at theaters: july 24, 1985

Opened in movie theaters 28 years ago today:

THE BLACK CAULDRON (Walt Disney Studios)

Review: “Disney’s expensive, ambitious animated feature is a pretty good but unmemorable sword-and sorcery tale; Good storytelling for kids, with impressive effects animation for buffs.”  —Leonard Maltin

Quote: “My, what funny little ducklings. Don’t they know that the Black Cauldron is indestructible? Now listen carefully. The Black Cauldron can never be destroyed. Only its evil powers can be stopped.”

Trivia: Shortly before the film’s release to theaters, newly appointed Disney studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered several scenes from The Black Cauldron be cut, due to both its length and the fear that the graphic nature of them would alienate children and family audiences. —wikipedia

>Where’s it playing?

starDate: harry horner

Harry Horner

Born: July 24, 1910, Czech Republic
Began career as: stage manager for actor and director Max Reinhardt’s production group
Was production and set designer: for the U.S. Air Force’s show “Winged Victory” during World War II
Art Direction Oscar winner for: THE HUSTLER (1961) and THE HEIRESS (1949)
Final film work: THE JAZZ SINGER (1980)
His son: Film composer James Horner
Recommended films: A DOUBLE LIFE, THE HUSTLER, THE HEIRESS, THEY SHOOT HORSES DON’T THEY?…

movieDate: july 24, 1937

ON THIS DAY in 1937, the state of Alabama dropped its charges against nine black teenagers known as the “Scottsboro Boys”, who had been accused of rape in 1931. This incident was documented in the 2001 Oscar-nominated film, SCOTTSBORO: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY.