15 thoughts on “Patrick Swayze Movies”

1. HI BRUCE

   Thanks for the response to my Patrick Swayze post of 28 Aug at 5.17 am. I see that your reply today is at 6.25am – do you ever sleep?

   I agree with you about Red Dawn, and of course Patrick was the star of that, but it was a 1984 film and the movies that I highlighted were the most significant ones he made 1987-1991 and [certainly as a collective run] probably his overall career as I was attempting to demonstrate that as the period of his heyday and very top stardom.

   Reply

   1. Hey Bob….not sure I would say he was the star……but he was the leader of the Wolfpack (I think)……Red Dawn was a fun movie to watch….as long as you left your brain at the door….lol. The remake was dreadful. Red Dawn was a stepping stone for him….but a stone I like to watch.

      Reply

2. Patrick Swayze is not on the 2016 Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list nor was he on the 2000 list. He did make it in-between, # 705 in 2005. Here are the actors on the 16 list who appeared in a film with him.

   8 MALCOLM MACDOWELL The Player (1992)
   16 LIAM NEESON Next of Kin (1989)
   17 TOM SIZEMORE Point Break (1991)
   18 BRUCE WILLIS The Player (1992)
   29 KEITH DAVID Road House (1989)
   37 SALLY KIRKLAND The Player (1992)
   38 NICK NOLTE The Player (1992)
   40 HARRY DEAN STANTON Red Dawn (1984)
   55 THOMAS ROSALES JR. LETTERS FROM A KILLER (1998)
   58 ELLIOTT GOULD The Player (1992)
   60 JOHN LEGUIZAMO To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   64 JEFF GOLDBLUM The Player (1992)
   66 SUSAN SARANDON The Player (1992)
   68 RAY LIOTTA Powder Blue (2009)
   77 KAREN BLACK The Player (1992)
   90 JOHN CUSACK Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   90 JOHN CUSACK The Player (1992)
   95 MICHAEL IRONSIDE Father Hood (1993)
   96 BURT REYNOLDS The Player (1992)
   105 ED LAUTER Youngblood (1986)
   112 ROD STEIGER The Player (1992)
   114 FOREST WHITAKER Green Dragon (2001)
   114 FOREST WHITAKER Powder Blue (2009)
   115 M. EMMET WALSH Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   119 BRUCE MCGILL Letters from a Killer (1998)
   127 GENE HACKMAN Uncommon Valor (1983)
   131 GARY BUSEY Point Break (1991)
   131 GARY BUSEY The Player (1992)
   136 KRIS KRISTOFFERSON Powder Blue (2009)
   137 VINCENT D’ONOFRIO The Player (1992)
   141 ROBIN WILLIAMS To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   143 VAL KILMER George and the Dragon (2004)
   149 OLIVER PLATT Tall Tale (1995)
   151 GARY SIEVERS Powder Blue (2009)
   153 STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY Black Dog (1998)
   170 SCOTT GLENN Tall Tale (1995)
   170 SCOTT GLENN The Player (1992)
   171 JULIA ROBERTS The Player (1992)
   174 TOM CRUISE The Outsiders (1983)
   177 WILLIAM H. MACY Tall Tale (1995)
   184 COLLEEN CAMP Three Wishes (1995)
   185 WHOOPI GOLDBERG Ghost (1990)
   185 WHOOPI GOLDBERG The Player (1992)
   189 C. THOMAS HOWELL Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   189 C. THOMAS HOWELL Red Dawn (1984)
   189 C. THOMAS HOWELL The Outsiders (1983)
   193 BILLY BOB THORNTON Waking Up in Reno (2002)
   194 BEN GAZZARA Road House (1989)
   198 DEAN STOCKWELL The Player (1992)
   207 BEN STILLER NEXT OF KIN (1989)
   208 RICHARD SCHIFF Forever Lulu (2000)
   215 STEVEN BAUER Forever Lulu (2000)
   223 GREG BRONSON LETTERS FROM A KILLER (1998)
   239 JEREMY PIVEN The Player (1992)
   240 SCOTT WILSON Tall Tale (1995)
   249 STEPHEN ROOT Ghost (1990)
   255 TIM ROBBINS The Player (1992)
   269 BRION JAMES Steel Dawn (1987)
   269 BRION JAMES The Player (1992)
   271 ROBERT WAGNER The Player (1992)
   273 BOB GUNTON Father Hood (1993)
   296 BETH GRANT Donnie Darko (2001)
   296 BETH GRANT To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   297 FRED WARD The Player (1992)
   297 FRED WARD Uncommon Valor (1983)
   300 BILL PAXTON Next of Kin (1989)
   304 VINCENT SCHIAVELLI Ghost (1990)
   314 KEANU REEVES Point Break (1991)
   314 KEANU REEVES Youngblood (1986)
   334 PAUL HERMAN Next of Kin (1989)
   337 DIANE LANE The Outsiders (1983)
   348 CHARLIE SHEEN Red Dawn (1984)
   352 GINA GERSHON The Player (1992)
   363 JARED HARRIS Tall Tale (1995)
   382 ANJELICA HUSTON The Player (1992)
   389 JOHN DIEHL Three Wishes (1995)
   390 JACK KEHLER Point Break (1991)
   395 PENELOPE CRUZ Waking Up in Reno (2002)
   412 JOSEPH GORDON LEVITT Forever Lulu (2000)
   413 JAMES COBURN The Player (1992)
   416 JOHN C. MCGINLEY Point Break (1991)
   437 MICHAEL BOWEN Letters from a Killer (1998)
   437 MICHAEL BOWEN The Player (1992)
   442 MELANIE GRIFFITH Forever Lulu (2000)
   444 RANA MORRISON Point Break (1991)
   451 CHARLIZE THERON Waking Up in Reno (2002)
   459 BRENT BRISCOE WAKING UP IN RENO (2002)
   504 DREW BARRYMORE Donnie Darko (2001)
   505 JAMES LEGROS Point Break (1991)
   507 TED LEVINE NEXT OF KIN (1989)
   509 CHRIS PENN To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   511 JOAN CUSACK GRANDVIEW, U.S.A. (1984)
   522 JAY O. SANDERS Three Wishes (1995)
   537 JENNIFER JASON LEIGH Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   562 STOCKARD CHANNING To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   563 DAVID KOECHNER WAKING UP IN RENO (2002)
   571 WILLIAM SMITH Red Dawn (1984)
   571 WILLIAM SMITH The Outsiders (1983)
   609 LOUISE FLETCHER The Player (1992)
   612 PHIL HAWN Donnie Darko (2001)
   620 ANDIE MACDOWELL The Player (1992)
   650 MIMI ROGERS The Player (1992)
   652 GRETA SCACCHI The Player (1992)
   663 CHARLES S. DUTTON BLACK DOG (1998)
   673 PAUL DOOLEY The Player (1992)
   674 STEPHEN LANG TALL TALE (1995)
   676 DIANE LADD Father Hood (1993)
   684 PETER FALK The Player (1992)
   685 PETER GALLAGHER The Player (1992)
   687 KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS Keeping Mum (2005)
   693 RICHARD E. GRANT The Player (1992)
   696 MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL Donnie Darko (2001)
   701 MATT DILLON The Outsiders (1983)
   706 SALLY KELLERMAN The Player (1992)
   708 JAMES DUVAL DONNIE DARKO (2001)
   711 TIM THOMERSON Uncommon Valor (1983)
   717 HALLE BERRY Father Hood (1993)
   726 GEORGE FISHER Red Dawn (1984)
   729 ALAN D. PURWIN FATHER HOOD (1993)
   731 CLARK GREGG 11:14 (2003)
   733 PEPE SERNA Red Dawn (1984)
   735 PENELOPE ANN MILLER Forever Lulu (2000)
   741 MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN GEORGE AND THE DRAGON (2004)
   744 DAVID ALAN GRIER The Player (1992)
   750 ROBERT CARRADINE The Player (1992)
   753 SAM ELLIOTT Road House (1989)
   764 KANE HODDER FATHER HOOD (1993)
   770 JOE GRIFASI Tall Tale (1995)
   775 JOSH LUCAS FATHER HOOD (1993)
   794 HENRY KINGI ROAD HOUSE (1989)
   803 TIM CURRY Christmas in Wonderland (2007)
   807 TERI GARR The Player (1992)
   828 MICHAEL J. POLLARD Forever Lulu (2000)
   828 MICHAEL J. POLLARD Next of Kin (1989)
   833 DEMI MOORE Ghost (1990)
   846 BOB MINOR Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
   851 WESLEY SNIPES To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   861 LEE GARLINGTON FOREVER LULU (2000)
   862 JOHN SLATTERY DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS (2004)
   873 RANDALL BATINKOFF THE PLAYER (1992)
   921 D.B. SWEENEY THREE WISHES (1995)
   927 MEAT LOAF BLACK DOG (1998)
   973 SYBIL DANNING Jump! (2007/I)
   995 ROB LOWE THE OUTSIDERS (1983)
   995 ROB LOWE YOUNGBLOOD (1986)

   The following actors worked with Pat and were on the 2000 list but have since fallen off.
   41 BURGESS MEREDITH Tall Tale (1995)
   58 JACK LEMMON The Player (1992)
   120 ROBERT STACK Uncommon Valor (1983)
   213 BEN JOHNSON Red Dawn (1984)
   232 ROY JENSON Red Dawn (1984)
   280 BILLY BARTY Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
   302 RICHARD ANDERSON The Player (1992)
   308 SAM WANAMAKER City of Joy (1992)
   385 SYDNEY LASSICK Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
   390 BUCK HENRY The Player (1992)
   446 RAY WALSTON The Player (1992)
   456 JACK RILEY The Player (1992)
   461 FRANK MCRAE Red Dawn (1984)
   473 RENE AUBERJONOIS The Player (1992)
   490 JOHN P. RYAN Tall Tale (1995)
   527 GAILARD SARTAIN The Outsiders (1983)
   602 MAGGIE SMITH Keeping Mum (2005)
   621 RICHARD JOHNSON Jump! (2007/I)
   627 JAN TRISKA Uncommon Valor (1983)
   704 TROY DONAHUE Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   743 WILLIAM WINDOM Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
   748 ANTHONY ZERBE Steel Dawn (1987)
   775 DINA MERRILL The Player (1992)
   821 PIPER LAURIE Tiger Warsaw (1988)
   864 JERRY ORBACH Dirty Dancing (1987)
   886 PHIL LEEDS Ghost (1990)
   890 JAMES BOOTH Keeping Mum (2005)
   967 STEVE JAMES The Player (1992)
   970 GARRY GOODROW Dirty Dancing (1987)

   Pat worked with 19 Oscar winners, most from The Player.

   ANJELICA HUSTON The Player (1992)
   BEN JOHNSON Red Dawn (1984)
   CHARLIZE THERON Waking Up in Reno (2002)
   CHER The Player (1992)
   FOREST WHITAKER Green Dragon (2001)
   FOREST WHITAKER Powder Blue (2009)
   GENE HACKMAN Uncommon Valor (1983)
   HALLE BERRY Father Hood (1993)
   HILARY SWANK 11:14 (2003)
   JACK LEMMON The Player (1992)
   JAMES COBURN The Player (1992)
   JULIA ROBERTS The Player (1992)
   LOUISE FLETCHER The Player (1992)
   MAGGIE SMITH Keeping Mum (2005)
   PENELOPE CRUZ Waking Up in Reno (2002)
   ROBIN WILLIAMS To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
   ROD STEIGER The Player (1992)
   SUSAN SARANDON The Player (1992)
   TIM ROBBINS The Player (1992)
   WHOOPI GOLDBERG Ghost (1990)
   WHOOPI GOLDBERG The Player (1992)

   I did not like his hit record from Dirty Dancing, She’s Like the Wind.

   Reply

   1. Hey Dan
      1. Thanks for the amazing lists on Patrick Swayze.
      2. Good that at one point he was on the lists….sad that his early demise is the reason he fell off the lists.
      3. Looking at the first list….C. Thomas Howell is the name that jumps off the list….I remember at one point there were huge expectations for Howell. Movie theater owners named him the Most Promising Movie Star at one point….sadly it did not work out for him. I did know they had made 3 movies together.
      4. The second thing I noticed is Keanu Reeves in Youngblood…..that was Reeves first big budgeted movie…though I am not even sure if he ever talks…..but he was a good at hockey so he was perfect for that movie.
      5. Second list….I miss Ray Walston….he was a great character actor….loved when he pops up in movies….Mr.Hand is missed!
      6. Oscar winners…19 is a decent total…I suspect that number will continue to rise….as he worked with some that look like future winners…Jake Gylennhaalllalyylllll (I never can spell his name) comes to mind.
      Good feedback as always.

      Reply

3. Patrick Swayze’s death from cancer was a shock and it’s still amazing that he’s gone.

   I have seen 4 Patrick Swayze movies.

   Two of them are favourites of mine: Ghost and Dirty Dancing. I watched them a lot when they first came out and I have the soundtrack for Dirty Dancing.

   I watched The Outsiders in grade 8 after we read the novel.

   The fourth movie I have seen is To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. I enjoyed the movie. Usually when I hear that title I think of the TV series Batman as Newmar was the original Catwoman.

   Reply

   1. Hey Flora. I agree his passing was very shocking. I can not believe it has almost been 10 years since his passing….both seem unreal. 4 is a decent tally…..especially his entire career occurred after 1976.

      Ghost and Dirty Dancing are by far his best known movies…..I enjoyed both….but rarely revisit any of them. I imagine many kids watched The Outsiders in school. Today the cast of the movie gets all the attention versus the book. I always think….they should do a sequel and bring back the cast….it would turn into a Tom Cruise movie for sure.

      I have never seen To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar…..but I find it interesting that it reminds you of Batman…good stuff.

      Thanks as always for the feedback.

      Reply

4. Patrick Swayze’s untimely death was a shocker, he seemed so fit and virile, but cancer can take anyone at any time, even children.

   I’ve seen 9 of Swayze’s films that I know of for sure. My favorites are – Point Break, Ghost, Uncommon Valor, Donnie Darko and Road House.

   I’ve watched Dirty Dancing a few times, my ex was a big fan, but it’s never been a favorite of mine. I’d rather see Swayze fighting not dancing.

   Road House is a cult favorite, must have been huge on VHS rental back then. It contains one of my favorite movie lines, Dalton is in a fight to the death with one of the villains at the end, and the villain spits out these words: “I used to f*** guys like you in prison!” whoa ho! An instant classic. 🙂

   Looking at the charts – Ghost was by far his biggest hit and for a while it looked like being the biggest 1990 film at the box office, until Home Alone popped up late that year and surpassed it.

   Good stuff Bruce. Vote Up!

   Reply

   1. HI STEVE

      Three other great Dalton lines –

      1/ “Too many power drinkers and trustees of modern chemistry working here It’s my way or the highway.”
      2/ He finds one employee in a back room making love to one of the girls [or words to that effect] The employee protests “But I’m on my break,” to which Dalton replies “Stay on it!”
      3/ When the umpteenth person says to him “I thought you’d be bigger,” he responds “Now where have I heard that before!”

      FURTHER TRIVIA [I like talking about Road House]
      1/ Marshall Teague who played Jimmy in your “guys in prison” quote was in a 1990 episode of Columbo that I saw last night and he played the same type of showy guy who was in love with himself. IMDB says that Road House is the film he is most known for.
      2/ You refer to your “ex” and in one Road House scene Sam Elliot who plays Dalton’s pal and fellow legendary bouncer is dancing with Dalton’s girl [nicknamed “Doc” as she’s a doctor]and croons to her “All my ex’s live in Texas!”l

      Do you realise by the way that history has just been made? You and I have at last found an action hero on screen that we both admire!

      Reply

      1. Hi Bob, you mean Chuck Heston isn’t our only action hero? 🙂

         Good quotes, but perhaps Swayze’s most famous movie line is from Dirty Dancing “No one puts Baby in the corner” or words to that effect. Baby was Jennifer Greys name in the film. Where did she disappear to? Young actresses don’t have the longevity in film that young actors have, is that fair? Maybe they end up on TV, daytime soaps?

         Reply

         1. HI STEVE

            I agree with what you say.

            Patrick apparently hated the Baby line and tired to get it excluded but as your post indicates it is one of the most famous one liners in modern movie history.

            Jennifer certainly tried to dine out on it. A few years back she briefly joined the panel of our own Strictly Come Dancing and at one point when the three other judges disagreed about the quality of a dance and she was then asked for her opinion she replied “Nobody’s going to put Baby in a corner over this dispute,” and of course everyone roared with laughter.

            One critic opined that whilst for a short period Dirty Dancing made Patrick a star it actually ruined Jennifer’s career because she could not outlive “Baby”.

            Reply

      2. Hey Bob….thanks for sharing these other lines from Road House. Thanks for the additional trivia too. It is always a good day when you finally find somebody that agrees with you on a subject….it has to be sweet for you….especially when it happens so rarely….lol.

         Reply

         1. Hey Teach when I saw TWO responses from you to the Patrick Swayze comments I had to double check to assure myself that the originals WERE my comments and not Joel’s

            Though I suppose if my comments had been Joel’s they would have deserved more that even two responses.

            I am reminded of the Frasier episode where Eddie the dog gets lost and Frasier who doesn’t like Eddie is aghast that his father Martin has offered a massive $100 dollars reward for its return and Frasier makes his displeasure known to Martin.

            However when Martin starts to get angry Frasier hastily backtracks and sheepishly says “Is $100 dollars enough?”

            Reply

   2. Hey Steve….I have seen 14 Patrick Swayze movies. Some many many times (Point Break, Red Dawn). Of your favorites…seen them all….I would put Point Break and Donnie Darko in my Top 3….with Red Dawn being the missing third movie. WoC is surprisingly not a fan of Dirty Dancing….I remember buying her a birthday present DVD of that movie….and she was like….”Why are you buying this movie for me?”. It was actually filmed not too far away from where I live….and is actually right down the street from where my brother used to live.

      I do not remember that line in Road House…I have only seen it one time. I sometimes get it mixed up in my head with Next of Kin. I guess I need to re-watch so I can clear up that memory. I will look for that line when I do. Interesting that Home Alone bumped Ghost from the Top Spot in 1990.

      Thanks for the feedback and the vote up.

      Reply

5. Patrick’s heyday as a top star was brief from about 1987 until 1991 when he made 7 films but with probably only 4 of them making any great impact-

   1/Ghost and Dirty Dancing. You are right to describe those two as blockbusters and they did even better abroad than in the US- approx. – $1.1 billion and half a billion in adjusted revenues worldwide respectively.
   2/Point Break. It did roughly the same business overseas as it did in the US grossing almost 200 million in adjusted dollars globally. It drew greater attention to Kathryn Bigelow as a female director and Roger Ebert praised her direction of the movie. Your own 68% rating is I think fair enough.
   3/Road House. I’ve seen no worldwide figures for it but your domestic one indicates it was not big in the US and your 58% rating doesn’t flatter it artistically.

   However I have no doubt that you have hit the nail on the head when you praise Point Break and Road House as cult films. Indeed despite Patrick’s very brief career at the top and my interest in it not extending much beyond those 4 movies I have watched Road House many times and his character Dalton in it has made Patrick one of my very fave stars of the modern cinema.

   Dalton is to my mind a mixture of many screen heroes such as Ladd’s Shane, Jimmy Stewart in The Far Country and Costner’s Bodyguard character. Swayze’s Dalton has a nation wide reputation as tough guy bouncer or “cooler” who utters the, to me, immortal line “Opinions vary” often in the movie when people, obviously expecting to see someone like Arnie, keep saying to him on first acquaintance “You know, I thought you’d be bigger!” Even Ladd did not suffer that indignity on screen though to be honest I was expecting John NcClane to be bigger!

   We’ve discussed how Sinatra sulked with Brando [I was wondering how to work him in!] for getting the leads in Waterfront and Guys and Dolls which Frankie himself coveted. In the movie Guys and Dolls Sinatra’s role of Nathan Detroit was slightly secondary. However Patrick in 2006 took to the stage in Guys and Dolls and played the Sinatra role of Nathan Detroit which was turned into the lead. I saw posters for it in London and Patrick’s name was alone above the title with no mention of the actor who played Marlon’s Sky Masterson in the movie [did Frankie in the end by proxy get the last laugh over ole Mumbles?] In 1991 Patrick was voted “the sexiest man alive” by People magazine. I think Patrick also played Travolta’s Grease character on stage.

   It will be obvious from all that I have said above that I warmly welcome your Swayze new page(s) so a Lensman Vote Up – but plus, plus!

   Reply

   1. Hey Bob….this is an excellent breakdown on Patrick Swayze and his movie career. I agree he made 4 lasting movies…Ghost, Dirty Dancing, Point Break and Road House….with Red Dawn almost there as a cult movie. I agree Point Break was somewhat of a launching point for Kathryn Bigelow. I have only seen Road House one time….but I hear lots of people talking about that movie….it gets mentioned when action movies come up.

      Interesting comparison of Swayze’s Dalton. I guess it is time to watch that one again. Not sure Sinatra had the last laugh with regards to Guys and Dolls…as few people know about the Harris show. Thanks for the trivia on Swayze and Grease….he was a well rounded person. Good stuff.

      Reply

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