# Last (Hollywood) movie with an intermission
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 2, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086 "2009-08-02T19:33:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/1 "2009-08-02T19:33:57Z")
As a kid, I remember seeing a number of movies that had an intermission. Things like Ben Hur and Lawrence of Arabia come to mind.
The last Hollywood flick that I clearly remember having an intermission was 2001: A Space Odyssey. But that was in 1968. Could that have possibly been the last movie with an intermission? Over forty years ago?
Can you set me straight? Please. (and thanks!)
---
### Author:  [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/2 "2009-08-02T20:56:21Z")
I think Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which came out in 1975, had an intermission. And Kill Bill also had an intermission of sorts, but they released each half of the movie separately, so that doesn’t quite fit.
---
### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/3 "2009-08-02T21:05:31Z")
I saw an article from the SF Gate that says that Gandhi (1982) was the last mainstream movie with an intermission, although in later screenings the intermission was removed.
---
### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/4 "2009-08-02T21:06:39Z")
I wish they would bring back intermissions for long movies. Large drinks and 3 hours don’t go well together, and invariably when you get up for a bathroom break it’s during a crucial scene.
---
### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/5 "2009-08-02T21:07:56Z")
Gettysburg (1993) had an intermission. It was 4+ hours long.
> **[Gettysburg (1993) ⭐ 7.6 | Drama, History, War](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/)**
>
> 4h 31m | PG
---
### Author:  [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/6 "2009-08-02T21:09:19Z")
I think Titanic had an intermission. Schindler’s List also.
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/7 "2009-08-02T21:10:32Z")
Holy Grail had a fake intermission. 2:38 isn’t even enough time to go out and piss, let alone get more popcorn. [Watch it here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hmDZz5pDOQ).
And Kill Bill doesn’t count either, IMO because it’s 2 movies.
I think the last real intermission I recall was 1982, **Gandhi**.
ETA: i checked **voguevixen** ’s answer, and she (I hope VV is a she, sorry if not) is correct, **Gettysburg** had a 10 minute intermission built into the film.
---
### Author:  [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/8 "2009-08-02T21:17:23Z")
I’ve definitely been to a movie with an intermission in my lifetime. I was born '81 so this probably would’ve been early/mid '90s. Jeez, _Jurassic Park_ is the one that keeps popping into my mind but that can’t be it, as it was barely over 2 hours. It definitely wasn’t Schindler’s List. I’ll keep thinking.
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/9 "2009-08-02T21:18:27Z")
On the other hand, [this cached article](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:8KGLrgk0PpgJ:cfx.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081017/news_1c17closeupm.html+last+film+with+an+intermission&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) claims that Leonard Maltin says that it was Gandhi, at least until **Che** , released this year, was released with a built in whopper of an intermission: 30 minutes.
---
### Author:  [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/10 "2009-08-02T21:19:12Z")
Branagh’s Hamlet had an intermission in 1996.
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/11 "2009-08-02T21:23:51Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> I wish they would bring back intermissions for long movies.
I think sooner or later they will, since even summer popcorn movies are getting ridiculously long. People get to go to the bathroom, and everybody is encouraged to visit the concession stands. From a marketing standpoint I’d say it works for everybody.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/12 "2009-08-02T21:24:18Z")
IIRC _Reds_ had an intermission.
---
### Author:  [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/13 "2009-08-02T21:29:42Z")
I recall hearing that some theaters had an intermission for Peter Jackson’s “King Kong”. I can’t cite this though, sorry.
---
### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/14 "2009-08-02T21:31:59Z")
What a great set of responses! Much obliged!
---
### Author:  [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/15 "2009-08-02T22:32:07Z")
I hear that **Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows** will have an 8 or 9 month intermission. Looks like I’ll have time to pee AND refill the popcorn bucket.
😃
---
### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/16 "2009-08-02T22:33:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> On the other hand, [this cached article](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:8KGLrgk0PpgJ:cfx.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081017/news_1c17closeupm.html+last+film+with+an+intermission&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) claims that Leonard Maltin says that it was Gandhi, at least until **Che** , released this year, was released with a built in whopper of an intermission: 30 minutes.
I don’t remember the intermission being 30 minutes, but it definitely had one when I saw it, needed it to.
Excellent movie, by the way. It helps to see both parts in a sitting, works better.
---
### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/17 "2009-08-02T22:53:12Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#):
>
> Branagh’s Hamlet had an intermission in 1996.
Confirmed. I saw it and was rather amazed at the whole concept of an intermission.
---
### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/18 "2009-08-02T22:57:16Z")
_Grindhouse_ had an intermission. It was the best bit of the film 😃
---
### Author:  [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/19 "2009-08-02T23:05:00Z")
I figured out that the entire Naboo love sequence in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was about the right amount of time to go to the bathroom and get a refill without missing anything you needed to see.
---
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086/20 "2009-08-02T23:29:38Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#):
>
> Branagh’s Hamlet had an intermission in 1996.
I was a theater manager when we screened the 70mm print of this film, and the intermission was necessary because the platter simply was not big enough to hold the entire 4 hours (and unlike reel-to-reels, you can’t do changeovers in the platter projection system).
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-hollywood-movie-with-an-intermission/505086.md?page=2)