Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

Based On the Life of: Jerry Lee Lewis

Starring: Dennis Quaid

Movie Budget: $16-$18 million

Star Salary: $10,000

The great Jerry Lee Lewis has made quite an indelible mark on the world of rock ‘n roll, and Great Balls of Fire—starring Dennis Quaid as Lewis—shows the audience how he became such an impactful music star. The movie was, as The New York Times stated, a “cleaned-up” biography of Lewis.

The movie begins after Lewis signs a deal with Sun Studio. His cousin, Jimmy, played by Alec Baldwin, tries to convince him to stay away from the music business, but to no avail. The biography, released in 1989, glosses over some of the less savory aspects of Lewis’ life.