A Fantastical Film In The Cinemas On This Day In 1974
First released in the UK on March 14th 1974, The Exorcist was still showing in Central London even as the movie was on release across the nation. A trawl in the newspaper archives suggests that much of the moral panic kicked up by the UK’s media about it was still raging. In Wales, several letters pages featured attempts by readers to defend the movie in the face of substantial criticism. In August 23rd’s Gwent Gazette, for example, one T. J. Thomas wrote:
“… I cannot agree that seeing The Exorcist may produce an incentive to further explore the occult. In fact, it will produce the opposite effect and induce people to put as many miles as possible between themselves and anything which had the slightest semblance to either black magic, witchcraft or satanism”.
In The Glamorgan Gazette of August 2nd, P. Marshall
“May I say how amazed I was on read ing your newspaper’s account of people being hysterical, sick or frightened after seeing the controversial film, “The Exorcist”, at the County Cinema, Bridgend. I went to see the film … at the Embassy Cinema … At no time did I see anyone being hysterical, sick or frightened, before, during or after the performance … in my opinion, (it) was quite funny, quite well put together, and generally a good example of the make-up artist and scenic artist’s work. How it could possibly upset, worry or frighten any normal adult baffles me”.
But on the same page, Hadyn Hughes’ missive reflected a fundamentalist point of view instead:
“I suggest the subject of demonology is not only an interesting one, but also an intensely important one. That demons have direct contact with our lives is clearly shown in the Scriptures.“
After referencing Biblical sources and quoting at length from Tertullian, Hughes closed with:
“In conclusion, I heartily agree that people should be warned of the dangers of dabbling with demons”.
You and I might think that The Exorcist is pretty dashed clear in its stance on “dabbling with demons”, but Mr Hughes seemed to feel that any depiction of Satan’s evil little devils was a profoundly dangerous business.
A Comic On Sale On This Day In 1974
I’m struggling to think of a finer licensed title than Marvel’s Planet Of The Apes magazine. For its sadly short run of less than two-and-a-half years, it featured a host of fine storytellers producing fine work, with artists Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton, and Alfredo Alcala coming particularly to mind. Had George Tuska’s pencils for the adaptation of the first Apes movie been enhanced by a finisher of true quality, the title’s first few issues would’ve been as close to outstanding as could feasibility been hoped for.
A Fantastical Album That Was In The Charts Today In August 1974
At number 9 in the UK album charts this week, with 10 weeks in the Top 40 already under Wakeman’s belt and a spell at number 1 to boot, Rick Wakeman’s Journey To The Centre Of The Earth was, high pomp or not, a fabulously popular LP. Accordingly, Wakeman often appeared in the mainstream press, a pop star, after his own fashion, like any other.
In the Saturday August 3rd edition of the Birmingham Evening Mail, one Stephen Weddle reported onWakeman’s recent headline performance at the Crystal Palace Festival in terms of cheery showbiz gossip rather than socio-musical analysis :
“Rick Wakeman, assisted by the New World Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, amazed the huge audience (with huge) inflatable monsters (which) fought battles … After the performance, Rock revealed to me how he had played for an hour and a half with a broken arm. What a trooper!”
A Fantastical Novel On Sale During This Week in 1974
No less than the young Martin Amis reviewed The Halcyon Drift in August 18th 1974’s The Guardian:
“… Brian Stableford soon shows his class … At present the author is somewhere between the genuine inventiveness of a Larry Niven and the deceptive garrulity of Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat. With a less space-operatic plot – and with a hero who’s less of a facetious churl – Mr Stableford’s technical knowledge and linguistic verve should start to pay off. He is 25. He might be very good.”
The Halcyon Drift was the first of Stableford’s six Hooded Swan novels. The Almanac read them as a nipper and enjoyed them very much. Of course, Stableford went on to write many inventive & enjoyable novels as well.
The Almanac Of The Fantastical Will Return Tomorrow …
The Almanac Of The Fantastical 