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Author Topic: The Movie Game alternate opening  (Read 1359 times)

ActualRetailMike

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The Movie Game alternate opening
« on: May 13, 2010, 11:34:04 AM »
Did "The Movie Game", hosted by Larry Blyden, switch to a new opening sequence in 1971?

Originally, or at least as I remember it, the show opened with the camera focused on the show name on the wall, as the announcer yelled "The Movie Game!", at which point that circus-like, trumpet music began and the camera zoomed out.  But at some point in 1971, possibly coinciding with the third season, the opening instead had footage of an actual (or simulated) movie on screen.  I wanna say it was from a black-and-white film, maybe a nighttime scene from the likes of Casablanca.  The music was a more mellow but still fast-paced theme, likely string-based, which played for a second or two before the announcer kicked in with a short "From Hollywood"-type shpeil, which faded into the opening of the show.

Was this a permanent change?  Or was it more of a temporary experiment like when "The Who What or Where Game" switched their think music to a mellow acoustic guitar riff -- until people apparently wrote in and wanted the old tunes back.  It could also have been used for a week or two, if there was some "championship" tournament going on.

byrd62

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The Movie Game alternate opening
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2010, 12:15:33 AM »
The opening sequence I remember from the Blyden era, at least when it ran for that one season in the early '70s where I lived back then [Channel 9 in Chattanooga, TN if I recall], had some stock footage of Hollywood at night with the spotlights sweeping, some fast piece of music, and Johnny Gilbert announcing, "This is Hollywood, and these are the stars of The Movie Game....", then Johnny introduces the celebrity guests, and other such announcer bits, before introducing Larry.