MovieChat Forums > The Groove Tube (1975) Discussion > Release Date?

Release Date?

posted 17 years ago by zeldfelder
8 replies | jump to latest

Just watched it again after 30 years. I'm a little confused though about the IMDB stated release date. I first saw it in high school in my senior year and it made a big impression on me and my buddies. But it was in the Fall of 1973, not '74. I tried to confirm the release date at the end of the credits but with the quality of the print being so bad I couldn't make it out. The Brown 25 commercials state "1973" at the end of each. I know the featured trailer on the DVD says 1974 in the voiceover but I believe the trailer is from one of its several re-releases in the 70's. Am I wrong on this? 1973?

[–] richard-412 17 years ago

The copyright date on my DVD version says 1970, which I believe is closer to correct. I too saw it in the theater upon release and I do not believe I was yet in highschool (1974). It also would not be much before 1970 as it spoofs 2001 ASO, which was 1968.

[–] richard-412 17 years ago

OK, this should settle it. The mock copyright on the Urainus corp. commercial is 1973. The trailer announces it is the funniest movie for "1974". IMDB is correct, though I am surprized. Funny how time compresses in our memory.

[–] puffball97 15 years ago

This is interesting. In "The Groove Tube," Chevy Chase had short hair, but I noticed in the 1973 play, "Lemmings" on YouTube, his hair was long and hippie-ish. If "The Groove Tube" was released in 1972 or 1973, that must have meant that Chevy kept his short and grew out his hair for "Lemmings" once the movie was wrapped, then cut his hair again and never went back to long hair. Or if "The Groove Tube" was released in 1974, that must have meant that Chevy had the sense to cut the long hair once "Lemmings" closed, which I read was late 1973. I always wondered before SNL when and how long Chevy did have that long hair.

Love to check on Chevy's resume. I noticed his name in "Columbo - Death Lends a Hand" from 1971, and I went to play that episode on Netflix to see if either Chevy looked decent or was a hippie. Fortunately, there was no hippie on that show, and my guess is for the play "Lemmings," Chevy needed to grow his hair long for the role. So "The Groove Tube" could have been made either in '72 or '74, not '73.

[–] jackmronner 14 years ago

I'VE ALWAYS REMEMBERED HAVING SEEN IT IN COLLEGE, AND I GRADUATED IN '71.

[–] Ddey65 10 years ago

You do realize there's a 1972 Plymouth Fury police car in "The Dealers" and footage of the Watergate Hearings, so that would be completely impossible, don't you?

[–] jaugustine-43160 8 years ago

I saw this movie in 1970. I was attending college and the film was shown on TV's not the big screen. Also, when I saw the movie theatre version there were some deleted scenes. At the time, word had it that this film originated at Bard college and was then released years later for movie . Would enjoy learning more about this film's history. I am interested in buying this movie but want to buy the first viewing version.

[–] rwm6 13 years ago

I also recall seeing it in 1973, when it was rated "X". It was re-released in 1974 or 1975 as an "R" rated movie, with the veneral disease "penis" commercial deleted.

[–] Ben-5 12 years ago

I saw it at a local theater in the Philly burbs back in late October of 1974. It was considered a new release at the time, but I suppose it could have been a re-release that didn't play at many theaters the first time around.