"Celluloid Heroes" is a song performed by The Kinks and written by their lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Ray Davies. It debuted on their 1972 album Everybody's in Show-Biz.[1]

"Celluloid Heroes"
Single by The Kinks
from the album Everybody's in Show-Biz
B-side	"Hot Potatoes"
Released	24 November 1972
Recorded	May–June 1972
Studio	Morgan Studios, Willesden, London
Genre	Soft rock
Length	6:19
Label	RCA 2299
Songwriter(s)	Ray Davies
Producer(s)	Ray Davies
The Kinks singles chronology
"Supersonic Rocket Ship" (1972) "Celluloid Heroes" (1972) "Sitting In The Midday Sun" (1973)

The song names several famous actors of 20th century film, and also mentions Los Angeles's Hollywood Boulevard, alluding to its Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actors mentioned are Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Bela Lugosi, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, and Mickey Rooney, although the verse mentioning the latter three is omitted in some recorded versions of the song (e.g. on One for the Road).

Release and reception

The track was released as the second single from the album. In the UK, the single features the full album version which runs to over six minutes, but the US single used a more corporate-radio-friendly edit which is almost two minutes shorter. Although their previous single had been a top 20 hit on the UK singles chart, "Celluloid Heroes" failed to chart.

The song appears on the band's live album One for the Road (1980) and was re-recorded for the 2009 album The Kinks Choral Collection. The song was also the title track of a 1976 collection featuring material originally released while recording for the RCA label, The Kinks' Greatest: Celluloid Heroes.

List of actors mentioned in the lyrics

• Greta Garbo
• Rudolph Valentino
• Bela Lugosi
• Bette Davis[2]
• George Sanders
• Marilyn Monroe[2]
• Mickey Rooney[2]

Cover versions

• Joan Jett recorded this song for her all-covers album The Hit List.
• A live performance of this track (featuring Ray Davies) appeared as the B-side to Bon Jovi's 2002 single "Misunderstood".
• Steve Vai recorded a cover of this song on his album The Elusive Light and Sound Vol. 1.
• British actor and singer Tim Curry frequently performed this song during his tours in the late 70s.
• Finnish singer-songwriter Juice Leskinen translated and recorded this song in Finnish as Paperitähdet.
• Renaissance-inspired folk rock band Blackmore's Night recorded the song for their album Autumn Sky.
• The song appeared on Ray Davies' 2010 album See My Friends, featuring Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
• Australian actor Reg Livermore performs the song in his Betty Blokk-Buster Follies show, the song also appears on the soundtrack.
• Australian singer Jeannie Lewis recorded the song on the 1974 album "Looking Backwards to Tomorrow". There is YouTube footage of her performing the song on the Norman Gunston Show.
• Pauly Shore covered the song on his YouTube channel in 2020.

References