We’re continuing our journey exploring Touchstone Pictures during the 80s. In this video we’ll be examining their iconic releases from 1987.
We’re continuing our journey through the legacy of Touchstone Pictures today. A studio that’ll easily ring nostalgia bells for anyone who loved watching movies, specifically during the 80s and 90s. In this video I’ll be diving into the behind-the-scenes business and on the screen cinema Touchstone would deliver in 1987. This would be the first year under their full production plans. They’d drop nine movies from January to December. Of those movies a few would be regarded as classics and in some cases, iconic films from the 80s. So, let’s step back into 1987 and see what was happening at the Touchstone offices over in Hollywood.
What’s up guys I hope you’re all having a great day in your worlds. Welcome back to the channel. If you’re new here, welcome to Movies Never Say Die. I’m Anthony Digioia. This is your one stop shop for retro movie content and today we’re moving along with this studio series covering Touchstone Pictures. If you missed it. I did a full video covering Touchstone’s beginnings and early operations from 1984 to 1986. I think it came out to be a solid little video loaded with a lot of information in a short time. So definitely check it out if you’re interested.
Regardless, here’s a quick breakdown of Touchstone Pictures up to 1987 to bring everyone up to speed. It all started when Disney wanted to make movies for adults but knew the Disney name was tainted as being for kids. So, they created the banner of Touchstone Films to separate themselves from the product. Things were naturally a bit rocky out of the gate with a couple hits but mostly misses and Disney’s stock continued to flounder.
In 1984 Michael Eisner would come in as the new CEO of Disney and after getting settled in for a handful of months Eisner and his team would turn their focus to Touchstone Films. 1985 was locked in with projects from prior management and not a stellar year at the box office. But Eisner and company were working behind the scenes and would come out of the gate hot in 1986. A year where things would really turn around for the studio including a name change to Touchstone Pictures.
So, at this point here was the basic structure of it all. The Walt Disney Company created Touchstone Films. Disney would also partner with an investment firm to create Silver Screen Partners II. FYI the number after is essentially the limited partnership or loan number basically. Silver Screen Partners refers to limited partnerships between the studio and essentially a bunch of ultra rich people who raise money to produce films.
The first Silver Screen Partners would be created in 1983 in a collaboration with HBO and in 1985 they would shift their money over to the big screen in a partnership with Disney under Silver Screen Partners II. This would raise a reported $193M from an estimated 20,000 partners to split between Disney and Touchstone projects. Which would ultimately be enough to produce all of Touchstone’s movies from 1985 through early 1987. This equated to ten movies with only three of them being joint ventures with other smaller independent production companies.
Now HBO at the time, who was still working off the original Silver Screen Partners deal from ‘83, was expecting another collaboration with the third limited partnership deal. But sadly, HBO was out, and Silver Screen Partners III would be another deal with Disney. This was where investors felt their money was safest and most assured for a hefty ROI. So, in January of 1987 $300M would be raised by Silver Screen Partners III for film financing between Disney Pictures and Touchstone projects, which at the time was the largest venture ever for a limited partnership by E.F. Hutton. The investment firm that essentially brokered the deal between both sides and did all the paperwork for it.
Touchstone Pictures would be financed by Silver Screen Partners. Their films would be distributed to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures. Then there was the home market side which of course Disney also had all set up. It had several name changes over the years, but Buena Vista Pictures was a film distribution division created within the Disney umbrella back in 1953 and this has been their primary means of home video distribution since.
Now on the cable side Disney had also inked a sizable 5-year deal with Showtime for exclusive streaming rights for all Touchstone movies. As for the on-screen talent, Michael Eisner was known for hiring actors on the cheap. Actors whose spotlight was fading or flickering, those on the rise, or those in legal problems or falling out from a media faux pas of some sort. Eisner joked in an interview once that he waited out behind the Betty Ford Clinic to hire talent. Which is why as we progress through the Touchstone filmography you’ll notice a handful of regulars.
So, on the business side all was in place. Financing, production, home video, cable, means of acquiring stars. All set, and ready to go. On the cinema side 1986 was a positive year as Touchstone would land three movies in the top 20 at the global box office with Ruthless People, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and The Color of Money all killing it. Not forgetting The Color of Money officially being an awards film with Newman taking home Best Actor at the Academy Awards. The Touchstone banner had built its foundations. Built some cache. And in 1987 Disney through Touchstone Pictures would begin their climb to the top of the box office charts.
Touchstone would get right to it in January when they’d release the female buddy comedy adventure Outrageous Fortune in January. This movie starred Bette Midler and Shelley Long as actresses who are polar opposites but have one thing in common. They share the same lover who ultimately goes missing suspiciously causing these two women to go on a cross-country search for him.
Bette Midler had inked a 6-film deal with Touchstone Pictures, and this was her third. Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and Ruthless People in 86 were critical and financial hits with Midler being praised for her performances. Touchstone hoped they would get the same from Outrageous Fortune and they were not disappointed. It would open #2 with $6.4M its opening weekend which at the time was a record for Disney. Critics were mixed but audiences loved Midler and Long together. Outrageous Fortune would spend 6 weeks in the top 5 and would tally up $53M globally. The budget at $20-$25M was slightly higher due to the expansive production, and stunt sequences. But the film was still a financial success and another commercial hit for Touchstone. I enjoy this movie for the comedy it delivers and the performances from Long and Midler. I didn’t watch it a ton back in the day but when rewatching it for this video I really gravitated to the charisma from the leads.
Not even two months later in March Touchstone would drop another movie into theaters with Barry Levinson’s Tin Men. A small time-period dramedy about two rival aluminum-siding salesmen played by Danny DeVito and Richard Dreyfuss in 1963 Baltimore who go to war with one another after they are involved in a minor car accident where each claims the other is responsible.
DeVito had done well with Ruthless People and Dreyfuss scored a winner with Down and Out so Touchstone assumed putting these two talented actors together would lead to success. And while not the success of their first Touchstone outings, DeVito and Dreyfuss had a critical winner together with Tin Men. This was certainly a niche film about a couple of salesmen from the 60s battling it out. This movie would get a soft opening on March 6th playing on just 9 screens to pull in $187K for the #13 spot. But the next week it would get a wider release the following week and pull in $4M to climb up to the #4 spot and Tin Men would be a top 5 film at the box office for a solid month to pull in a respectable $25.4M, on just an $11M budget. The film was well received by audiences, critics enjoyed it as well. It was just never a film that was going to strike the masses like other films. I actually watched this movie in its entirety for this video and I think it’s a well-acted and very well written grounded comedy with spots of sincere drama. It holds up great.
Off screen at this time Disney was still working on deals to spread the Touchstone movies across the globe. And in May of 87 Disney would sign an international distribution deal. Warner Brothers Inc would dissolve a 16-year long distribution deal with Columbia Pictures and take over international releasing for Disney and Touchstone, while Disney would continue to work the distribution on the domestic side.
Also, around this time Disney CEO Michael Eisner and executive Jeffrey Katzenberg were attending the Indianapolis 500. During the race there was a parade of some sort and both men were surprised to see this comedian playing a goofy handyman named Ernest getting a larger reaction from the crowd than Mickey Mouse. Eisner and Katzenberg had an idea.
They scheduled a meeting with John Cherry III and Coke Sams creators of the Ernest character and funnyman Jim Varney who played the role and told them they wanted to make a movie. Cherry and Sams were naturally all in. Why wouldn’t they be? Disney was out of the blue offering to give them millions to make a movie. Varney on the other hand feared being typecast in the character and was reluctant but agreed. He even went on a rather heavy bender before filming, but it was stated he was a complete pro when production would begin.
Ernest Goes to Camp would splash into theaters on Memorial Weekend and this little story about a summer camp handyman with dreams of being a guidance counselor earns his stripes dealing with a group of delinquents and a shady corporation wanting to close the camp. This movie would be directed by Cherry and Sams and starring along with Jim Varney would be Victoria Racimo, 80s staple Lyle Alzado, and John Vernon.
I’ll be honest I was never a huge Ernest fan. I mean it felt like I watched him a lot as a kid, but this movie and his antics were something I could take or leave. This movie never really grabbed me either. The drastic tonal differences between the juvenile humor and the sappy sentimental parts were a bit too wide for me. Even as a kid. I just never liked the group of younger characters in this movie so it didn’t get the repeat the Ernest Saves Christmas would. Audiences however ate this movie up. Opening the same weekend Beverly Hills Cop II raked in $33M so Ernest wasn’t catching Axel Foley, but he would take the #2 spot with a $6.2M opening. Ernest Goes to Camp would only have a 5-week theatrical run, but it would be long enough for the movie to pull in $23.5M on a measly $3.5M budget. And just like that, Touchstone Pictures would have a franchise with Ernest returning to lead 4 more theatrical releases and another 4 on the direct-to-video market.
So, Touchstone scored a financial hit with Ernest Goes to Camp being made on a micro-budget. But Touchstone wasn’t just resting on this little movie for their summer slate and would drop their next film into theaters just 5 weeks later. Now for Touchstone’s next movie we need to step back into late 1986, and head across town over to Paramount Pictures.
Writer David Simpkins had been shopping a script around town that was a cross between Ferris Bueller’s Days Off and After Hours. A high energy, trendy, teen adventure comedy. At the time Simpkins was working for New World Pictures, who were not interested. Paramount Pictures on the other hand was very interested. The only caveat was they insisted Molly Ringwald star. In the minds of Paramount execs Ringwald was their Matthew Broderick for this role. But Ringwald didn’t want to do the movie. Disney and Touchstone, however, were sitting on their massive Silver Screen Partners III fund so they said, come-on over and make your movie.
Adventures in Babysitting would center on a babysitter who brings the kids she’s looking after into the big city to help a friend and of course one comical mishap after the other will occur resulting in a night none of them would forget. This would be the directorial debut of Chris Columbus and would be a breakout performance for Elisabeth Shue. With Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, and Penelope Ann Miller supporting her to round out a great cast.
Adventures in Babysitting would be the first PG-13 film released by Touchstone Pictures and while it has gone on to be a bit of an 80s classic today. It wasn’t the critical success, nor the financial hit the studio was hoping for. Critics were lukewarm on it with reviews saying there wasn’t much below the surface of all the teen antics. It would open on July 3rd to take the 9th spot with a $2.9M weekend. Audiences enjoyed it and word of mouth spread, however. Adventures in Babysitting would actually see a 45% bump the following weekend with a $4.2M take-home and when all was said and done it would pull in $34.4M on just a $7M budget. So, while not being the $50M to $60M hit Touchstone hoped for. It was still a financial success, and I have no doubt this movie killed it on home video.
I’ve always loved this movie. I watched it countless times. I think the humor works, the characters work. The story keeps a swift pace, and it does all the genre tropes well. Now, just a month later with Adventures in Babysitting still holding in the charts, Touchstone would drop another summer movie. One that would ultimately replicate the massive success of their prior summer with Ruthless People.
Stakeout would be a crime comedy directed by John Badham centered on a couple of detectives who are assigned to watch an escaped convict’s ex-girlfriend. But the case gets complicated when one of the detectives falls for her. Richard Dreyfuss was back again with Touchstone, and he would be paired with Emilio Estevez and Madeleine Stowe in her first mainstream performance.
Stakeout would drop into theaters on August 5th to take the #2 spot with a strong $5.1M weekend. But this film is a classic example of the power longevity can have for a well-received movie. Stakeout was critically liked. And audiences liked it with strong word of mouth. It would climb to the #1 spot its 2nd weekend with $5.6M take home. And this was the era when a character driven comedy could command a summer. Stakeout would spend 5 straight weeks in the #1 spot at the box office. This movie would be a top 10 movie for 11 straight weeks and when all was said and done Stakeout earned $65.7M on just a $14.5M budget. And I love this movie. I watched it so many times. Dreyfuss and Estevez’ odd couple pairing is a blast, and the story keeps a quick pace. When Stakeout is being funny, it’s hilarious. And when the action ramps up so does the intensity and overall I consider this to be an all-time great action comedy.
Just one week after the release of Stakeout Touchstone Pictures would drop their last movie of the summer into theaters. It was a teen romance comedy about a shy nerd who pays the “It Girl” $1000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month so he can gain some popularity in Can’t Buy Me Love directed by Steve Rash.
With Stakeout sitting at the top of the box-office charts Can’t Buy Me Love would land in theaters on August 14th taking the #3 spot with a $4.8M weekend on over 1200 screens. Critics were again lukewarm on this movie claiming it wasted a chance at being a unique, sincere teen rom-com to follow the popular tropes in the genre. Audiences again proved their disconnect from the critics and loved it. This movie would spend 6 of its first 7 weeks in the top 10 and would pull in $31.6M on just an estimated $6.5 – $8M budget. So, despite the critics warning the general public ate this movie up and it has gone on to be regarded as one of the classic teen rom-coms to come out of the 80s.
From here Touchstone would take a few months off before dropping their next release. A small little comedy called Hello Again directed by Frank Perry about a suburban housewife that is brought back to life by her sister using a magical spell after she chokes to death. Starring Shelley Long, Sela Ward, and Corbin Bernson.
Hello Again would open on November 6th and land in the #2 spot behind Fatal Attraction with a solid $5.7M weekend. It received mixed reviews but ended up being a modest commercial hit showing the commercial appeal of Shelley Long. This movie would spend 3 weeks in the top 10 and pull in a respectable $20.4M on a $10M budget. I had only seen bits and pieces of this movie over the years. So, I watched it for this video and it certainly has its charm. It’s a bit too silly for its own good and sort of feels like it’s just running through the comedic material. It doesn’t really feel like it has much heart to it however it did have me chuckling more than a few times. And it’s certainly a throwback to the era of absurd, yet simple plots that could mildly entertain.
Now at this point in 1987 Touchstone Pictures had released 7 movies all to financial success but their last 2 movies of the year could be game changers and pull Touchstone Pictures into the big leagues. These movies would be commercial and critical hits and together would earn almost as much as all their films in the past 2 years combined. These two movies would be commercial and critical smash hits and would ride through the Christmas corridor vacuuming up ticket sales.
Several months earlier a script was being shopped around Hollywood. It was initially pitched to TriStar Pictures, but they passed. It was then put on the desk of executive Sid Sheinberg over at Universal Pictures, but he passed as well feeling it was too soft for them. Disney was interested. They loved soft films and felt it would be perfect for their Touchstone Pictures banner and sent it into production.
Three Men and a Baby would star three 80s icons Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson as free-spirited bachelors who find a baby on their doorstep and through many comedic hurdles all become fathers in their own way. And surprisingly enough this heartfelt comedy was directed by Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.
Three Men and a Baby would open opposite Planes, Trains & Automobiles and would command the #1 spot with a stunning $10.4M weekend. Critics were positive on this one and audiences loved its heartfelt charm. Three Men and a Baby would spend a staggering 15 straight weeks in the box office top 5 and more than 5 months in theaters pulling in a hefty $168M in the states and another $72M internationally for a massive haul of $240M on just an $11M budget. Three Men and a Baby would be Disney and Touchstone Pictures first $100M live action movie and it would wind up being the highest earning movie at the domestic box office in 1987 surpassing both Fatal Attraction and Beverly Hills Cop II. This movie just had all the pieces. It had humor. It had heart. And it’s easily one of the iconic, feel-good flicks of the 80s. I love the charm between Guttenberg, Danson, and Selleck. And to me this is a movie you can sit down and have a blast with at any time.
For Touchstone’s last movie of the year, they had a release date of Christmas Day and fresh from his directing of Tin Men, Barry Levinson would return to direct this war set comedy. Now at this time Robin Williams was known. He has his TV resume and a couple notable films such as Club Paradise and The Best of Times. But he was not yet the A-List star he would become. He also had some highly publicized issues with drugs and alcohol in the past which was a worry for the board members at Disney. But as we mentioned earlier when talking about Michael Eisner’s hire on the cheap methods, Williams was a risk worth taking.
Good Morning Vietnam would center on an irreverent loudmouthed DJ working the US Armed Forces radio station in Vietnam where his antics inspire the soldiers, and infuriates the superiors. Williams would headline this cast consisting of Forest Whitaker, Bruno Kirby, Robert Wuhl, and J.T. Walsh. This movie would be a smash hit for an R-rated comedy, and it would be the breakout performance from Williams that would catapult him to stardom.
Good Morning Vietnam would land in theaters on December 25th in just 4 cities. This was common for films that were planned for a wide release the following year but still wanted to be eligible for awards contention for the current year. Good Morning Vietnam would play in just 4 cities for 3 weeks then would open across the country on Jan 15th of 1988. During its first week of wide release Good Morning Vietnam would command the #1 spot with a $12M weekend. Knocking Three Men and a Baby down to the #2 spot. This movie has incredible legs and would spend 9 straight weeks in the #1 spot and 14 weeks in the top 10. Audiences loved this movie, poignant and heartfelt. And it would go on to earn $124M on just a $13M budget. Williams was lauded for his performance, he would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, but he would take home a Golden Globe in the same category.
So, there is no doubt Touchstone Pictures had a fantastic 1987 at the box office. With 4 movies ending up in the top 20 at the domestic box office and Three Men and a Baby taking the top spot. It really seemed things were going as planned and the assembly line of movie making was effective. Things would continue growing in 1988 when Touchstone Pictures would release 10 movies during the calendar year. All of which will be covered in the next volume of this series.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die