Best Pictures 1965-1969

When we were in high school in the mid to late 1960s, going to the movies was a big deal. For one thing, it was where many of us had our first dates or double-dates.

And you had "to go" to the movies in those days. No on-demand or NetFlix or Blockbuster or VCRs or DVDs or DVRs. It was a big event and the source of a lot of our out-of-school entertainment in these days before cable TV, video games and surfing the Internet on our home computers.

To help capture that period in our lives, I have selected a series of movies to feature here on the blog, beginning with the motion pictures that won the "Best Picture" Oscars between 1965 and 1969.

We will begin at the beginning with THE SOUND OF MUSIC, which played so long (well over a year) at the Belle Meade Theater here in Nashville that I think we sometimes wondered if any other picture would ever be shown there.

While these days musicals still remain somewhat out of fashion, I think this Rogers & Hammerstein story about the Von Trapp family still maintains its vitality well nearly 45 years after its original release.

Wikipedia estimates that, adjusted for 2009 dollars, the SOUND OF MUSIC grossed $1.022 billion, making it third all-time behind GONE WITH THE WIND and STAR WARS. It was nominated for 10 Acedemy Awards and won 5 including BEST PICTURE, SOUND, BEST DIRECTOR (Robert Wise), BEST ADAPTED SCORE (it had been a hit show on Broadway first) and FILM EDITING. Here's how 20th Century Fox promoted the movie when it came out in 1965.....

THE SOUND OF MUSIC was so popular during its day that you'll remember several of its hit songs were featured in our SHOWTIME CYO Show held in the Father Ryan gym in the spring of 1966. That includes the title song along with CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN and, SIXTEEN GOING ON SEVENTEEN.

Perhaps the best indication of how great a movie THE SOUND OF MUSIC is comes from its selection in 2001 by the U.S. Library of Congress to be a part of its National Film Registry. That means the motion picture has been deemed "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant."

It also means that maybe the owners of the old Belle Meade Theatre were on to something back in the 1960s when the picture was the feature presentation for so long, because this is a film that will clearly be around to be enjoyed by many generations yet to come.