<P> Opening credits since the early 1980s, if present at all, identify the major actors and crew, while the closing credits list an extensive cast and production crew . Historically, however, opening credits have been the only source of crew credits and, largely, the cast, although over time the tendency to repeat the cast, and perhaps add a few players, with their roles identified (as was not always the case in the opening credits), evolved . The ascendancy of television movies after 1964 and the increasingly short "shelf - life" of films in theaters has largely contributed to the credits convention which came with television programs from the beginning, of holding the vast majority of cast and crew information for display at the end of the show . </P> <P> In movies and television, the title and opening credits may be preceded by a "cold open," or teaser (in other words, a brief scene prior to the main acts), that helps to set the stage for the episode or film . </P> <P> Up until the 1970s, closing credits for films usually listed only a reprise of the cast members with their roles identified, or even simply just said "The End," requiring opening credits to normally contain the details . For instance, the title sequence of the 1968 film Oliver! runs for about three - and - a-half minutes, and while not listing the complete cast, does list nearly all of its technical credits at the beginning of the film, all set against a background of what appear to be, but in fact are not, authentic 19th - century engravings of typical London life . The only credit at film's end is a listing of most of the cast, including cast members not listed at the beginning . These are set against a replay of some of the "' Consider Yourself" sequence . </P> <P> Some opening credits are presented over the opening sequences of a film, rather than in a separate title sequence . The opening credits for the 1993 film The Fugitive continued intermittently over several opening scenes, and did not finish until fifteen minutes into the film . The opening credits for the 1968 film Once Upon a Time in the West lasted for fourteen minutes . </P>

Why do old movies have credits in the beginning
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