Welcome to our latest recurring feature,The Year in Film! So much of our coverage is devoted to the here-and-now of movies, and that’s all well and good. We’re still going to be bringing you that coverage. But we also love film history, so we thought it would be good to do a weekly series where we look back at a random year and design what made it special. That includes looking at the top-grossing movies, the Oscar winners, and some gems that you should put on your radar.
This week we’re headed to 1975. Let’s kick things off with the top-grossing movies:
Top 10 at the Box Office
1.Jaws- $190,000,000
2.The Rocky Horror Picture Show- $112,892,319
3.One Flew Over the Cuckoos’ Nets- $108,981,275
4.Dog Day Afternoon- $50,000,000
5.Shampoo- $49,407,734
6.The Return of the Pink Panther- $41,833,347
7.Funny Lady- $39,000,000
8.The Apple Dumpling Gang- $36,853,000
9.Aloha,Bobby and Rose- $35,000,000
10.The Other Side of the Mountain- $34,673,100
1975 was the year the summer blockbuster was born, and it’s all thanks toJaws. This was burgeoning filmmakerSteven Spielberg’s chance to prove himself after a couple of smaller features and some TV work, and while the production was notoriously difficult, Universal Pictures put together one hell of a marketing campaign—including an at the time unprecedented $700,000 spend on national TV advertising. Indeed, while much has been written about the film’s production and success, the marketing forJawswas groundbreaking—Universal gave it an unusually wide release, buzz was huge following the TV ad spend (which was also rare), and it expanded even wider in the weeks to come.
Jawsgrossed $7 million opening weekend and in just 78 days it overtookThe Godfatheras the highest-grossing film ever—a title it would hold untilStar Warscame along. The film was so popular it was theatrically re-released the following year, in 1976, and again in 1979.
So yeah,Jawswas massive and given its success as a summer event following its June release, studios flocked to the summer to showcase their blockbusters. And then there’sThe Rocky Horror Picture Show, which was not an instant success but which has technically never been pulled from theaters since its 1975 release, making it the longest-running theatrical film in history.
Oscar Winners
The late, great Milos Forman’sOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestis one of only three films in history to win all five major Academy Awards: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. It still holds up to this day as a bona fide classic, and its win is all the more impressive given that it was up againstJaws,Dog Day Afternoon,Nashville, andBarry Lyndon. FilmmakerSteven Spielbergwas famously upset that he failed to land a Best Director Oscar nomination forJaws, although one would come only three years later withClose Encounters of the Third Kind.
1975 is smack dab in the middle of one of the best movie decades in history. The fact that a film as troubling, and with as downer an ending asOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestwon Best Picture is a testament to the vibe of the decade, and of 1975 in particular. You also had the release ofSidney Lumet’sDog Day Afternoon, which hadAl Pacinoplaying a man robbing a bank who is in a relationship with a trans woman. For 1975 that’s pretty progressive.
But the year also marked the beginning of a turning point for the industry, and you haveJawsto thank for the blockbuster gut of the 1980s. Just two years later, in 1977, we getStar Wars, followed bySupermanin 1978 andStar Trek: The Motion Picturein 1979. Of course this time period also brought usAll the President’s MenandKramer vs. KramerandThe Deer Hunter, but afterJawsHollywood was never the same—for better and for worse.
The Stepford Wives–William Goldmanscripted this highly anticipated adaptation.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail– Merely a flesh wound!
Nashville– FilmmakerRobert Altman’s musical comedy-drama about the music business in Nashville, Tennessee would stand as a hugely influential piece of ensemble filmmaking.
Jaws– Dun-dun.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show– This cult favorite was widely panned upon its initial release, but midnight showings began in 1976 and never let up.
Dog Day Afternoon– This collaboration between directorSidney Lumetand starAl Pacinowas even more fruitful than their 1973 filmSerpico. Lumet would followDog Day Afternoonwith another classic just one year later:Network.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest– ActorKirk Douglastried for years to get an adaptation of this Broadway play off the ground, but was unable to find a studio willing to make it with him. He eventually gave the rights to his sonMichael Douglas, who produced the finished version and won the Best Picture Oscar.
Barry Lyndon– Coming off the insane success ofDr. Strangelove,2001, andA Clockwork Orange,Stanley Kubrickkept his next project shrouded in secrecy. Once unveiled to the public, the epic-in-lengthBarry Lyndonwas instantly hailed as a groundbreaking piece of cinema.
