NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

NBC Saturday Night at the Movies was television's first anthology series to air relatively recent films coming from major Hollywood studios in colour.

During television's early stages, major Hollywood studios did not release their films on television.

Instead, films shown on television during its early stages were typically low-budget B movies or older monochrome academy ratio films that have already lost their value in theatres.

By the 1950's decade, movies were on local television stations or during non-primetime line-ups.

Famous Film Festival and Hollywood Film Theatre are movie series on ABC in the 1950's decade.

While Famous Film Festival presented British films made during and after WWII, Hollywood Film Theatre presented some pre-1948 films by RKO.

RKO sold some pre-1948 films to ABC, while others were syndicated to local television stations.

Together, Famous Film Festival and Hollywood Film Theatre, both on ABC in the 1950's, aired films lasting 90 minutes, which meant some have to be severely either edited or aired in 2 parts.

NBC Saturday Night at the Movies was the first network movie anthology series to run two hours (or occasionally longer), so that almost all films can be aired on one night.

From its September 1961 premiere to its October 1978 end, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies was a showcase for Hollywood films

Don Stanley was the main announcer of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies and recorded the opening credits and bumpers at NBC Colour City Studios.

The first two seasons of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies begin with a Marilyn Monroe film in both 1961 and 1962.

How to Marry a Millionaire, the first film shot on CinemaScope (second released overall), was also the first colour and CinemaScope film on primetime television, just before Marilyn Monroe's death.

In addition, How to Marry a Millionaire is the first film on NBC Saturday Night at the Movies.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is the first film of the second NBC Saturday Night at the Movies season.

Plus, on television's NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes pays tribute to the recently-deceased Marilyn Monroe, whose pink dress and Diamonds number have been iconic.

The Seven Year Itch, noted for its sexy scene, where Marilyn Monroe's white dress is lifted by a breeze from a subway grate, is included in the third NBC Saturday Night at the Movies season.

Other films involving Marilyn Monroe in the first three seasons of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies include Niagara, River of No Return and Let's Make Love.

With NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, viewers can provide access to more recent and high-quality Hollywood films not usually available at the time on television.

The ABC Sunday Night Movie, which started to air on a regular basis in the mid-1960's, was the new name for its short-lived and irregular Hollywood Special series.

CBS, meanwhile, jumped on the bandwagon of both NBC Saturday Night at the Movies and the ABC Sunday Night Movie with The CBS Thursday Night Movies.

Unlike both NBC and ABC, CBS delayed running feature-length films at the behest of its hierarchy.

James T. Aubrey was an opponent of the plan for CBS to launch a movie series.

With James T. Aubrey's departure, CBS was given the go-ahead to launch The CBS Thursday Night Movies in the mid-1960's or before 1966.

After 10 years, CBS decided to move its movie series to Friday nights in 1975.

The September 1961 launch of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, in particular with the rise of colour television, enhanced the cinematic experience at home.

In addition, the huge popularity of some network movie anthology series on television, including NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, offered a windfall to the film studios.

Even before it became widespread, NBC actively promoted colour programming and was a pioneer in bringing colour to television.

Colour television offers a more vibrant and visually appealing experience that mirrors the cinema.

My visit to Vietnam from October 2024 to March 2025

Coming to Vietnam in October 2024, I was with my grandma and my auntie. For 5 months, we lived together in Cua Ong, based at Cam Pha in Quang Ninh, Vietnam.

Huyen Duong (b. 1984), Vu Hue Anh (b. 1996) and Vu Thi Thu Thuy (b. 1985) are some of the good people I met the most while I was in Cua Ong.

Thanh (b. 1972) and Hanh (b. 1981) are also some of the good people I met while in Cua Ong.

Vu Thi Thu Thuy's favourite singer is Britney Spears.

Both Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe serve as major influences for Madonna, who, in turn, is a key inspiration for Britney Spears, who is a 9th cousin, 3x removed from Marilyn Monroe.

Elizabeth "Betty" Hall is a woman being active in the 17th century who is a common ancestor for both Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears.

Together, both Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears use the name structure, with 7 letters in their given names and 6 in their last (13 overall), plus their facial looks and Jean as their middle name.

Both Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears are also pop culture icons who won fame and popularity at a young age and became sex icons, captivating both the public and media.

Plus, both Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears are blonde girls whose natural hair colour is brown, but also endure careers as actresses and singers.

Jean is the middle name for Britney Spears (and the given name for Jean Harlow), whereas Jeane is the middle name for Marilyn Monroe.

During the last few months of 2024, Vu Thi Thu Thuy used long hair, but in the new year, and also to celebrate her fortieth birthday, she began to use blunt bangs.

For Vu Thi Thu Thuy, using blunt bangs offers a more modern, youthful and sexy vibe.

On March 6, 2025, while in Hanoi, my mother came to see me in the first time in a few months.

While in Hanoi, I listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, One of These Nights by The Eagles and Sara Smile by Hall and Oates.

Not long after, on March 8, 2025, my mon and I travelled to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.

Plus, I visited Phu Tung Hop So, located next to both Galaxy Cinemas and McDonald's at Saigon's District 6, where I met Danny/Hieu (b. 1978) and Helen/Do Ha (b. 1985), on the 10th.

My mom and I returned to Quang Ninh on March 11, 2025, reunited with my grandma.

Hien Bui (b. 1973) and Helen/Do Ha (b. 1985) are some of the people I met the most while I was in Saigon; both were born in the year of the Vietnamese zodiac Water Buffalo.

The Water Buffalo zodiac is different in name from the Chinese zodiac Ox.

Some of the girls I met in Vietnam were born in a US presidential election/inauguration year, notably Hien Bui, Vu Thu Thi Thuy, Vu Hue Anh, Huyen Duong, Helen/Do Ha, Thanh and Hanh.