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

Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business
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(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."

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(Patrick AVENTURIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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