Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #40 :: April 28 to May 4

Paramount Pictures

As we close out the month of April and head into May, the studios pulled out a lot of big guns for this week. Nearly every decade has at least one very well-known film, a classic, an award winner, a box office smash or a combination of all three. 1921 is the only decade this week that did not see any new films released. 1931 gave us films that launched the careers of James Cagney and George Raft; 1941 saw the screen pairing of newlyweds Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh, a new adaptation of a classic Poe tale, and a Frank Capra classic; 1961 delivered seven Oscar nominations to an epic war film, and saw Oliver Reed star in his first film; 1971 had a sequel that flopped then became a huge hit; 1981 saw the screen debut of a summer camp killer; 2001 saw the return of an ancient Egyptian; and 2011 saw movies go digital. All these and more made their big screen debuts this week. Are any of your favorites here?

1921

• No new films were released this week in 1921.

1931

April 30 – Iron Man

• Cast: Lew Ayres, Robert Armstrong, Jean Harlow, John Miljan, Edward Dillon, Mike Donlin, Morrie Cohan, Mary Doran, Mildred Van Dorn, Ned Sparks, Sammy Blum
• Director: Tod Browning
• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Trivia: Universal remade the film in 1951.

May 1 – The Millionaire

• Cast: George Arliss, Florence Arliss, David Manners, Evalyn Knapp, James Cagney, Bramwell Fletcher, Noah Beery, Ivan F. Simpson, J.C. Nugent, Sam Hardy, J. Farrell MacDonald, Charley Grapewin, Charles E. Evans, Tully Marshall
• Director: John G. Adolfi
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: Remake of 1922’s The Ruling Passion, which also starred George Arliss. Based on the short story ‘Idle Hands’ by Earl Derr Biggers. The film is preserved in the Library of Congress. James Cagney’s small role in this film led to his casting as the lead in The Public Enemy. George Arliss’ character says his birthday is April 10, which is Arliss’ real birthday.

May 3 – Quick Millions

• Cast: Spencer Tracy, Marguerite Churchill, Sally Eilers, Bob Burns, John Wray, Warner Richmond, George Raft, John Swor, Leon Ames
• Director: Rowland Brown
• Studio: Fox Film Corporation
• Trivia: The film premiered in New York City on April 17. This was the first of just three films directed by Rowland Brown. Ward Bond appears in an uncredited role. This was George Raft’s first major role in a film. His next small role in Scarface a year later catapulted him to stardom. It was the debut of Leon Ames.

1941

April 30 – That Hamilton Woman

• Cast: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Alan Mowbray, Gladys Cooper, Heather Angel, Gilbert Emery, Ronald Sinclair, Norma Drury, Juliette Compton, Sara Allgood, Henry Wilcoxon, Halliwell Hobbes, Miles Mander, Luis Alberni, Olaf Hytten, Guy Kingsford
• Director: Alexander Korda
• Studio: Alexander Korda Films, distributed by United Artists (UK/US)
• Trivia: The film premiered in New York City on April 3. Also known as Lady Hamilton. The film’s original title was to have been The Enchantress. While historical in nature, the film was also intended as a pro-British film in the context of World War II, as the British were fighting the Nazis alone at the time and the film was meant to boost sympathies to the rest of the world, particularly the US. The film was shot in the United States in just five weeks. Leigh and Olivier were newlyweds at the time of filming. It’s the last of three films they made together, and the only one in which they were already married. Despite the fact that they were married, the strict Production Code would not allow the couple to appear in the same bed together. The film’s bookends showing Lady Hamilton destitute were added under the Production Code guidelines which required ‘punishment’ for having an adulterous relationship. Nelson also had to give a speech admitting the wrongness of the affair. The film was nominated for four Oscars, winning in the Best Sound category. Legend has it that Winston Churchill wrote two speeches for the Nelson character played by Olivier. He’s reported to have seen the film 83 times. The portrait of Lady Hamilton is a copy of the original ‘Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, in a straw hat’ with Leigh’s face. The original is at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The budget was so tight that makeup was reportedly applied just to the side of the face that would be seen on camera.

May 2 – The Black Cat

• Cast: Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Anne Gwynne, Bela Lugosi, Gale Sondergaard, Cecilia Loftus, Claire Dodd, John Eldredge, Gladys Cooper, Alan Ladd
• Director: Albert S. Rogell
• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Trivia: The hybrid horror-comedy was inspired by the comedic ‘old dark house’ films of the era, and Edgar Allan Poe’s 1842 short story. The film’s formula was intended to fit the mold of 1940’s Bob Hope film The Cat and the Canary. Paul Cavanagh was originally cast as Montague Hartley but was replaced at the last minute with Basil Rathbone. Broderick Crawford was also a last minute replacement for Richard Carlson. Despite the film’s comedic overtones, the film was marketed by Universal as a straight horror film. Lugosi had previously starred with Boris Karloff in a much darker adaptation of the Poe story in 1934. Marlene Dietrich stopped by the set to visit then-boyfriend Broderick Crawford and made a from-the-back cameo to fill in for Claire Dodd after the actress had left the studio for the day. Universal ordered Alan Ladd’s billing be moved up to take advantage of his notoriety in the Paramount hit This Gun For Hire.

May 3 – Meet John Doe

• Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, Spring Byington, James Gleason, Gene Lockhart, Rod La Rocque, Irving Bacon, Regis Toomey, J. Farrell MacDonald, Harry Holman, Warren Hymer, Andrew Tombes, Pierre Watkin, Stanley Andrews, Mitchell Lewis, Charles Wilson, Vaughan Glaser, Sterling Holloway
• Director: Frank Capra
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: The film had five premieres before its general release on May 3: Los Angeles (March 12), Miami (March 12), New York City (March 12), Louisville (March 13), San Francisco (March 14). The film had a London premiere on October 3 before its UK release on January 12, 1942. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story. Gary Cooper was always Frank Capra’s first choice for John Doe, and Cooper agreed to star without reading the script because he enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck whose role was originally offered to Ann Sheridan and Olivia de Havilland. Four endings were filmed and none were satisfactory to preview audiences. A fifth ending was suggested by an audience member which Capra liked and used in the finished film. This was the first and only film Capra made independently through his company Frank Capra Productions. Capra and partner Robert Riskin were forced to dissolve the company to pay taxes on the film before profits ever rolled in. The Screen Guild Theater presented a 30-minute radio adaptation of the film on September 28, 1941 with Cooper, Stanwyck and Edward Arnold reprising their roles. Cooper’s character’s name is Long John Willoughby; in 1938’s The Cowboy and the Lady Cooper played Stretch Willoughby. Walter Brennan was his sidekick in both films. Final film of Rod La Rocque and Vera Steadman.

1951

May – Follow the Sun

• Cast: Glenn Ford, Anne Baxter, Dennis O’Keefe, June Havoc, Larry Keating, Roland Winters, Nana Bryant, Harold Blake, Ann Burr, Jimmy Demaret, Cary Middlecoff, Grantland Rice, Sam Snead, Harry G Reader, Jr
• Director: Sidney Lanfield
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Trivia: The film premiered in Fort Worth, Texas on March 23, followed by a limited run in New York City beginning April 25 before going into general release in May 1951. Lux Radio Theatre presented a one-hour radio adaptation of the film on March 10, 1952 with Anne Baxter and Gary Merrill. Ben Hogan coached Glenn Ford and then gave Ford the golf clubs he used to win the US Open. Ford was told he was a gifted golfer but he never played again after the movie.

1961

April 28 – The Guns of Navarone

• Cast: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala, James Robertson Justice, Richard Harris, Bryan Forbes Allan Cuthbertson, Michael Trubshawe, Percy Herbert, George Mikell, Walter Gotell, Tutte Lemkow, Albert Lieven, Norman Wooland, Cleo Scouloudi, Nicholas Papakonstantinou, Christopher Rhodes
• Director: J. Lee Thompson
• Studio: Highroad Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s Royal Premiere was held in London on April 27 before the film’s April 28 general release in the UK. The film opened in the US on June 22. Based on Alistair MacLean’s 1957 novel. Alexander Mackendrick was the film’s original director but was fired a week before production was to begin due to ‘creative differences’. The David Niven role was intended for Kenneth More but the Rank Organization refused to lend him out for the film. Niven became seriously ill after filming in a dirty pool of water and was hospitalized for several weeks. It was unclear if he would be able to return to finish his scenes, and the prospect of abandoning the film and collecting the insurance was considered. Niven felt obligated to return against the advice of his doctors, finished his scenes, and relapsed. It took him another seven weeks to recover. Niven and Peck became great friends during filming, and their families visit each other over the years. Peck delivered the eulogy at Niven’s funeral. Gregory Peck’s character was supposed to be fluent in German but Peck could not speak convincingly so his German voice was dubbed by Robert Rietty. William Holden was originally approached for the Peck role, but he demanded $750,000 plus 10% of the film’s gross. Holden felt the role was too similar to the one he played in The Bridge on the River Kwai. Peck later said he felt miscast as his character was supposed to be British. All of the stars were too old for their parts, leading the British press to nickname the film ‘Elderly Gang Goes Off to War’. Tension between many of the stars eased during production as they bonded over games of chess. Members of the Greek royal family appear as extras in the scene at the Mandrakos cafe. It was the top grossing film of 1961. With a budget of $6 million, it was one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one for Best Special Effects. It’s the only film that year nominated for Best Picture which did not receive any acting nominations.

May 1 – The Curse of the Werewolf

• Cast: Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Justin Walters, Yvonne Romain, Loraine Carvana, Catherine Feller, Anthony Dawson, Josephine Llewelyn, Richard Wordsworth, Hira Talfrey, John Gabriel, Warren Mitchell, Anne Blake, George Woodbridge, Michael Ripper, Ewen Solon, Peter Sallis, Martin Matthews, David Conville, Denis Shaw, Sheila Brennan, Joy Webster, Renny Lister, Charles Lamb
• Director: Terence Fisher
• Studio: Hammer Film Productions, distributed by Universal-International
• Trivia: The film was released in the UK on May 1, followed by the US on June 7. Based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. The film’s location was moved to Madrid to avoid having to build new Parisian sets, as sets had already been built for a film set during the Spanish Inquisition that had been scrapped when the BBFC objected to the script. The interiors of the inn are the same interiors of Dracula’s castle from Hammer’s Horror of Dracula. James Bond’s future Q, Desmond Llewelyn, appears uncredited as Marques’ footman. Oliver Reed’s first starring role, although he does not appear until about halfway through the film, and does not appear as the werewolf until just over an hour into the movie which runs 93 minutes. Reed enjoyed driving home in his werewolf makeup, frightening fellow motorists. The first werewolf movie to be shot in color. It is the only werewolf movie made by Hammer. The film was heavily censored in the UK (about five minutes of footage was removed) and released on a double bill with Hammer’s Shadow of the Cat. The BBFC gave Hammer the choice of releasing the film with sex or violence, but not both. The film was even more heavily edited for the US release. A restored print was shown on the BBC in 1993. The restored print was intended to be shown during an all-night Halloween marathon in 1992 but the censored print was aired by mistake. A famous publicity photo shows Reed in full makeup with co-star Yvonne Romain, but the two never appear together in the film.

May 3 – Atlantis, the Lost Continent

• Cast: Sal Ponti (as Anthony Hall), Joyce Taylor, John Dall, William Smith, Edward Platt, Frank DeKova, Berry Kroeger, Edgar Stehli, Wolfe Barzell, Jay Novello, Paul Frees
• Director: George Pal
• Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Trivia: Italian actor Fabrizio Mioni had been cast in the lead but his work visa expired and he had to leave the US; he was replaced with Sal Ponti. Richard Chamberlain and William Shatner were also considered. The film is notorious for its inclusion of stock footage from other films including Quo Vadis and The Naked Jungle. Props and costumes from other films such as The Prodigal, Forbidden Planet, Diane and Ben Hur were used. Critics and audience members easily recognized the footage used from Quo Vadis. Director George Pal was unconcerned that there were thousands of years difference between the various costumes and props. Pal was unhappy with the script but it was rushed into production because of an impending writers strike. The strike did occur during filming, preventing any re-writes. The film’s narrator Paul Frees also dubbed the voices of three different actors, uncredited. This was the final theatrical film of John Dall.

May 4 – Parrish

• Cast: Troy Donahue, Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden, Dean Jagger, Connie Stevens, Diane McBain, Sharon Hugueny, Dub Taylor, Hampton Fancher, David Knapp, Saundra Edwards, Sylvia Miles, Bibi Osterwald, Madeleine Sherwood, Hayden Rorke, Carroll O’Connor
• Director: Delmer Daves
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: Based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Mildred Savage. This was Claudette Colbert’s last film role, her first film in nine years. She took the role because she liked the script’s point of view. She did not appear on screen again until the 1987 TV mini-series The Two Mrs. Grenvilles. Actors identified but uncredited in the film include Frank Campanella, Terry Carter, Gertrude Flynn, Vincent Gardenia and Ford Rainey. Joshua Logan was the original director, with Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh as the possible leads. Anthony Perkins was in the running for the younger male lead. Natalie Wood was announced as the female lead. When Delmer Daves took over as director, Troy Donahue was cast as the male lead.

1971

National Student Film Corporation

May 1 – Billy Jack

• Cast: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, David Roya, Clark Howat, Victor Izay, Julie Webb, Debbie Schock, Teresa Kelly, Lynn Baker, Stan Rice, John McClure, Susan Foster, Susan Sosa, Bert Freed, Kenneth Tobey, Howard Hesseman, Cisse Cameron
• Director: Tom Laughlin
• Studio: National Student Film Corporation, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
• Trivia: The film had a limited US release on May 1, and was a box office dud. A re-release followed on May 9, 1973 and it was an enormous hit. It also screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2009. This was the second of four films to feature the Billy Jack character, the first being 1967’s The Born Losers. Laughlin directed the film as T.C. Frank in honor of his children Teresa, Christina and Frank. Howard Hessemen is credited as Don Sturdy in his first credited role, and Cisse Cameron is credited as Cissie Colpitts in her first role. Several cast members urged Laughlin to not wear his black hat with the Indian headband in the film, but he did anyway and it became an iconic trademark for the character. Delores Taylor was nominated for a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer Female in 1972. Debbie Schock was not a professional actress, rather she was the babysitter for Laughlin’s children. Julie Webb, also not an actress, was Schock’s friend in real life.

1981

April 30 – Friday the 13th Part II

• Cast: Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King, Steve Daskewisz, Warrington Gillette, Stu Charno, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Marta Kober, Tom McBride, Bill Randolph, Kirsten Baker, Russell Todd, Walt Gorney, Betsy Palmer, Jack Marks, Cliff Cudney
• Director: Steve Miner
• Studio: Georgetown Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures
• Trivia: Steve Miner’s directorial debut. The film marks the debut of Jason Voorhees as the main antagonist. The film was meant to be part of an anthology series based around the Friday the 13th superstition to create an event that teens would flock to on that date, but the popularity of the original led the filmmakers to continue the Camp Crystal Lake story. Due to the film’s ‘accumulative violence’, the MPAA forced numerous cuts to be made for the film, totaling about 48 seconds, to receive an R-rating. Adrienne King was stalked by an obsessed fan after the original and is said to have asked for her role in the sequel to be as small as possible. Other sources claim her agent asked for a higher salary which the studio could not afford. Filming took place mostly in Preston and Kent, Connecticut. Tom Savini was asked to return to produce the film’s special makeup effects, but he was busy with another film and wasn’t keen on the concept of Jason Voorhees being the killer. He was replaced with Stan Winston, but a scheduling conflict forced him to drop out. He was replace by Carl Fullerton. Fullerton’s look for the adult Jason was based on Savini’s makeup for the child, but the concept was abandoned for the third film even though it was set the day after Part II. The switch has led fans to theorize that the face seen in Part II was just a dream, Ginny’s guess at what he looked like under the burlap sack. Steve Miner says the ending is not a dream. Footage of actress Marta Kober was removed from the film and destroyed when Paramount learned she was only 16 at the time of filming. Jason is dressed in the film to resemble the burlap sack killer from The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Warrington Gillette originally auditioned for a camp counselor role that he didn’t get, but producers liked him and knew he went to stunt school so they cast him as Jason. However, Gillette only appears as the unmasked Jason in the window scene. Masked Jason was played by stuntman Steve Dash, who was upset that he went uncredited. He is credited in Part III. During filming, Dash broke his ribs, was knocked unconscious, and received a cut on his finger from a machete that required 13 stitches. Dash was in full Jason makeup, complete with a machete in his shoulder, while at the hospital. The first shot of Jason’s leg walking across a street is actually costume designer Ellen Lutter, the only time Jason was played by a woman. Amy Steele said it required three takes to film with window scene, and that her frightened reaction was genuine because every time she’d hear the camera start rolling she would tense up and get scared. The film’s pre-credits sequence is one of the longest in film history, clocking in at almost 15 minutes in some versions. Betsy Palmer filmed her cameo in a half-day in Los Angeles in front of a black screen. The retractable ice pick that kills Adrienne King’s character did not retract on the first take, causing her some injury. King didn’t know her character was going to die until she got to the set and realized most of the film had already been shot. She had let producers know before filming that she was open to returning for more films. If Paramount had not agreed to finance the film, Warner Bros. was prepared to step in and take over after successfully distributing the original outside of the US. Jason was the film’s working title. The film was released the same year as Halloween II, which John Carpenter was forced to make after the success of the original Friday the 13th. The edited footage was found on a VHS tape owned by Carl Fullerton and is included on the Scream Factory Blu-ray box set release of the Friday the 13th films. The film’s poster shows Jason holding a bloody hatchet, but he never uses one to kill his victims in the film. He does, however, plant one in Jeff and Sandra’s bed. The final shot of Mrs. Voorhees’ head is obviously someone in makeup but the film ends on a freeze frame. Originally the eyes were supposed to open but Miner thought it looked hokey and cheapened the film’s impact. The character of Scott is the first to be killed with Jason’s signature machete. It’s the only film in the franchise to feature the ‘final girl’ from the previous film. Tommy Jarvis is the only other character to appear in more than one film.

May 1 – The Nesting

• Cast: Robin Groves, Christopher Loomis, Michael Lally, John Carradine, Gloria Grahame, Bill Rowley, David Tabor, Patrick Farrelly, Bobo Lewis, June Berry, Ann Varley, Cecile Liebman, Ron Levine
• Director: Armand Weston
• Studio: Nesting Company, distributed by William Mishkin Motion Pictures
• Trivia: Also known as Phobia and Massacre Mansion. This was Gloria Grahame’s final film role. The film was seized and confiscated in the UK during the ‘video nasties’ panic.

1991

May 3 – A Rage in Harlem

• Cast: Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Zakes Mokae, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, John Toles-Bey, Tyler Collins, Ron Taylor, Samm-Art Williams, Stack Pierce, Willard E. Pugh, Helen Martin, Wendell Pierce, T. K. Carter, Jalacy Hawkins, Beatrice Winde, George Wallace
• Director: Bill Duke
• Studio: Palace Productions, distributed by Miramax Films
• Trivia: Loosely based on Chester Himes’ novel A Rage in Harlem. Bill Duke was chosen to direct because of his experience directing Hill Street Blues, which often mixed humor and violence. Duke cast Robin Givens after considering 300 women for the part, including Vanessa Williams, Pam Grier, Olivia Brown and Jasmine Guy. A dispute arose between Duke and the producers, who had raised funding for the film on the premise that it was a comedy. Duke was insistent that he was not making a comedy. The film received a five minute standing ovation when it premiered at Cannes.

May 3 – One Good Cop

• Cast: Michael Keaton, Rene Russo, Anthony LaPaglia, Benjamin Bratt, Rachel Ticotin, Kevin Conway, Tony Plana, Charlayne Woodard, Kevin Corrigan, Vondie Curtis-Hall
• Director: Heywood Gould
• Studio: Hollywood Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s original title was We’re Alive. This was the first time Michael Keaton and Rene Russo worked together, although Keaton had been considered for the lead in Get Shorty and Lethal Weapon, both films in which Russo would have been his love interest. While Keaton was still on board to play Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, Russo was considered for the role of Dr. Chase Meridian.

2001

May 4 – Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

• Cast: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, John Hurt, Christian Bale, David Morrissey, Irene Papas, Piero Maggio, Gerasimos Skiadaressis, Aspasia Kralli, Michael Yannatos, Dimitris Kaberidis, Pietro Sarubbi, Viki Maragaki, Joanna-Daria Adraktas, Ira Tavlaridis, Katerina Didaskalou, Emilios Chilakis, Panagis Polichronatos, Patrick Malahide, George Kotanidis
• Director: John Madden
• Studio: StudioCanal, Working Title Films, distributed by Miramax Films (UK), Universal Pictures (International)
• Trivia: The film premiered in the UK on April 19 before going into general release on May 4. The film’s US premiere was held on August 13, followed by a general release on August 17. Based on the 1994 novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières, who rewrote the book 35 times to ensure he had gotten the details told to him by the locals as accurate as possible. Roger Michell was set to direct but suffered a heart attack and was replaced by John Madden. Michell had included an Easter egg in his previous film Notting Hill, where Hugh Grant is seen reading the novel in one scene. Katie Holmes auditioned for the role of Pelagia (Cruz).

May 4 – Lloyd

• Cast: Todd Bosley, Brendon Ryan Barrett, Chloe Peterson, Sammy Elliott, Patrick Higgins, Kristin Parker, Tom Arnold, Taylor Negron
• Director: Hector Barron
• Studio: Shadow Productions, Lloyd T.U.C.K., distributed by SoHo Entertainment
• Trivia: The film had a limited US release.

May 4 – Mockingbird Don’t Sing

• Cast: Tarra Steele, Melissa Errico, Kim Darby, Joe Regalbuto, Sean Young, Michael Lerner, Laurie O’Brien, Jack Betts, John Valdetero, Michael Azria, Rachel Grate
• Director: Harry Bromley Davenport
• Studio: Dorian Films, Genieworks, distributed by Mainline Releasing
• Trivia: Based on the true story of Genie, a modern-day feral child. All of the names are fictitious for legal reasons. The screenplay won first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival (in a tie with Wings of Hope).

Universal Pictures

May 4 – The Mummy Returns

• Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez, The Rock, Freddie Boath, Alun Armstrong, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Shaun Parkes, Bruce Byron, Joe Dixon, Tom Fisher, Aharon Ipalé
• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Studio: Alphaville Films, distributed by Universal Pictures
• Trivia: The film’s premiere was held on April 29. The sequel was greenlit by Universal the day after The Mummy opened. The film inspired the 2002 prequel film The Scorpion King. This was Rachel Weisz’ first sequel. She declined to return for the third film as she had recently given birth. She and Patricia Velasquez trained for five months for their fight scene and performed it without stunt doubles. Arnold Vosloo had his body shaved twice a day because waxing was too painful. Freddie Boath passed on the opportunity to play Harry Potter because The Mummy was one of his favorite films, having seen it more than 30 times. He knew the film so well, he served as sort of a consultant on this film for other cast and crew members. This was his first professional acting job. This was Dwayne Johnson’s first screen role that did not involve wrestling, and all of his dialogue is in Ancient Egyptian. A life-sized Oscar statue can be glimpsed in the room full of gold. The maligned digital effects of the Scorpion King were rushed and only completed eight days before the film’s release. Cliffs had to be digitally added during the tidal wave scene to obscure the hundreds of spectators watching the production. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje left the cast of HBO’s Oz to be in the film. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Arnold Vosloo, and Brendan Fraser would all appear in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, also directed by Stephen Sommers. Dwayne Johnson would appear in the sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Alun Armstrong appeared in Sommers’ Van Helsing. Despite fighting the Scorpion King at the end of the film, Fraser had not met Johnson during the film’s production.

2011

April 29 – Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil

• Voice Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Cory Edwards, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Phil LaMarr, David Ogden Stiers, Andy Dick, Martin Short, Benjy Gaither, Brad Garrett, Wayne Newton, Debra Wilson, David Alan Grier, Cameron Barnes, Mike Disa, Heidi Klum, Rebecca Andersen, Danny Pudi, Frank Welker
• Director: Mike Disa
• Studio: Kanbar Entertainment, Kanbar Animation, Arc Productions, distributed by The Weinstein Company
• Trivia: The film screened at the Festival Best Academy Awards Films for Kids on February 27, then screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23. Most of the cast from the original film reprised their roles except for Anne Hathaway and Jim Belushi, who were replaced by Hayden Panettiere and Martin Short. The film was a bomb, grossing $16 million against a $30 million budget. The first film’s budget was $8 million but earned over $110 million despite mixed reviews. The witch’s house is modeled after the Bates Motel in Psycho. The headband worn by the head of the Sisters of the Good is the same worn in The Karate Kid. This was David Ogden Stiers’ final animated voice role.

April 29 – Prom

• Cast: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Cameron Monaghan, Yin Chang, Janelle Ortiz, Nolan Sotillo, Danielle Campbell, Kylie Bunbury, DeVaughn Nixon, Jared Kusnitz, Nicholas Braun, Joe Adler, Jonathan Keltz, Christine Elise McCarthy, Raini Rodriguez, Aimee-Lynn Chadwick, Dean Norris, Faith Ford, Robbie Tucker, Jere Burns, Allie Trimm, Amy Pietz, Carlease Burke, Blair Fowler, Madison Riley, Rocco Nugent, Ivy Malone, Chloe Little, Kofi Siriboe, Kristopher Higgins
• Director: Joe Nussbaum
• Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
• Trivia: The first major film released to theaters to be shot with Arri Alexa digital cameras. The film is set in Michigan, but was filmed in Los Angeles.