Buzz
One of the most unforgettable moments in Tom Cruise’s career occurs early in the 1983 movie Risky Business, where a young Cruise—still on the rise—dances in his underwear to Bob Seger’s classic hit “Old Time Rock and Roll.”
Many fans mistakenly remember Cruise wearing sunglasses—particularly Ray-Bans—in this scene. He doesn’t. This is a classic case of the Mandela Effect, where collective memories shift over time. However, Cruise does wear the glasses in other parts of the film and on the poster. His charm helped spark a Ray-Ban revival, sending sales skyrocketing.
Ray-Ban boasts two legendary designs. The green, teardrop-shaped aviators, introduced in 1937, gained fame among World War II pilots and later with the public, especially after General Douglas MacArthur was photographed wearing them. (Bausch + Lomb named them Ray-Bans for their ability to block UV rays.) The brand also struck gold with the Wayfarers, the bold black sunglasses launched in 1952, which Cruise famously wore in Risky Business.
Before Cruise popularized the style, Ray-Bans were in decline. Both the aviators and Wayfarers were losing ground to bolder, more ostentatious 1980s sunglasses. The era of James Dean and Marlon Brando as Ray-Ban icons had faded. By 1981, annual sales had plummeted to just 18,000 pairs, prompting the company to consider discontinuing the line. A 1982 feature in GQ boosted sales to 200,000 pairs, but the improvement was modest.
Then came Cruise. In his breakout role in Risky Business, he played Joel Goodson, a driven teen who turns his parents’ absence into an opportunity to dance half-naked and run a brothel. The film, released on August 5, 1983, was a smash, and audiences quickly wanted to mimic Cruise’s on-screen style. Wayfarer sales jumped by 50 percent to 360,000 pairs in 1983 and stayed robust throughout the decade. By 1988, Bausch + Lomb was selling 3 to 4 million Wayfarers annually.
If that wasn’t enough to secure Cruise a lifetime supply of free sunglasses, his role in 1986’s Top Gun sealed the deal. As Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Cruise wore aviators throughout the film, sparking another surge in demand. Sales soared by 40 percent, with orders reaching 4.5 million aviators by 1988.
Was it Cruise or a costume designer who deserved the credit? Norman Salik, Bausch + Lomb’s vice president of public relations in 1988, gave the nod to Cruise. The actor “just likes our products,” Salik told the Chicago Tribune.
Cruise became so linked to Ray-Bans that it caused some issues. When he starred in 1988’s Rain Man alongside Dustin Hoffman, director Barry Levinson objected to Cruise wearing the brand, fearing it would overshadow his character. Perhaps the Mandela Effect was already at play.
Similar to most fashion trends, Ray-Ban Wayfarers and aviators experience cyclical popularity, fading in and out of style regularly. Cruise, on the other hand, remained a steadfast fan of the brand. In 2013, during the premiere of Star Trek: Into Darkness, journalists inquired if his stylish dark sunglasses were 3-D glasses for the movie. “No, man,” Cruise responded. “These are Ray-Bans.”
