Bonus Content:

1970's Movies

Top 10 Movies of the 1970's

This section provides additional information on another are of focus within pop culture during the 1970's.


This is a top 10 list of the most successful and influential movies of the decade. As you will see not all movies are ranked solely on their box office success as some less successful films had a greater impact on society and culture during the 1970's.


Throughout this section, you will find the movie titles, a trailer or clip from each film, a film overview, the film's box office earnings, the production company, release date and the director to help identify influential producers and directors throughout the decades.


There are no assigned tasks associated with this section.

#1 - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Release Date: May 25, 1977 Production Company: Lucasfilm

Director(s): George Lucas

Earnings: $775,398,007

Overview: The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the companionable droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy.

#2 - Jaws (1975)

Release Date: June 20, 1975 Production Company: Zanuck/Brown Production / Universal Pictures

Director(s): Steven Spielberg

Earnings: $470,700,000

Overview: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.

#3 - Grease (1978)

Release Date: June 13, 1978 Production Company: Paramount Pictures Studio / RSO Records

Director(s): Randal Kleiser

Earnings: $387,483,897

Overview: Experience the friendships, romances and adventures of a group of high school kids in the 1950s. Welcome to the singing and dancing world of "Grease," the most successful movie musical of all time. A wholesome exchange student (Olivia Newton-John) and a leather-clad Danny (John Travolta) have a summer romance, but will it cross clique lines?

#4 - The Sting (1973)

Release Date: December 25, 1973 Production Company: The Zanuck Company / Universal Pictures

Director(s): George Roy Hill

Earnings: $159,616,327

Overview: Following the murder of a mutual friend, aspiring con man Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) teams up with old pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take revenge on the ruthless crime boss responsible, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Hooker and Gondorff set about implementing an elaborate scheme, one so crafty that Lonnegan won't even know he's been swindled. As their big con unfolds, however, things don't go according to plan, requiring some last-minute improvisation by the undaunted duo.

#5 - Superman (1978)

Release Date: December 15, 1978 Production Company: Dovemead Films / Warner Brothers Pictures

Director(s): Richard Donner

Earnings: $300,200,000

Overview: Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

#6 - The Godfather (1972)

Release Date: March 24, 1972 Production Company: Alfran Productions / Universal Pictures

Director(s): Francis Ford Coppola

Earnings: $268,500,000

Overview: Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, this mob drama, based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). When the don's youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), reluctantly joins the Mafia, he becomes involved in the inevitable cycle of violence and betrayal. Although Michael tries to maintain a normal relationship with his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), he is drawn deeper into the family business.

#7 - The Exorcist (1973)

Release Date: December 26, 1973 Production Company: Hoya Productions/ Warner Brothers Pictures

Director(s): William Friedkin

Earnings: $428,214,478

Overview: One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan (Linda Blair) starts acting odd -- levitating, speaking in tongues -- her worried mother (Ellen Burstyn) seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. A local priest (Jason Miller), however, thinks the girl may be seized by the devil. The priest makes a request to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert (Max von Sydow) to help with the difficult job.

#8 - Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Release Date: May 27, 1977 Production Company: Rastar Films / Universal Pictures

Director(s): Hal Needham

Earnings: $126,737428

Overview: Big Enos (Pat McCormick) wants to drink Coors at a truck show, but in 1977 it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Mississippi River without a permit. Truck driver Bo "Bandit" Darville (Burt Reynolds) agrees to pick up the beer in Texas and drive it to Georgia within 28 hours. When Bo picks up hitchhiker Carrie (Sally Field), he attracts the attention of Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason). Angry that Carrie will not marry his son, Justice embarks on a high-speed chase after Bandit.

#9 - National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

Release Date: July 28, 1978 Production Company: Universal Pictures

Director(s): John Landis

Earnings: $141,600,000

Overview: When they arrive at college, socially inept freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) attempt to pledge the snooty Omega Theta Pi House, but are summarily rejected. Lowering their standards, they try at the notoriously rowdy Delta Tau Chi House, and get in. The trouble is, the college dean (John Vernon) has it in for the Deltas. He has put them on "Double Secret Probation" and secretly assigned Omega's president (James Daughton) the task of having their charter revoked.

#10 - Blazing Saddles (1974)

Release Date: February 7, 1974 Production Company: Crossbow Productions / Warner Brothers Pictures

Director(s): Mel Brooks

Earnings: $119,500,000

Overview: In this satirical take on Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart (Cleavon Little) becomes the first black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the people of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new leader. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend (Gene Wilder) are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.