The 1970s are now hailed as “Hollywood’s Second Golden Age,” and it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Blockbusters such as The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars and countless other classics defined the decade. Yet, tucked away in the archives, there are a handful of movies that were once praised, starred notable talent, and have since faded into obscurity. In this roundup of 10 forgotten 1970s titles, we shine a light on those overlooked gems and explain why they deserve a fresh look.
10 Forgotten 1970s Films Worth Revisiting
10 An Early Richard Pryor Film With Steely Dan Music
You’ve Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You’ll Lose That Beat boasts one of the most unwieldy titles ever to grace a movie marquee, and it has languished in near‑oblivion since its 1971 debut. That’s a real shame given the roster of talent attached. Zalman King leads the cast – a man who later produced erotic hits like 9½ Weeks (1986) and the TV series Red Shoe Diaries (1992). The supporting ensemble is even more intriguing, featuring Robert Downey Sr. and a very young Richard Pryor in one of his first on‑screen appearances.
Information about the picture is scarce today, and it might have vanished completely if not for its quirky soundtrack. The music was penned and performed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen just before they formed Steely Dan, with guitarist Denny Dias (who would play on the first six Dan albums) also contributing under the moniker “The Original Sound Track.” Steely Dan devotees have chased down copies of that soundtrack for decades, unintentionally keeping the film’s memory alive.
Director Peter Locke has hinted that the film isn’t a masterpiece and seems content with its current anonymity. Nevertheless, critics who managed to view it praised Pryor’s early performance, and music lovers remain fascinated by the glimpse into Steely Dan’s pre‑fame era, ensuring the film retains a modest cult curiosity.
9 Playboy’s First Film Production
Zoologist Desmond Morris’s 1967 bestseller The Naked Ape sparked a cultural firestorm, arguing that human sexuality evolved into something distinct from other animals. The book’s mix of serious insight and playful tone made it ripe for adaptation – perhaps a BBC documentary, one might have guessed. Instead, in 1973, Hugh Hefner seized the opportunity to turn the work into Playboy’s inaugural Hollywood venture.
The resulting picture stars former TV child‑actor Johnny Crawford (remember him from The Rifleman?) alongside a pre‑Dallas Victoria Principal. The adaptation takes great liberties, weaving animated interludes to illustrate the book’s sociological ideas while Crawford and Principal play a college couple navigating typical human mating rituals. Crawford’s character is eventually drafted and, spoiler‑alert, meets his end in Vietnam, adding a grim twist to the otherwise off‑beat narrative.
Even though the film vanished from theaters almost as quickly as it arrived, it has never been completely erased. A niche community of Playboy aficionados, collectors of ’70s cinema, and fans of the two leads keep the title circulating. While it never saw an official home‑video or streaming release, a copy salvaged from old TV broadcasts circulates among underground collectors.
8 A Critical Favorite Gone Missing
Diary of a Mad Housewife began life as a 1967 novel by Sue Kaufman, chronicling the frustrations of a young New York wife and mother trapped by an unbearable husband and demanding children. The book’s sharp humor and feminist undercurrents made it a perfect candidate for a film adaptation during the rise of second‑wave feminism.
The husband‑and‑wife filmmaking duo Eleanor and Frank Perry brought the story to the screen in August 1970. The film earned considerable acclaim, highlighted by a Best Actress Oscar nomination for newcomer Carrie Snodgress. It also marked the big‑screen debut of Frank Langella, who would later portray Dracula (1979) and Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon (2008).
Despite the glowing reviews and strong audience response, the movie slipped into obscurity. The independent nature of the Perrys’ production meant the original film elements never entered a major studio archive, complicating any restoration attempts. In 2021, a Blu‑ray finally emerged, sourced from a well‑preserved print. Hopefully, the original negatives will surface someday, allowing a proper, high‑quality revival of this overlooked classic.
7 The Film Debut of Samuel L. Jackson
There’s no denying that Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most recognizable faces in modern cinema. After his iconic turn as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic Pulp Fiction and his long‑running role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has become a cultural mainstay. Yet his very first screen credit dates back to 1972, appearing in the obscure curio Together for Days.
The film follows a Black activist and a White woman who find themselves “drawn to one another” amid the charged racial atmosphere of early‑1970s America. Jackson plays a character simply named “Stan,” and beyond that, details are scarce. He landed the part while a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where the production was taking place.
During a Tonight Show interview, host Jay Leno mentioned his futile search for a copy of the film (also known as Black Cream). Jackson quipped that he was glad Leno couldn’t find it, leaving fans to wonder about the movie’s quality. Nonetheless, his legion of admirers would love to see this early work, and perhaps one day it will resurface on home‑video or streaming platforms.
6 A Popular Documentary Narrated by Orson Welles
Alvin Toffler’s 1970 bestseller Future Shock sold millions of copies, warning that rapid societal change was causing “future shock”—a kind of cultural disorientation. The book’s predictions about technology, disposable consumer goods, and a nascent internet‑like network resonated strongly with readers.
Capitalizing on the book’s momentum, director Alex Grasshof produced a 1972 documentary adaptation, enlisting none other than Orson Welles to provide narration. Welles’s gravitas adds a timeless, authoritative tone to the film, which explores the anxieties of a world hurtling toward unprecedented change.
Although the documentary never received an official home‑media release, fan‑restored versions have surfaced on YouTube, keeping the work accessible to curious viewers. Watching it offers a fascinating glimpse into how people in the early ’70s imagined the future we now inhabit.
5 A Notable Early Directorial Effort
John G. Avildsen is best remembered for winning Best Director for Rocky and later shepherding the Karate Kid trilogy. Before those Hollywood triumphs, Avildsen earned critical praise with 1970’s Joe, a gritty drama starring Peter Boyle as a working‑class man driven to extremism.
He followed that success with another commendable picture in 1971: Okay, Bill. Variety lauded the film as “creative and inventive,” and audiences who caught it responded positively. Unfortunately, the movie never secured a wide release, being distributed by the modest Four Star‑Excelsior. Its subsequent fate is a mystery, and it now appears on numerous “most‑wanted” lost‑film lists. Enthusiasts continue to dig for information, hoping the film will someday re‑emerge.
4 An Acclaimed George Segal/Robert De Niro Film
During the late ’60s through the mid‑’70s, George Segal built a reputation for delivering relatable, everyman performances. One of his most praised roles, however, has largely slipped from public memory: the 1971 drama Born to Win. The film also features a strong supporting cast, including Karen Black, Hector Elizondo, and a very young Robert De Niro.
Born to Win follows a heroin‑addicted protagonist striving to balance a semblance of normal life with his habit, resulting in a gritty comedy‑drama packed with complications. Critics highlighted Segal’s work, with Paste Magazine calling his performance “one of the great unsung performances of the ’70s.”
Today, the movie lives on in bargain‑bin DVD racks, offering curious viewers a cheap entry point into a film that once garnered critical admiration but now remains a hidden treasure for those willing to hunt it down.
3 A Dennis Hopper Western
The early 1970s saw a surge of “revisionist Westerns,” which turned the classic genre on its head. Films like Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969) and Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) exemplified this trend. Among them, Dennis Hopper’s 1973 western Kid Blue has largely faded from the public eye.
Hopper portrays the titular Kid Blue, a train robber who discovers the Old West is disappearing and attempts to go straight. The film explores the difficulty of leaving a criminal past behind, blending action with introspection.
Although critics responded positively and the movie earned modest box‑office returns, it never secured a lasting place in the cultural conversation. Revival theater The New Beverly noted in 2017 that the film “did not linger in the public’s imagination.” Fortunately, 20th Century Fox now offers it via on‑demand DVDs in its Archive Collection, making it accessible for modern audiences.
2 Sci‑Fi From a Young Spielberg
Even the most celebrated directors start somewhere, and Steven Spielberg’s early career began in television. While most remember his 1971 TV movie Duel, which later received a theatrical release, he also crafted a feature‑length sci‑fi segment that aired as part of the NBC series The Name of the Game.
The episode, titled “L.A. 2017,” uses a dream sequence to plunge viewers into a dystopian future where pollution forces humanity underground and America has transformed into a fascist state. The young Spielberg used the premise to experiment with camera work and storytelling, showcasing his emerging talent at just 24.
Because the series itself has largely been forgotten, “L.A. 2017” remains known primarily to devoted Spielberg fans. It has never seen an official home‑video release, though fan‑restored versions from original TV airings circulate online for those eager to experience this early glimpse of his visionary style.
1 A Star‑Studded Cast in a Family Drama
Following the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, many films of the ’60s and ’70s tackled the fraught issue of parents dealing with their children’s drug use. One standout example is the 1970 drama The People Next Door, which earned high praise from both critics and audiences.
Roger Ebert famously wrote, “It’s the best movie so far about parents, kids, and drugs, and probably the best we’re likely to get.” The film boasts an impressive ensemble, including Eli Wallach, Julie Harris, Hal Holbrook, and Cloris Leachman, delivering powerful performances that still resonate.
After a period of relative obscurity, the movie received a 4K restoration on Blu‑Ray in the UK in 2021 and is now available for rental on several streaming platforms. Its renewed accessibility makes it a worthwhile watch for anyone interested in a nuanced, era‑defining family drama.