1980s Biographical Movies

70 movies and TV shows/series found (page 1/3):

La Bamba(1987)

3.6/5 (with 299 votes)

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.

Directed by Luis Valdez - With Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Brian Setzer, Joe Pantoliano, ...

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Lion of the Desert(1981)

2h 53min | History, War, Drama

3.7/5 (with 73 votes)

This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives.

Directed by Moustapha Akkad - With Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, Raf Vallone, Irene Papas, John Gielgud, ...

Tom Horn(1980)

1h 34min | Western, Action, Drama

3.3/5 (with 47 votes)

A renowned former army scout is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him and the old west.

Directed by William Wiard - With Steve McQueen, Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth, Slim Pickens, Elisha Cook Jr., Geoffrey Lewis, ...

Buster(1988)

1h 42min | Comedy, Romance / Love, Crime

2.8/5 (with 33 votes)

Buster is a small time crook who pulls a big time job. When he finds that the police will not let the case drop, he goes into hiding and can't contact his wife and child. He arranges to meet them in Mexico where he thinks they can begin again, but finds that he must choose between his family and freedom.

Directed by David Green - With Phil Collins, Julie Walters, Martin Jarvis

The Hunter(1980)

1h 33min | Action, Thriller, Comedy

3.0/5 (with 50 votes)

During his long career, bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson has caught over 5,000 criminals. Now, while he is working on apprehending fugitives in Illinois, Texas and Nebraska, he himself is being hunted by a psychotic killer.

Directed by Buzz Kulik - With Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harrold, LeVar Burton, Ben Johnson, Kevin Hagen, ...

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Walker(1987)

1h 34min | Drama, History, Western

3.2/5 (with 29 votes)

William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat.

Directed by Alex Cox - With Ed Harris, Peter Boyle, Richard Masur, René Auberjonois, Keith Szarabajka, Xander Berkeley, ...

Where the Buffalo Roam(1980)

1h 39min | Comedy, Drama, History

3.0/5 (with 66 votes)

Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

Directed by Art Linson - With Bill Murray, Peter Boyle, Bruno Kirby, René Auberjonois, R. G. Armstrong, Mark Metcalf, ...

Sadat(1983)

Drama

Miniseries based on the life and death of Anwar Sadat, the 3rd President of Egypt.

Directed by Richard Michaels - With Louis Gossett Jr.

Johann Sebastian Bach(1985)

Drama

4.5/5 (with 1 vote)

- No description / details available yet. -

Directed by Lothar Bellag - With Franziska Troegner, Ulrich Thein, Angelika Waller, Hans-Peter Minetti, András Kozák, Ralf Lehm, ...

Personal Services(1987)

1h 45min | Comedy

3.0/5 (with 15 votes)

The story of the rise of a madame of a suburban brothel catering to older men, inspired by the real experiences of Cynthia Payne. The story follows Christine Painter as the down-at-heel waitress who, with the help of prostitute Shirley and cross-dressing Wing Commander Morten, seeks to up her earnings by turning her suburban home into a brothel. Before long she and her girls are chaining up judges, spanking Generals and attending to the needs of Honourable Members. Christine sees herself as providing a vital service to these harmless pervs and when finally the house is busted and the case comes to court, it's fair to say that the presiding judge isn't unfamiliar with her work.

Directed by Terry Jones - With Julie Walters, Shirley Stelfox, Alec McCowen, Tim Woodward, Peter Cellier, Benjamin Whitrow, ...

Casanova(1987)

2h 22min | Comedy

2.2/5 (with 3 votes)

TV Movie version of the story of Giacomo Casanova, the famous eighteenth century womanizer.

Directed by Simon Langton - With Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, Sylvia Kristel, Ornella Muti, Hanna Schygulla, Sophie Ward, ...

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story(1987)

43min | Drama, Music, Animation

3.6/5 (with 24 votes)

The final 17 years of American singer and musician Karen Carpenter, performed almost entirely by modified Barbie dolls.

Directed by Todd Haynes

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Onassis: The Richest Man in the World(1988)

2h | Drama

3.2/5 (with 5 votes)

Biography of the life of Aristotle Onassis, a Greek who rose to become one of the world's most wealthiest men, detailing his rise to power and unhappy marriages.

Directed by Waris Hussein - With Raul Julia, Jane Seymour, Anthony Quinn, Francesca Annis

Rikyu(1989)

2h 15min | Drama

3.6/5 (with 11 votes)

Late in the 1500s, an aging tea master teaches the way of tea to a headstrong Shogun. Through force of will and courageous fighting, Hideyoshi becomes Japan’s most powerful warlord, unifying the country.

Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara - With Rentarō Mikuni, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Yoshiko Mita, Matsumoto Hakuō II, Nakamura Kichiemon II, Ryō Tamura, ...

Cucaracha(1982)

1h 31min | Drama, Mystery

3.4/5 (with 2 votes)

A screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by the well-known Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze. This story about love and loyalty, bravery and betrayal, began shortly before the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Georgy Tumurashvili, a militia man, was affectionately called “Cucaracha”, by both the kids and the adults. He was a conscientious divisional inspector investigating various incidents, calling to order local hoodlums and settling family arguments. Once he helped out Inga who fell prey to Murtalo, a bandit and murderer. The young people fell in love with each other. But Murtalo decided to take revenge on Cucaracha… http://www.petershop.com.

Directed by Siko Dolidzė, Keti Dolidze - With Zaza Kolelishvili, Levan Uchaneishvili, Nineli Chankvetadze

Legend of a Fighter(1982)

1h 29min | Action, History

3.3/5 (with 7 votes)

This is a powerful, yet fictionalized life story of Huo Yuan Chia, a real kung fu master in Southern China who brought respect to the populace and allowed kung fu to be taught to all Chinese during a time of revolt and low morale in the country's history.

Directed by Yuen Woo-ping - With Bryan Leung, Yasuaki Kurata

The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James(1986)

2h | TV Movie, Action, Drama, Western

2.7/5 (with 5 votes)

This movie looks at the last years (not days, as implied in the title) of famous outlaws, Frank and Jesse James. The film opens in 1877 with the brothers trying to settle down after 15 years of thievery. Frank is shown to be a book-loving and family-oriented man, while brother Jesse is a money-hungry womanizer. The movie follows their lives through Jesse's death at the hands of the "rotten little coward" Bob Ford and Frank's death in 1892.

Directed by William A. Graham

Marie(1985)

1h 52min | Drama

2.8/5 (with 7 votes)

A single mother takes a job with the government where she is confronted with corruption.

Directed by Roger Donaldson - With Sissy Spacek, Jeff Daniels, Keith Szarabajka, Morgan Freeman, Fred Thompson, Collin Wilcox, ...

Egon Schiele: Excess and Punishment(1980)

1h 35min | Drama

2.6/5 (with 7 votes)

In 1912, in Austria, the painter Egon Schiele is sent to jail accused of pornography with the nymphet Tatjana in his erotic paints. His mate, the model Vally, gets help from a famous lawyer to release him. Then he leaves Vally, marries with another woman and goes to the war.

Directed by Herbert Vesely - With Mathieu Carrière, Jane Birkin, Christine Kaufmann, Kristina van Eyck, Karina Fallenstein, Marcel Ophuls, ...

Nadia(1984)

1h 40min | Drama

3.3/5 (with 3 votes)

Story about gymnast Nadia Comaneci from her childhood beginning as a gymnast and how she was discovered by Belya Karolyi. Nadia received 7 perfect 10's in the Montreal Olympics.

Directed by Alan Cooke - With Johann Carlo, Jonathan Banks, Marcia Frederick, Talia Balsam, Carrie Snodgress

Houston: The Legend of Texas(1986)

2h 24min | Western, Drama, History, War, TV Movie

3.8/5 (with 3 votes)

Sam Elliot stars as Sam Houston, the visionary who nearly single-handedly forged the state of Texas into a powerful entity in its own right. Refusing to forget the Alamo (as if anyone could), Houston led the military in Texas' rebellion against Mexico. G.D. Spradlin co-stars as President Andrew Jackson, with Michael Beck appearing as Jim Bowie, James Stephens as Stephen Austin, and Richard Yniguez as Mexican General Santa Anna. Lensed on location in the Lone Star state, this sweeping made-for-TV film originally occupied three hours' screen time on November 22, 1986. Its title at that time was Houston: The Legend of Texas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi.

Directed by Peter Levin - With Sam Elliott

Anita – Dances of Vice(1987)

1h 29min | Drama, Comedy

2.4/5 (with 3 votes)

In modern-day Berlin (1987), Frau Kutowski goes insane, believing herself to be the (real-life) notorious Anita Berber, a nude art dancer/drug addict/scandalous figure of post-WWI Berlin. (Berber died of tuberculosis in 1928, having achieved significant success and recognition throughout the dance world.) Frau Kutowski is placed in a mental hospital, where in her own mind she acts out Berber's final days, including in her fantasies the hospital's staff and patients, to represent Anita's friends and associates.

Directed by Rosa von Praunheim - With Lotti Huber, Ina Blum, Mikael Honesseau

Grace Kelly(1983)

1h 40min | History, Drama, TV Movie

3.3/5 (with 3 votes)

The fairy tale story of the actress who became a princess is told in this biography that traces her rise from Philadelphia socialite to Hollywood movie star.

Directed by Anthony Page - With Cheryl Ladd, Walker Edmiston, Brian Patrick Clarke, Charles J. Stewart, Heidi Bohay, Marta DuBois, ...

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Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story(1988)

1h 40min | Drama, TV Movie

4.0/5 (with 3 votes)

Film that tells the story of Los Gatos (California) high school football coach Charlie Wedemeyer. At 31, onetime football pro Wedemeyer is living the American dream; a winning team, a happy marriage and public adulation.

Directed by Roy Campanella II - With Pam Dawber

Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre(1989)

1h 42min | Drama, History

2.7/5 (with 9 votes)

Postwar France was slow to recover from the after-effects of the World War Two. The economy was doing poorly, and many people were poor and homeless, sleeping under bridges, etc. The winter of 1953-54 proved particularly difficult for these people, as it was one of the coldest on record. Father Pierre (Lambert Wilson), a parish priest, on seeing the suffering of these people (and their frequent death from the cold), was moved to write the French government seeking help for them. When his letter, which was published in the newspapers, succeeded in rousing overwhelming popular support for helping the homeless, he was able to form a charitable group (still active today) titled "Les Chiffoniers d'Emmaus," or "The Ragpickers of Emmaus" to channel help to them. This biographical film tells the true story of Abbe Pierre's successful efforts in those years.

Directed by Denis Amar - With Lambert Wilson, Antoine Vitez, Bernie Bonvoisin, Claudia Cardinale, Éric Métayer, Isabelle Petit-Jacques, ...

Kaviratna Kalidasa(1983)

3h 3min | Drama, History, Music

5.0/5 (with 1 vote)

Sanskrit and upper-caste poet, Kalidas, faces many challenges after falling in love with a low-caste woman, and being entered into a competition against a learned princess.

Directed by Renuka Sharma - With Dr. Rajkumar

Chameleon Street(1991)

1h 34min | Comedy, Drama

3.6/5 (with 5 votes)

William Douglas Street is bored with his life. Working for his father is getting to him, his wife wants more money, and he's had enough. His solution is to re-invent himself. He becomes a chameleon, taking on whatever role suits the situation. From reporter to doctor to lawyer, he impersonates anyone he feels a need to be and he can earn money being. The movie is based on the real figures William Douglas Street, Jr. and Erik Dupin.

Directed by Wendell B. Harris, Jr. - With Wendell B. Harris, Jr.