Summer Movie Releases of 1970

Continuing my look at summer movie releases of the past I know turn the calendar back to 1970. Much like 1965 movie palaces were still the most prominent of indoor theaters though a few suburban twin screens were beginning to pop up here and there. Drive-ins were also still as popular as ever.

Twenty movies were released during the summer of 1970. Once again, and oddly enough, only one of those was geared towards children and it came from the Walt Disney Company. Only one of these films would be recognized at Academy Award time at the end of the year and that film was a documentary that would become the highest grossing documentary of all time up until that time, a record that would last for two decades.

Here are the summer movie releases of 1970. As usual they are listed in alphabetical order. Here is hoping is you were old enough to have seen any of these films at that time that it brings back fond memories. For those of you not old enough I hope you enjoy seeing what was on the summer movie docket back then.

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (20^th Century Fox; Director - Ted Post) The first of four sequels to 1968's enormously popular Planet of the Apes stars James Franciscus and brings back original "apes" Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans. Original Apes star Charlton Heston makes only a cameo appearance at the beginning of the movie. The film tells the story of the search for the missing Taylor (Heston) with Franciscus leading the way and finding himself caught up in a war between the apes and human mutants who survived a nuclear blast some years before. Much like the original critics were not kind to this sequel but the film made an impressive $8.6 million (though the original made over $15 million).

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (20^th Century Fox; Director - Russ Meyer) Adult director Meyer, fresh off his low budget smash hit Vixen, directed and co-scripted (along with Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert) this clever and farcical look at fame as an all female rock band tries to hit the big time in Hollywood. The film was originally released with an X-rating with a budget of $900,000 and received wildly mixed reviews from critics. Some critics placed it on the worst film of the year list while at least two prominent critics picked it as the best film of 1970. Much like Vixen, this film crossed over and appealed to both males and females and became a smash hit earning $9 million.

BLOODY MAMA (American International; Director - Roger Corman) A strictly drive-in movie release from legendary B-movie director Corman comes this telling of the life and death of Ma Barker and her sons in the 1930's as they robbed banks and moved from state to state as they became the subject of a manhunt. Shelley Winters plays Ma Barker and Robert DeNiro has an early role as one of her sons. The film received poor reviews but was a mild hit at the box office.

THE BOATNIKS (Walt Disney; Director - Norman Tokar) Walt Disney's only summer movie release starred Robert Morse as a Coast Guard ensign who finds romance, adventure and danger on the high seas while undergoing training. The typical Disney movie, the film received mixed reviews but was a solid hit.

CATCH 22 (Paramount; Director - Mike Nichols) Joseph Heller's epic comic novel was adapted into a star studded, expensive war comedy about the efforts of one man to get out of the army. Alan Arkin, Jon Voight, Buck Henry, Orson Welles, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkle, Bob Newhart and Anthony Perkins star in the film that came off as more of a muddled mess than a concise, linear narrative. The film received mostly negative reviews but was a hit at the box office making $12.5 million.

CHISUM (Warner Bros; Director - Andrew V. McLaglen) The John Wayne movie of the summer was this western about cattle ranchers defending a piece of land from an evil cattle baron. This film is of note as being one of the few Wayne films that was actually based on fact. The film received mixed reviews and did only so-so at the box office.

COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (United Artists; Director - Ossie Davis) One of the first, best and most successful of the blaxploitation films of the decade was this action comedy about two cops who begin thinking a popular neighborhood preacher is really a swindler out to con his congregation out of as much money as possible. Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques played the lead detectives and have fun with their roles to the point it is infectious to the audience. The film was generally well received and was a solid box office hit that would be followed a few years later by the sequel, Come Back Charleston Blue.

GETTING STRAIGHT (Columbia; Director - Richard Rush) Elliot Gould stars as a man returning from Vietnam who decides to go back to college to get his degree and soon finds himself at odds with everyone (including himself) over what were once radical ideas that he is now against. Candice Bergen co-stars as the woman who falls in love with Gould but has ideas of her own that contradict how Gould now feels. The film is a real time capsule of its era but back then it was a surprise hit as it struck a chord with the college crowd. Critical reaction was mixed but the film ultimately was critic-proof.

THE GRASSHOPPER (National General Pictures; Director - Jerry Paris) An odd but somewhat effective drama that chronicles the life of a 19 year old college student who, by the age of 22, had become a hooker in Las Vegas. Jacqueline Bisset plays the lead role and is supported nicely by footballer Jim Brown in a touching role. Critical reaction was mixed but the film flopped at the box office.

JOE (Cannon Films; Director - John G. Avildsen) Six years before directing Rocky to the Best Picture and Director Academy Awards, Avildsen directed this little drama that struck a chord with all audiences of its time and turned it into a smash hit despite a limited art house release for its first several months. Peter Boyle stars as a bigot who blackmails a man who has murdered his daughter's junkie boyfriend and soon discovers he may want to kill a junkie or hippie himself. This is another time capsule of its era and not nearly as potent and powerful as it once was but it an interesting curio. The film received mixed reviews but grossed over $10 million.

KELLY'S HEROES (MGM; Director - Brian Hutton) Clint Eastwood stars as one in a platoon of soldiers in WWII who discover, from the mouth of a drunken colonel, where a gold supply has been stashed in France. Eastwood takes it upon himself to plan the heist and then enlist the aid of his fellow soldiers. Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland and Carroll O'Connor co-star in this action/adventure that received mixed reviews but was a solid box office hit.

MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (20^th Century Fox; Director - Michael Sarne) This notorious film was based on the novel by Gore Vidal that was considered unfilmable. The final results proved to be correct. The film is basically a comedy about a man having a sex change operation and is told with explanations coming from clips of old Hollywood movies. This raunchy, X-rated romp featured performances by John Huston, Raquel Welch and Mae West and also featured a starring role for film critic Rex Reed who proved that critics should never quit their day jobs. Most critics agreed it was not only the worst major film of 1970 but one of the worst ever made (director Sarne's career was virtually ruined by this movie). Despite the tepid reviews the film caused somewhat of a sensation as audiences were curious to see what it was all about and it ended up grossing over $4 million and wasn't a monumental flop as has been reported.

ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER (Paramount; Director - Vincent Minnelli) Barbra Streisand was at the height of her movie career with the lavish romantic drama about a troubled woman whose psychiatrist discovers she had a past life as a showgirl in 19^th Century England. This was an odd mix of romance, comedy, drama and music that received very mixed reviews, strong notices from some critics and tepid notices from others. Streisand's star power propelled this film into a huge hit earning over $14 million.

THE OUT OF TOWNERS (Paramount; Director - Arthur Hiller) Playwright Neil Simon wrote this original screenplay starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as a couple from Ohio coming to New York so he can interview for an important job. From the get go anything that can go wrong does so. They encounter flight delays, packed trains, no food, loss of hotel reservations, transit strikes, muggers and angry mobs among other things. The film received mixed reviews but was a solid hit at the box office.

RIDER ON THE RAIN (Avco Embassy; Director - Rene Clement) A French woman is stalked by and then attacked by a man. In time she exacts her revenge and then one day meets an American detective who seems to know of her guilt and may be playing games with her to drive her to confess. Charles Bronson stars in this suspenseful thriller that is well directed and intricately plotted. The reviews of the film were strong and it was a mild hit at the box office due to its art house type release around the country.

SOLDIER BLUE (Avco Embassy; Director - Ralph Nelson) Candice Bergen and Peter Strauss star in this period romantic drama about a love affair between the only two survivors of an Indian attack. The film was meant to make a statement about the treatment of Indians and, to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War, but the filmmakers muddled their hidden metaphors and ruined their context by including battle so violent it could still make viewers turn away from the screen. The film was beaten up by critics and was a failure at the box office.

START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME (Warner Bros; Director - Bud Yorkin) A farcical version of The Man in the Iron Mask is this madcap comedy about two sets of mismatched twins who meet just before the start of the French Revolution. Donald Sutherland and Gene Wilder play the leads with Wilder stealing the movie in one of his most underappreciated performances. Despite strong critical reaction the film was a surprising flop at the box office but has steadily gained cult status in the years since.

TOO LATE THE HERO (ABC Pictures; Director - Robert Aldrich) Dirty Dozen director Aldrich goes the route of the WWII action film once again with this adventure starring Cliff Robertson and Michael Caine as soldiers sent on a suicide mission in the Pacific who begin a cat and mouse game with a Japanese officer as each tries to outwit the other. The film received good reviews and was a mild hit at the box office.

TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA (Universal; Director - Don Siegel) Clint Eastwood starred in this light comedy about a drifter helping a nun (Shirley MacLaine) across the Mexican desert and becoming wary of her actions as the journey continues. The film received generally good reviews and earned over $5 million at the box office.

WOODSTOCK (Warner Bros.; Director - Michael Wadleigh) The film that would go on to become the highest grossing documentary of all time at that time was this three hour look at the three day rock festival of peace. The film not only captures the spirit and meaning of the festival through the amazing array of rock performers but we also get a look at the people in the surrounding area, some of whom welcomed the hundreds of thousands of teenagers and some who were turned off by it. The film featured terrific stereophonic sound and split screen images that lose some of its effect on television but the film captures what is was like to be there (I, for one, will never forget the interview with the man who was cleaning the port-o-potties. He had one son in the crowd and another fighting in Vietnam). We witness the drugs; sex and the rock and roll but also one amazing thunderstorm that helped unite the crowd. Dozens of performers are featured in performances including Ten Years After, John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills and Nash (in only their second live performance) and Jimi Hendrix who concluded the festival with an amazing rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. The film would go on to be nominated for an unprecedented (for a documentary) three Academy Awards. It would lose for Sound and Editing (future director Martin Scorsese was one of the editors) and would deservedly win for Best Documentary. I, for one, believe it should have been nominated for Best Picture. The film received good reviews but earned an astounding $16.4 million.