Fiddler has an intermission, in 1971. What movies since have had them and what is the last one?
shareThey haven't done movies with intermissions in a very long time.
Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!
I think this is because movies are much shorter now, for the most part. The films cited below are long -- two hours or more, most of them. A 90 minute film would really not justify a 15 or 20 minute intermission.
shareI wish they'd bring them back. I've learned from experience that the projectionists WILL NOT pause the movie if you need to go out for a smoke or something. Somebody needs to tell those nerds that the world doesn't revolve around their precious movies.
shareIt's interesting you would say that because I always thought the intermission was an opportunity for the projectionist to load a secondary reel when the entire movie didn't fit onto one. Since the process could take a while, the audience had a little time to get up and stretch their legs.
These days things have changed considerably. Movies are screened differently and most are barely long enough to merit an intermission. However, given the amount of liquid in those bucket-sized drinks sold at the concessions stand, intermissions are probably needed more than ever.
Theater owners would probably love the chance to sell more snacks since that is where they make their money; but logistically there could be problems. The studios probably wouldn't like it either. Intermissions would mean fewer showings could be scheduled in any given day.
The older film projectors only held reels of about 20 minutes. So most every movie would require reel changes. They always had two projectors in use. The next reel on the second projector would be started when the first projector finished. You will see markers in the corners of the older films that flash by and warn the projectionist to get ready to trigger the other projector. He then rewinds the film on the first projector and loads it up with the next reel.
Newer film projectors could hold MUCH larger reels, but there was still a limit.
With the new digital projectors, they can run virtually any length movie.
Personally, I would say that any movie over 2.5 hours SHOULD have an intermission.
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" had one.
"I will not go down in history as the greatest mass-murderer since Adolf Hitler!" - Merkin Muffley
The 1996 film "Hamlet" had an intermission.
The following films also had intermissions:
The Godfather 1972
The Cowboys 1972
The Godfather: Part II 1974
Barry Lyndon 1975
Reds 1981
Gandhi 1982
Once Upon a Time in America 1984
Dances With Wolves 1990
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), although it was only a few seconds long.
shareKenneth Branagh's Hamlet
shareAre we supposed to stick with just American (or at least English language) movies?
The 1990s Hungarian movie Satantango had *two* intermissions. Of course, the running time for that movie was 450 minutes (yes, that's seven and a half hours).