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Marthe48

(16,688 posts)
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:27 PM Nov 2020

Movies from songs?

I always thought some songs would make good movies. Every time I hear these songs, I think about movies based on them.

A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) (which could also make a tv series)

Bus Stop (The Hollies)


Does anyone else have any songs to movies?

46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Movies from songs? (Original Post) Marthe48 Nov 2020 OP
American Pie Chipper Chat Nov 2020 #1
Yes there are Marthe48 Nov 2020 #2
Dylan's "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack Of Hearts" Ohiya Nov 2020 #3
I think there were triplets :) Marthe48 Nov 2020 #19
Three oldies-- lastlib Nov 2020 #4
Ode to Billie Joe Mopar151 Nov 2020 #5
You beat me to the punch as I was trying to remember "Ode to Billie Joe" Ohiya Nov 2020 #8
Weren't movies actually made from some songs? Ohiya Nov 2020 #6
Yes, I saw both of those Marthe48 Nov 2020 #20
I have a theory on movies derivation genxlib Nov 2020 #7
Having said that genxlib Nov 2020 #11
Saw Harry Chapin in 1977, Billy Joel in 1986... ProudMNDemocrat Nov 2020 #18
Another Billy Joel song I think could make an interesting movie Docreed2003 Nov 2020 #23
Definitely genxlib Nov 2020 #27
I have a live version of it that he played at the Concert for NYC Docreed2003 Nov 2020 #28
Another Dylan "Tangled up in Blue" Ohiya Nov 2020 #9
I second this one! Docreed2003 Nov 2020 #29
Rhinestone cowboy dawg day Nov 2020 #10
If animated... dawg day Nov 2020 #12
The Gambler? Chainfire Nov 2020 #13
The Don Schlitz song came first Tanuki Nov 2020 #36
Rocky Racoon icwlmuscyia Nov 2020 #14
I've always mentally seen her in garters and a Harker Nov 2020 #34
Alice's Restaurant! SeattleVet Nov 2020 #15
Saw this in NYC Marthe48 Nov 2020 #21
Stand By Me ProudMNDemocrat Nov 2020 #16
Harry Chapin's songs seems ripe for this type of treatment. Dagstead Bumwood Nov 2020 #17
Convoy Eugene Nov 2020 #22
Like Harry Chapin, To My Mind Jim Croce Was a Master Story-teller The Roux Comes First Nov 2020 #24
All Along te Watchtower Seems An Obvious Choice Too The Roux Comes First Nov 2020 #25
Chances Are... Anon-C Nov 2020 #26
Johnny Mathis... MissMillie Nov 2020 #42
"Unheard Music" X...song and documentary Tikki Nov 2020 #30
Sgt Pepper's lpbk2713 Nov 2020 #31
"Jeremy" by PearlJam skypilot Nov 2020 #32
"It Was a Very Good Year" could be an epic... Harker Nov 2020 #33
Harper Valley PTA? Buckeye_Democrat Nov 2020 #35
Mr. Bojangles Tanuki Nov 2020 #37
I still tear up when I hear that song Marthe48 Nov 2020 #38
This message was self-deleted by its author Skittles Nov 2020 #39
Stand By Me n/t DFW Nov 2020 #40
With Bus Stop, the film came out in 1956 DFW Nov 2020 #41
I was thinking more of a light-hearted romance Marthe48 Nov 2020 #44
I haven't seen it, so you're ahead of me there DFW Nov 2020 #45
This message was self-deleted by its author MissMillie Nov 2020 #43
Pancho and lefty... GumboYaYa Nov 2020 #46

Ohiya

(2,207 posts)
3. Dylan's "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack Of Hearts"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:36 PM
Nov 2020

"Tweeter and the Monkey Man" By The Traveling Wilburys

lastlib

(22,978 posts)
4. Three oldies--
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:36 PM
Nov 2020

Jan & Dean, "Dead Man's Curve"
J. Frank Wilson & Cavaliers, "Last Kiss"
Dickie Lee, "Laurie" (that would be a horror movie?)

Ohiya

(2,207 posts)
6. Weren't movies actually made from some songs?
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:39 PM
Nov 2020

I'm thinking maybe Harper Valley PTA and the one about Billie Joe McAllister and the Tallahassee Bridge

genxlib

(5,506 posts)
7. I have a theory on movies derivation
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:41 PM
Nov 2020

The best movies come from short stories or very short novels

Movies from novels are hard because there is simply too much narrative for a feature length movie. The result is often truncation at the expense of parts of the story or character development.

The worst movies come from anything shorter or less serious than a short story. We have seen movies made from skits, toys, games, etc. They just don't have enough material to flesh out without really starting from scratch with a plot.

genxlib

(5,506 posts)
11. Having said that
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 06:45 PM
Nov 2020

I nominate

Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.

and

Several options from Harry Chapin including "Cat's in the Cradle", "A Better Place to Be", "Mr. Tanner" and "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" just for fun

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,468 posts)
18. Saw Harry Chapin in 1977, Billy Joel in 1986...
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 07:04 PM
Nov 2020

Sang along to both. Waved Brenda and Eddie goodbye. Close to the stage for both concerts.

Docreed2003

(16,817 posts)
23. Another Billy Joel song I think could make an interesting movie
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 07:43 PM
Nov 2020

Miami 2017, or at least it could have when the song was written and 2017 was way in the future

genxlib

(5,506 posts)
27. Definitely
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 10:31 PM
Nov 2020

But that song messes with my head after 9/11. I know it was from much earlier about something completely different but some of those lyrics just haunt me now.

Docreed2003

(16,817 posts)
28. I have a live version of it that he played at the Concert for NYC
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 11:00 PM
Nov 2020

After 9/11 between that & Bowie singing "Heroes", it was quite chilling. I can appreciate your feelings for sure!

Dagstead Bumwood

(3,524 posts)
17. Harry Chapin's songs seems ripe for this type of treatment.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 07:02 PM
Nov 2020

He had a special talent for weaving a whole, rich story into just one song. Cats in the Cradle and Taxi come to mind.

The Roux Comes First

(1,278 posts)
24. Like Harry Chapin, To My Mind Jim Croce Was a Master Story-teller
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 07:52 PM
Nov 2020

Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Workin' at the Carwash Blues, Time in a Bottle, and Lover's Cross are just a few examples.

Another great singer-songwriter gone too soon.

The Roux Comes First

(1,278 posts)
25. All Along te Watchtower Seems An Obvious Choice Too
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 07:58 PM
Nov 2020

In original Dylan form or the fabulous Hendrix version.

But there are a multitude of Dylan's tunes that could inspire some pretty wild cinema, like, say, Stuck Inside of Mobile, Highway 61 Revisited, or Desolation Row.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,846 posts)
35. Harper Valley PTA?
Tue Nov 17, 2020, 03:59 PM
Nov 2020

I could be wrong, but it seemed like I heard that song as a little kid long before a movie was released.

Yep, confirmed.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Valley_PTA
The song later inspired a 1978 motion picture and a short-lived 1981 television series, both starring Barbara Eden playing the heroine of the story, Mrs. Johnson, who now had a first name, Stella.

Oh! And "Coal Miner's Daughter"! At least that movie was somewhat good.

Marthe48

(16,688 posts)
38. I still tear up when I hear that song
Tue Nov 17, 2020, 07:56 PM
Nov 2020

The man who wrote the song just recently passed away. Jerry Jeff Walker

Response to Marthe48 (Original post)

Marthe48

(16,688 posts)
44. I was thinking more of a light-hearted romance
Wed Nov 18, 2020, 10:54 AM
Nov 2020

Bus Stop (1956) was a drama. I watched a few years ago. I'd watch it again

DFW

(54,047 posts)
45. I haven't seen it, so you're ahead of me there
Wed Nov 18, 2020, 10:55 AM
Nov 2020

I did see the Hollies perform it live in 1967, though!

Response to Marthe48 (Original post)

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