The biggest blockbuster the year you graduated high school: Boomer edition
Baby Boomers graduated high school between 1964 and 1982. Those years trace an extraordinary arc in American cinema, from the last gasp of the old Hollywood studio system through the counterculture disruption of the late 1960s to the birth of the modern summer blockbuster. The films at the top of the box office during Boomer graduation years are not just commercial records. They are cultural documents.
Find your graduation year below.
Class of 1964: “Mary Poppins”
Featuring Julie Andrews in her film debut, this one was the last movie Walt Disney personally supervised before his death. History Facts confirms it was the top-grossing film of 1964, earning over $102 million domestically across its theatrical run.
Class of 1965: “The Sound of Music”
Released in March 1965, it grossed $163 million domestically and remains the highest-grossing musical of all time when adjusted for inflation, according to CBS News.
Class of 1966: “Hawaii”
Based on James Michener’s novel, this epic starring Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow topped the domestic box office for 1966, according to Wikipedia’s annual records.
Class of 1967: “The Graduate”
Mike Nichols directed Dustin Hoffman in a film that defined an entire generation’s ambivalence about inheriting their parents’ world. History Facts confirms it was the top earner of 1967.
Class of 1968: “Funny Girl”
Barbra Streisand’s film debut earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. History Facts confirms it was the year’s top-grossing film.
Class of 1969: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”
Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws who make everything look effortless. Box Office Mojo says it topped the annual domestic chart for 1969.
Class of 1970: “Love Story”
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry” entered the cultural vocabulary immediately. History Facts confirms Love Story was the top-grossing film of 1970.
Class of 1971: “Fiddler on the Roof”
Topol starred in Norman Jewison’s adaptation of the Broadway musical. According to History Facts, it was the year’s top earner.
Class of 1972: “The Godfather”
Francis Ford Coppola spent $6 million and changed American cinema permanently. Box Office Mojo affirms The Godfather was the highest-grossing film of 1972, earning $134 million domestically.
Class of 1973: “The Exorcist”
A film about demonic possession that made audiences physically ill and became one of the most profitable horror films ever made. History Facts confirms it topped the 1973 annual chart.
Class of 1974: “Blazing Saddles”
Mel Brooks deconstructed the Western with a cast that included Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman. History Facts confirms Blazing Saddles was the top-grossing film of 1974.
Class of 1975: “Jaws”
Steven Spielberg invented the modern summer blockbuster on a budget of $9 million. Box Office Mojo Jaws grossed $260 million domestically, a record at the time.
Class of 1976: “Rocky”
Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay in three days and starred in a film made for $1 million that grossed $117 million domestically. Wikipedia confirms Rocky was the top-grossing film of 1976.
Class of 1977: “Star Wars”
George Lucas spent $11 million and earned $221 million domestically in the film’s first release, according to Wikipedia.
Class of 1978: “Grease”
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, a musical set in the 1950s, released at the peak of the disco era. History Facts confirms Grease was the top-grossing film of 1978.
Class of 1979: “Kramer vs. Kramer”
A quiet, devastating film about divorce and custody that grossed $106 million domestically, according to Wikipedia.
Class of 1980: “The Empire Strikes Back”
The sequel that many consider the best film in the Star Wars franchise grossed $209 million domestically, according to Wikipedia.
Class of 1981: “Raiders of the Lost Ark”
According to Wikipedia’s 1981 records, Raiders grossed $212 million domestically, more than $90 million ahead of any other film that year. Harrison Ford became Indiana Jones in a single June weekend.
Class of 1982: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
According to Box Office Mojo, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial grossed $359 million domestically, the highest of any film that decade. The class of 1982 graduated to a film about a child saying goodbye.
The bottom line
Seventeen graduation years, from Julie Andrews to Darth Vader, from prestige pictures to summer blockbusters. The Boomer graduation box office tells the story of Hollywood’s reinvention in real time. Which one was yours?
Ask us! What questions do you have about content, strategy, pop culture, lifestyle, wellness, history or more? We may use your question in an upcoming article!
Related:
- The most controversial song the year you were born: Gen X edition
- The most controversial songs of the ’60s: Do you agree?
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.co.
