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1974 Movies

Take a nostalgic look back at the top movies of 1974, celebrating the films, directors and actors that defined the year and left a lasting legacy in the world of entertainment.

1974 Academy Awards

Young Frankenstein
Written by: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn
Country: United States of America
Outline: An American grandson of the infamous scientist is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.
source: imdb.com
Blazing Saddles
Written by: Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman
Country: United States of America
Outline: A town in the Old West is terrorized by a corrupt politician and a railroad tycoon who want to take over it.
source: imdb.com
The Longest Yard
Written by: Tracy Keenan Wynn
Directed by: Robert Aldrich
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, Michael Conrad, James Hampton
Country: United States of America
Outline: Former NFL player Paul Crewe assembles a team of inmates to play against the prison guards in a football game. The film explores themes of redemption and justice.
source: imdb.com
Death Wish
Written by: Wendell Mayes
Directed by: Michael Winner
Starring: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, William Redfield, Kathleen Tolan, Christopher Guest
Country: United States of America
Outline: Architect Paul Kersey becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and daughter assaulted during a home invasion. The film delves into themes of justice and vigilantism.
source: imdb.com
The Towering Inferno
Written by: Stirling Silliphant, Richard Martin Stern
Directed by: John Guillermin
Starring: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones
Country: United States of America
Outline: A massive fire breaks out in a newly constructed skyscraper, trapping guests and workers inside. Firefighters and residents work together to rescue them.
source: imdb.com
Earthquake
Written by: George Fox, Mario Puzo
Directed by: Mark Robson
Starring: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Walter Matthau, Genevieve Bujold
Country: United States of America
Outline: A massive earthquake hits Los Angeles, causing widespread destruction and chaos. Survivors struggle to find safety and rebuild their lives.
source: imdb.com
Airport 1975
Written by: Harold Jack Bloom
Directed by: Jack Smight
Starring: Karen Black, Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Myrna Loy, Jack Lemmon
Country: United States of America
Outline: A mid-air collision sends a 747 into a nose dive, and air traffic controller Joe Patroni must land the plane. Meanwhile, a rescue mission is launched to save the passengers and crew.
source: imdb.com
The Godfather: Part II
Written by: Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Lee Strasberg
Country: United States of America
Outline: The Godfather Part II continues the saga of the Corleone family, juxtaposing Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) consolidation of power in the 1950s with flashbacks to his father Vito's (Robert De Niro) rise to power in early 20th-century New York.
source: imdb.com
Chinatown
Written by: Robert Towne
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, John Huston
Country: United States of America
Outline: A private investigator in 1930s Los Angeles becomes entangled in a complex case involving water rights, murder, and family secrets.
source: imdb.com
A Woman Under the Influence
Written by: John Cassavetes
Directed by: John Cassavetes
Starring: Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Lady Rowlands, Matthew Laborteaux, Christina Grisanti
Country: United States of America
Outline: A woman struggles with mental illness, leading to challenges in her marriage and family life.
source: imdb.com
The Mirror
Written by: Andrei Tarkovsky, Alexander Misharin, Georgi Mdivani
Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky
Starring: Margarita Terekhova, Aleksei Fedorchenko, Ignat Daniltsev, Anatoli Solonitsyn, Larisa Shakhvorostova
Country: United States of America
Outline: A poet reflects on his past, dreams, and memories, blurring the lines between reality and imagination.
source: imdb.com
The Phantom of Liberty
Written by: Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
Directed by: Luis Buñuel
Starring: Adriana Asti, Julian Bertheau, Michel Piccoli, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean-François Balmer
Country: France
Outline: A series of surreal and satirical episodes exploring themes of freedom and societal norms.
source: imdb.com
The Conversation
Written by: Francis Ford Coppola
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest
Country: United States of America
Outline: A surveillance expert becomes paranoid when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered based on his recordings.
source: imdb.com
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Written by: Werner Herzog
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Starring: Bruno S.,
Country: Germany
Outline: A young man, Kaspar Hauser, appears in Nuremberg in 1828, claiming to have been kept in a dark cell for his entire life.
source: imdb.com
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Written by: John Godey
Directed by: Joseph Sargent
Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam
Country: United States of America
Outline: In 1974, a group of criminals hijack a New York City subway train and demand a ransom, leading to a tense standoff with the police. The film is renowned for its suspenseful narrative and strong performances.
source: imdb.com
Vincent, François, Paul and the Others
Written by: Claude Néron, Jean-Loup Dabadie, Claude Sautet
Directed by: Claude Sautet
Starring: Yves Montand, Michel Piccoli, Serge Reggiani, Gérard Depardieu
Country: France
Outline: Three friends face mid-life crises: Paul, a blocked writer; François, a disillusioned doctor; and Vincent, facing bankruptcy and marital issues.
source: imdb.com
C'eravamo tanto amati
Written by: Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari, Franco Bernini
Directed by: Ettore Scola
Starring: Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi, Stefania Sandrelli
Country: Italy
Outline: The film follows three friends—Gianni, Antonio, and Nicola—who were partisans during World War II. After the war, they reunite and reflect on their lives, dreams, and the changes in Italy's post-war society.
source: imdb.com
Lenny
Written by: Julian Barry
Directed by: Bob Fosse
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner
Country: United States of America
Outline: A biographical film about comedian Lenny Bruce, exploring his rise to fame and struggles with obscenity charges.
source: imdb.com