For this article I thought it would be fun to look back at the summer movie season of thirty-five years ago, 1973, to see what perhaps older siblings or your parents or even you might have enjoyed that summer. You will note that there were 20 movies released that summer but only one that was specifically directed towards children, something unheard of now. Three of them were sequels, all to unexpected box office hits in the blaxploitation genre. Five of these films were remembered at Academy Awards time the following winter, two of them made the list of Best Picture nominees.
Here are the summer movies of 1973 listed in alphabetical order. I hope you enjoy the trip back in time and if you happen to have attended some of these movies in first run I hope this brings back pleasant memories.
AMERICAN GRAFFITI (Universal; Director – George Lucas) The sleeper hit of 1973 starred wall to wall unknowns (with the exception of Ronny Howard from The Andy Griffith Show) filled with a wall to wall soundtrack of rock music from the 1950’s to the early 1960’s. The young director was a budding novice named George Lucas who had the good fortune of being ably supported by Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, this movie’s producer. The film is basically one long night among four friends as some prepare for college and some prepare for life. The film became an instant box office smash and would go on to gross more then $55 million at the box office. That winter the film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Kudos to the casting directors who brought the following actors to light for the first time: Richard Dreyfuss, Paul LeMat, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark (nominated for Best Supporting Actress), Cindy Williams, Kathleen Quinlan, Suzanne Somers and Mackenzie Phillips.
BLUME IN LOVE (Warner Bros; Director – Paul Mazursky) George Segal starred in this unexpected box office hit as a divorce lawyer going through his own divorce. As he tries to pick up the pieces of his life he soon discovers he is still in love with his ex-wife and wants to win her back. A wonderfully written adult romantic comedy that was well received critically as well as commercially.
CAHILL – U.S. MARSHALL (Warner Bros; – Director Andrew V. McLaglen) It is well regarded that the 1970’s was not a good decade for John Wayne until his final film The Shootist. This film is considered by many as one of his weakest as a tough U.S. Marshal who has to step up when his two young sons, believed to be neglected by their father, decide to rob a bank and get in farther over their head then they ever anticipated. Reviews on the film were weak and even Wayne’s staunchest fans avoided this mess.
CLEOPATRA JONES (Warner Bros; Director – Jack Starrett) Tamara Dobson stars in the title role as a tough drug enforcement agent who destroys a Turkish poppy field and must contend with the wrath of a vengeful drug lord who uses everything from crooked cops to drug pushers to kill Cleopatra Jones. This was one of the most popular of the so called “blaxploitation” films of the era even though the film lacks a strong story or top direction. So popular was the film that Dobson would return for a 1975 sequel, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.
DILLINGER (American International Pictures; Director – John Milius) True story of the famed gangster’s exploits as he becomes public enemy number one and teams up with Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson to rob banks while avoiding G-men. This action packed B movie stars Warren Oates, Ben Johnson and Richard Dreyfuss in what is nothing more then a low budget drive-in movie. The film was not a big hit with critics or audiences.
EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (20th Century Fox; Director – Robert Aldrich) One of the most unusual action films of its time came from the able hands of director Robert (The Dirty Dozen) Aldrich and starred Ernest Borgnine as a sadistic railroad conductor who takes great pride in making sure no hobo’s ride his train for free and when he spots one he devices painful ways of getting them off the train. Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine co-star as a couple of hobo’s who hope to beat the conductor and become local legends. The film is filled with terrific action scenes but oddly was a box office flop that summer of 73 despite some strong reviews in a very mixed total.
ENTER THE DRAGON (Warner Bros; Director – Robert Crouse) The martial arts film was truly born with this epic box office hit about a martial arts expert who infiltrates a drug operation. The film was roundly booed off the screen by critics but the film’s star, Bruce Lee, died just weeks before the movie opened and audiences flocked in droves to get a look at the fallen star. The film made a whopping $25 million.
THE HARRAD EXPERIMENT (Cinerama Releasing Corp; Director – Ted Post) Another box office sleeper in the summer of 1973 was this ultra-low budget film about college students who take part in an experiment to confront their sexuality in ways society would normally shun. The film is sort of a Kinsey for older teenagers with plenty of sex and nudity thrown into the mix. Oddly, James Whitmore takes top billing as the professor of the experiment with a then unknown Don Johnson as one of the guinea pigs.
HEAVY TRAFFIC (American International; Director – Ralph Bakshi) Director Bakshi’s follow up to his smash adult animated hit Fritz The Cat (He’s X-rated and animated) was another X-rated animated film about a struggling cartoonist who takes inspiration from the grubby and prejudiced street people he confronts. Not nearly as imaginative as Fritz, Heavy Traffic still managed to be a surprising hit with college kids and older high schoolers who could gain admittance.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Universal; Director – Norman Jewison) Perhaps filmdom’s first rock opera is based on the hugely popular Broadway show by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice which details the final six days in the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Judas. The film is wall to wall music with no spoken lines and while the movie did make $13 million it was expected to gross even higher.
THE LAST OF SHEILA (Warner Bros; Director – Herbert Ross) One of the greatest overlooked films of the last 35 years is this beguilingly clever mystery with a terrific cast headed by James Coburn, Richard Benjamin, James Mason, Dyan Cannon, Raquel Welch and Joan Hackett. The film tells the story of a long weekend of Hollywood types on a boat playing mystery games that could tie into a real murder mystery. The terrific script was written by mystery buffs Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins and delivers even more so on repeated viewings when you can spot the cleverly hidden clues. Despite strong reviews the studio apparently didn’t believe in the film as it didn’t open in many theaters with much advanced publicity. The film did receive glowing reviews from critics but bombed at the box office. It deserves to be seen.
LIVE AND LET DIE (United Artists; Director – Guy Hamilton) Roger Moore stepped into the very large shoes of Sean Connery to take over the role of James Bond, 007 in this action filled but often silly adventure. The film most benefited from a popular title song by Paul McCartney and Wings and audiences proved it didn’t matter who was in the lead role, they just wanted to see Bond in action. The film would gross over $35 million.
THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING (MGM; Director – Richard C. Sarafian) The biggest flop of the summer season was this ludicrous romantic western starring Burt Reynolds and Sarah Miles. The film received much publicity during shooting when Miles’ husband committed suicide in their hotel room but none of that carried over to the film’s grosses which were weak along with the reviews.
PAPER MOON (Paramount; Director – Peter Bogdanovich) One of the most delightful films of the year was this comedy starring Ryan O’Neal as a depression era con man who gets roped into driving a little girl (played with devilish innocence by real life daughter Tatum) to relatives and discovering she is as adept as he is at the con game. This wonderfully photographed (in black and white) and beautiful looking film won young Tatum an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film received strong reviews and was a box office hit.
SCARECROW (Warner Bros.; Director – Jerry Shatzberg) Al Pacino and Gene Hackman starred together in this dramatic character study of two men who meet while hitchhiking and soon form a bond. Hackman is an ex-con traveling to Pittsburgh to realize his dream of opening a car wash while Pacino is a slightly off balanced man trying to find his ex-wife so he can meet his child. The film is a slow moving but strongly written piece of two lost men trying to find a place in the world. The film received strong reviews and was a mild hit at the box office.
SCREAM, BLACULA, SCREAM (American International; Director – Bob Kelljan) A sequel to the surprise hit Blacula brings back Shakespearian actor William Marshall in the title role. Here Blacula is resurrected by a vengeful voodoo expert who soon becomes Blacula’s slave and the two begin terrorizing Los Angeles. This follow up is everything the original wasn’t – witless, silly and overly violent. The film received scathing reviews and patrons stayed away thus killing any plans for a film franchise.
SHAFT IN AFRICA (MGM; Director – John Guillerman) Speaking of film franchises, Richard Roundtree took a third stab at playing the cool cat detective John Shaft. Here Shaft goes undercover to Africa to help break up an immigrant smuggling ring that has been tipped off to Shaft’s impending arrival. As third film goes the film manages to hold one’s interest with some well directed chase scenes and Roundtree’s commanding performance in the lead. And despite some good reviews the intended audience skipped this chapter in the saga for the most part.
SUPERFLY T.N.T. (Paramount; Director – Ron O’Neal) Another unexpected box office smash was 1972’s Superfly starring Ron O’Neal as a tough pimp trying to get out of the life, backed with some super cool songs by Curtis Mayfield. For the sequel Superfly is back in action basically doing the same things he did in the first film only this time Mayfield’s strong musical touch is sadly absent and missed. O’Neal, not one of our greatest actors, proves that as a director he makes a pretty good actor. The film did mild business but well below anticipation and thus yet another franchise was grounded.
TOM SAWYER (United Artists; Director – Don Taylor) The one true family film of the summer of 1973 was this delightful adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic novel about the rambunctious young boy and his best friend, Huck Finn, and young Becky Thatcher (played by a very young Jodie Foster). The film is filled with songs and thrills and chills (the Injun Joe sequences are terrific) and is well worth seeking out. The film received strong reviews and was a mild box office hit.
A TOUCH OF CLASS (Avco Embassy; Director – Melvin Frank) A sophisticated, adult romantic comedy starring George Segal as an American businessman living in London with his wife who falls for a English woman (Glenda Jackson) and spends a week with her on holiday. Upon his return Segal tries to juggle his wife, whom he still loves, with his new mistress, whom he is starting to fall in love with. This laugh out loud comedy mixes sweetness with farce without overloading on either. Jackson won an Academy Award for Best Actress and the film, a box office hit, was also nominated for Best Picture.
