October in movie history - Porklips Now (1980):

Porklips Now

directed and written by Ernie Fosselius,

was released at the Chicago International Film Festival in the United States in October, 1980.
Exact release date unknown.
A short spoof of Apocalypse Now (1979), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Music by Dick Bright, Tom Donald, Ernie Fosselius and Ken Melville.

Cast:

Billy Gray, Ernie Fosselius, John Brent, Leon Martell, Mark Lee, Jim Turner, Larry Walker, Tom Bullock.

On this day in movie history - Gloria (1980):

Gloria

directed and written by John Cassavetes,

was released in the United States on October 1, 1980.
Music by Bill Conti.

Cast:

Gena Rowlands, Julie Carmen, Tony Knesich, Gregory Cleghorne, Buck Henry, John Adames, Lupe Garnica, Jessica Castillo, Tom Noonan, Ronald Maccone, George Yudzevich, Gary Howard Klar, William E. Rice, Frank Belgiorno, J.C. Quinn, Alex Stevens, Sonny Landham, Harry Madsen, Shanton Granger, John Pavelko, Ray Baker, Ross Charap, Irvin Graham, Michael Proscia, T.S. Rosenbaum, Santos Morales, Meta Shaw Stevens, Marilyn Putnam, John Finnegan, Gaetano Lisi, Richard M. Kaye, Steve Lefkowitz, George Poidomani, Lawrence Tierney, Asa Adil Qawee, Vincent Pecorella, Iris Fernandez, Jade Bari, David Resnick, Thomas J. Buckman, Joe Dabenigno, Bill Wiley, John M. Sefakis, Val Avery, Walter Dukes, Janet Ruben, Ferruccio Hrvatin, Edward Wilson, Basilio Franchina, Carl Levy, Warren Selvaggi, Nathan Seril, Vladimir Drazenovic, Edward Jacobs, Brad Johnston, Jerry Jaffe, Chris McCabe Adams, Maja Niles, Jerry Schram, Filomena Spagnuolo.

On this day in movie history - Union City (1980 movie & book):

Union City

directed and written by Mark Reichert,

based on the short story Union City: The Corpse Next Door by Cornell Woolrich,

was released in the United States on September 26, 1980.
Music by Chris Stein.

Cast:

Dennis Lipscomb, Debbie Harry, Terry Walsh, Cynthia Crisp, Taylor Mead, Sam McMurray, Charles Rydell, Sally MacLeod, Irina Maleeva, Everett McGill, Terina Lewis, Wolfgang Zilzer, Arthur McFarland, CCH Pounder, Asha Robinson, Todd Rolle, Rachel Raymon, Rene Raymon, Granada Stephens, Rahsaan Curry, Isha Gaddy, Tony Azito, Pat Benatar, Marie McGee, Katya Colman, Richard McGonagle, Bobby Fields, Mary Blake, Anthony Luizzi, Lenore Luizzi, Kathy Wahlin, Evan Mirand, Marcus Reichert.

Recommended reading:

Nightwebs

By Cornell Woolrich.

Short story anthology.

Includes the short story The Corpse Next Door, filmed as Union City (1980), directed by Mark Reichert.

Paperback.

Published Orion Books.

First published 1971.

ISBN 13: 9780752851709

ISBN 10: 0752851705

ASIN: 0752851705

Description:

“Possibly the finest mystery writer of the twentieth century.” – The Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection.

Cornell Woolrich was a haunted man who lived a life of reclusive misery, but he was also a uniquely gifted writer who explored the classic noir themes of loneliness, despair and futility. His stories are masterpieces of psychological suspense and mystery, and they have inspired classic movies like Hitchcock's Rear Window and Truffaut's The Bride wore Black. This collection brings together twelve of his finest, most powerful and disturbing tales.

Contents: Graves for the Living; The Red Tide; The Corpse Next Door; You'll Never See Me Again; Dusk to Dawn; Murder at the Automat; Death in the Air; Mamie 'n' Me; The Screaming Laugh; One and a Half Murders; Dead on Her Feet; One Night in Barcelona; The Penny-a-Worder; The Number's Up; Too Nice a Day to Die; Life is Weird Sometimes.

On this day in movie history - Without Warning (1980):

Without Warning

aka It Came Without Warning and The Warning,

directed by Greydon Clark,

written by Lyn Freeman, Daniel Grodnik, Ben Nett and Steve Mathis,

was released in the United States on September 19, 1980.
Music by Dan Wyman.

Cast:

Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Tarah Nutter, Christopher S. Nelson, Cameron Mitchell, Neville Brand, Sue Ane Langdon, Ralph Meeker, Larry Storch, Lynn Theel, David Caruso, Mark Ness, Bert Davis, Jeffrey Sudzin, Darby Hinton, Kevin Peter Hall.

Born on this day – Rachael Carpani:

Rachael Carpani

Actress

August 24, 1980 – December 7, 2025

Credits:

15th AACTA Awards (2026); 800 Words (2017–2018); ABC News Breakfast (2025); Against the Wall (2011); All Saints (2001); Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (2005); Beat (2022); Cane (2007); Hating Alison Ashley (2005); Home and Away (2001–2024); Ihaka: Blunt Instrument (2000); Law Dogs (2007); McLeod's Daughters (2001–2009); McLeod's Daughters: The Inside Story (2003); NCIS: Los Angeles (2009); Scorched (2008); Stalker (2014); The 49th Annual TV Week Logie Awards (2007); The Glades (2010); The Making of 'Triangle' (2010); The Rachels (2017); The Umbrella Man (2016); The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020); The Way Back (2020); Touched by Romance (2014); Triangle (2009); True Blue (2010); V.C. Andrews' Dollanganger Saga (2015); Weekend Sunrise (2017).

On this day in movie history - Battle Beyond the Stars (1980):

Battle Beyond the Stars

directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and Roger Corman,

written by John Sayles,

based on a story by John Sayles and Anne Dyer,

was released in the United States on August 10, 1980.

Music by James Horner.

Cast:

Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard, Darlanne Fluegel, Sybil Danning, Sam Jaffe, Morgan Woodward, Earl Boen, John Gowans, Steve Davis, Lawrence Steven Meyers, Lara Cody, Lynn Carlin, Jeff Corey, Marta Kristen, Julia Duffy, Eric Morris, Doug Carleson, Ron Ross, Terrence E. McNally, Galen Thompson, Whitney Rydbeck, Dan Vincent,Tom Henschel, Nate Esformes, Richard Davalos, Lanny Broyles, Rob Reece, Ansley Carlin, Daniel Carlin, Dallas Clarke, Brian Coventry, Rick Davidson, James Dunaway, Kerry Frank, Kathy Griffin, S.A. Griffin, Gary D. Robbins, Kimberly Sommer, Dan Thompson.

National Typewriter Day – June 23:

The Typewriter Century:

A Cultural History of Writing Practices

By Martyn Lyons.

Studies in Book and Print Culture.

Published by University of Toronto Press.

Published 2021.

Illustrated.

ISBN-10: 1487525737

ISBN-13: 978-1487525736

Description:

This book captures the intensity of the relationship between writers and their typewriters from the 1880s, when the machine was first commercialized, to the 1980s, when word-processing superseded it. Drawing on examples from the United States, Britain, Europe, and Australia, The Typewriter Century focuses on "celebrity writers," including Henry James, Jack Kerouac, Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, and Erle Stanley Gardner, who wrote prolifically and mechanically, developing routines in which typing, handwriting, and dictation were each allotted important functions. The typewriter de-personalized the text; the office typewriter bureaucratized it. At the same time, some authors found a new and disturbing distance between themselves and their compositions while others believed the typewriter facilitated spontaneous and automatic typing. The Typewriter Century provides a cultural history of the typewriter, outlining the ways in which it can be considered an agent of change as well as demonstrating how it influenced all writers, canonical and otherwise.

Mechanical Typewriters:

Their History, Value, and Legacy

By Thomas A. Russo.

Published by Schiffer.

Published 2002.

ISBN-10: 0764315455

ISBN-13: 978-0764315459

Description:

A fascinating and scholarly look at the machines that revolutionized office communication from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Nearly 700 color photographs display mechanical typewriters produced by Adler(TM), American(TM), Corona(TM), Grundka(TM), Hall(TM), Monarch(TM), Remington(TM), Royal(TM), Smith Corona(TM), and many others. An overview of the historical development of the typewriter includes patents and brief histories of the manufacturers. Additionally, a detailed bibliography, index, and current market values in the captions are also provided. Set designers, historians, and typewriter collectors will learn how technical developments changed the designs through the decades.

Typewriter:

The History – The Machines – The Writers

By Tony Allan.

Published by Shelter Harbor Press.

Published 2015.

ASIN: 1627950346

ISBN-10: 9781627950343

ISBN-13: 978-1627950343

Description:

Personal computers may have replaced the typewriter in most homes and offices, but the venerable writing machine is currently staging a comeback. From portable models that hipsters are snapping up in Urban Outfitters to Tom Hanks's bestselling app that recreates the manual experience on a tablet, the typewriter has never been so hot. This celebration of the typewriter covers what a platen knob is, why QUERTY won out over other arrangements of keys, which authors loved (or loathed) their typewriters, and much more.

A gift book with yellowed paper and typewriter fonts for a cool vintage look.

Timeline of the typewriter features key models.

Foreword by Paul Schweitzer of Gramercy Typewriter Co.

Documentary:

California Typewriter

documentary directed by Doug Nichol,

written by Max Nichol,

released at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States on September 2, 2016.

Music by Mark Ambrosino.

Cast: Silvi Alcivar, Ken Alexander, Tom Hanks, Martin Howard, Tom Lecky, Jeremy Mayer, John Mayer, David McCullough, Jett Morton, Herbert Permillion, Richard Polt, Anthony Rocco, Sam Shepard, Darren Wershler, Mason Williams.

On this day in movie history - Document of the Dead (1980):

Document of the Dead

directed and written by Roy Frumkes,

was released in Germany on June 21, 1981.
Documentary on the making of Dawn of the Dead (1978),

directed by George A. Romero.
Narrated by Susan Tyrrell and Nicole Potter.
Music by Rick Ulfik.

Cast:

Susan Tyrrell, Nicole Potter, George A. Romero, Richard P. Rubinstein, Michael Gornick, Carl Augenstein, Tom Savini, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, David Emge, John Amplas, Roy Frumkes, Christine Forrest, Gahan Wilson, Steve Bissette, Joe Kane, Gregory Lamberson, Ben Barenholtz, Dave Bartholomew, Pasquale Buba, Butchie   Butchie, Diane Donati, Jimmy 'Killer' Evans, George Haeck, Dave Hawkins, 'Sidecar' John Helbig, Jeanie Jefferies, Tom Kapusta, Katherine Kolbert, Leonard Lies, Doug Mertz, Sukey Raphael, Rudy Ricci, John Rice, Cindy Roman, Lenny Roman, Gaylen Ross, Donna Siegel, Nick Tallo, Danny Vail, Larry Vaira, Sara Venable, Susan Vermazen.

On this day in movie history – Brubaker (1980 movie & books):

Brubaker

directed by Stuart Rosenberg,

written by W. D. Richter,

story by W. D. Richter and Arthur Ross,

released in the United States on June 20, 1980.

Based on the book Accomplices to the Crime: The Arkansas Prison Scandal by Tom Murton and Joe Hyams.

Music by Lalo Schifrin.

Cast: Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, Murray Hamilton, David Keith, Morgan Freeman, Matt Clark, Tim McIntire, Richard Ward, Jon Van Ness, M. Emmet Walsh, Albert Salmi, Linda Haynes, Everett McGill, Val Avery, Ron Frazier, David Harris, Joe Spinell, James Keane, Konrad Sheehan, Roy Poole, Nathan George, Don Blakely, Lee Richardson, John McMartin, Alex Brown, John Chappell, Brent Jennings, Harry Groener, William Newman, Noble Willingham, Wilford Brimley, Jane Cecil, Ebbe Roe Smith, Young Hwa Han, Vic Polizos, Jack O’Leary, James Dukas, J.C. Quinn, Jerry Mayer, Ivy Featherstone, Kent Broadhurst, Hazen Gifford, Elane Rower Richardson, John R. Glover, Bill McNulty, Linda Milligan, Rob Garrison, James E. Fraunfelter Jr., Ritch Brinkley, David E. Williams, E.J. Pearcy, J.K. Mahle, Vivian P. Bass, Greg Martin, Philip Bartlett, Richard L. Denny, Michael Holiday, Nick Baldasare, Gary Jones, Monty Jordan, Rob Liotti, Hank Salas, Dennis Thompson.

Recommended reading:

Accomplices to the Crime:

The Arkansas Prison Scandal

By Tom Murton and Joe Hyams.

ASIN: B001IHUCFW

Publishd by Grove Press.

Published 1969.

Brubaker

By William Harrison.

Novelization based on the movie.

Published by New English Library.

Published 1980.

ISBN-10: 0450049841

ISBN-13: 9780450049842

Description:

The new warden poses as a prisoner to discover what conditions are really like at Wakefield prison, and then battles the town, the state, and even the prisoners to implement reforms.

On this day in movie history - Roadie (1980):

Roadie

directed by Alan Rudolph,

written by Big Boy Medlin and Michael Ventura,

based on a story by Big Boy Medlin, Michael Ventura, Zalman King and Alan Rudolph,

was released in the United States on June 13, 1980.
Music by Craig Huxley.

Cast:

Meat Loaf, Kaki Hunter, Art Carney, Gailard Sartain, Don Cornelius, Rhonda Bates, Joe Spano, Richard Marion, Sonny Carl Davis, Ginger Varney, Al Mays, Cindy Wills, Allan Graf, Merle Kilgore, Jack Elliott, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Hector Britt, Larry Lindsey, Conrad E. Palmisano, Tim Chitwood, Bobby Sargent, Rick Seaman, Hamilton Camp, Lenore Woodward, Terry Wills, Chuck Bulot, Helena Humann, Marcy Hanson, Carole McClellan, Rudy Ortiz, Bruce Patron, Debbie (Deborah) Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, William Hanna, James Lewis, Ray Benson, Richard Portnow, Anthony Casertano, Alice Cooper, Sheryl Cooper, Joe Gannon, Jesse Frederick, Larry Marshall, Rick Brunt, Eric Gardner, Kurtwood Smith, Paul Jamieson, Alvin Crow, Fred Mandel, Davey Johnstone, Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton, John Wilcox, Chris O’Connell, Bobby Black, Pat Ryan, Daniel Levin, John Nicholas, Francis Christina, Dean DeMerritt, Rick Crow, Smoothie, D.K. Little, Pete Finney, Tiny McFarland, Roger Crabtree, Kerry Craig, Joe Hamilton, Warren Keith, Charles Smith, Dale Stratton, Shona Lay, Bob Murray, Larry Seaman, Randy Franklin, David Cardwell, Peter Frampton, John Lizzi, Johnny Stevens.

On this day in movie history - Bronco Billy (1980):

Bronco Billy

directed by Clint Eastwood,

written by Dennis Hackin,

was released in the United States on June 11, 1980.
Music by Snuff Garrett.

Cast:

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Scatman Crothers, Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms, Dan Vadis, Sierra Pecheur, Walter Barnes, Woodrow Parfrey, Beverlee McKinsey, Doug McGrath, Hank Worden, William Prince, Pam Abbas, Eyde Byrde, Douglas Copsey, John Wesley Elliott Jr., Chuck Hicks, Bob Hoy, Jefferson Jewell, Dawneen Lee, Don Mummert, Lloyd Nelson, George Orrison, Michael Reinbold, Tessa Richarde, Cha Cha Sandoval-McMahon, Valerie Shanks, Sharon Sherlock, James Simmerman, Roger Dale Simmons, Jenny Sternling, Chuck Waters, Jerry Wills, Diablo Dean, Scott Atkins, Alison Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood, Scott Glatt III, Merle Haggard, Danny Jensen, R.C. Keene, Juliette Lewis, David Reed, Thomas Iloe Rose, Arlis Tranmer, George Wendt, Gayla Wilson-Corbin.