Today in 80s History: March 18th in the 80s

Brad Dourif (Actor, Child’s Play) — 76
March 18, 1950

Ben Cohen (Businessman, Ben & Jerry’s) — 75
March 18, 1951

Rick Martel (Wrestler) — 70
March 18, 1956

Thomas Ian Griffith (Actor, The Karate Kid Part III) — 64
March 18, 1962

Vanessa Williams (Singer and Actress) — 63
March 18, 1963

Jeff LaBar (Guitarist, Cinderella) — 63
March 18, 1963

Bonnie Blair (Speed Skater) — 62
March 18, 1964

Queen Latifah (Rapper and Actress) — 56
March 18, 1970

Remembering

(March 18)

Irene Cara (Singer, Fame, “Flashdance... What a Feeling”)
March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022 (Age 63)

Irene Cara was one of the defining voices of early 80s pop culture. She starred in Fame and performed the film’s title song, then reached even greater success with “Flashdance... What a Feeling,” which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Her career helped bridge movies, radio and MTV, making her one of the most recognizable crossover stars of the decade.

High Road to China (1983)

Release Date: March 18, 1983
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Starring: Tom Selleck, Bess Armstrong, Jack Weston and Wilford Brimley
Budget: $12 Million
Box Office: $28.4 Million

D.O.A. (1988)

Release Date: March 18, 1988
Directors: Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Daniel Stern, Charlotte Rampling and Jane Kaczmarek
Budget: $3.5 Million
Box Office: $12.7 Million

The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

Release Date: March 18, 1988
Director: Robert Redford
Starring: Rubén Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga, Julie Carmen, James Gammon, Melanie Griffith, John Heard, Daniel Stern and Christopher Walken
Budget: $22 Million
Box Office: $13.8 Million

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988)

Release Date: March 18, 1988
Director: Alan Myerson
Starring: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, Janet Jones, Lance Kinsey, Matt McCoy, G. W. Bailey and George Gaynes
Budget: $14 Million
Box Office: $54.5 Million

Stars and Bars (1988)

Release Date: March 18, 1988
Director: Pat O’Connor
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Harry Dean Stanton, Joan Cusack, Keith David and Martha Plimpton
Budget: $7.5 Million
Box Office: $112,000

Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw (1988)

Release Date: March 18, 1988
Director: Pierre DeCelles
Starring: Brennan Howard, B. J. Ward, Nancy Cartwright and Tony Longo
Budget: $6 Million
Box Office: $586,938

1985 – Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle Reinstated by Baseball

Event: MLB Reinstatement

Details: Commissioner Peter Ueberroth reinstated Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle after their bans tied to casino employment, allowing them to work again with Major League Baseball teams.