by Allan Fish
If there is any facet of being a film buff, especially one as obsessively completist as myself, it’s the problem of chronology. Namely, ascertaining what year whould be attributed to a film as its release year. It’s like a minefield in quicksand, dates seem to change by the year as one obscure early screening is unveiled for some classic of other. In the days of the film guides, of which sadly only the Maltin and the Radio Times survive (one rendered toothless by its preponderence to family viewing and dire coverage of world cinema and the other by too many cooks/reviewers spoiling the broth), they often went by the copyright date, the date we see either on the opening credits of old films or closing credits of newer efforts.
This immediately poses problems. Take The Silence of the Lambs, copyrighted for 1990, but not seen until Valentine’s week 1991. Or Reservoir Dogs, copyrighted in 1991 but not seen publicly until Sundance in early 1992. Even in the classical Hollywood era there were problems. Most film guides would list In Old Chicago for 1938, but one single showing in the last week of December 1937 qualified it for the 1937 Academy Awards and ensures it should be correctly listed as a 1937 film. 1941 was a difficult year, too, with the likes of Sullivan’s Travels and Hellzapoppin getting one or two single showings in late 1941 but not being seen en masse until 1942. Or Jane Eyre, which got one showing in December 1943 in Britain – doubtless a nod to Brontë – before a general release in the US in April 1944. Casablanca was for many years seen as a 1943 film, as that was when it qualified for the Oscars, but the Oscars rely on a Los Angeles release, but Casablanca‘s premiere was in New York in December 1942. Flipping that particular coin, there’s Val Lewton’s Cat People, copyrighted for 1943, released first in late 1942. Time to call the first bomb disposal expert. (more…)