10 Things to Know About 'Oxford Blues' (1984) Starring Rob Lowe

10 Things to Know About Oxford Blues

10 Alley Sheedy Pre-Teen Author

If you grew up knowing Alley Sheedy as a member of The Brat Pack or as Johnny 5’s down to Earth bestie, you might find yourself surprised to know that she was actually a preteen genius. Sheedy became a published author at the age of 12. Thus when she reached the Oxford set of Oxford Blues, she was far from intimidated by the geniuses and future masters of the Universe traipsing about the campus. By the way, Sheedy’s book was called “She Was Nice to Mice.”

9 The Pitch for Oxford Blues

Director Robert Boris, making his debut behind the camera, told reporters his pitch for Oxford Blues:

“What I’ve done is take an American kid, a bit of a hustler and a con-man, and put him in the least likely place in the world for him, then watch him get in trouble.”

8 It’s a Remake without Being a Remake

If you are a student of classic Hollywood then the premise of Oxford Blues may have struck a chord in your mind. In 1938 Robert Taylor starred in A Yank at Oxford alongside Vivien Leigh. So is Oxford Blues a remake? Kind of. Rob Lowe admitted as much in a promotional interview in May of 1984. According to Lowe:

“It’s close, it’s about as close as you can get to it (a remake) It’s a remake without being a remake.”

7 Oxford Extras

If you were attending Oxford in 1983/84 you had a chance to appear in Oxford Blues. More than 500 real Oxford University students played extras in Oxford Blues. According to director Robert Boris

‘they were the quietest extras in history.’

6 Ally Sheedy Learned to be a Genuine Coxswain

This requires quite an explanation. To Cox, is to guide a team of rowers in a rowing or Crew race. The Coxswain, or Cox, is essentially in charge of the crew boat. They man the rudder, command the crew, and watch out for safety hazards. A real life female Cox at Oxford actually taught Sheedy how to command a boat.

5 Poster Quote Nonsense

It’s hard not to giggle at the triteness of the poster copy for Oxford Blues

“Nick D’Angelo Was a Winner. Everything Came Easy to Him. Until He had to Risk it All for the Only Thing That Mattered.”

Bring this back, where is this melodramatic cheese on posters today?

4 The Karate Kid

Rob Lowe once co-starred with Ralph Macchio in The Outsiders, though they didn’t share many scenes together. But it was Ralph Macchio whose star power was used to boost that of Rob Lowe’s Oxford Blues. With producers eager to reach the youth market with Oxford Blues, the film was previewed on a double feature with The Karate Kid one week before the wide release of Oxford Blues on August 24th, 1984.

3 Amanda Pays Said No to Blake Edwards

Throughout the 70s and early 80s, Blake Edwards was a massive force in Hollywood, a starmaker and a respected filmmaker. So, it should be no surprise that when he sees something in an actor and wants to sign them to a contract, he must have been sufficiently impressed with their talent. Amanda Pays received just such an offer in 1983.

At that time, Pays, a model by trade, was dabbling in acting and Edwards recognized her potential right away. Edwards sought to sign Pays to a contract for multiple film projects but Pays declined. According to Pays, the time commitment was a bit long. She chose instead to study acting for a while longer before finally going for her first big role in Oxford Blues.

2 More Poster Copy Nonsense

If you’ve ever wondered why Oxford Blues is rarely mentioned when discussing The Brat Pack, it’s because it wasn’t a hit and it wasn’t a hit because the poster copy was truly, breathtakingly awful.

“He fell in love with a girl, conned his way into Oxford University just to meet her. Now he’s learning how to be a winner.”

What the hell does that even mean? Also, why does it look like Rob Lowe’s head was badly superimposed on someone else’s body?

1 No, seriously, the Poster Copy for Oxford Blues is Cursed

The ‘Hello my fellow young people’ energy coming off of this poster is staggering. It’s also an utter nightmare to look at. That design, dreadful, downright embarrassing. And then there is the poster copy. My God!

“He’s a gambler, He’s a Rocker, He’s a Lover. He’s a red-blooded American Kid who falls for a blue-blooded English lady and earns his way into Oxford just to meet her.”

“Rob Lowe and Ally Sheedy are back from St. Elmo’s and this time, they’re setting Oxford on Fire.”

Wretched. Utterly wretched.