jim Varney’s Ernest P. Worrell character, uncredited, but has a darker tone than the films that followed.

Chuck Norris wanted Whoopi Goldberg to play the female journalist in Invasion U.S.A., but he was overruled by the director with whom Norris never worked again.

Glenn Close and Mandy Patinkin were coming off of Broadway successes when they made Maxie. The clip of ‘Maxie’ seen in the film is actually Carole Lombard in The Campus Vamp. Close was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.

The Journey of Natty Gann was Oscar nominated for Best Costume Design. Elmer Bernstein had recorded a score for the film, but most of his music was replaced with a new score by James Horner. Both scores have been released on CD.

1995

• September 27 – Persuasion (USA, BBC Film)
• September 28 – That Eye, the Sky (AUS, Beyond Films Limited)
• September 29 – Devil in a Blue Dress (USA, Mundy Lane Entertainment)
• September 29 – Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (USA, Nightfall Productions)
• September 29 – Moonlight and Valentino (USA, Working Title Films)
• September 29 – Steal Big Steal Little (USA, Chicago Pacific Entertainment)
• September 29 – The Big Green (USA, Caravan Pictures)

Persuasion premiered in the UK on April 16, 1995. That Eye, the Sky has no known US theatrical release date.

Persuasion was originally broadcast on BBC 2 in the UK, but received a theatrical release in the US. The film marks the feature debut of Amanda Root. That Eye, the Sky star Peter Coyote claims the producers abandoned the film during the final edit, leaving it to be completed by a ‘studio hack’ who cut 40 minutes, making it incomprehensible, while blaming the director.

Don Cheadle received acclaim for his role as Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress, but he did not originally want to audition because he felt he was too young for the part.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the sixth film in the Halloween series. The film marks the final appearance of Donald Pleasance as Dr. Sam Loomis, and was the feature debut for Paul Rudd playing the adult Tommy Doyle from the original film. Pleasance died seven months before the film was released, and it is dedicated to his memory. The film was not well received, but fans discovered a workprint that included 45 minutes of alternative footage and a different ending. This ‘Producer’s Cut’ was released to home video as part of a Halloween Blu-ray box set.

Ellen Simon, who wrote the play and screenplay for Moonlight and Valentino, is the daughter of Neil Simon.

2005

• September 29 – The Magician (AUS)
• September 30 – A History of Violence (USA/UK, BenderSpink/Media I! Filmproduktion München & Company)
• September 30 – Capote (USA, limited, A-Line Pictures/Cooper’s Town Productions/Infinity Media)
• September 30 – Into the Blue (USA/Canada, Mandalay Pictures)
• September 30 – Little Manhattan (USA, Pariah/New Regency Productions)
• September 30 – MirrorMask (USA, The Jim Henson Company)
• September 30 – Oliver Twist (USA, R.P. Films)
• September 30 – Serenity (USA/Canada, Barry Mendel Productions)
• September 30 – The Greatest Game Ever Played (USA/Canada, Fairway Films)

The Magician was released in the US on November 12, 2010. Both A History of Violence and Oliver Twist began limited US engagements on September 23, 2005 before expanding nationwide. Capote received a nationwide release in the US on February 3, 2006. Serenity first opened in Australia and Puerto Rico on September 29, 2005.

A serialized television version of The Magician, Mr Inbetween, aired for three seasons and 26 episodes on the FX network in the US. Writer, director and star Scott Ryan reprised his role as Raymond John ‘Ray’ Shoesmith.

A History of Violence is the film adaptation of the DC graphic novel of the same name. It may be the last major Hollywood film to be released on VHS. Harrison Ford turned down the role of Tom Stall, and Viggo Mortensen was cast, although he was disappointed with the original script, only agreeing to do the movie after meeting with director David Cronenberg who reworked the script. William Hurt was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and John Olson’s screenplay was also nominated. The film also received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture – Drama and Best Actress (Maria Bello).

Capote was nominated for five Academy Awards and BAFTAs, including Best Picture, with Philip Seymour Hoffman winning Best Actor from both. Hoffman also won the Golden Globe and SAG Award, as well as several critics groups accolades.

Into the Blue was filmed in actual locations with wild sharks. The crew wore chain mail as protection while the actors were unprotected. The sharks were used to being hand fed and would not attack humans, but they would grab anything that hit the water as potential food. At one point, Jessica Alba throws two fins and a dive mask to Paul Walker, but Walker missed the mask and it was never seen again. Alba earned a Razzie nominations for her performance (as well as for Fantastic Four) but lost to Jenny McCarthy. A sequel was released direct to DVD in 2009, but none of the original cast returned.

MirrorMask was originally intended to be a direct to home video production, but received a limited theatrical release after its 2005 Sundance premiere.

Serenity is a continuation of the TV series Firefly. The DVD release of the series sold out 24 hours after it was announced, which helped light a fire to get the feature film made. Joss Whedon had to conceive a story for a feature film that would explain what few had seen on television without boring the new viewers or fans. Story ideas were based on unused ideas for the unproduced second season. All nine principal cast members from the series reprised their roles, but Ron Glass and Alan Tudyk could not commit to sequels so their characters were killed off in the film. The film’s original budget was estimated to be $100 million, but Universal would not commit to that, opting to shoot overseas to bring down costs. Whedon refused to uproot his family and maintained it could be filmed on a shorter schedule and smaller budget. It was greenlit with a $40 million budget, coming in at $39 million at the end of filming over the course of 50 10-hour days instead of the originally estimated 80 12-14 hour days. The original Serenity interior was to be used, but it was not available so it had to be reconstructed from still images from the DVDs. To keep the budget down, sets and many effects were accomplished physically rather than rely on CGI. The computer model of the ship’s exterior had to be completely reworked as the television version would not stand up to the scrutiny of a large format movie screen.

The Greatest Game Ever Played was Bill Paxton’s last film as a director.

2015

• September 25 – 99 Homes (UK/USA, limited, Hyde Park Entertainment)
• September 25 – Hotel Transylvania 2 (USA, Sony Pictures Animation)
• September 25 – Miss You Already (UK, S Films)
• September 25 – Mississippi Grind (USA, limited, Sycamore Pictures)
• September 25 – Stonewall (USA, Centropolis Entertainment)
• September 25 – The Intern (USA/Canada, Waverly Films)
• September 30 – The Martian (UK/AUS, Scott Free Productions)
• September 30 – The Walk (Canada/USA, limited, TriStar Productions)
• October 1 – Macbeth (Australia, See-Saw Films)
• October 2 – Freeheld (USA, limited, Double Feature Films)

Hotel Transylvania 2 was first released in the UAE on September 21, 2015. Miss You Already was released in the US and Canada on November 6, 2015. The Intern first opened in Kuwait on September 23, 2015. The Martian was released in the US and Canada on October 2, 2015. Macbeth opened in limited US release on December 4, 2015 before expanding on December 11.

CeeLo Green was the one main cast member from Hotel Transylvania who did not reprise his role in Hotel Transylvania 2. He was replaced with Keegan-Michael Key after Green had been charged with giving a woman ecstasy in 2012. Director Genndy Tartakovsky claimed Adam Sandler was given more creative control over the film than he had on the first one and was difficult to work with.

The Intern was originally set up at Paramount with Tina Fey and Michael Caine in the lead roles. When it moved to Warner Bros., Reese Witherspoon replaced Fey, but she left due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced with Anne Hathaway. Caine was replaced with Robert De Niro.

Twenty sets were built for The Martian on one of the largest sound stages in the world in Budpest. Actual potatoes were grown on a sound stage next to the one where filming was being conducted, planted at different times to show the stages of growth. The casting of Mackenzie Davis and Chiwetel Ejiofor were criticized as ‘whitewashing’ the Asian characters in the novel, though author Andy Weir stated he intentionally avoided physically describing the characters. Naomi Scott was cast as Ryoko, but all of her scenes were removed from the film. Exterior scenes were filmed in Wadi Rum in Jordan, a location that had been used for other films set on Mars. The film earned seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor (Matt Damon).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt had no high-wire experience, and trained directly with The Walk‘s subject Philippe Petit. He was able to walk the wire by himself by the end of the eighth day, and continued to train during filming. A set on a soundstage reconstructed the tops of the Twin Towers and the wire about 12 feet from the floor. Gordon-Levitt also learned to speak fluent French and perfected a French accent aided by co-star Charlotte Le Bon and other French actors on set.