35 Years of Summer Blockbusters-1975 Part 2

Jaws was not the only movie to come out in the summer of 1975, but it was the first official blockbuster. Here are some other films from that summer. You will see they are a far cry from the star studded, special effect movies that fill our summers 35 years later.

May 1975 - Mandingo one of the few "exploitation films made by a major studio. Released by paramount it was a big success.
May 7, 1975 - The Day Of The Locust - Directed by John Sleshinger and based on the book by Nathaniel West, this drama tells the story of failed dreams in pre-WWII Hollywood.
May 8, 1975 - "The Happy Hooker" based on the book of the same name. Followed by a sequel " The Happy Hooker Goes To Washington".
May 10, 1975 - Monty Python And The Holy Grail. Without a doubt, one of the funniest movies ever made. My brother saw this in the theatres in 1975. I was not allowed to go along.
May 1975 - Switchblade Sisters a female exploitation film and a personal favorite of director Quentin Tarantino.
May 14, 1975 - Moonrunners was a "B" action flick that spawned the TV series "Dukes of Hazard".
May 16, 1975 - Shiela Levine Is Dead and Living In New York. based on the book of the same name it was panned upon release.

May 21, 1975 - Cornbread, Earl And Me. A coming of age melodrama in the emerging Black Cinema. This one stars a young Laurence Fishburne

May 22, 1975 - Breakout. A "B" action flick with Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall and is based on a true story. I saw this film at the Pequa Theatre when i was 15 and had forgotten all about it until I started doing research for this blog. Cool movie. I'll have to look for it and view it again.
May 20, 1975 - The Fortune starring Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Stockard Channing and directed by Mike Nichols. The film was an attempt at farce, the kind of comedy popular in 30 & 40's screwball comedy. The film flopped and this was the third failure in row for Nichols, who had directed "The Graduate" and he did not make another picture for seven years.
May 21, 1975 - W.W. And The Dixie DanceKings. A southern rascal with charm is on the run from the law and hooks up with a female dance group. Directed by John Avildsen and starring Burt Reynolds and Art Carney, this comedic romp has been out of circulation for 35 years and has never been released to the home video market by 20th Century Fox
May 21, 1975 - French Connection II. Gene Hackman returned as Popeye Doyle to track down drug dealer Fernando Rey. This time the action takes place mostly in France. Directed by John Frankenhiemer this sequel to the 1971 hit was well received but not as popular as the original.
May 22, 1975 - The Wind And The Lion. An epic film in the tradition of Lawrence Of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, based on real life events, starred Sean Connery, Candace Bergen and Brian Keith. the film was a critical and financial success but was over shadowed by Jaws
June 1975 - Doc Savage: Man Of Bronze. the hero of 1930's and 40's pulp fiction came to life in this poorly executed camp action film. It was an utter failure and doomed the chances of a James Bond like series of films.
June 1975 - Race With The Devil. A "b" picture mash-up of the occult and car chases starring Peter Fonda
June 1975 - Crazy Mama. A "B" movie action pic starring Cloris Leachman fresh off her fame from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and directed by some guy named Johnathan Demme.
June 4, 1975 - Posse. produced, directed and starring Kirk Douglas this film is about a law man with political ambitions who chases after bad guy Bruce Dern
June 17, 1975 - Bug. A film about flying, intelligent "super" cock-roaches that can start fires with their wings. I kid you not!!
June 10, 1975 - Woody Allen's Love and Death. Allen's take on life, death and love all set against the backdrop of Napoleonic Russia. A screwball, slapstick, satire with a philosophical bent. I love Woody Allen movies and have been going to see them since 1969"s "Take The Money And Run'. I saw this in the theatre when I was 15 and remember laughing myself silly. 35 years later I have watched it many times and I always laugh. One of my favorite Woody Allen Films.
June 11, 1975 - Nashville. Robert Altman's look at the country music scene is considered to be his best film. Nominated for best Picture in 1975, we at the movie house are ashamed to admit we have never seen it.
June 11, 1975 - Night Moves. A contemporary film noir set in L.A. and the Florida Keys it stars Gene Hackman and was directed by Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde)
June 20, 1975 - Jaws. Nominated for best picture it was career making film for Spielberg, Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw. Followed by 3 sequels.
June 25, 1975 - The Drowning Pool. Paul Newman returns as private eye Lew Harper in this sequel to the film "Harper" based on the novel by Ross McDonald
June 25, 1975 - Cooley High. A classic of black cinema and spawned the TV show "What's Happening"
June 25, 1975 - Rollerball. This cult classic was another entry in the bleak, futuristic sci-fi dramas of the 70's, including Soylent green, Logan's Run, Silent Running, Westworld and The Omega Man
July 1, 1975 - Dolomite. One of the many black exploitation films of the 1970's Due to the proliferation of these films a new genre was created "Blaxploitation". Shaft is the most famous.
July 1, 1975 - The Apple Dumpling Gang. The first teaming of Don Knotts and Tim Conway, this picture was the most successful Disney film of the 1970's
July 9, 1975 - One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. A British based comedy produced by Disney and starring Helen Hayes and Peter Ustinov
July 4, 1975 - The Passenger. Directed by Michelangelo Antonini and starring Jack Nicholson this film has been highly praised for it's camera work and the final 7 minute tracking shot is widely studued by film students. Hailed by critics the film has developed a devout following.
July 11, 1975 - Cleaopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold. The sequel to Cleopatra Jones and another entry in the sub genre of black female exploitation films.
July 16, 1975 - White Line Fever. A "B" action pic about truck drivers.
July 16, 1975 - The Eiger Sanction. Clint eastwood directed and starred in this thriller about a hired assasin. Based on the 1972 novel of the same name the film was a critical and commercial success. I saw it once on television a couple of years after it's release in theatres. I need to revisit it.
August 1, 1975 - Coonskin, Contraversial mix of live action and animation by writer, director Ralph Bakshi
August 8, 1975 - Farewell My Lovely. A neo-noir film starring Robert Mitchum and based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
August 14, 1975 - The Rocky Horrow Picture Show. History was made with this camp, horrow musical. Rocky Horror is the longest running film in movie history. 20th century Fox has never pulled it from distribution since its original release date. The film has been playing some where in the U.S. (mostly at midnight) for 35 years.
August 12, 1975 - The Devil's Rain. "B" horror picture starring Ernest Borgnine, William Shatner and a young John Travolta. I remember the trailer for this film and wanted to see it so badly.
August 13, 1975 - The Land That Time Forgot. A sci-fi action adventure film featuring British and German soldiers on a German U-boat who discover and island lost in time with still living, man-eating dinosaurs. Followed by two sequels.
August 29, 1975 - 92 In The Shade. Peter Fonda and Warren Oates teamed again up for this "B" action pic about rivals in a Key West fishing business.
September 1, 1975 - The Four Musketeers. A movie history first. In fiming this version of The Three Musketeers the producers realized they had enough footage to split in half and make two movies. hence 1974's The Three Musketters and 1975's The Four Musketeers. This angered all the performers since they had been paid to only make one film and not paid for two. Since then Hollywood contracts specify how many films the actor is working on.