Here’s a collection of films that always remind me of summer, in part because I first viewed almost all of them during the summer months, either on TV or in a commercial theater. Each film listed here also brings to mind special memories of friends and family members who were with me for the first viewing of these movies and added to the experience.
Alien (Released June 22, 1979) Director Ridley Scott’s science fiction horror classic is a tension-filled production that scares audiences with what is shown on the screen and with what is left to one’s imagination. I first saw this at the Woodfield Theatre in Schaumburg. The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Ian Holm features supporting work by Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt, and Yaphet Kotto. For my money, this one was remains the best of the “Alien” franchise, but director James Cameron’s “Aliens” is a close second.
American Graffiti (Released Aug. 1, 1973) Director George Lucas’ highly entertaining tale about a two college freshmen and the last night they spend together with friends before the pair is scheduled to depart for their first semester at college. The cast includes Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Paul Le Mat, Charles, Martin Smith, Harrison Ford, Candy Clark, and Bo Hopkins. The movie received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Candy Clark) and Film Editing. I first saw this one with my close friend, Lee, at the Rolling Meadows Theater on Kirchoff Road. This movie became an instant favorite of mine, because its soundtrack included a collections of popular rock and roll songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s. an era in rock's history that I developed an interest during my freshman year in high school.
Beach Blanket Bingo (Released April 14, 1965). Directed by William Asher. The film remains my favorite of the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello “beach party” movies of the the 1960s. The movies were light on plot and character, and I’ve always enjoyed them as simple and silly distractions — by definition an ideal summer movie. The Chicago ABC affiliate made a summer tradition of screening a week’s worth of these movies during the 1970s, and I probably watched every showing of “Beach Blanket Bingo”. The cast also includes Paul Lynde, Don Rickles and the great Harvey Lembeck as Eric Von Zipper.
Dracula (Released Feb. 14, 1931) Directed by Tod Browning and stars Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, Edward Van Sloan. For my money, Lugosi’s performance remains the best portrayal of Count Dracula. Watch a restored version of the film and you’ll will see a character as creepy and disturbing as Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs”. I first watched “Dracula” in September of 1970, when it was the first film shown on WGN’s old “Creature Feature” presentations on Saturday nights, but I subsequently watched it whenever it was aired, which was usually during the summer months.
The Graduate (Released Dec. 22, 1967) Directed by Mike Nichols. The cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, and two great character actors, Murray Hamilton and William Daniels. The film won an Oscar for Best Director and received six additional Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing. I first saw this one during the summer approaching my junior year in high school. It really fed my sense of teenage angst and remains one of my favorite films.
Meatballs (Released June 29, 1979) Director Ivan Reitman’s screwball salute to summer camp stars Bill Murray, Chris Makepeace, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch and Matt Craven. It’s a lightweight comedy that showcases Murray as the leader of an unruly group of camp counselors. I first saw this with a high school friend and his two sisters. It was a good evening with a lots of laughs.
Mr. North: (Released July 22, 1988) Director Danny Huston’s little-known film is based on a Thornton Wilder short story and takes place during a summer on Long Island. It has the feel of a summer stock production, and I think that’s one of reasons I find it memorable. The cast includes Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall, Harry Dean Stanton (another great character actor), David Warner, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lawford, Virginia Madsen, and Mary Stuart Masterson. I first saw this movie with my brother, Patrick, another reason why it stands out in my memory.
Psycho (Released Sept. 8, 1960) Director Alfred Hitchcock’s unsettling masterpiece about a motel operator with a mother obsession stars Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, Martin Balsam, and Simon Oakland. The movie was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Cinematography. This movie scared the hell out of me the first time I viewed it, and that experience involved a version that was highly-edited for TV presentation. I next saw an unedited version of the film during a late-night screening at a commercial theater and became a fan of the movie for life.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Released June 12, 1981): Directed by Steven Spielberg. Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, and Philip Kaufman wrote the screenplay. The first installment in a franchise series is typically the best, and “Raiders” does a fine job of proving the point. I first first saw this during the summer of 1981. Some of the cinematography is so good it remains impressive to this day, I think. The cast includes Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, and Denholm Elliott. The production received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Effects/Visual Effects.
Star Wars (Released May 25, 1977) Written and directed by George Lucas. The first installment in the franchise series is my favorite of the bunch. The cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness. The film received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Supporting Actor (Guinness). It won six Oscars. I first saw this one during the summer of 1977, during its first run in commercial theaters.
Yankee Doodle Dandy (Released June 6, 1942). Directed by Michael Curtiz. A classic featuring the great James Cagney as showman George M. Cohan. It opens with Cagney’s Cohan sitting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and discussing the showman’s rise to stardom. The cast includes Joan Leslie and Walter Huston. The movie received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Huston). It Won for Best Actor (Cagney), Best Music, and Best Sound. I first saw this in the summer of 1969, during a late-night screening on Chicago’s WGN-TV. My sister, Kate, had seen it previously and encouraged me to stay up to watch it. I did and became an immediate fan of its lavish musical productions and undiluted patriotism. The movie is considered a standard for the Independence Day holiday, but I can watch it at any time of the year.
— Kevin Botterman is responsible for the content and opinions presented in "Fireside Notes". Please email comments and questions to kbotterman@gmail.com
