Summer of ' 42 - wikipedia Summer of ' 42 Jump to : navigation , search Summer of ' 42 Theatrical release poster Directed by Robert Mulligan Produced by Richard A. Roth Written by Herman Raucher Starring Jennifer O'Neill Gary Grimes Jerry Houser Oliver Conant Narrated by Robert Mulligan Music by Michel Legrand Cinematography Robert Surtees Edited by Folmar Blangsted Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Release date April 18 , 1971 ( 1971 - 04 - 18 ) Running time 104 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $1 million Box office $32,063,634 Summer of ' 42 is a 1971 American coming - of - age comedy - drama film based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher . It tells the story of how Raucher , in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island ( off the coast of Cape Cod ) , embarks on a one - sided romance with a young woman , Dorothy , whose husband had gone off to fight in World War II . The film was directed by Robert Mulligan , and starred Gary Grimes as Hermie , Jerry Houser as his best friend Oscy , Oliver Conant as their nerdy young friend Benjie , Jennifer O'Neill as Hermie 's mysterious love interest , and Katherine Allentuck and Christopher Norris as a pair of girls whom Hermie and Oscy attempt to seduce . Mulligan also has an uncredited role as the voice of the adult Hermie . Maureen Stapleton ( Allentuck 's real - life mother ) also appears in a small , uncredited voice role ( calling after Hermie as he leaves the house in an early scene , and after he enters his room in a later scene ) . Raucher 's novelization of his screenplay of the same name was released prior to the film 's release and became a runaway bestseller , to the point that audiences lost sight of the fact that the book was based on the film and not vice versa . Though a pop culture phenomenon in the first half of the 1970s , the novelization went out of print and slipped into obscurity throughout the next two decades until a Broadway adaptation in 2001 brought it back into the public light and prompted Barnes & Noble to acquire the publishing rights to the book . Contents ( hide ) 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Factual basis 5 Reception and awards 6 Sequel 7 Soundtrack 8 Cultural impact 8.1 Music 8.2 Film and television 8.3 Remakes 8.4 Off - Broadway musical 8.5 Alternate sequel 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Plot ( edit ) The film opens with a series of still photographs appearing over melancholic music , representing the abstract memories of the unseen Herman Raucher , now a middle - aged man . We then hear Raucher recalling the summer he spent on the island in 1942 . The film flashes back to a day that then 15 - year - old `` Hermie '' and his friends -- jock Oscy and introverted nerd Benjie -- spent playing on the beach . They spot a young soldier carrying his new bride into a house on the beach , and are struck by her beauty , especially Hermie , who is unable to get her out of his mind . They continue spending afternoons on the beach where , in the midst of scantily - clad teenage girls , their thoughts invariably turn to sex . All of them are virgins : Oscy is obsessed with the act of sex , while Hermie finds himself developing romantic interest in the bride , whose husband he spots leaving the island on a water taxi one morning . Later that day , Hermie finds her trying to carry bags of groceries by herself , and helps get them back to her house . They strike up a friendship and he agrees to return to help her with chores . Meanwhile , Oscy and Hermie , thanks to a sex manual discovered by Benjie , become convinced they know everything necessary to lose their virginity . Led by Oscy , they test this by going to the cinema and picking - up a trio of high - school girls . Oscy stakes out the most attractive one , Miriam , `` giving '' Hermie her less attractive friend , Aggie , and leaving Benjie with Gloria , a heavyset girl with braces . Frightened by the immediacy of sex , Benjie runs off , and is not seen by Hermie or Oscy again that night . Hermie and Oscy spend the entirety of the evening 's film attempting to `` put the moves '' on Miriam and Aggie . Oscy pursues Miriam , eventually making out with her during the movie , and later learns her ways are well - known on the island . Hermie finds himself succeeding with Aggie , who allows him to grope what he thinks is her breast ; Oscy later points out Hermie was fondling her arm . The next morning , Hermie helps the bride move boxes into her attic and she thanks him by giving him a kiss on the forehead . Later , in preparation for a marshmallow roast on the beach with Aggie and Miriam , Hermie goes to the local drugstore . In a painfully humorous sequence , he builds up the nerve to ask the druggist ( Lou Frizzell ) for condoms . That night , Hermie roasts marshmallows with Aggie while Oscy succeeds in having sex with Miriam between the dunes . He is so successful he sneaks over to Hermie and Aggie to ask for more condoms . Confused as to what 's happening , Aggie follows Oscy back , where she sees him having sex with Miriam and runs home , upset . The next day , Hermie comes across the bride sitting outside her house , writing to her husband . Hermie offers to keep her company that night and she says she looks forward to seeing him , revealing her name is Dorothy . An elated Hermie goes home and puts on a suit , dress shirt and heads back to Dorothy 's house , running into Oscy on the way ; Oscy relates that Miriam 's appendix burst and she 's been rushed to the mainland . Hermie , convinced he is at the brink of adulthood because of his relationship with Dorothy , brushes Oscy off . He heads to her house , which is eerily quiet . Going in , he discovers a bottle of whiskey , several cigarette butts , and a telegram from the government . Dorothy 's husband is dead , his plane shot down over France . Dorothy comes out of her bedroom , crying , and Hermie tells her `` I 'm sorry . '' The sense of empathy triggers her to channel to Hermie some of her loneliness . She turns on the record player and invites Hermie to dance with her . They kiss and embrace , tears on both their faces . Without speaking , and to the sound only of the waves , they move to the bedroom , where she draws him into bed and gently makes love with him . Afterward , withdrawing again into her world of hurt , Dorothy retires to the porch , leaving Hermie alone in her bedroom . He approaches her on the porch , where she can only quietly say `` Good night , Hermie . '' He leaves , his last image of Dorothy being of her leaning against the railing , as she smokes a cigarette and stares into the night sky . At dawn Hermie meets Oscy and the two share a moment of reconciliation , with Oscy informing Hermie that Miriam will recover . Oscy , in an uncharacteristic act of sensitivity , lets Hermie be by himself , departing with the words , `` Sometimes life is one big pain in the ass . '' Trying to sort out what has happened , Hermie goes back to Dorothy 's house . Dorothy has fled the island in the night and an envelope is tacked to the front door with Hermie 's name on it . Inside is a note from Dorothy , saying she hopes he understands she must go back home as there is much to do . She assures Hermie she will never forget him , and he will find his way of remembering what happened that night . Her note closes with the hope that Hermie may be spared the senseless tragedies of life . In the final scene , Hermie , suddenly approaching manhood , is seen looking at Dorothy 's old house and the ocean from a distance before he turns to join his friends . To bittersweet music , the adult Raucher sadly recounts that he has never seen Dorothy again or learned what became of her . Cast ( edit ) Jennifer O'Neill as Dorothy Gary Grimes as Hermie Jerry Houser as Oscy Oliver Conant as Benjie Katherine Allentuck as Aggie Christopher Norris as Miriam Lou Frizzell as Druggist Robert Mulligan ( uncredited voice ) as Narrator / Older Herman Raucher Walter Scott ( uncredited ) as Dorothy 's husband Maureen Stapleton ( uncredited voice ) as Hermie 's Mother Production ( edit ) Herman Raucher wrote the film script in the 1950s during his tenure as a television writer , but `` could n't give it away . '' In the 1960s , he met Robert Mulligan , best known for directing To Kill a Mockingbird . Raucher showed Mulligan the script , and Mulligan took it to Warner Bros. , where Mulligan argued the film could be shot for the relatively low price of $1 million , and Warner approved it . They had so little faith in the film becoming a box - office success , though , they shied from paying Raucher outright for the script , instead promising him ten percent of the gross . When casting for the role of Dorothy , Warner Bros. declined to audition any actresses younger than the age of 30 ; Jennifer O'Neill 's agent , who had developed a fondness for the script , convinced the studio to audition his client , who was only 22 at the time . O'Neill auditioned for the role , albeit hesitantly , not wanting to perform any nude scenes . O'Neill got the role and Mulligan agreed to find a way to make the film work without blatant nudity . Nantucket Island was too far modernized in 1970 to be convincingly transformed to resemble an early 1940s resort , so production was taken to Mendocino , California , on the West Coast of the US . Shooting took place over eight weeks , during which O'Neill was sequestered from the three boys cast as `` The Terrible Trio , '' in order to ensure that they did not become close and ruin the sense of awkwardness and distance that their characters felt towards Dorothy . Production ran smoothly , finishing on schedule . After production , Warner Bros. , still wary about the film only being a minor success , asked Raucher to adapt his script into a book . Raucher wrote it in three weeks , and Warner Bros. released it prior to the film to build interest in the story . The book quickly became a national bestseller , so that when trailers premiered in theaters , the film was billed as being `` based on the national bestseller , '' despite the film having been completed first . Ultimately , the book became one of the best selling novels of the first half of the 1970s , requiring 23 reprints between 1971 and 1974 to keep up with customer demand . Factual basis ( edit ) The film ( and subsequent novel ) were memoirs written by Herman Raucher ; they detailed the events in his life over the course of the summer he spent on Nantucket Island in 1942 when he was fourteen years old . Originally , the film was meant to be a tribute to his friend Oscar `` Oscy '' Seltzer , an Army medic killed in the Korean War . Seltzer was shot dead on a battlefield in Korea whilst attending to a wounded man ; this happened on Raucher 's birthday , and consequently , Raucher has not celebrated a birthday since . During the course of writing the screenplay , Raucher came to the realization that despite growing up with Oscy and having bonded with him through their formative years , the two had never really had any meaningful conversations or gotten to know one another on a more personal level . Instead , Raucher decided to focus on the first major adult experience of his life , that of falling in love for the first time . The woman ( named Dorothy , like her screen counterpart ) was a fellow vacationer on the island whom the 14 - year old Raucher had befriended one day when he helped her carry groceries home ; he became a friend of her and her husband and helped her with chores after her husband was called to fight in World War II . On the night memorialized in the film , Raucher randomly came to visit her , unaware his arrival was just minutes after she received notification of her husband 's death . She was confused and upset , had been drinking heavily , and repeatedly called Raucher by her husband 's name . Although both ultimately disrobed , contrary to popular opinion , sexual intercourse did not occur . Raucher admitted this in a 2002 interview saying it was mostly holding , but in the movie `` We let you think what you want . '' The next morning , Raucher discovered that she had left the island , leaving behind a note for him ( which is read at the end of the film and reproduced in the book ) . He never saw her again ; his last `` encounter '' with her , recounted on an episode of The Mike Douglas Show , came after the film 's release in 1971 , when she was one of over a dozen women who wrote letters to Raucher claiming to be `` his '' Dorothy . Raucher recognized the `` real '' Dorothy 's handwriting , and she confirmed her identity by making references to certain events only she could have known about . She told Raucher that she had lived for years with the guilt that she had potentially traumatized him and ruined his life . She told Raucher that she was glad he turned out all right , and that they had best not re-visit the past . In a 2002 Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing interview , Raucher lamented never hearing from her again and expressed his hope that she was still alive . Raucher 's novelization of the screenplay , with the dedication , `` To those I love , past and present , '' serves more as the tribute to Seltzer that he had intended the film to be , with the focus of the book being more on the two boys ' relationship than Raucher 's relationship with Dorothy . Consequently , the book also mentions Seltzer 's death , which is absent from the film adaptation . Reception and awards ( edit ) This section needs expansion . You can help by adding to it . ( June 2017 ) The film became a blockbuster upon its release , grossing over $32 million , making it the sixth highest - grossing film of 1971 and one of the most successful films in history , with an expense - to - profit ratio of 1 : 32 ; beyond that , it is estimated video rentals and purchases in the United States since the 1980s have produced an additional $20.5 million . On this point , Raucher said in May 2002 that his ten percent of the gross , in addition to royalties from book sales , `` has paid bills ever since . '' As well as being a commercial success , Summer of ' 42 also received rave critical reviews . It went on to be nominated for over a dozen awards , including Golden Globe Awards for `` Best Motion Picture -- Drama '' and `` Best Director '' , and five Academy Award nominations for Best Original Music Score , Best Cinematography , Best Editing , Best Writing - Story and Best Screenplay . Ultimately , the film won two awards : the 1972 44th Academy Awards Oscar for Original Dramatic Score , and the 1971 BAFTA Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music , both to Michel Legrand . It counted among its fans Stanley Kubrick , who had the film play on a television in a scene in The Shining . The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists : 2002 : AFI 's 100 Years ... 100 Passions -- Nominated 2005 : AFI 's 100 Years of Film Scores -- Nominated Sequel ( edit ) In 1973 , the film was followed by Class of ' 44 , a slice - of - life film made up of vignettes about Herman Raucher and Oscar Seltzer 's experiences in college . Class of ' 44 involves the boys facing army service in the last year of World War II . The only crew member from Summer of ' 42 to return to the project was Raucher himself , who wrote the script ; a new director and composer were brought in to replace Mulligan and Legrand . Of the principal four cast members of Summer of ' 42 , only Jerry Houser and Gary Grimes returned for prominent roles , with Oliver Conant making two brief appearances totaling less than two minutes of screen time . Jennifer O'Neill did not appear in the film at all , nor was the character of Dorothy mentioned . The film is noted for featuring a young , slim John Candy briefly appearing in his first film role . The film met with poor critical reviews ; the only three reviews available at Rotten Tomatoes are resoundingly negative , with Channel 4 calling it `` a big disappointment , '' and The New York Times stating `` The only things worth attention in ' Class of ' 44 are the period details , '' and `` ' Class of ' 44 ' seems less like a movie than 95 minutes of animated wallpaper . '' Soundtrack ( edit ) Summer of ' 42 : Original Motion Picture Score Soundtrack album by Michel Legrand Released 1971 Label Warner Bros. Records The film 's soundtrack consists almost entirely of compositions by Michel Legrand , many of which are variants upon `` The Summer Knows '' , the film 's theme . Lyrics are by Marilyn and Alan Bergman . Because the complete score runs just under 17 minutes , only the first and eighth tracks on the album are from Summer of ' 42 ; the rest of the music is taken from Legrand 's score for 1969 's The Picasso Summer . In addition to Legrand 's scoring , the film also features the song `` Hold Tight '' by The Andrews Sisters and the theme from Now , Voyager . On the Billboard 200 , it debuted on 9 / 11 / 1971 and peaked at # 52 on 11 / 20 / 1971 . Summer of ' 42 : Original Motion Picture Score No . Title Length 1 . `` Summer of ' 42 ( Main Theme ) '' 3 : 51 2 . `` Summer Song '' 4 : 21 3 . `` The Bacchanal '' 1 : 48 4 . `` Lonely Two '' 2 : 04 5 . `` The Danger '' 2 : 13 6 . `` Montage : But Not Picasso / Full Awakening '' 3 : 32 7 . `` High I.Q '' 2 : 11 8 . `` The Summer Knows '' 1 : 47 9 . `` The Entrance to Reality '' 3 : 04 10 . `` La Guerre '' 3 : 15 11 . `` Los Manos de Muerto '' 3 : 29 12 . `` Awakening Awareness '' 2 : 26 13 . `` And All the Time '' 1 : 43 Total length : 35 : 44 In 2014 Intrada Records released Summer of ' 42 and The Picasso Summer on a limited - edition two - disc set , with the entire score for the former and the original album presentation of the latter ( dubbed `` The Picasso Suite '' ) on disc 1 , and the complete score for The Picasso Summer on disc 2 . Warner Bros. Publications released a sheet music folio , Summer of ' 42 & Other Hits of the Forties , which contains the movie theme and 34 other unrelated songs . Cultural impact ( edit ) Music ( edit ) Legrand 's theme song for the film , `` The Summer Knows '' , has since become a pop standard , being recorded by such artists as Peter Nero ( who had a charting hit with his 1971 version ) , Biddu , Tony Bennett , Frank Sinatra , Sarah Vaughan , Andy Williams , Jonny Fair , Scott Walker , Jackie Evancho , Oscar Peterson , Bill Evans , Toots Thielemans , and Barbra Streisand . The 1973 song `` Summer ( The First Time ) '' by Bobby Goldsboro has almost exactly the same subject and apparent setting , although there is no direct credited link . Bryan Adams has , however , credited the film as being a partial inspiration for his 1985 hit `` Summer of ' 69 '' . Garth Brooks ' 1993 hit `` That Summer '' features a similar story of a coming - of - age male in a romance with an older female . Film and television ( edit ) In Stanley Kubrick 's 1980 film version of Stephen King 's The Shining , Wendy ( Shelley Duvall ) is shown watching Summer of ' 42 on television ( a brief clip of the scene featuring Hermie helping Dorothy bring her groceries in the house is playing on the television in the background during the scene ) . An episode of the 1970s sitcom Happy Days was loosely based upon Summer of ' 42 , with Richie Cunningham befriending a Korean War widow . The film 's title formed the basis of a Season 7 episode of The Simpsons , `` Summer of 4 Ft. 2 '' . On the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Show it was actually a Drama called New Family In Town based on Summer Of ' 42 which was one of the most popular Movies at that time . Remakes ( edit ) In the years since the film 's release , Warner Bros. has attempted to buy back Raucher 's ten percent of the film as well as his rights to the story so it could be remade ; Raucher has consistently declined . The 1988 film Stealing Home has numerous similarities to both Summer of ' 42 and Class of ' 44 , with several incidents ( most notably a subplot dealing with the premature death of the protagonist 's father and the protagonist 's response to it ) appearing to have been directly lifted from Raucher 's own life ; Jennifer O'Neill stated in 2002 she believes `` Home '' was an attempted remake of `` Summer '' . Off - Broadway musical ( edit ) In 2001 , Raucher consented to the film being made into an off Broadway musical play . He was on hand opening night , giving the cast a pep - talk which he concluded , `` We 've now done it every possible way -- except go out and piss it in the snow ! '' The play met with positive critical and fan response , and was endorsed by Raucher himself , but the play was forced to close down in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks . Nevertheless , the play was enough to spark interest in the film and book with a new generation , prompting Warner to re-issue the book ( which had since gone out of print , along with all of Raucher 's other works ) for sale with Barnes & Noble 's online bookstore , and to restore the film and release it on DVD . The musical has since been performed across the country , at venues such as Kalliope Stage in Cleveland Heights , Ohio in 2004 ( directed by Paul Gurgol ) and Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke , Virginia , ( directed by Jere Hodgin and choreographed by Bernard Monroe ) , and was subsequently recorded as a concert by the York Theatre Company in 2006 . Alternate sequel ( edit ) In 2002 , O'Neill claimed to have obtained the rights to make a sequel to Summer of ' 42 , based on a short story she wrote , which took place in an alternate reality where Herman Raucher had a son and divorced his wife , went back to Nantucket in 1962 with a still - living Oscar Seltzer , and encountered Dorothy again and married her . As of 2017 , this project -- which O'Neill had hoped to produce with Lifetime television -- has not been realized , and it is unknown whether O'Neill is still attempting to get it produced , or if Raucher consented to its production . See also ( edit ) List of American films of 1971 References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` SUMMER OF ' 42 ( X ) '' . British Board of Film Classification . 1971 - 04 - 15 . Retrieved 2013 - 02 - 06 . Jump up ^ `` Summer of ' 42 , Box Office Information '' . The Numbers . Retrieved January 12 , 2012 . ^ Jump up to : Park , Louis Hillary ( May 2002 ) . `` Herman Raucher Interview ( extended ) '' . TCPalm . Archived from the original on 2006 - 02 - 06 . Retrieved July 5 , 2006 . ^ Jump up to : Park , Louis Hillary ( June 2002 ) . `` Jennifer O'Neill Interview ( extended ) '' . TCPalm . Archived from the original on 2012 - 02 - 05 . Retrieved February 8 , 2012 . ^ Jump up to : Raucher , Herman . Summer of ' 42 . 23rd Edition . New York : Dell , 1974 . Jump up ^ Korean War Memorial -- Oscar Seltzer koreanwar.org . Retrieved July 5 , 2006 . ^ Jump up to : The Mike Douglas Show , Interview with Herman Raucher . Original date of broadcast unknown . Jump up ^ Allmovie : Summer of ' 42 allmovie.com . Retrieved September 3 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Internet Movie Database : Summer of ' 42 Business Data IMDb.com Retrieved July 3 , 2006 . Jump up ^ `` Summer of ' 42 ( 1971 ) -- Misc Notes '' . TCM.com . Retrieved February 8 , 2012 . Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years ... 100 Passions Nominees '' ( PDF ) . Retrieved August 20 , 2016 . Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees '' ( PDF ) . Retrieved August 20 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Rotten Tomatoes : Class of ' 44 rottentomatoes.com Retrieved August 11 , 2006 Jump up ^ Timeout Film Review : Class of ' 44 timeout.com Retrieved August 11 , 2006 , Jump up ^ Channel 4 Film Reviews : Class of ' 44 channel4.com Retrieved August 11 , 2006 Jump up ^ New York Times Film Review : Class of ' 44 nytimes.com Retrieved August 11 , 2006 Jump up ^ Summer of ' 69 lyrics explained by co-author Archived 2006 - 06 - 28 at the Wayback Machine . jimvallance.com Retrieved July 6 , 2006 . Jump up ^ Brooks , Garth ; Alger , Pat ; Mahl - Brooks , Sandy ( 1992 ) . `` That Summer '' . Major Bob Music / Warner - Chappell Publications . Archived from the original on January 29 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Jennifer O'Neill in 2002 tv-now.com Retrieved August 11 , 2006 Archived August 29 , 2006 , at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Theatermania.com , Starry , Starry Morning : Charles Nelson 's Casts and Forecasts . Retrieved September 3 , 2007 Jump up ^ Summer of ' 42 Plus Twenty usatoday.com . Retrieved July 6 , 2006 . External links ( edit ) www.hermanraucher.com Summer of ' 42 on IMDb Summer of ' 42 at the TCM Movie Database Summer of ' 42 by Andy Williamson -- The Wordslinger dated April 14 , 2008 ( hide ) Films directed by Robert Mulligan Fear Strikes Out ( 1957 ) The Rat Race ( 1960 ) The Great Impostor ( 1961 ) Come September ( 1961 ) The Spiral Road ( 1962 ) To Kill a Mockingbird ( 1962 ) Love with the Proper Stranger ( 1963 ) Baby the Rain Must Fall ( 1965 ) Inside Daisy Clover ( 1965 ) Up the Down Staircase ( 1967 ) The Stalking Moon ( 1968 ) The Pursuit of Happiness ( 1971 ) Summer of ' 42 ( 1971 ) The Other ( 1972 ) The Nickel Ride ( 1974 ) Bloodbrothers ( 1978 ) Same Time , Next Year ( 1978 ) Kiss Me Goodbye ( 1982 ) Clara 's Heart ( 1988 ) The Man in the Moon ( 1991 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Summer_of_%2742&oldid=803913855 '' Categories : 1971 films English - language films 1970s comedy - drama films 1970s coming - of - age films 1970s teen films American biographical films American comedy - drama films American coming - of - age films American films Film scores by Michel Legrand Films about vacationing Films about virginity Films directed by Robert Mulligan Films set in 1942 Films set in Massachusetts Films set on beaches Films set on islands Films set on the home front during World War II Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award Nantucket , Massachusetts Warner Bros. films Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Film articles using image size parameter Articles to be expanded from June 2017 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Featured articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano 日本 語 Polski Português Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 5 October 2017 , at 13 : 44 . 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Question: who starred in the movie summer of 42


Sacrifice ( song ) - wikipedia Sacrifice ( song ) Jump to : navigation , search For other songs with the same title , see Sacrifice ( disambiguation ) § Songs . `` Sacrifice '' Single by Elton John from the album Sleeping with the Past A-side `` Healing Hands '' ( second release ) B - side `` Love Is a Cannibal '' ( first release ) Released October 1989 ( first release ) May 1990 ( second release ) Format CD , vinyl record ( 7 '' and 12 `` ) , audio cassette Length 5 : 11 Label Rocket , MCA Songwriter ( s ) Elton John , Bernie Taupin Producer ( s ) Chris Thomas Elton John singles chronology `` Healing Hands '' ( 1989 ) `` Sacrifice '' ( 1989 ) `` Club at the End of the Street '' ( 1990 ) `` Healing Hands '' ( 1989 ) `` Sacrifice '' ( 1989 ) `` Club at the End of the Street '' ( 1990 ) `` Sacrifice '' is a ballad performed by musician Elton John . The lyrics are by Bernie Taupin and the music by John . The song appears on the 1989 album Sleeping with the Past . It was first released in October 1989 , then in 1990 , and was the second single from the album . It achieved success , particularly in France and the UK , where it became his first solo chart - topper , spending five weeks at the top . A country music cover of the song was performed by Don Henley and Vince Gill as part of the 2018 tribute album Restoration : Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin . Contents ( hide ) 1 Overview 1.1 Background and writing 1.2 Music video 1.3 Chart performance 2 Track listings 3 Charts and sales 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 3.3 Certifications and sales 4 Personnel 5 References 6 External links Overview ( edit ) Background and writing ( edit ) `` Sacrifice '' is inspired both by the Aretha Franklin song `` Do Right Woman , Do Right Man '' and described as a Percy Sledge song by Elton John . The song is beloved by both John and Bernie Taupin and deemed a bookend of sorts to their first hit `` Your Song '' . Taupin has said he is surprised he wrote it , and said in an interview , `` I think ' Sacrifice ' is one of the best songs we 've written . '' The song is not a typical love song , but rather a song about a breakup of a marriage where the loss of the relationship is `` no sacrifice . '' Although the single was successful , Elton John did not tour Europe in both 1989 -- 1990 to support the Sleeping with the Past album ( with the exception of one appearance in Knebworth Park on 30 June 1990 ) touring only in the U.S. and Australia . The 1989 European tour was , instead , in support of the Reg Strikes Back album , with no material representing Sleeping with the Past . In all shows that were done to support Sleeping with the Past in 1989 -- 1990 , Elton played this song solo on his Roland RD - 1000 Digital Piano . Music video ( edit ) The video , which follows the song 's lyrics , portrays a man and woman having problems in their relationship after being married and raising a daughter . After they go their separate ways , the man raises his daughter alone . The video was directed by Alek Keshishian and it had Yasmeen Ghauri and Chris Isaak in it . The version used in the promo video is slightly sped up compared to the album version . The result is a higher pitched vocal and shorter length time . The video was filmed in Los Angeles in 1989 , and was the second video made after Elton rejected a version from Ken Russell . Chart performance ( edit ) Sacrifice was initially released as a single in 1989 , but stalled at # 55 in the UK charts and at # 18 in the US charts in March 1990 . In mid-1990 English DJ Steve Wright began playing the song on BBC Radio 1 , soon followed by many more radio DJs . The song was then re-released as a double A-side single , along with `` Healing Hands '' , and reached # 1 in the UK in June 1990 . Thus , it became John 's first solo number - one single in the UK Singles Chart , remaining on the top spot for five weeks . With this re-release , Elton John also got his first number one in France and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks . Track listings ( edit ) First release 12 '' single -- UK `` Sacrifice '' -- 5 : 07 `` Love Is a Cannibal '' ( From the Columbia Motion Picture Ghostbusters II ) -- 3 : 53 CD single -- U.S. `` Sacrifice '' -- 5 : 07 `` Love Is a Cannibal '' ( from the Columbia Motion Picture Ghostbusters II ) -- 3 : 53 `` Durban Deep '' Second release UK single `` Sacrifice '' -- 5 : 07 `` Healing Hands '' -- 4 : 22 Charts and sales ( edit ) Weekly charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1989 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 55 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart ( 1990 ) Peak position Australian ARIA Singles Chart 7 Dutch Mega Top 100 Eurochart Hot 100 French SNEP Singles Chart German Singles Chart 36 Irish Singles Chart New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 7 Norwegian Singles Chart Swiss Singles Chart 23 UK Singles Chart U.S. Billboard Hot 100 18 Zimbabwe Singles Chart 6 Year - end charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1990 ) Rank Australian Singles Chart 47 Dutch Top 40 11 UK Singles Charts Certifications and sales ( edit ) Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales France Silver 200,000 380,000 UK Platinum 1 September 1990 600,000 Personnel ( edit ) Elton John : vocals , Roland RD - 1000 digital piano Davey Johnstone : electric guitar Romeo Williams : bass Jonathan Moffett : drums Guy Babylon : keyboards Fred Mandel : keyboards Preceded by `` Words '' by The Christians French SNEP number - one single 26 May 1990 -- 9 June 1990 ( 3 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Bo le lavabo ( WC Kiss ) '' by Lagaf ' Preceded by `` Vogue '' by Madonna Eurochart Hot 100 number - one single 16 June 1990 -- 28 July 1990 ( 7 weeks ) Succeeded by `` U Ca n't Touch This '' by MC Hammer Preceded by `` World In Motion '' by Englandneworder UK number - one single 17 June 1990 -- 21 July 1990 ( 5 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Turtle Power '' by Partners in Kryme References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` Elton John - Full Official Chart History '' . Official Charts Company . Official Charts Company . Retrieved 20 January 2016 . ^ Jump up to : `` Elton John singles , Billboard charts '' . allmusic . Retrieved 9 September 2008 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice `` , Australian Singles Chart '' . australian - charts . Retrieved 13 December 2007 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice `` , Dutch Mega Top 100 '' ( in Dutch ) . dutchcharts . Retrieved 11 April 2010 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice `` , French Singles Chart '' ( in French ) . lescharts . Retrieved 13 December 2007 . Jump up ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de Archived 8 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine . ( Retrieved 9 September 2008 ) Jump up ^ `` Irish Single Chart , database '' . irishcharts . Retrieved 9 September 2008 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice '' New Zealand Singles Chart `` . charts.org.nz . Retrieved 11 April 2010 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice `` , Norwegian Singles Chart '' ( in Norwegian ) . norwegiancharts . Retrieved 13 December 2007 . Jump up ^ `` '' Sacrifice `` , Swiss Singles Chart '' ( in German ) . hitparade . Retrieved 13 December 2007 . Jump up ^ * Zimbabwe . Kimberley , C. Zimbabwe : singles chart book . Harare : C. Kimberley , 2000 Jump up ^ `` 1990 Australian Singles Chart '' . aria . Retrieved 3 September 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Single top 100 over 1990 '' ( pdf ) ( in Dutch ) . Top40 . Retrieved 12 April 2010 . Jump up ^ Music Week Year - end Charts , pub . January 1991 Jump up ^ `` French certifications , database '' ( in French ) . infodisc . Archived from the original on 30 November 2007 . Retrieved 9 September 2008 . Jump up ^ `` UK certifications , database '' . Bpi . Retrieved 9 September 2008 . External links ( edit ) Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Elton John songs 1960s and 1970s `` Skyline Pigeon '' ( 1968 ) `` I 've Been Loving You '' ( 1968 ) `` Lady Samantha '' ( 1969 ) `` It 's Me That You Need '' ( 1969 ) `` Border Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Rock and Roll Madonna '' ( 1970 ) `` From Denver to L.A. '' ( 1970 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1970 ) `` Your Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Friends '' ( 1971 ) `` Levon '' ( 1971 ) `` Tiny Dancer '' ( 1972 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1972 ) `` Honky Cat '' ( 1972 ) `` I Think I 'm Going to Kill Myself '' ( 1972 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters '' ( 1972 ) `` Crocodile Rock '' ( 1972 ) `` Elderberry Wine '' ( 1972 ) `` Daniel '' ( 1972 ) `` Teacher I Need You '' ( 1973 ) `` Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding '' ( 1973 ) `` Saturday Night 's Alright for Fighting '' ( 1973 ) `` Goodbye Yellow Brick Road '' ( 1973 ) `` Step into Christmas '' ( 1973 ) `` Candle in the Wind '' ( 1974 ) `` Bennie and the Jets '' ( 1974 ) `` Harmony '' ( 1974 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1974 ) `` The Bitch Is Back '' ( 1974 ) `` Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds '' ( 1974 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' ( 1975 ) `` I Saw Her Standing There '' ( 1975 ) `` Someone Saved My Life Tonight '' ( 1975 ) `` Island Girl '' ( 1975 ) `` Grow Some Funk of Your Own '' ( 1976 ) `` I Feel Like a Bullet ( In the Gun of Robert Ford ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Pinball Wizard '' ( 1976 ) `` Do n't Go Breaking My Heart '' ( 1976 ) `` Cage the Songbird '' ( 1976 ) `` Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word '' ( 1976 ) `` Bite Your Lip ( Get Up and Dance ! ) '' ( 1977 ) `` Crazy Water '' ( 1977 ) `` The Goaldiggers Song '' ( 1977 ) `` Ego '' ( 1978 ) `` Part - Time Love '' ( 1978 ) `` Song for Guy '' ( 1978 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Mama Ca n't Buy You Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Johnny B. Goode '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` Little Jeannie '' ( 1980 ) `` Sartorial Eloquence ( Do n't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More ? ) '' ( 1980 ) `` Dear God '' ( 1980 ) `` Whatever Gets You thru the Night '' ( 1981 ) `` Nobody Wins '' ( 1981 ) `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' ( with Kiki Dee , 1981 ) `` Blue Eyes '' ( 1982 ) `` Empty Garden ( Hey Hey Johnny ) '' ( 1982 ) `` Ball and Chain '' ( 1982 ) `` All Quiet on the Western Front '' ( 1982 ) `` I Guess That 's Why They Call It the Blues '' ( 1983 ) `` I 'm Still Standing '' ( 1983 ) `` Sad Songs ( Say So Much ) '' ( 1984 ) `` Passengers '' ( 1984 ) `` Nikita '' ( 1985 ) `` That 's What Friends Are For '' ( 1985 ) `` Wrap Her Up '' ( 1985 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1988 ) `` I Do n't Wanna Go on with You Like That '' ( 1988 ) `` Town of Plenty '' ( 1988 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters ( Part Two ) '' ( 1988 ) `` Healing Hands '' ( 1989 ) `` Sacrifice '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` Club at the End of the Street '' ( 1990 ) `` You Gotta Love Someone '' ( 1990 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1991 ) `` The One '' ( 1992 ) `` Runaway Train '' ( 1992 ) `` The Last Song '' ( 1992 ) `` Simple Life '' ( 1993 ) `` True Love '' ( 1993 ) `` Shakey Ground '' ( 1994 ) `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' ( 1994 ) `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' ( 1994 ) `` Circle of Life '' ( 1994 ) `` Believe '' ( 1995 ) `` Made in England '' ( 1995 ) `` When the Money 's Gone '' ( 1995 ) `` You Can Make History ( Young Again ) '' ( 1996 ) `` The Madness of King Scar '' ( 1997 ) `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' ( 1997 ) `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' ( 1997 ) `` Written in the Stars '' ( 1999 ) 2000s `` I Want Love '' ( 2001 ) `` This Train Do n't Stop There Anymore '' ( 2002 ) `` Original Sin '' ( 2002 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 2003 ) `` Ghetto Gospel '' ( 2005 ) `` Electricity '' ( 2005 ) `` The Bridge '' ( 2006 ) `` Joseph , Better You than Me '' ( 2008 ) `` Tiny Dancer ( Hold Me Closer ) '' ( 2009 ) Related articles Albums discography Videography Book : Elton John Category : Elton John Ivor Novello Awards -- Best Song Musically and Lyrically 1960s She 's Leaving Home ( 1968 ) 1970s Where Do You Go To ( My Lovely ) ? ( 1970 ) Something ( 1971 ) Do n't Let It Die ( 1972 ) Without You ( 1973 ) Daniel ( 1974 ) Streets of London * ( 1975 ) Do n't Cry for Me Argentina ( 1978 ) Baker Street ( 1979 ) 1980s The Logical Song ( 1980 ) Woman in Love ( 1981 ) Memory ( 1982 ) Have You Ever Been in Love ( 1983 ) Every Breath You Take ( 1984 ) Against All Odds ( 1985 ) Nikita ( 1986 ) Do n't Give Up ( 1987 ) Something Inside So Strong ( 1988 ) They Dance Alone ( 1989 ) 1990s The Living Years ( 1990 ) Sacrifice ( 1991 ) The Whole of the Moon ( 1992 ) Why ( 1993 ) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You ( 1994 ) Think Twice ( 1995 ) Common People ( 1996 ) Too Much Love Will Kill You ( 1997 ) Paranoid Android ( 1998 ) Believe ( 1999 ) 2000s Strong ( 2000 ) Babylon ( 2001 ) Walk On ( 2002 ) The Other Side ( 2003 ) Leave Right Now ( 2004 ) Dry Your Eyes ( 2005 ) Suddenly I See ( 2006 ) Elusive ( 2007 ) Love Is a Losing Game ( 2008 ) One Day Like This ( 2009 ) 2010s The Fear ( 2010 ) Becoming a Jackal ( 2011 ) The A Team ( 2012 ) Next to Me ( 2013 ) Strong ( 2014 ) Take Me to Church ( 2015 ) Was n't Expecting That ( 2016 ) Black Man in a White World ( 2017 ) * Awarded as The Best Song Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacrifice_(song)&oldid=833955469 '' Categories : 1989 singles 1990 singles Disney songs Elton John songs European Hot 100 Singles number - one singles SNEP Top Singles number - one singles UK Singles Chart number - one singles Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Songs with music by Elton John Pop ballads Rock ballads Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas ( record producer ) 1989 songs MCA Records singles The Rocket Record Company singles Music videos directed by Alek Keshishian Hidden categories : CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Webarchive template wayback links CS1 Norwegian - language sources ( no ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Articles with hAudio microformats Use dmy dates from August 2010 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Español Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Edit links This page was last edited on 3 April 2018 , at 05 : 22 . 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