The Bar
Top Gun; ah, that bastion of all-American homoeroticism that has become the ultimate synonym for masculinity in the movie world. With Tom Cruise as a character literally called Maverick flying pretty planes with shooty guns to try and shake the indignity of his father’s questionable record. It’s all cool, fun and has one of the best theme songs of all time-so why wouldn’t you want to learn more about this movie?
Unless you’re a Maverick of course. Even he would be impressed by point number seven…
One of the most iconic scenes in the movie comes when Maverick and Goose perform a slightly…merry version of Great Balls of Fire while spending the night out at a bar. In fact, this bar does indeed exist-and it can be found under the name Kansas City BBQ in San Diego California.
That Sex Scene
Ironically, a fire destroyed much of the memorabilia-but the piano is still there, and they kindly sell a bunch of Top Gun tack for your enjoyment.
The movie features a sex scene that was to become a premier fantasy for anyone who’d watched the film-Kelly Mcgillis arrives in a lift, incognito, with sunglasses and a hat, and proceeds to seduce Tom Cruise and lure him back to her place where they have hazy, soft-focus sex.
Maverick
However, this film was added six months after filming wrapped after executives decided the film needed spicing up-hence the lengths they went to to hide Mcgillis hair, which had by then been dyed for another role.
While Tom Cruise eventually landed the lead role of the top gun with an attitude, he wasn’t necessarily the production teams first choice. Also on their list were a variety of other big-name stars- Sean Penn, Matthew Modine, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Michael J. Fox and Tom Hanks.
Tragedy on Set
Can you imagine Tom Hanks trying to do Maverick? I think it went to the right Tom in the end-although you might disagree.
Not all the news from the Top Gun set was necessarily happy, though. You might remember that the film was dedicated to one Art Scholl-though not many people know who he is or what he did.
The Idea
Scholl, a stunt pilot, was actually killed during the production of the film when the plane he was flying went into a tailspin and crashed into the Pacific ocean, killing him. Rest in Peace, Art Scholl.
The idea for the movie came from an article writer Jerry Bruckheimer read called Top Guns in California magazine in 1983, about the airforce and the competitive nature of training. He added in some elements in the movie-like the trophy and the points system-and apparently pitched it to the studio as “Star Wars on Earth”.
A sequel?
It got picked up very quickly thanks to it’s original premise, and was soon in production.
Yes, that’s right-a sequel to Top Gun was once in the works. Although it never came to fruition, the outline for a script was created and the ideas were in place for the follow-up although it was deemed too expensive and abandoned.
Kelly
The film would have followed Maverick as an instructor at the Top Gun academy who encounters a young female pilot reminiscent of his younger self-hilarity, presumably, ensues. What would Kelly McGillis say?
Speaking of Kelly Mcgillis, do you remember the very first time we see her in the movie? Her high-heeled feet tapping across the hangar? Of course you do.
Recruitment Drive
In real life, and in the scenes that followed, she must have got rid of them pretty quickly-as she was actually three inches taller than co-star and romantic interest Tom Cruise and would have completely dwarfed him in heels. What a dinky little thing he is/was.
In the year that Top Gun was released, recruitment to the Navy went up no less than a staggering 500%. In fact, there were even reports of recruiters setting up stalls directly outside theatres to capitalise on the excitement the movie sparked in it’s viewers.
Someone’s Big Break
They were even offered the opportunity to put in an advert of their own in the run-up to the movie-however, they turned down the chance, stating that it would be “redundant” as the movie was such a good advert by itself.
Although the movie starred actors who were mostly well-established at the time they appeared in it, unknown Meg Ryan had by that point just done bit-part roles and local adverts. Her role as Goose’s wife-”Take me to bed or lose me forever!”-came four years before her star-making turn as Sally in When Harry Met Saly-but it was Top Gun that threw her into the big time for good.
And to think she’d go on to You’ve Got Mail…