All The Right Moves Movie

All the Right Moves 40 Year Anniversary! – Filmed in Johnstown, PA

When you ask people from the Johnstown area about interesting facts, they’ll probably jump to Slap Shot, the iconic film that has become a timeless classic, but did you know that there was another significant movie filmed right here in the downtown Johnstown area? All the Right Moves was a 1983 American sports drama starring none other than Tom Cruise (of Mission Impossible and Top Gun fame) and Lea Thompson (Leading lady in Back to the Future and Red Dawn).

The production was filmed throughout the course of seven weeks here in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1983. The former campus of Greater Johnstown High School, was used as a key filming location, along with Sargent’s Stadium (Formerly) Point Stadium and several other parts of the city both inside and out. The film and much of its promotional materials also feature imagery of Johnstown’s steel mills.

Fun fact, Lea Thompson was secretly enrolled as a new student at Ferndale Area High School for three days prior to shooting to help her get a feel for the culture. Tom Cruise was similarly enrolled at Greater Johnstown High School, but was recognized immediately. Another interesting piece of information is that the school colors and subsequent uniforms (both football and band uniforms) were from the local Ferndale High School here in Johnstown.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary, Visit Johnstown will be releasing a movie tour soon!