Lee Montgomery in Girls Just Want To Have Fun

'I wanna be the one to walk in the sun.'

I'm not sure there's anything that screams the eighties more than Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt in their dance gear for shots promoting the 1985 film 'Girls They Want To Have Fun.'  I was reminded of this film last month when TCM again aired Burnt Offerings.(below)  The network plays the 1976 Bette Davis horror flick most years around Halloween, and I always try to catch it when I can.

It was through Burnt Offerings that I first discovered then child actor Lee Montgomery.  I went on to catch Lee in Ben, the 1972 rat film that inspired the Michael Jackson song.  Ben is the follow-up to Willard, another film I caught over the last few years on TCM.   I first featured Lee in my 'rat' themed day back in 2018, (HERE:) and also found his one on-screen nude scene, a brief flash of butt in 1985's Prime Risk. (HERE:)

I was motivated by a few reasons to post about Lee again.  After seeing Burnt Offerings again last month, I revisited my original post.  After checking out the caps for Lee's shirtless basket ball scene, I thought it was time to actually time to actually watch Girls Just Want to Have Fun. 

In addition to Montgomery, Parker and Hunt, the film also features Shannen Doherty and Jonathan Silverman.  I can't honestly say I watched the entire film, but I did enjoy Lee's dance scenes and the fact his stomach was visible in pretty much every scene he was in.  The movie is so eighties, it's almost cringe worthy at points with a dance off featuring Montgomery and Parker, and their very obvious dance doubles.

I also wanted to feature Lee again as he's one of those actors that I'm sad to see didn't go on to have a bigger impact in the business.  As a child star in the 70's, the young actor worked steadily throughout the decade in film and on TV including appearances on Columbo, Dallas and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  His career seemed to be on the up-swing until 1985's Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

While Hunt and Parker went on to television success and additional feature films, Montgomery's career came to almost a stand still.  A few guest shots on TV followed, then mostly stints in short films and videos including a part of the zombie chorus in Lady Gaga's Born This Way.  Montgomery's last credit is voice work back in 2011.  Given his talent, his looks and charisma, he's really an actor who really should have worked much more.