RESOURCES

Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis

The book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis was made into the movie Great Balls of Fire!.

Which one did you like better, the book or the movie?  There are 6 votes for the book, and 9 votes for the movie.

Book details for Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis

Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis was written by Myra Lewis. The book was published in 1982 by St Martins Mass Market Paper. More information on the book is available on Amazon.com.

Read More About This Book

Movie details for Great Balls of Fire!

The movie was released in 1989 and directed by Jim McBride. Great Balls of Fire! was produced by MGM (Video & DVD). More information on the movie is available on Amazon.com and also IMDb.

Actors on this movie include Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Stephen Tobolowsky, Trey Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Steve Allen, Lisa Blount, Joshua Sheffield, Mojo Nixon, Jimmie Vaughan, David Ferguson, Robert Lesser, Lisa Jane Persky, Paula Person, Valerie Wellington, Booker T. Laury, Michael St. Gerard, Carol Russell and Crystal Robbins.

 

Read More About This Movie

Dennis Quaid's delightfully over-the-top performance dominates this 1989 biopic about the life, times, and music of rocker Jerry Lee "the Killer" Lewis. It's all here: his snazzy threads, his devil-may-care Southern charm, his mane of golden hair, his und... Read More
Dennis Quaid's delightfully over-the-top performance dominates this 1989 biopic about the life, times, and music of rocker Jerry Lee "the Killer" Lewis. It's all here: his snazzy threads, his devil-may-care Southern charm, his mane of golden hair, his underage girlfriends (Lewis's infamous marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, played here by Winona Ryder, and its effect on his career is a big part of the story), his fascination with "the devil's music" (much to the chagrin of cousin Jimmy Swaggart, portrayed by Alec Baldwin), and of course the classic tunes like "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Director Jim McBride plays the whole thing broadly, for laughs, much like Quaid plays Lewis. The result is tongue-in-cheek entertainment with a strong musical component, made all the more so by the fact that all the singing and playing on the soundtrack is done by Lewis himself. --Sam Graham