It Happened One Weekend (1974) User Reviews

So bad that it's almost good---almost

[Joannakathryn · 1/10 · 26 May 2018]

I happened to know one of the stars in this movie, but I know she'd like to forget it exists. It first came out in 1974, and then Palmer Rockey rented the North Park theater for two weeks to show it again in 1979 or 80. I'd missed the opening weekend in '74, but some friends told me about it. They said Rockey actually rented a limo to make a grand entrance. Before it was over, people were throwing stuff at the screen. Keep in mind that he had declared he was going to win an Oscar for "Best Song." (He sang it himself.)

After it got awful reviews in '80, when I saw it, he started telling people that it was all a big joke. He played multiple characters, but it was obvious that it was him because he didn't change his shoes, just his clothes. He also shot it like a high school play, from start to finish. If a scene changed, everything was moved to that scene, and then back to a previous scene. He didn't seem to know how to edit a film together. There's one scene where a coffin on a rolling cart gets away from him and rolls down a sidewalk. He has to chase it to catch it, and he leaves that in the film. I found myself getting embarrassed for him, and I've never had the heart to tell my friend that I saw it.

As far as spoilers, the movie didn't make any sense, so I don't think anyone could spoil it.

Obvious Vanity Project

[dcjimd · 5/10 · 12 September 2014]

I will have to admit I never actually saw this film, only the trailer, which ran in a theater in Knoxville, Tennessee back in the mid-70s. The title then was "Rockey's Style." It was quite obvious from the trailer that this was an independent amateur "vanity" project. It was shown in the theater where I saw the trailer (but not during any of the peak movie-going hours) and I am sure the producer of the film paid for the privilege. I can't even say what kind of a film it was, there was no spoken dialog in the trailer, but I think it was meant to be a comedy based on what the characters seemed to be doing. If you ever get a chance to see it, I wouldn't recommend it if you have any better ways to spend the time.

I had to give out passes.

[mickeydal · 1/10 · 26 September 2023]

I'm the late 70's Palmer "4-wall" leased a number of drive-ins in the Denver metro area to show this film.

Horrible movie. He plays at least 3 roles himself, and all of the performances were wooden and weak.

It was kind of a Suspense/Mystery, with some form of Occult scenes thrown in.

Being a "4-wall" lease I could not give any refunds at the box office, although many patrons demanded them. As the manager I had a pad of free passes I would give out to any car that stopped on the way out.

I managed several drive-ins in the Denver area, from 1976 to 1983. This was by far the single worse movie I ran of all "drive-in" movies, and there were a lot of bad ones....