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40 Years Ago...

Old 06-16-12, 12:29 PM
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40 Years Ago...

I thought it would be interesting to check out what people were going to see 40 years ago in the theaters.

This is a list of all the films that were #1 at the box office for at least a week during that year. A lot of things interesting about this list, but i will mention just one....Woody Allen had 2 films that were #1 at the box office!!!!

Dirty Harry
The Cowboys
The Hot Rock
Cabaret
What's Up, Doc?
The Godfather
Play It Again, Sam
Shaft's Big Score
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Butterflies Are Free
Joe Kidd
Fat City
Deliverance
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Sounder
Lady Sings the Blues
1776
The Poseidon Adventure
Jeremiah Johnson
The Getaway
Old 06-16-12, 12:30 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

The only thing I was seeing 40 years ago was the inside of my Dad's nutsack!
Old 06-16-12, 12:39 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by GoldenJCJ
The only thing I was seeing 40 years ago was the inside of my Dad's nutsack!
Which is well-documented in the "What Happens During Ejaculation?" segment of Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

Old 06-16-12, 12:42 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by GoldenJCJ
The only thing I was seeing 40 years ago was the inside of my Dad's nutsack!
I'm sure you have some more great tales to tell of your days as a Urologist, but can you please save those for the Other forum.
Old 06-16-12, 12:47 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Jaymole
I thought it would be interesting to check out what people were going to see 40 years ago in the theaters.

This is a list of all the films that were #1 at the box office for at least a week during that year. A lot of things interesting about this list, but i will mention just one....Woody Allen had 2 films that were #1 at the box office!!!!

Dirty Harry
The Cowboys
The Hot Rock
Cabaret
What's Up, Doc?
The Godfather
Play It Again, Sam
Shaft's Big Score
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Butterflies Are Free
Joe Kidd
Fat City
Deliverance
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Sounder
Lady Sings the Blues
1776
The Poseidon Adventure
Jeremiah Johnson
The Getaway
I saw 15 of these in theaters that year. In June of '72 I had a slow month and saw only four 1972 releases that month: THE GODFATHER, BUCK AND THE PREACHER, FRENZY, and CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. In addition, other 1972 releases seen in the first half of the year, not on the list above: SILENT RUNNING, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, BLINDMAN. On July 4th, I went to see Sergio Leone's DUCK, YOU SUCKER.
Old 06-16-12, 01:06 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by GoldenJCJ
The only thing I was seeing 40 years ago was the inside of my Dad's nutsack!
Worst 10th birthday ever!
Old 06-16-12, 01:42 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

out of those films, I've only seen:

Dirty Harry
The Godfather
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Deliverance
Jeremiah Johnson
The Getaway


I've wanted to see What's Up, Doc? Especially w/ it being pretty cheap on BD. I've always wanted to see Cabaret cuz I know I'm missing a film I'll enjoy very much. The other ones I know very little of. So...from those films I haven't seen which are must sees?
Old 06-16-12, 01:44 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

I wish I could've been around to catch all of the Apes films in theaters during their original run.
Old 06-16-12, 02:39 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Solid Snake PAC
out of those films, I've only seen:

Dirty Harry
The Godfather
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Deliverance
Jeremiah Johnson
The Getaway


I've wanted to see What's Up, Doc? Especially w/ it being pretty cheap on BD. I've always wanted to see Cabaret cuz I know I'm missing a film I'll enjoy very much. The other ones I know very little of. So...from those films I haven't seen which are must sees?
Fat City is a must see...a great John Huston film.

Play it Again Sam is very funny..a rare Woody Allen film that he did not direct.

I would also check out The Hot Rock...especially if you like heist films.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) is uneven...some skits work and some don't, but the ones that do are worth your time.
Old 06-16-12, 02:40 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal
I wish I could've been around to catch all of the Apes films in theaters during their original run.
Saw them all at the drive-in as a kid. In our town they were always exclusive to the drive-in. Out of that list I saw 10 of them at theater/drive-in in '72. Saw Godfather at the the drive-in. First time I can remember cops directing traffic at the theater entrance it was so busy. Poseidon was the big Christmas movie. Since school was out for Christmas vacation I walked to see it 6 times.
Old 06-16-12, 03:44 PM
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I saw four of those:
Dirty Harry
Cabaret
The Godfather
The Poseidon Adventure


All pretty high profile at the time although I can't remember where I saw them or with whom.

Cabaret is the one I remember enjoying the most; I was quite impressed with the performances, especially Liza Minnelli, although I haven't seen it since.

The Godfather wasn't my cup of tea so I never saw the second one; even though reviews said it was better than the first I didn't care for the story line. (Yes, I am aware that the movies are worshiped by cinephiles here.) Another movie I haven't seen since.

The Poseidon Adventure was the big "popcorn movie" of the time; disaster movies with big name actors were a fad—perhaps they still are. I don't remember much about it, so it didn't have much impact.

Dirty Harry was the movie that made Clint Eastwood a star, IIRC. This is the only one of the four I've seen again on other formats besides the first run on the big screen. Something of a classic of the genre.
Old 06-16-12, 04:18 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

'The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean' is from 1972, you guys have to see that. Man I love that film.

'The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid' is from that year, well worth seeing.

'Junior Bonner' is 1972, Peckinpah and McQueen. A good film.

'Bad Company' with a young Jeff Bridges is a very good film.

'Ulzana's Raid' is a terrific film from that year.

'The New Centurions' is an excellent George C Scott film from 1972.

'Solaris' of course, a masterwork.

'Aguirre, The Wrath of God' again, a masterpiece.

That was a good year for film.
Old 06-16-12, 04:37 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

After checking my database, other films I saw in 1972

Indoors
Last House On The Left
Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean
The Mechanic
Prime Cut
Sleuth
Snowball Express
Ulzana's Raid
Thunderball/You Only Live Twice (reissue)
Dr. No/From Russia With Love/Goldfinger (reissue)

Drive-in
Asylum
Cisco Pike
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Dracula A.D. 1972
Frogs
Vampire Circus
Old 06-16-12, 05:10 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Jaymole
I thought it would be interesting to check out what people were going to see 40 years ago in the theaters.

This is a list of all the films that were #1 at the box office for at least a week during that year. A lot of things interesting about this list, but i will mention just one....Woody Allen had 2 films that were #1 at the box office!!!!

Dirty Harry
The Cowboys
The Hot Rock
Cabaret
What's Up, Doc?
The Godfather
Play It Again, Sam
Shaft's Big Score
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Butterflies Are Free
Joe Kidd
Fat City
Deliverance
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Sounder
Lady Sings the Blues
1776
The Poseidon Adventure
Jeremiah Johnson
The Getaway
Of the films on the list, I saw "The Cowboys" double billed with "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", "Play It Again, Sam" and "The Poseidon Adventure" I did see in the theater.

Films released in 1972 I saw the the theater were "Ben", "Frenzy" double billed with "Play Misty For Me", "Snoopy Come Home".
Old 06-16-12, 05:21 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Don't forget, this was also the year Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny came out.
Old 06-16-12, 07:34 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

It would be interesting to see a number count for '82, '92 and '11 for comparison since films now spend less time at #1.
Old 06-16-12, 07:52 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

I saw The Posidon Adventure and 1776 in the theater. Our whole elementary school class was walked to the theater to see the second one. I suppose that's also the year I saw The Andromeda Strain and Silent Running.
Old 06-16-12, 08:05 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

I checked my archive. In the Niagara Region, here is what you could have seen exactly 40 years ago:

Friday June 16th 1972




Saturday June 17th 1972
Elvis AND The Beatles!



June 23rd 1972
Naughtiness!



June 30th 1972




October 3rd 1972




October 7th 1972
AS usual, the best offerings were at the drive-in



October 19th 1972




October 26th 1972


Old 06-16-12, 08:13 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Michael Corvin
It would be interesting to see a number count for '82, '92 and '11 for comparison since films now spend less time at #1.
They certainly do.

Here are the movies that hit #1 in 2011:

True Grit
The Green Hornet
No Strings Attached
The Rite
The Roomate
Just Go With It
Unknown
Hall Pass
Rango
Battle: Los Angeles
Limitless
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2
Hop
Rio
Fast Five
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
The Hangover Pt II
X-Men: First Class
Super 8
Green Lantern
Cars 2
Transformers 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2
Captain America
The Smurfs
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Help
(4 weeks!)
Contagion
The Lion King 3D
Dolphin Tale
Real Steel
Paranormal Activity 3
Puss in Boots
Immortals
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt 1
New Year's Eve
Sherlock Holmes 2
Mission: Impossible 4
Old 06-16-12, 09:34 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Where's the first movie I ever saw in a movie theater: Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (released in the U.S. in 1972)?

I have such fond memories of that movie that it almost brings tears to my eyes when I see the scene where Godzilla use his atomic breath to fly backwards.
Old 06-16-12, 10:13 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Fist of Doom
They certainly do.

Here are the movies that hit #1 in 2011:

True Grit
The Green Hornet
No Strings Attached
The Rite
The Roomate
Just Go With It
Unknown
Hall Pass
Rango
Battle: Los Angeles
Limitless
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2
Hop
Rio
Fast Five
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
The Hangover Pt II
X-Men: First Class
Super 8
Green Lantern
Cars 2
Transformers 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2
Captain America
The Smurfs
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Help
(4 weeks!)
Contagion
The Lion King 3D
Dolphin Tale
Real Steel
Paranormal Activity 3
Puss in Boots
Immortals
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt 1
New Year's Eve
Sherlock Holmes 2
Mission: Impossible 4
39 movies? Damn. That's almost a new #1 every week.

Thanks for the list.
Old 06-16-12, 10:38 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Fist of Doom
They certainly do.

Here are the movies that hit #1 in 2011:

True Grit
The Green Hornet
No Strings Attached
The Rite
The Roomate
Just Go With It
Unknown
Hall Pass
Rango
Battle: Los Angeles
Limitless
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2
Hop
Rio
Fast Five
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
The Hangover Pt II
X-Men: First Class
Super 8
Green Lantern
Cars 2
Transformers 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2
Captain America
The Smurfs
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Help
(4 weeks!)
Contagion
The Lion King 3D
Dolphin Tale
Real Steel
Paranormal Activity 3
Puss in Boots
Immortals
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt 1
New Year's Eve
Sherlock Holmes 2
Mission: Impossible 4
This list compared with the 1972 one is crushingly depressing.
Old 06-16-12, 10:50 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Thanks for those old movie ads Crocker Jarmen, i always love looking back at those. I would peruse the ones in The Dallas Morning News weekly. Even when it was 6,7,8 etc . . . and of course it was years later before I saw most of the films.
Old 06-16-12, 10:52 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Strevlac
This list compared with the 1972 one is crushingly depressing.
There are 2 big differences between the 2 lists:

The first is that there was only ONE drama among the 39 films from 2011 that was #1.

The second s that almost every film from 1972 on the list was geared to adults...that is almost completely opposite to how it is today. The majority of Hollywood films today are geared to people under 21.
Old 06-16-12, 10:58 PM
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Re: 40 Years Ago...

Originally Posted by Crocker Jarmen
I checked my archive. In the Niagara Region, here is what you could have seen exactly 40 years ago:

Friday June 16th 1972




Saturday June 17th 1972
Elvis AND The Beatles!



June 23rd 1972
Naughtiness!



June 30th 1972




October 3rd 1972




October 7th 1972
AS usual, the best offerings were at the drive-in



October 19th 1972




October 26th 1972


Thanks...love seeing those ads!!

As a kid, I use to cut out all the movie ads from the NY papers and keep them in a scrapbook. I still have a lot of the ads...most are them are from 1974 to 1978. I just wish my parents bought the NY Times as it was a much larger paper and some of their ads were gigantic!!

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