Grouchy Groucho

Bizarre Moments in Hollywood History

#1 in 1970: Love Story

 

Love may mean never having to say you're sorry, but this schmaltzy relic of a film never apologized for turning a cheesy airport romance novel into a huge hit. The film turned Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw into huge stars and forced boyfriends to pretend they didn't mind when their girlfriend suggested this flick. Its one saving grace- introducing the world to Tommy Lee Jones, who took a minor role in the film.

#1 in 1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

On the surface, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid looked like a square western film. With similar films failing at the box office, it was somewhat of a surprise that there was a bidding war for this script. In fact, the winning studio paid twice as much for the project as had been approved. What made this film special was that unlike traditional westerns, we were meant to root for the bad guys. This simple twist made the film popular with both the counterculture and traditional filmgoers.

#1 in 1968: 2001- A Space Odyssey

 

MGM had been seen as a stodgy studio whose glory days were far behind it. Its purchase by a casino magnate who sought to strip mine the studio's value and slap its name on the first themed casino resorts didn't help things. As a result of this behind the scenes drama, the studio began taking more risks than it might have just five years before. The early result was 2001: a space odyssey. The film heavily used special effects and unconventional plotting to craft an intriguing story. At first, the film drew mixed reviews and so-so box office. Since this was at a time when studios were willing to be patient with a release, the movie steadily grew notice, resulting in amazing box office receipts. MGM's patience paid off with the number one film of the year.

#1 in 1967: The Graduate

 

What was being billed as "The New Hollywood" reared its head in 1967. While film critics had been warning the big studios that their products were increasingly becoming irrelevant, the warnings had gone largely unheeded. The same big budget spectacles and amazingly tone deaf musicals were still coming out of Hollywood to lower and lower grosses. It wasn't until The Graduate became the number one film that Hollywood began to finally see that it needed to adapt to changing audience tastes.

#1 in 1966: The Bible... from the Beginning

 

The Bible ... in the Beginning is an oddity. It was the number one film in 1966 with an all-star cast yet is virtually unknown to today's audiences, unlike other films of this era. The film was dated in its time, however, appealing to an audience that was rapidly dying off of old age and no longer a reliable presence at movie theaters. The counter culture would soon begin to demand and create its own films. Hollywood would struggle to adapt to this new audience.