A Reel 50: Part 1 - The Year in Film 1973

This Blogger just celebrated his 50^th birthday. It’s been a time to celebrate, reflect, and look ahead. And it’s a prime time to take a look at the films that were populating big screens in the glorious year of 1973. 

 

1973 A.D. was a time in cinema with change just around the corner. We were one year away from Steven Spielberg’s JAWS from swimming along and changing the way films would be made and released forever. And just three years later George Lucas would revolutionize movies again with STAR WARS. But before those two behemoths, the 1970’s was a time for anti-heroes. Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER was an early masterstroke that would embrace the nihilism that would dominate the decade, and even the epic PATTON from 1970 showed an American hero as a flawed man. This was the style of film in 1973 A.D. 

 

In this year, all the talk of cinema would center around the late William Friedkin’s horror film THE EXORCIST. Based on the novel of the same name and plotted around a demonic possession of a young girl, THE EXORCIST would re-invent the horror genre for the next five decades. It would be the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture (along with nine other nominations), and would shock nd disturb unsuspecting audiences. 

 

THE EXORCIST would be the highest box office earner in North America, and hot on its heels would be the eventual Best Picture winner, THE STING.  Directed by George Roy Hill, THE STING would reunite Paul Newman and Robert Redford to the tell the tale of two grifters looking to con a mob boss, played by future JAWS harpoon-chucker Robert Shaw. THE STING would win seven of its 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The worldwide box office would include the Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen prison film PAPILLON, and the James Bond film LIVE AND LET DIE. Other successful films included the Al Pacino cop drama SERPICO, THE WAY WE WERE, PAPER MOON, LAST TANGO IN PARIS, and the Clint Eastwood led MAGNUM FORCE. 

 

The martial arts genre would begin a kung fu craze in America with the Bruce Lee kick-em-up ENTER THE DRAGON, along with FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH. The sci-fi film WESTWORLD would be the first feature film to use digital images. George Lucas would direct his second feature film, the teen drama AMERICAN GRAFFITI (read Real Speak’s 50^th anniversary blog HERE). Martin Scorsese would direct Robert DeNiro to an Oscar win in MEAN STREETS, Terrence Malick would have his directorial debut with BADLANDS, and Walt Disney would deliver ROBIN HOOD. 

 

Other notable films in 1973 included the animated film CHARLOTTE’S WEB, GODZILLA VS. MEGALON, SOYLENT GREEN, THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, DAY FOR NIGHT, BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, THE WICKER MAN, SLEEPER, and THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN. 

 

Making their big-screen debuts in this year would be John Candy, Anthony Edwards, Rutger Hauer, and John Rhys-Davies. Born into this world would be Jack Davenport, Adrien Brody, Kevin Feige, Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Beckinsale, Ahmed Best, and Rian Johnson. Departing this world would be Edward G. Robinson, Merian C. Cooper, Lon Chaney Jr., Bruce Lee, and John Ford.

 

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1973 was a year that had something for everyone. The sci-fi and superhero genre was years away from dominating box office numbers and altering pop culture, so ’73 was free to deliver many quality films across all genres. THE STING was a crime caper that was a massive hit, as was the romantic drama THE WAY WE WERE. Characters such as Dirty Harry (played by Clint Eastwood), and James Bond (Roger Moore), had new adventures, Bruce Lee punched his ticket into legend, and THE EXORCIST began its 50-year run of terrifying audiences. 1973 may have been before the start of our modern era, but it was fantastic for film. 

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 In Part 2 HERE this Blogger will pick his favorite film from every year starting from 1973.