Many view the 1970s as a creative high point in cinema. Prior to this time, Hollywood was experiencing a financial and creative slump. With the films of the 1970s, the film industry experienced a creative boom that drew audiences in.

Some of the most successful films were on the harsh truths of war, perhaps due to growing disillusionment with the Vietnam War. Films such as Patton (Second World War) and M*A*S*H (Korean War) offered an honest look at war and were huge successes.

Some popular films in the ‘70s were praised for their honest views of love, life, and growing up. In particular, the films Love Story and Summer of ’42 were praised for their honesty, as well as their slow, old-fashioned feel. Both films went on to be some of the most financially successful films in Hollywood history.

The’ 70s was also a successful decade for the well-known James Bond franchise. The decade saw Sean Connery’s final entry in the franchise with Diamonds are Forever in 1971 before the Bond role was handed over to Roger Moore (Sean Connery returned to make Never Say Never Again in 1983). Live and Let Die was Moore’s most successful Bond film when it came to admission, while Moonraker in 1979 was the most financially successful Bond film for almost 20 years.

Most disaster films owe a debt of gratitude to Airplane, a disaster film with a complex plot and developed characters, and which was a financial and critical success. A boom followed in the disaster genre, not only from the film’s sequels but from other films such as The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and The Towering Inferno.

The Godfather was released in 1972, and the second part of the trilogy followed in 1974. The depiction of violence and Mafia life in the films drew audiences and would later influence many films in the gangster genre.

The 1970s introduced us to a future director of one of the popular film franchises to date: George Lucas. Three of his most famous films were released in the 1970s: THX 1138, American Graffiti, and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (then simply known as Star Wars). The beginning of the Star Wars franchise remains a popular sci-fi film today.

No article can truly encompass the scope of popular films of the 1970s. Many genres received a boom, many franchises achieved success, and many directors hit their stride. No wonder films of the ‘70s are remembered so fondly!