10 Huge Hit Films That Are Now Almost Totally Forgotten

Some movie blockbusters, think ‘Titanic’ or ‘Gone With The Wind’, are still fondly remembered and regularly re-watched decades after they first made millions in cinemas. However, not every Hollywood mega-hit stands the test of time. Here are ten films that were box office smashes when they were released, but are mostly forgotten today. How many have you even heard off, let alone seen?

Dinosaur (2000)

Hey, who remembers ‘Dinosaur’?! What? Nobody? The inauspicious 39th movie in Disney’s Animated Classics series is no 'Inside Out’. As far as notoriety goes, it’s not even 'Cars 2’. Voiced by a cast of not even vaguely recognisable names, its early CGI visuals were lauded, but the plot damned as 'dull’. Yet somehow, it made £250 million at the worldwide box office. That’s nearly as much as 'Toy Story’. Yes, that 'Toy Story’.

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

This superb drama about World War II veterans struggling to acclimatize to life after war was a worldwide smash hit. At the time, it was the second highest-grossing film ever behind 'Gone With The Wind’ and is still the sixth most attended film ever in the UK, ahead of ‘Titanic’. It also cleaned up at the Oscars that year, winning seven gongs including Best Picture. Well-worth a revisit.

House Of Wax (1953)

No, not the lamentable remake starring Paris Hilton, obviously. It’s the original horror classic starring the legendary Vincent Price as a sculptor of wax figures who is left horribly disfigured when his business partner tries to burn him alive. It was a smash hit at the time, the seventh highest-grossing movie of the year (it made a huge £15 million at the time), which went on to be re-released in the 70s and 80s for the benefit of horror fans worldwide. It was also the very first 3D blockbuster, and we re-released on 3D Blu-ray to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2013.

The Bible: In The Beginning (1966)

This Dino de Luarentiis super-production was the top-grossing film of 1966 (it took in a huge haul of £23 million) and boasted a eye-poppingly star-studded cast, as well as the legendary John Huston behind the camera. Richard Harris, George C. Scott, Ava Gardner and Peter O'Toole provided the star quality (Huston himself played Noah, the narrator and the voice of God), yet one could hardly say it’s up there as an oft-mentioned movie great. It’s not even repeated during the Easter holidays.

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Things were getting a bit tired by the fourth movie in the 'Lethal Weapon’ franchise. Yet, the crowds still kept turning up. With its hokey Triad-based crime plot, Riggs and Murtaugh back together, and roles for Jet Li, Chris Rock and Joe Pesci (who got a Razzie nomination for his trouble), it was unfairly considered a flop when compared to the previous movies in the series. Critics really didn’t love it either. Yet it busted into the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the year, with an enviable bank of £187 million.

Eraser (1996)

Precisely no one’s favourite Arnie movie, 'Eraser’ saw the Austrian Oak play John Kruger (an Arnie character name if ever we heard one) US Marshall specialising in making high-profile types in the witness protection program disappear. An 'eraser’, if you will. Despite being thoroughly unloved by the critics, movie-goers voted with their feet. It was the 10th highest-grossing movie of 1996, and made itself nearly £180 million.

The Robe (1953)

Not merely a film about a dressing gown, rather a biblical epic about the Roman officer commanding the unit responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For a movie with such a star-studded cast – Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature and Michael Rennie – and such a huge sum made at the worldwide box office (£23 million, around £210 million in today’s money), it’s scarcely retained its notoriety in the intervening years.

That Darn Cat! (1965)

This screwball comedy thriller was the last of six films Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills, made for Disney. It found her playing Patti Randall, who with her sister Ingrid (Dorothy Provine) own the mischievous Siamese tomcat DC, or Darn Cat. Roddy McDowall, Ed Wynn and Elsa Lanchester also made up a notable cast. Mills was a huge star at the time, no doubt helping the film bring in £141 million, accounting for inflation. But do you remember it?

Sergeant York (1941)

Howard Hawks directed this biopic about Alvin York, the most decorated war hero of World War I. It scored Gary Cooper an Oscar in the lead role, and another for its editing, while it also got nominations in nine other categories. And it was the highest-grossing movie of the year, making the equivalent of £174 million today. That’s more than 'Top Gun’. Which you’ve probably heard of.

The Carpetbaggers (1964)

Adapted from the book by Harold Robbins (once described as 'as much a part of the sexual and social revolution as the pill, Playboy and pot’), this key movie of the era starred George Peppard fresh from his role in 'Breakfast At Tiffany’s, as a massively welathy Howard Hughes-esque aviation pioneer. It also starred screen draw Alan Ladd. It made a whopping £201 million in today’s money, but rarely comes up in any top movie lists. Critics at the time damned it for its sexual content, one calling it 'an upscale dirty movie’. Still it was the fourth highest-grossing movie of 1964.

Read more:
The Really Dark Original Stories Behind Classic Kids Movies
Fantastic Beasts: Everything We Know About The Harry Potter Spin-Off
How Much Did The Avengers: Age Of Ultron Cast Get Paid?

Image credits: Rex Features