Does anybody out there remember "The A.B.C. Sunday Night Movie"?. It premiered in 1963 nd was known for having a trailer that was followed by one of the most distinctive main title sequences, which which pictures of film stars that segued into a series of colored neon lights, which built into one of the most distinctive musical signatures. After the commercia, a new credits followed in place of the original. This was used from 1963-70. I wish I knew who composed that music, because I can't get it out of my mind, and was used on A.B.C.s Monday and Wednesday Night film shows, as well as for special presentations. By the way, this is not to be confused with "The A.B.C. Movie Of The Week" which featured made films made for television, and featured an instrumental version of Burt Bacharach's song "Nikki".
Are you sure you aren't thinking of the NBC Sunday Night Mystery Movie that was built around, as I recall, 3 separate and recurring "Mystery Movie" series with a very distinctive theme that connected them and which I've long had on a Henry Mancini-conducted compilation? And I too thought it was ABC, not NBC, but according to the following, it was NBC:
Personally, I find that clip for the ABC show quite bland -- just compare it to the one from the NBC Mystery Movie I provided, which I think is far more interesting. And I find it hard to believe that anyone would have a decades-long hunger for the one from ABC! But what do I know???
It was in direct response to the success of NBC's "Saturday Night at the Movies."
However, whereas the NBC program showed 20th Century Fox pictures, mostly from the early to mid-50's, "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" showed mostly United Artists films, like INHERIT THE WIND, THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION, NOT AS A STRANGER, ON THE BEACH (all of which directed by Stanley Kramer), as well as many others. Those were just the first that came to mind.
I remember watching a lot of them, and being affected by the music scores, particularly PRIDE AND THE PASSION. I also thought that the program presented films for a more adult audience. Since I was in my early teens, I was interested in a lot of them.
Re "Mr. Hardcastle, you just have to type in the full web address…"
Well, what you used was far different than what I was doing -- first, remember what I got from YouTube and pasted was http://youtu.be/vbCg5ZFxgDM and I had added bracket youtube close bracket before it and then bracket slash youtube close bracket to complete it. But yours has so much more:
bracket youtube /close bracket http://www. (that's new) slash watch? v+ (also new) then the vbCg5ZFxghDM followed by brackets slash youtube slash close bracket
I'll have to experiment on other links to youtube I've left in postings, adding the stuff above in bold and see if that solves any of those problems too. Thank you.
Those titles took days (weeks?) to process on slit-scans, animation stands and optical printers. Today a talented hobbyist can out-bling those old titles and at a higher resolution in minutes.
Ah, the good ole days... I love the smell of developer in the morning!
Around 1980 I think a lot of us here were able to watch many James Bond movies via the ABC Sunday Night Movie.
Yeah, I remember how the network scrambled YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Those were the good old days -- NOT!!!
Too bad there wasn't home video back in the sixties. I'd love to see the intro for anything that played on NBC's "Saturday Night at the Movies," circa the mid '60s.
It was in direct response to the success of NBC's "Saturday Night at the Movies."
However, whereas the NBC program showed 20th Century Fox pictures, mostly from the early to mid-50's, "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" showed mostly United Artists films, like INHERIT THE WIND, THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION, NOT AS A STRANGER, ON THE BEACH (all of which directed by Stanley Kramer), as well as many others. Those were just the first that came to mind.
I remember watching a lot of them, and being affected by the music scores, particularly PRIDE AND THE PASSION. I also thought that the program presented films for a more adult audience. Since I was in my early teens, I was interested in a lot of them.
If I remember correctly, the lineup also included THE BIG COUNTRY, THE NAKED MAJA, THE VIKINGS and some other UA greats that inspired me to go out and buy soundtracks! It was a definite "can't miss" for me and my friends.
The first time I saw DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was on ABC around 1972------obviously that was a long time ago, but I could've sworn that some of the scene sequences on the ABC telecast were totally different than in the movies I've seen on dvd and Blu-ray. For example, the scene showing the two assassins putting Sean Connery in the underground pipe was at the beginning of the movie, not in the middle as on dvd/Blu-ray. Can anyone confirm this?
I remember seeing the television premiere of Robert Wise's THE HAUNTING-63 on that show. It was the first time I saw that movie and it made me a fan right away. Other movies I can think of now was Love Story in the 70's. The out of Towner's- one of my favorite comedy's .The James Bond films. Midnight cowboy etc etc
The first time I saw DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was on ABC around 1972------obviously that was a long time ago, but I could've sworn that some of the scene sequences on the ABC telecast were totally different than in the movies I've seen on dvd and Blu-ray. For example, the scene showing the two assassins putting Sean Connery in the underground pipe was at the beginning of the movie, not in the middle as on dvd/Blu-ray. Can anyone confirm this?
Funny you mention that. I've read how the ABC premiere of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was actually split in half and aired over two nights, with scenes from the movie rearranged and a narrator who was supposed to be Bond giving a running voice over throughout the film. This version started with Bond's escape from Piz Gloria before flashing back to show the events leading up to that moment. So I suppose it's possible ABC did some kind of similar altering to Diamonds Are Forever.
