# Movies Named After Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826 "2006-02-10T05:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/1 "2006-02-10T05:55:57Z")
How many movies named after popular songs or lines therefrom (which are usually unrelated to the movie) can we name? [Uptown Girls](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0263757/maindetails) and [Feeling Minnesota](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116289/) came to mind for me. Side question: are these movies ever any good? ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/2 "2006-02-10T13:04:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > How many movies named after popular songs or lines therefrom (which are usually unrelated to the movie) can we name? [Uptown Girls](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0263757/maindetails) and [Feeling Minnesota](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116289/) came to mind for me. > > Side question: are these movies ever any good? [Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead](http://imdb.com/title/tt0114660/trivia) certainly wasn’t all that good (but a decent soundtrack). ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/3 "2006-02-10T13:07:46Z")
I think the following were all songs first; made into movies later: Ode to Billie Jo Harper Valley PTA The Gambler (made for TV movie?) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/4 "2006-02-10T13:09:05Z")
You’d better specify up front whether you want this to be a one-way street, since many songs have been named after movies. The Ode to Billie Joe, by Bobbie Gentry, had the movie coming later. Late 60’s. Laura is an example of the movie-first variety. Movie was early 40’s with instrumental theme later had words added and became a very popular song that remains popular in oldies and jazz circles. If you want both varieties this could be a whale of a thread. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/5 "2006-02-10T13:12:38Z")
The first one that comes to mind is [Jumping Jack Flash](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091306/), a movie that had nothing to do with the song in its title, or with goodness. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/6 "2006-02-10T13:13:04Z")
Someone To Watch Over Me ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/7 "2006-02-10T13:15:37Z")
Fools Rush In ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/8 "2006-02-10T13:24:45Z")
“Play Misty for Me” was inspired by the Johnny Mathis song “Misty” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/9 "2006-02-10T13:43:14Z")
There’s “Peggy Sue Got Married,” which I remember being a pretty good movie; the title is taken from the lesser known sequel-song to Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue.” ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/10 "2006-02-10T14:21:31Z")
[Alice’s Restaurant](http://imdb.com/title/tt0064002/) (remembered because it ‘came around’ on the iPod yesterday) ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/11 "2006-02-10T14:25:23Z")
When a Man Loves a Woman One Fine Day ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/12 "2006-02-10T14:47:44Z")
Stormy Monday (movie) had little if anything to do with the song, but there’s little doubt that it was named _after_ the song. 😃 Sweet Home Alabama Yellow Submarine Paper Moon Round Midnight ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/13 "2006-02-10T14:59:35Z")
When The Beatles were shooting their second movie, it was called _Eight Arms To Hold You_. Then, midway through shooting, John wrote _Help!_ and the movie was retitled. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/14 "2006-02-10T15:08:03Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > The first one that comes to mind is [Jumping Jack Flash](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091306/), a movie that had nothing to do with the song in its title, or with goodness. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about. Blech. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/15 "2006-02-10T15:52:27Z")
Certainly there were some good ones: Robert Zemeckis’s **I Want to Hold Your Hand** is supposed to be pretty good. **Singin’ in the Rain** – one of the great movies of all time – was named after the song (which existed long before the movie, though it was used in the movie). **An American in Paris** – again, the song predated the movie, even though it was used in it. **Till the Clouds Roll By** – not great, but a tolerable biography of Jerome Kern **Three Little Words** – pleasant biography of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby **Night and Day** – so-so biography of Cole Porter **De-Lovely** – another Cole Porter biography. Not bad, though it really doesn’t go quite deep enough. The title is from Porter’s song, "It’s De-Lovely. **Easter Parade** – very good one. **White Christmas** – lame, but popular (the song was introduced earlier). **I Love Louisa** has been the working title of several films (most notably, **The Band Wagon** ), but has never been used. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/16 "2006-02-10T16:36:01Z")
Strange Brew Satisfaction Shout Book of Love Stayin’ Alive ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/17 "2006-02-10T16:43:11Z")
**Girls Just Want to Have Fun** **The Hurricane** **Bad Boys** ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/18 "2006-02-10T16:52:02Z")
My Own Private Idaho Dream a Little Dream Nadine ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/19 "2006-02-10T17:04:02Z")
Pretty Woman? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826/20 "2006-02-10T18:35:28Z")
**Dazed and Confused** Zep led the way, then the '93 movie about the class of '76. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-named-after-songs/343826.md?page=2)