Why Are Hit Movies Called Blockbusters?

Q: What was the first blockbuster movie in American history?

Many consider Birth of a Nation (1915) to be the first Hollywood blockbuster. A silent film starring Lillian Gish , it was the longest and most-profitable film then produced and the most artistically advanced film of its day. An epic about the American Civil War (1861–65) and the Reconstruction era that followed, Birth of a Nation has long been hailed for its technical and dramatic innovations. However, the movie has also been condemned for the racism inherent in the script and its positive portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan , which experienced a major revival after the film’s release.

Q: What was the first modern blockbuster?

Jaws (1975) is widely considered the first modern blockbuster. The drama, which was directed by Steven Spielberg , was based on the 1974 novel of the same name by author Peter Benchley. It tells the story of a great white shark that terrorizes a beach resort town. The film not only broke box-office records after its release but also changed the way Hollywood marketed and distributed films. Jaws is credited with launching the summer blockbuster.

Written by

Amy Tikkanen

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

What was the first blockbuster movie in American history?

What was the first modern blockbuster?

The answer is—oddly enough—likely connected to military technology and World War II. The term blockbuster was first used during that war to describe bombs that were capable of destroying a city block. The British Royal Air Force deployed them to devastating effect on German cities. However, the term quickly evolved to mean something large or hugely impactful. In the early 1940s it began being used by movie publicists and journalists, and by the mid-1950s “Hollywood blockbuster” was in common usage. Although this is the most widely held theory of its origins, a few others have also been proposed. Notably, some have suggested that “blockbuster” came from long lines that formed outside movie theaters and went around the block.

While a blockbuster is a good thing in Hollywood, a bomb is not. That term refers to a highly anticipated film—especially one with a big budget—that fails at the box office.

Box-Office Records