The 70s Show: Part 1: 1970-1974
a.k.a. “The stewardess is flying the plane!”
Since I was born in 1962, the 70s are my cinematic wheelhouse. I went from 8 to 18 during the decade so these movies opened my eyes to an awful lot during a very impressionable part of my life. I guess this is why this decade’s films mean so much to me.
People my age are most likely familiar with all of these movies, so enjoy the trip down memory lane and hopefully I’ll stumble across some of your favorites. As for younger people, hopefully you’ll find something you’d never heard of that sounds interesting and see it for the first time. Just like I did in the 70s.
M*A*S*H (1970)
5 Oscar Nominations (including Picture, Director, & Supporting Actress) - 1 Win (Writing)
“This isn’t a hospital; it is an insane asylum!”
This is one of the very few cases of a movie spawning a very successful television show. There’s Fargo and The Odd Couple and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (from what I’m told), and then there’s M*A*S*H.
The great Robert Altman’s comedy/drama takes place during the Korean conflict, but it’s really Altman’s take on Vietnam. Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould lead a stellar cast that includes the underrated Sally Kellerman as “Hot Lips” Houlihan.
If you’re a fan of the show and haven’t seen this, it’s a must. I think the TV show did a fantastic job of living up to the source material.
Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
“Always with the negative waves Moriarty, always with the negative waves.”
Another war film with a tremendous cast. This is an action/heist/war movie helmed by Clint Eastwood as the titular Kelly. Joined by an admittedly odd collection of co-stars including Telly “Kojak” Savalas, Don “Mr. Warmth” Rickels, Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, and Donald Sutherland as a HIPPIE in a World War II movie!
This movie is so much fun. Hippie anachronisms, and 70s soundtrack aside. Great fun! They’re stealing gold from the Nazis! What’s not to love?
For some of the films covered in this blog I will highlight phrases of note featured on the poster. As I’ve stated previously, I love a good movie poster. Especially when they have a great tagline.
Poster cheers: “They set out to rob a bank…and damn near won a war instead!”
The Omega Man (1971)
“Sorry the world didn’t make it.”
I mentioned this film briefly in the “Remakes & Reboots” blog last week. It’s the middle piece of the The Last Man on Earth/The Omega Man/I Am Legend triple feature based on the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic movies, you need to see all three.
Check out the rating on the poster. GP! You don’t see that too often. It was a thing at one point! It stood for “Suggested for General Audiences, but Parental Guidance is advised.” Later changed to PG after somebody read the definition for GP.
Poster cheers: “The world is dead. One survivor. Then the others. Crawling in darkness. The strangest sect of all”
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
“It’s just dog eat dog, but I want the first bite.”
We love love love heist movies here at Cinema Wellman! And this is one of the first to feature technology and computers in the plot. Sean Connery is Robert “Duke” Anderson, a lifelong con out of prison and pulling a high stakes job. The target is a high security apartment building. The cast is tremendous. Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and an early look at Christopher Walken. The score is by Quincy Jones and it’s directed by Sidney Lumet. We love you, Sid!
Dirty Harry (1971)
“You’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?”
Truth be told I have not screened this in a while. The cop who breaks all the rules and does whatever he can to solve the case was actually appealing to movie audiences in the early 70s. Not so much now. But you cannot argue the fact that Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan is an iconic character in the cop movie pantheon.
And all 70s movies set in San Francisco kicked ass!
Poster cheers: “Detective Harry Callahan. He doesn’t break murder cases. He smashes them.”
Harold and Maude (1971)
“A lot of people enjoy being dead...”
I realize that all of these movies were made in the 70s and therefore represent the 70s, but Harold and Maude is SUCH a 70s movie! Who thought that a movie about suicide and death and mortality could be so funny!
Ruth Gordon rightfully won an Oscar in 1969 for her role in Rosemary’s Baby. The fact that she wasn’t even nominated for this film is stunning.
It’s funny that the poster brags about the fact that it’s “from the creator of Silver Streak and Foul Play when neither of those were especially good.
Poster cheers: “His hangups are hilarious”
Cabaret (1972)
10 Oscar Nominations - 8 Wins! (including Actress (Minelli), Supporting Actor (Grey), Director (Fosse), and Cinematography
“Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome.”
I’ve always been interested in World War II and that’s what led me to watch Cabaret for the first time. To this day it’s one of my favorite musicals. I even went to see a live performance of it while I was at BU! Liza Minelli is wonderful and Joel Grey is absolutely terrifying. Both of them won Oscars. Cabaret won 8 Oscars!
Poster cheers: “Life is a Cabaret”
Deliverance (1972)
3 Oscar Nominations (Picture, Director (Boorman), Film Editing)
“You don’t beat it. You don’t beat this river.”
This reminds me a bit of Descent (2005) in that it starts out as a buddy film and descends into a horror film. Descent had cave dwelling monsters, Deliverance had psychotic hillbillies.
This film made a lot of news because it features a man being raped. So strange that women have been raped on film forever and this caused a stir. Just another example of the patriarchy at its worst.
In any event, this is a top notch adventure thriller. And, hey, Burt Reynolds certainly had something.
Poster cheers: “When does the camping trip end…and the nightmare begin…?”
The Godfather (1972)
11 Oscar Nominations (4 of them acting roles!) - 3 Wins (Picture, Actor (Brando), Writing)
“Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family.”
So much has been said and written about this film and the trilogy that followed it. It’s wonderful, it’s tremendous, it’s iconic, etc. I can’t add to the accolades. I can share a personal anecdote about the film, and I guess that’s what this is all about in some way.
I remember when my parents went to see this movie. They did not go out to the movies a lot. They didn’t go out much at all as a matter of fact which is why this stands out. I was 10, my sister Vanessa was 12, and we got dropped off at our grandparent’s house so my parents could enjoy a movie. I kind of wish they did it more. I loved hanging out with my grandparents and they deserved to have more time out alone.
In any event, great movie.
The Hot Rock (1972)
1 Oscar nomination (Film Editing)
“You take failure too hard. I don’t mind it so much anymore.”
Great segue since I was just mentioning my parents. My mother LOVED The Hot Rock. She loved Robert Redford with a passion, and really enjoyed George Segal. She thought Paul Sand was odd, but funny. That trio, along with Ron Leibman attempt to steal a huge diamond from a museum. It’s one of the best comedy/heist movies of all time.
Poster cheers: “How many times does it take to steal the same diamond?”
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
“Just where is it I can find bear, beaver, and other critters worth cash money when skinned?”
I was smack dab in the middle of a “Mountain Man Phase” when I first saw Jeremiah Johnson. I read books about Jim Bridger and John Coulter and I imagined a life of trapping and living off the land.
That phase did NOT last! But this movie is tremendous. Robert Redford is wonderful, and the scenery is magnificent. Zion National Park in Utah is featured along with many other beautiful Utah locations.
Poster cheers: “The man who became a legend, returns in a legendary classic!”
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
8 Oscar nominations - 1 Oscar win (Original Song) - Also won a Special Achievement Oscar for Special Effects
“Oh. My. God.”
The 70s LOVED their disaster movies with all-star casts, so you knew there was going to be a couple of them on this list. This is one of my favorites.
It may be cheesy by today’s standards, and some of the acting may be over the top (Gene Hackman!), but it’s still an exciting film.
The Poseidon Adventure won a special Oscar for Special Effects and it was well deserved.
I think I can trace my fear of cruise ships back to this movie. No way you’ll get me on one of those. Or in a helicopter for that matter.
Poster cheers: “Hell, upside down. At midnight on New Year’s Eve the S.S. Poseidon was struck by a 90 foot tidal wave and capsized. Who will survive - in one of the greatest escape adventures ever!”
American Graffiti (1973)
5 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture and Director George Lucas)
“Hey! You got a bitchin’ car!”
This gem shows you what George Lucas could do before he got all Star Warsy on us. The cast is absolutely tremendous, and many of the stars went on to long and successful movie and television careers. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Suzanne Somers, and Han Solo himself; Harrison Ford are all in this.
It’s kind of like a 70s version of Dazed and Confused in the sense that it had a relatively young cast, many of whom were just starting their successful careers.
The soundtrack to this was killer and it was my introduction to 50s music. I had the double album and I played it to death. My friend Donny and I used to sing these songs on the playground! Why wasn’t I a theater kid again?
Poster cheers: “Where were you in ‘62?”
Soylent Green (1973)
“Ocean’s dying, plankton’s dying…it’s people!”
Charlton Heston in yet another post-apocalyptic movie. This is also the last role of good friend of Cinema Wellman, the great character actor Edward G. Robinson.
There’s a very cool twist that I won’t spoil for you here, but I will include it at the very bottom of this post after the Cinema Wellman logo and next episode announcement in case you don’t know it. First time I saw it, it freaked me out. Good stuff, that Soylent Green!
Poster cheers: “It’s the year 2022…People are still the same. They’ll do anything to get what they need. And they need SOYLENT GREEN.”
The Sting (1973)
10 Oscar Nominations - 8 Wins (including Best Picture, Director (Hill), and Costume Design (Edith Head!)
“Now, how do you want to work it?”
I guess it makes total sense that a lot of these movies have a connection to my parents. I was living in their house when I first saw all of these, and many of them were seen with one of them.
This was one of my mother’s favorite films. Jean loved this and she loved Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It shouldn’t take you too long to figure out why. My mom, like many, loved both Robert Redfor AND Paul Newman. And who could blame her?!
This is probably my first con man/heist movie and I’ve loved them ever since.
Poster cheers: “...all it takes is a little confidence.”
Westworld (1973)
“That’s not supposed to happen!”
I realize this is now a very popular show on HBO now, and robots are all the rage, but back in 1973, this original film was mind-blowing!
The premise of living out your wildest fantasies at a theme park for adults is quite tantalizing. Robots are there to serve your every need and desire. Guests can choose from Medieval World, Roman World, and, of course, West World.
We get to see all three, but most of our time is spent with stars James Brolin and Richard Benjamin in West World going up against The Gunslinger.
The fact that the Gunslinger robot is played by Yul Brynner and he’s wearing the EXACT outfit he wore in The Magnificent Seven may be the best part of this!
This is total escapist fun, and will someday be looked at as a documentary once the robots rise up and kill us all.
Poster cheers: “Boy, have we got a vacation for you…”
Blazing Saddles (1974)
3 Oscar Nominations
“Excuse me while I whip this out.”
I have a feeling that this movie could never be made today. Way too much of the humor would be singled out as offensive to someone or other.
In any case, this was filmed on the same outdoor sets as Westworld, which is kind of interesting since we just left WestWorld. Another fun fact about Blazing Saddles is that the premiere took place at a drive-in in Burbank, CA, and all 250 guests rode horses to the event and watched the movie on horseback. Perfect!
Earthquake (1974)
4 Oscar Nominations - Won a Special Achievement Oscar for Visual Effects
“Earthquakes bring out the worst in some people.”
Here’s another all-star Hollywood disaster that the 70s knew and loved so well. Aren’t those international posters great? Terremuto!
What you’ll be getting is Chuck Heston (again!), George Kennedy, Marjoe “Captain Cocaine” Gortner, and Victoria Principal in a very bad wig!
I’m a big fan of the movie posters that tried to cram in all of the “Star Power” they had onto the same poster. Billing order got pretty nasty in some of these all-star disaster epics.
Poster cheers: “An event...”
The Parallax View (1974)
“We’re in the business of reporting the news, not creating it.”
This is a top-notch espionage/conspiracy theory thriller starring Warren Beatty. Synopsis courtesy of IMDb: “An ambitious reporter gets in way-over-his-head trouble while investigating a senator’s assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world’s headlines.” I am getting in that van!
Seattle (and the Space Needle) play a large part in this film that will keep you guessing from start to finish.
Poster cheers: “There will be no witnesses.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
“My family’s always been in meat.”
I remember reading about what a horrible shoot this was. The conditions were terrible, the actors were miserable due to the heat and the amount of real dead animals decomposing all over the place. How pleasant!
Keeping that in mind, it’s no wonder that the people in peril in this movie seem to be in actual peril! This is a frightening movie on so many levels. I’ve always said that I’m not afraid of ghosts or vampires because they don’t exist. Chainsaw wielding lunatics? Oh yeah, they’re out there.
Poster cheers: “Who will survive and what will be left of them?”
Well, that does it for Part One of The 70s show. I’ll be back next week for another walk down the hazy memory lane that was the 70s.
Platforms:
M*A*S*H (1970): Amazon Prime
Kelly’s Heroes (1970): Amazon Prime
The Omega Man (1971): Amazon Prime
The Anderson Tapes (1971): Amazon Prime, tubi
Dirty Harry (1971): HBO Max
Harold and Maude (1971): kanopy
Cabaret (1972): Paramount +
Deliverance (1972): Netflix
The Godfather (1972): Amazon Prime
The Hot Rock (1972): Not currently available😞
Jeremiah Johnson (1972): kanopy
The Poseidon Adventure (1972): Amazon Prime
American Graffiti (1973): Amazon Prime, tubi
Soylent Green (1973): Amazon Prime
The Sting (1973): Amazon Prime, Showtime
Westworld (1973): HBO Max
Blazing Saddles (1974): Amazon Prime, hulu
Earthquake (1974): Amazon Prime
The Parallax View (1974): kanopy
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Amazon Prime
Keep up with everything Cinema Wellman!
Upcoming Blogs/Podcast Episodes:
Available on Wednesday, December 7th:
☮️The 70s Show: Part Two☮️
Until next time…take care!
Spoiler for Soylent Green: Soylent Green is people! The food they’re eating is processed people! Nice!
