Movie Buffs: Credits question

[KJIM]

I'm watching Adam's Rib, and it again occurs to me to wonder: When did the credits move from the start of the movie to the end? There's got to be some story behind it. Anyone have a clue?

Hepburn and Tracy. Wonderful combinatio, but I digress.

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Lethal Weapon II

They went straight to action and it really worked. People started copying it.

Now almost no action movie or comedy starts with credits (or they will put them in like five minutes in after they feel the audience has been grabbed)

Only movies that feel they have a shot at an Oscar will start with credits

 

[Buck]

I think movies should include full credits at the beginning and end.

 

[dreunc1542]

I think movies should include full credits at the beginning and end.

How else are we supposed to figure out who the key grip is?

 

[EStreetJoe]

Unless there's word of mouth or you see it mentioned in a review, how do you know which movies to sit through the credits for to see the real final scene (like Airplane!, Ferris Bueller) and which movies you can leave while the credits roll?

Also any trivia buffs out there know the answer to this one (I don't) -- for the credits at the start of the movie, who started the tradition of listing the director last?

 

[Sic semper tyrannis]

Lethal Weapon II

They went straight to action and it really worked. People started copying it.

Now almost no action movie or comedy starts with credits (or they will put them in like five minutes in after they feel the audience has been grabbed)

Only movies that feel they have a shot at an Oscar will start with credits

Wikipedia claims Citizen Kane was the first movie to not have opening credits, other than the title

 

[Wenders]

George Lucas got in major trouble for it for Empire Strikes Back. He worked with them for A New Hope to go right into the scrolling, but when he did it for the last two movies, they really didn't like it.

So it was around the early-80s when things started changing.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Some movies would be a lot better if ALL they showed were the credits

 

[heyabbott]

I think movies should include full credits at the beginning and end.

How else are we supposed to figure out who the key grip is?

imdb.com

 

[EStreetJoe]

Why can't we have more opening credits like this?

 

[Sic semper tyrannis]

Why can't we have more opening credits like this?

those guys were ****ing brilliant

 

[Football_Bat]

Adolf Hitler: Worst Boy.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I know David Chase wanted to do no closing credits on the final episode of The Sopranos, just go to black, and the union people threatened action.
What a bunch of douches. Nobody besides the third assistant hair dresser's mom gives a **** who the third assistant hair dresser is.

 

[finishthehat]

Not exactly on subject, but the NY Times had a story a month or so about how long some credits are getting, partly because of contractural obligations. CGI epics like Avatar can have end credits that go well past the 10-minute mark, IIRC.

They went to a theater and talked to the one person who sat through them all. "I just like to get my money's worth," he said.

As to the director's credit, I think it must have been the `30s or so when they got listed last.

 

[Magic In The Night]

I'm guessing the dawn of imdb was also when people started walking out and not watching the credits. They figure they can just get the info online. I'm one of those people who loves to sit and watch the credits, see what the music is, see where it was filmed, etc. Thankfully, the fiance also is. It made me so happy the first time we went to a movie in a theater and he wanted to stay, too.

 

[finishthehat]

Here's the story I was talking about (and slightly misremembered).

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/11/movies/11CRED.html?pagewanted=1