Curiosity Got Me Bounced
There have been many movies over the years that emerged in public controversy. Probably one of the earliest was The Birth of a Nation (1915), which portrayed the Ku Klux Klan in a positive light. The Outlaw (1943) was banned in many areas and, in New York, the ban wasn't lifted until 1947. The Moon is Blue (1953) broke the moral code of the Hays Office through its use of words like "virgin" and "seduction." Last Tango in Paris (1972) was the subject of protests and bomb threats. And Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) was removed from release in Great Britain due to the fear of copycat violence.
In 1969, a Swedish movie, I Am Curious, Yellow, was the talk of the country and was banned in Boston for its sexual content. I was living in Minneapolis then, and on Aug. 23, 1969, this ad was seen in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Well, it seemed to be clearly hinting that the infamous film had made its way to Minnesota. So, that night, my brother Dale and I and our wives, Joyce and Jackie, all "curious" went to the midnight show at the Orpheum. As the movie started, it seemed pretty clear that it wasn't Swedish. Turns out it was a sneak preview of The Big Bounce, a fairly standard crime drama, with Ryan O'Neal and Leigh-Taylor Young. People in the audience starting booing and many left to demand their money back. We watched most of it, but my brother wanted to leave. He, too, demanded a refund even though we'd watched at least half of the film. I actually thought it was an OK film and I especially liked the music soundtrack (by Mike Curb), and eventually bought it on an LP.
The next day, the Star Tribune had this story about the evening's events.
Postscript: After we left the theater, we remembered that the Minnesota Vikings had played a pre-season football game in St. Louis, winning 41-13. We decided to go greet their return at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. In those days, anyone could go into the terminal and to the gates without having to pass through any kind of security. We arrived at the gate just in time, as the Vikings were getting off the plane. We were the only ones there, but we cheered them as they emerged. They were so sleepy they barely noticed us. I remember coach Jerry Burns mumbled something to me as he passed.
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