On This Day

Road House released

May 19th 1989

09:08 19 May 2024

'Road House' opened in theaters across North America on this day in 1989. Rowdy Herrington's action movie stars Patrick Swayze as James Dalton, a bouncer at a newly refurbished roadside bar protecting a small town in Missouri from a corrupt businessman.

Co-starring Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott, the film was not well received critically but had a successful run at the box office, grossing $61 milllion worldwide off a budget of $15 million. Since it's initial theatrical release, 'Road House' has gone on to become a huge cult hit due to home media and streaming sales. It was also voted the most watched film on cable in 2020.

A straight-to-DVD sequel 'Road House 2' (2006) followed and a remake: 'Road House' (2024) was released earlier this year.