George Strait’s first on-screen appearance came in the 1982 Cold War spy thriller *The Soldier*, a decade before his better-known leading role in *Pure Country*. Although the film was poorly received by critics, it mattered for Strait’s career because it included his performance of “Fool Hearted Memory”, which became his first number-one country single.

Released in the US on 27 August 1982, *The Soldier* follows a CIA agent trying to prevent rogue Russian operatives from detonating a bomb in a Saudi Arabian oil field. Strait appears as himself, singing in a honky-tonk scene amid a brawl, mud wrestling and a mechanical bull; the song was written by Byron Hill and Blake Mevis for the film. Issued as the lead single from Strait’s second album, *Strait From the Heart*, it began a run that ultimately produced a record 44 Billboard country chart-toppers.