1960s

The 1960s was a huge decade of change. Not only for the world but for the filmmaking industry. If you ever needed an example of social realism than the 1960s would be a great place to start. Cinema in the 60s was a prime example of society's impact on art. The decade began with making big budget spectacles that cinema-goers had grown tired of and by the end of the decade, film studios were producing innovative and thought provoking films that were well received by audiences. This was the decade where we saw The Old Hollywood was out and the New Hollywood was in.

The Threat of Television

As with the previous decades, the film industry was experiencing a number of challenges and changes. By the 1960s television had well and truly taken its place in American households. Families were enjoying the convenience of in-home entertainment and the quality of television programs was really very good. So, as cinema ticket sales continued to struggle, film companies needed to offer audiences something that television shows could not. The answer came in the form of blockbuster epics like Cleopatra, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia and even Doctor Zhivago. These films ran for over 3 hours ,some closer to 4, and showcased opulent costumes and large scale set designs. Their budgets appeared to be as large as their sets with Cleopatra alone costing $44 million dollars to make (comparative to around $400 million by today's standards). Unfortunately for Fox studios, the film did not return on its investment, making just $26 million locally that year. In fact, it took another ten years before it finally broke even in 1973. Unfortunately for these epic films, many of the people involved did not particularly enjoy making them and some would even regret being involved. According to IMDB, Elizabeth Taylor was sick when she saw the final product and has been quoted as saying she thought the film ‘lacked reality and passion” and she thought it was vulgar. Director Joseph L. Mankiewitz reportedly tried to have his name removed from the project.

'Spartacus', although successful at the box office, was apparently equally unenjoyable to make. The story goes that actor Tony Curtis said to his costar Jean Simmons; “Who do I have to [sleep with] to get off this film?” Lead actor Kirk Douglas argued so much with director Stanely Kubrick that the two men allegedly had to go to therapy together to resolve their issues. Kubrick, who was brought in after the original director was fired, did not have a lot of creative control on this film and ultimately he disowned it. Spartacus was significant however in that it was one of the first films to credit a blacklisted screenwriter since the 1950s. Prior to Spartacus naming Dalton Trumbo as the writer, blacklisted screenwriters (as a result of the HUAC trials) worked in secret and were listed under a pseudonym. Despite the significance of Trumbo’s listing on Spartacus, he actually only wrote some revisions on the original script. In fact many authors could’ve been named on the film including the original author of the book and screenplay Howard Fast as well as numerous writer’s on set who made edits during production. Nevertheless, Kirk Douglas did like to make the claim that he was responsible for ending the Hollywood Blacklist.

In regards to other blockbuster epics of the 60s, Lawrence of Arabia was far more successful. In fact, it won seven of the ten Oscars it was nominated for and was listed in 7th place in the AFI’s top 100 greatest American films of all time. Also successful was Doctor Zhivago which remains one of the highest grossing films in the United States and Canada.

Musicals

The biggest success of the decade was The Sound of Music which was somewhat unexpected at the time. It was by far the highest grossing musical of the decade and In the years that followed, many production companies attempted, and failed, to replicate the success of the heartwarming musical. The film is still loved by audiences today for its catchy songs and likeable main characters along with its beautiful scenery and cinematography. Perhaps one of the best decisions made on this film was the casting of Julie Andrews in the lead role of Maria, a young woman who is sent by her convent to nanny the seven children of a widowed naval officer, played by Christopher Plumber. Fresh from her success in Mary Poppins the previous year, Andrews is familiar and convincing as the compassionate and gentle young baroness. After the debacle of Cleopatra, The Sound of Music’s success was a redemption of sorts for Twentieth Century Fox. It was nominated for 10 Oscars, of which it won 5, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The Sound of Music was not the only successful musical in the 1960s. In fact, 4 of the Best Picture Oscar Winners of this decade were musicals, including West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Oliver! West Side Story was particularly successful at the Oscars with 11 nominations and 10 wins, this is significant given the most Oscars ever won by a film is 11. It remains the most Oscar winning musical in history. Also popular was Mary Poppins which introduced the world to Julie Andrews, The Producers, The Music Man and lastly, Funny Girl and Hello, Dolly! which introduced audiences to the talented Barbara Streissand.

The Civil Rights Movement

The civil rights movement hit its peak in the 1960s which saw a change to civil rights legislation. A change was happening on screen too and it seemed to be Sidney Poitier who was leading the way. Born to a poor family from the Bahamas in 1924, Poitier started in films in the 1950s and by the 1960s was established as Hollywood’s number one black actor. He was the first of the mainstream black actors to make his mark and appeared in several successful movies including Lillies in the Field in 1963 which saw him become the first African American to win the Best Actor Oscar, he’d previously been nominated in 1958 for his role in The Defiant One. In 1967 he appeared in several movies which were dealing with the issues of race relations and race equality including In The heat of the Night, To Sir With Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? His characters were often well educated and charismatic and went against the typical stereotypes for actors of African American background. Although this led to him being typecast in a way, Poitier understood the significance of his place in Hollywood’s history and took the responsibility seriously. But stardom didn’t shield Poitier from racism and condescension. He had a hard time finding housing in Los Angeles and was followed by the Ku Klux Klan when he visited Mississippi in 1964, not long after three Civil Rights workers had been killed there. In interviews, journalists often ignored his work and instead asked him about race and current events. It could be argued that an actor like Sidney Poitier simply couldn’t have had the success he had on screen in a time before the 1960s as his ability to break the mould for black actors was reflective of the civil rights movement off screen. Vanity Fair reporter Laura Jacobs described Poitier as the ‘Martin Luther King Jr of the movies’ while the New York Times noted that Poitier “paved the way for black actors in film’. Even former President Barack Obama made mention that Poitier had “[Advanced] the nation's dialogue on race and respect” and “opened the doors for a generation of actors’. In the decades that followed, Poitier welcomed the rise of black actors such as Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Danny Glover. “It’s like the cavalry coming to relieve the troops. You have no idea how pleased I am.“

The Space Race

The United States and the Soviet Union were competing for spaceflight superiority in what became known as the Space Race. Already rivals as a result of the Cold War, the ultimate goal for each country was to be the first to put a man on the moon and return him safely to earth. The Space Race spurred a general interest in space exploration with the public as well as a general obsession with the future, and therefore science fiction films became popular. Although Science Fiction films had been made before the 60s, the films became more sophisticated during this decade as the technology began to match up with the film concepts and ideas. Films like Planet of the Apes, Barbarella and 2001: A Space Odyssey were popular with audiences. 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was initially given a mixed reception when it was first released. Many audience members didn’t understand the film and many even walked out. MGM was concerned as they had thought they had a hit on their hands much like Ben-Hur or Doctor Zhivago but they needn’t have been worried because 2001 did find its audience, just not in the kind the studio had initially intended. 2001 became a hit with younger audiences who watched the film under the influence of illicit drugs.

Old Vs New Hollywood

There was a significant shift in audience preferences during the 60s. In 1968 The Production Code was abolished and in its place was a ratings system. Initially there were just 4 ratings G, PG, R and X. This timed perfectly with the changing youth culture that occured with the Vietnam War. The freedom to watch films with more adult content and subject matters was well received by younger audiences. By the end of the decade, film makers were producing films with steamier and more daring content that would previously be considered unacceptable for the screen. In 1969, Midnight Cowboy starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman was released. The story follows male hustler, Joe Buck, and his developing friendship with outcast and small-time scam artist Ratso Rizzo. It depicts sexual acts as well as drug use and was given an x rating as a result, meaning it could only be watched by adults. The film is the first and only x rated film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Its rating was later downgraded to R. The film is more than just its daring subject matter though. It is also a stark yet beautiful representation of friendship, compassion and humanity and a confirmation that the times were changing. The innocence of the 1950s and early 60s had well and truly gone and in its place was the counterculture generation who was ready to step out of the shadows of older generations and have their voices and opinions be heard. Midnight Cowboy was an artistic piece of social realism and was very well received by audiences. Also significant in 1969 was Easy Rider which had an R rating for its daring subject matter. It was also well received by audiences and, along with Midnight Cowboy, marked a turning point in independent filmmaking. This period in cinema history became known as the New Hollywood or the New Wave Hollywood where young up and coming actors, writers and directors were breaking into the industry with more freedom to be experimental with their work. Successful films from the New Wave of Hollywood include Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Rosemary’s Baby and the Wild Bunch.

The Performances

Gregory Peck

We simply cannot go without mentioning Gregory Peck’s moving performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird of which he won the best actor oscar for. The film adaptation of Harper Lee’s book of the same name, tells the story of the trial of Boo Radley, a black man accused of assault of a white woman. This was one of those films that was praised equally by the critics and the general public. Interestly, the role of Atticus Finch was offered to James Stewart and Rock Hudson before going to Peck. Despite this, Gregory Peck's performance was so well received and he was so invested in the movie that the rights to the film were given to his family upon his passing as they believed that the film should never be remade and he should be the one and only person to play Atticus Finch. There have been some legal issues regarding this as Harper Lee’s family alleged she made the deal for these rights under false pretences. Nonetheless, the role of Atticus Finch would be one of Peck’s most memorable.

Paul Newman

Already an established actor by the turn of the decade Paul Newman cemented his star status in the 1960s when he starred in films like The Hustler, Hud, Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He was known for his good looks and piercing blue eyes and was a big draw card for the box office. Film studios saw his appeal and made sure they used that to their advantage by making sure his name and face were well and truly visible on movie posters. However, he certainly had more substance to him than just how he looked and he wanted to be remembered for so much more saying “I would like it if people would think that beyond Newman, there's a spirit that takes action, a heart, and a talent that doesn't come from my blue eyes.”

Paul Newman was certainly one of the main players in the New Hollywood but he wasn’t alone. This was a great time for male actors and some of the most successful actors came through during the 60s. We’ve already mentioned Dustin Hoffman who made a name for himself in the 60s and would go on to have continued success. Other newcomers at the time included Warren Beaty and Steve McQueen and both Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson got their start in the late 60s before going on to really make their mark in the 70s.

Audrey Hepburn

Having already cemented her place in Hollywood in the 1950s, Hepburn went on to have continued success in the 60s with two of her roles being particularly memorable. First as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and as Eliza Dolittle in the award winning My Fair Lady. The image of Audrey Hepburn in the long black dress, oversized sunglasses and extravagant updo outside Tiffany’s is truly iconic. Although the character was originally written with Marilyn Monroe in mind. Her casting in My Fair Lady was somewhat controversial as fans of Julie Andrews felt she should play the role that she made famous in the broadway production of the musical. When Hepburn heard that Andrews still wouldn’t get the role even if she turned it down, she decided to accept saying “I felt I should have the same opportunity to play it as any other film actress.” Incidentally, My Fair Lady was awarded several of the major Oscars in 1965 but Hepburn wasn’t even nominated for best actress for her part and it was Julie Andrews who took that award for her portrayal as Mary Poppins.

Although Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews found favour with audiences, the 1960s wasn’t actually a great time for female actresses. As film studios tried to capitalise on the changing values of the 1960s youth culture, females were often objectified and roles were overtly sexual. The women who were particularly successful also pointed to the British and European influence on cinema in the 60s. Actresses like Briggitte Bardot, Ursula Andres, Julie Christie and Sophie Loren were popular as well as American actresses Jane Fonda and Raquel Welch.

The Directors

The 1960s was an amazing time for up and coming film directors. Stanley Kubrick, John Frankenheimer and Peter Bogdanovich to name a few but as these newcomers were breaking through, one of history’s most influential directors was winding down. Alfred Hitchcock. Despite this being one of hitchcock’s last influential decades in film, he still managed to make some of his best and most memorable films including Psycho and The Birds. In fact, in a recent poll of our subscribers, Psycho was named as the best film of the 1960s. Released at the beginning of the decade, the psychological thriller tells the story of a young woman named Marion Crane who embezzled $40,000 to start a new life. After she makes her getaway she checks into a hotel that is run by a young man who is under the control of his mother but all is not as it seems. Although reviews of the film were initially mixed, Psycho went on to break box office records and to this day it ranks highly in lists of Greatest Movies of all time and remains Hitchcock's most commercially successful film. Just a couple of years later, Hitchcock followed up this success with another memorable film, The Birds, starring Tippi Hedron in her debut role. Another horror thriller, the film is set in a small northern californian town which begins to experience bizarre events when birds begin to attack the people. Once again, Hitchcock’s horror film was met with mixed reviews and again it has stood the test of time with the American Film Institute naming it the 7th greatest thriller in American history.

James Bond

As per usual we cannot include all the great cinema moments in just one article so don’t forget to leave a comment with your favourite moments in film from the 1960s. That being said we simply cannot go without mentioning the beginning of the James Bond franchise. There were 6 James Bond films in the 60s with the first being Dr No released in 1962. Sean Connory played the title role in the first five films, supported by female sidekicks more commonly known as Bond girls. In Dr No, Ursula Andress’ exit from the ocean in a barely there bikini has become an iconic image from the franchise. In 1969 Bond was played by Australian actor George Lazenby before Connery played him one more time. The role has gone on to be played by several different actors since its beginning and at the time of recording this video we are eagerly awaiting the announcement of who will be playing the British secret agent after the departure of Daniel Craig.

The 1960s really were a decade of change and it really took production companies the whole decade to finally understand what cinemagoers wanted. The films produced at the beginning of the decade are so wildly different to those that were popular by the end. It’s really very interesting to look back at the impact that the change in social values had on film, an impact that is still evident today.