When thinking about this 1990 romantic-comedy starring Julia Roberts andRichard Gere, fans instantly sing a No. 1 chart-topping classic. Pretty Woman was released in theaters 36 years ago and gave Hollywood a long-lasting cult classic that was titled after a popular 1965 track by Roy Orbison.
By 1990, Roberts was at the start of her acting career, with Pretty Woman having solidified her Hollywood status and title as a romance queen. Gere, on the other hand, was already a leading man and sex symbol thanks to his role in American Gigolo in 1980. The two actors ended up starring in Pretty Woman as wealthy corporate raider Edward Lewis and Hollywood escort Vivian Ward.
The movie started as a dark drama depicting the reality of prostitution in Los Angeles, with the leading roles having been shopped around to actors like Molly Ringwald, Al Pacino, Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and more before finally landing on Gere and Richards.
Pretty Woman focuses on Edward, unable to drive a stick shift before accepting Vivian’s help and leading him to spontaneously pay for an entire night with her and then an entire week. It soon becomes an unconventional love story between social classes that received mixed reviews from critics after its release on March 23, but became the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time.
It catapulted Richards to stardom, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She also received her first nominations for an Oscar and a BAFTA. The film has another unique history, having been titled after the 1964 Orbison song, “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Written by Orbison and Bill Dees, the track was released as a single in August of that year and spent three consecutive weeks as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was one of two songs to ever hit No.1 on the charts for Orbison and became certified gold. The track was also ranked one of the top four songs to come out of 1964.
According to reports, the song was inspired by Orbison’s wife when she interrupted a conversation he was having. The songwriter asked if she had enough money, when Dees interjected, saying, “A pretty woman never needs any money.” A perfect fit for the future 1990 film.
In 1991, Orbison posthumously won a. Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for a recording of the track in his 1988 HBO TV special. The No. 1 hit was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was named one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The Library of Congress also preserved the song in 2008.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.