This thread is about movies that begin with the studio logo and then jump right into the action for several minutes (or sometimes more) before the title credits appear. Name and discuss any that come to mind. Also, what’s the earliest example of this practice? I have trouble remembering any movies made before the late 50’s that did this.
I’ll begin by citing the opening to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as an extreme example. I don’t think they get to the opening credits until they’re about 20 minutes into the movie.
Incidentally, movies like Apocalypse Now that don’t run their title until the end don’t count. Those are movies that simply don’t have opening credits.
Raising Arizona is a good example of what you’re talking about.
They don’t show the credits untill after all the backstory of H.I. multiple arrests, marrying Ed(wina) and trying to have baby until the doctor explains to H.I. that Ed’s insides were a rocky place where his seed could find no perches and then the news about the Arizona quints being born to Nathan Arizona and his wife.
IIRC, The Lion King starts that way. They used the pre-title musical sequence (or part of it) as the movie trailer and it was really cool, especially how they slam the title in.
Slightly off topic, but do I correctly remember an episode of Monty Pythons Flying Circus where they played the opening credits about five minutes from the end?
You too, huh? I found myself doing the same for the opening of the Justice League cartoons. And when I watch reruns of older shows, I’m a little surprised how often they started with, for example, “Tonight, on Tour Of Duty…” and five or six clips from the upcoming episode.
If I may repeat a question from my OP, what’s the earliest use in a movie of a cold opening/extended pre-credit sequence? I noticed they started to be used more frequently in the early 60’s but I’m fairly sure the practice began long before that. I’m also guessing that foreign films used cold openings before Hollywood did but I could be wrong.
Also bubastis, I believe there were several Monty Python episodes where they did this. An ep that immediately comes to mind is the one set almost entirely in the department store.
And **Raiders of the Lost Ark ** did have title and credits in the opening sequence as Indy, his treacherous guide, and a few Indian scouts move through the jungle.
You know I was never really sure and I debated as I wrote it out, but I tought “to perch” was a better match with ‘rocky place’ but I’m probably wrong.
One interesting thing I remember about Gangs of New York is that the entire movie is a cold open. The title doesn’t appear until the very end, right before the credits.