Music History

The film Help! premiered in New York. It was the US premiere of The Beatles' second film, which had already been released in London on July 29, 1965. The US release of the album of the same name also took place that day.

The film “Wild on the Beach”, starring Frankie Randall, Sherry Jackson, Gayle Caldwell, Jackie Miller and Cindy Malone and featuring Sonny & Cher, Sandy Nelson and The Astronauts, was released in cinemas in the US and Canada.

The Beatles' second feature film “Help!” went into wide theatrical release across North America following its London premiere on July 29 and New York premiere on August 11.

Jerry Lee Lewis was cast as Iago in the film “Catch My Soul”, a rock version of Shakespeare's “Othello”.

John Lennon flew from London to Hanover, Germany, to begin work on his role as Private Gripweed in Richard Lester's film How I Won the War, which was filmed in Spain. The glasses worn by his character later became a defining part of Lennon's look.

Filming began on The Fastest Guitar Alive, a comedy set during the American Civil War featuring Roy Orbison and Sam the Sham.

Elvis Presley filmed exterior scenes at the Long Beach Naval Station.

The film Double Trouble, starring Elvis Presley, was released in theaters. Elvis portrayed American singer Guy Lambert, who becomes entangled in a criminal plot while on a European tour.

Elvis Presley was released from Speedway and was due to begin two nights of recording at RCA Studio A on Sunset Boulevard. However, because of an accident near Elvis's home in Bel Air, Colonel Parker, fearing negative publicity, sent Elvis and Priscilla to Las Vegas.

Roy Orbison co-starred with Sheb Wooley in the musical comedy western The Fastest Guitar Alive, his only leading film role. The film was released in theaters in the United States and Canada. Its bizarre plot portrays Orbison as a Confederate spy who uses a special bullet-firing acoustic guitar to successfully rob the federal mint of its gold, only to be caught off guard when the Civil War ends immediately after the robbery.

Elvis Presley arrived in Sedona, Arizona, to film Stay Away, Joe.

Principal photography on the Elvis Presley film "Stay Away Joe" began.

The Beatles performed before a live audience for the first time in two years when they filmed promotional films for “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” before approximately 100 spectators at Twickenham Studios. The filming went so well that they decided to create a documentary, which became Let It Be.

The Beatles filmed a short film for the song “The Long and Winding Road”.

The film „Alice's Restaurant“, based on Arlo Guthrie's song of the same name, was released in New York and Los Angeles several days after its Boston premiere. It grossed $6.3 million in the U.S. and became the 23rd highest-grossing film of 1969.

Elvis Presley’s film The Trouble With Girls (And How To Get Into It) premiered in the United States. It was a period film set in the 1920s and was Presley’s 30th film.

The film Easy Rider, starring Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, premiered at The Classic cinema in London. The soundtrack featured music by artists including The Band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Byrds, The Electric Prunes, Steppenwolf and others.

The film “Performance,” starring Mick Jagger, premiered in New York City, United States.

The sci-fi musical “Toomorrow”, starring newcomer Olivia Newton-John as a pop singer whose group is abducted by aliens, premiered in cinemas. The film was intended to promote the group of the same name, but flopped and directed Newton-John toward a solo career.

The film “Super Fly” was released in theaters along with Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack, which became an important landmark in soul music.

The film American Graffiti premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Byla uvedena filmová adaptace rockového muzikálu „Jesus Christ Superstar“ z roku 1971.

George Lucas's film American Graffiti premiered in theaters. Set in 1962, the story sparked a wave of nostalgia for music from the 1950s and early 1960s and helped revive interest in older recordings.

The film “Electra Glide in Blue”, starring Robert Blake, Billy Greenbush and Mitch Ryan and featuring several members of the group Chicago, premiered in New York. The film was produced and directed by James William Guercio, manager and producer of Chicago.

Elvis Presley screened several films at General Cinemas in Whitehaven, including “The Spy Who Loved Me.”

The film “Rock & Roll High School,” starring the Ramones, premiered in New York.

The futuristic satirical film Americathon premiered in Los Angeles, starring Meat Loaf. The soundtrack featured songs by The Beach Boys, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello.

John Lennon and Bob Dylan were associated with the documentary Eat the Document, which was broadcast on PBS. The film contained footage from Dylan's 1966 British tour.

The film „Rock & Roll High School“, starring the Ramones, premiered in New York. The title song became one of their classic tracks and the film gained cult status.

The film The Rose, starring Bette Midler as a self-destructive 1960s rock star, premiered in Los Angeles. The character was inspired by Janis Joplin. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including nominations for Bette Midler for Best Actress and Frederic Forrest for Best Supporting Actor. David Keith also appeared in the film and later portrayed Elvis in Heartbreak Hotel.

The semi-autobiographical film “One Trick Pony”, starring Paul Simon, premiered in New York. The film was also released in US cinemas, and the soundtrack song “Late in the Evening” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Paul Simon's semi-biographical film One-Trick Pony, in which he also played the lead role, premiered in US cinemas. The film received mixed reviews and became both a critical and commercial failure, grossing less than $150,000 on a budget of approximately $8 million. The soundtrack was more successful – the title song reached No. 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and “Late in the Evening” climbed as high as No. 6.

Animovaný sci-fi film „Heavy Metal“ měl premiéru. Jeho soundtrack obsahoval skladby interpretů včetně Sammyho Hagara, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey a Black Sabbath a film se později stal kultovní klasikou.

The film “Pink Floyd The Wall,” starring Bob Geldof, premiered in theaters in New York. Roger Waters wrote it as a companion project to Pink Floyd's self-titled double album.

George Strait made his film debut in “The Soldier”, where he sang his song “Fool Hearted Memory” in a honky-tonk during the outbreak of a fight. The song later became the first of his 44 country No. 1 hits.

The film “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence”, starring David Bowie, premiered in New York.

The film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, starring David Bowie, was released in the United States.

Francis Ford Coppola's film Rumble Fish was released in theaters. Tom Waits appeared in the film as the owner of Benny's Billiards, and his character was given an extended poetic monologue about life, time, and aging.

The film "Purple Rain" starring Prince was released in cinemas across the United Kingdom, including special late-night previews. The film grossed more than $80 million worldwide and became a cult classic.

The film "Desperately Seeking Susan" went into general release in the UK. It starred Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. The filmmakers originally intended Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn for the roles of Roberta and Susan, but director Susan Seidelman ultimately chose the then relatively new actresses Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.

The film “Stand by Me” was released in theaters. It is based on Stephen King's novella “The Body”, but director Rob Reiner decided to name the film after the famous song to emphasize the story of friendship and avoid making the title sound like a horror film.

Madonna appeared in the film "Shanghai Surprise", which flopped at the box office and was harshly rejected by critics. The film was produced by George Harrison's HandMade Films, and Harrison said of Madonna that she had no sense of humor, which was unfortunate for a comedy.

The film “True Stories,” directed by and starring David Byrne, was released in cinemas. The film's soundtrack served as Talking Heads' seventh album.

The film “Who's That Girl,” starring Madonna, premiered in New York.