August 1983: "Risky Business" Heats Up American Movie Theaters

Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business
Photo Credit
(Warner Bros)

In 1983, actor Tom Cruise was on the cusp the fame. That summer, he'd open a raunchy teen comedy that would make him a star: Risky Business. Released on August 5, 1983, the surprisingly profound film featuring Cruise as hapless high school senior Joel Goodson also propelled his co-star, actress Rebecca De Mornay, to international renown.

Risky Business was a hit from opening weekend, where it placed #3 behind National Lampoon's Vacation and Return of the Jedi. The movie jumped up to the #2 spot just two weeks later, where it stayed for more than a month. The film that kept it from hitting #1: Mr. Mom.

In addition to being a commercial success, Risky Business was also a hit with the critics, with rave reviews and word of mouth fueling the movie's box office well into the fall and winter.

Risky Business arrived with an outstanding soundtrack featuring a wide range of tracks from the likes of Prince, Muddy Waters, Jeff Beck, Talking Heads, and most famously, Bob Seger.

The movie also featured a moody synthesizer score, courtesy of prog-rock legends, Tangerine Dream. Tracks like "Love on a Real Train" are just as synonymous with Risky Business as Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll."

Artist Name

Read More

(Diana Ross)
It was a wild couple of days in 1983 when Diana Ross took over Central Park.
Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
'Cause everybody's living in a material world.
Rock Hall
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced the class of 2020's inductees!

Facebook Comments