Road House *** (1989, Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara) – Classic Movie Review 8,890

The 1989 American action film Road House stars Patrick Swayze as the bouncer at a newly refurbished roadside bar, who protects a Missouri small town from a corrupt businessman (Ben Gazzara).

Director Rowdy Herrington’s 1989 American action film Road House stars Patrick Swayze as James Dalton, a martial arts expert nightclub bouncer with an incredible past as both killer and philosophy student.

Dalton is hired by club boss Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) to clean up his dirty, lowdown, rundown Missouri roadhouse bar, the Double Deuce, to the discomfort of the corrupt town bad guy, crime boss Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). Dalton is helped by his tough mentor, Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott).

Though he never seems tough enough as a bouncer, Swayze struts around with impressive bravado, his muscles giving the best performance, in this enjoyable, though violent and preposterous, action thriller from the efficient production line (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, The Matrix) of producer Joel Silver.

With his big smile, tight jeans and big Eighties hair, Swayze at least has an amusing line in cornball philosophy: ‘Pain don’t hurt’, he says, and ‘Nobody ever wins a fight’. And if the screenplay by R Lance Hill (as David Lee Henry) and Hilary Henkin ain’t up to too much, Road House is still an underrated movie that provides acceptable, brain-in-neutral entertainment for a couple of hours. Rowdy Herrington makes sure his film lives up to the promise of his first name.

And it is a poignant reminder of a brief time in the late Eighties between Dirty Dancing and Ghost when the likeable Swayze was big star. His later films like City of Joy (1992), Tall Tale (1995), Black Dog (1998) and Waking Up in Reno (2002) did not do very well.

Also in the cast are Kelly Lynch as Dr Elizabeth Clay, Marshall Teague as Jimmy Reno, Kevin Tighe as Frank Tilghman, Kathleen Wilhoite as Carrie Ann, Julie Michaels as Denise, Red West as Red Webster, Sunshine Parker as Emmett Jeff Healey as Cody, John Doe as Pat McGurn, Terry Funk as Morgan, Anthony De Longis as Gary Ketchum, Travis McKenna as Jack, Keith David as Ernie Bass, New Bartender, and John William Young as Tinker.

Kelly Lynch replaced Annette Bening, who allegedly was let go because she lacked chemistry with Patrick Swayze.

Road House cost $17,000,000 (estimated) and grossed $30,050,028 in North America, earning a total of $61 million globally, so it was only a kind of a hit. However, it overcame its lacklustre cinema box office to do well on home video and cable TV, and between VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and streaming services, Road House has grossed over $203 million, so it could be called a cult favourite.

Filming started in April 1988 on California locations mainly in Newhall, Valencia, and Canyon Country. Anaheim’s Cowboy Boogie bar (now closed) was used for much of the filming of the Double Deuce. The opening and monster truck scenes were filmed in Reedley, California.

Road House premiered in New York and Los Angeles on 19 May 1989.

The monster truck is Bigfoot #7, built for the film, and the scene cost $500,000 to film

Marshall Teague broke Swayze’s ribs while filming their fistfight scene, 

The soundtrack features Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey, whose band is in the film as the Double Deuce house band.

It was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, but did not win, however it is listed in The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.

The BBFC cut the UK video by 10 seconds to remove a knee kick, a double ear-clap and a groin punch, and also cut dialogue about kicking enemies in the knee. The 2001 DVD release is uncut.

Swayze pulled out of Kurt Russell’s role in Tango & Cash (1989) to make Road House instead.

In November 2021 came the news that Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to star in MGM’s Road House reboot with Doug Liman in talks to direct.

And so the 1989 Road House, perhaps surprisingly after so many negative reviews, went on to achieve cult status, leading to a stage adaptation, the 2006 sequel Road House 2 with Johnathon Schaech, and the Doug Liman 2024 Road House remake with Jake Gyllenhaal. Joel Silver is again producer on the remake.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8890

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