1970's Introduction
by Garrett Chaffin-Quiray

With the close of the 1960s, the old Hollywood studio system was in complete disarray. A changing moral and artistic climate was in the air as the United States found itself increasingly involved in its most prolonged military campaign. Simultaneously the country was coming apart at the seams along the lines of sexual, gender, race, class and religious difference.

Civil Rights, Wounded Knee, the Stonewall uprising, political assassinations, Kent State and the powder keg of feminism characterized the period. At the same time maturing Baby Boomers inherited a world from their Depression-era parents that wasn't nearly as rosy as their upbringing might have suggested.

For movies the development of lighter weight sound recording equipment and increasingly efficient cameras increased the mobility of filmmaking while decreasing production costs. Global film movements born after World War II moment were also mushrooming just as TV and other leisure activities increasingly drew consumer interest.

With this varied competition Hollywood saw itself being quickly outdated. Theater admissions declined and forced the original big 5 studios, MGM, RKO, Paramount, Fox and Warner Bros., along with their little 3 counterparts, United Artists, Columbia and Universal, to form new corporate identities and cut costs. The resulting wave of independently produced and promoted films changed the American cinematic landscape.

One result is that censorship rules, long considered an arbitrary limitation on artistic expression, were quickly thrown out in favor of exploring new topics on screen. New styles, stars and formats were emphasized, sometimes blurring the distinction between documentary films, feature films, pornography, newsreels and TV commercials, thereby further disrupting the influence of old Hollywood on the '70s generation.

In the end these technical, cultural and fiscal changes gave rise to a tumultuous period of film production that may be the most exciting decade for American movies ever.

What follows is an effort to review the period with five films from each year to celebrate work of considerable commercial, cultural and artistic appeal. Essays also include basic cast and crew information, the year of release and the film's length along with any wins or nominations for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Grammy Awards and entry into the National Film Registry.