Why is the Movie Called ‘St. Elmo’s Fire?’

Why Does the 1985 Movie “St. Elmo’s Fire” Have That Title?

“St. Elmo’s Fire” is a 1985 movie that featured many members of the so-called “Brat Pack:” Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Aly Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Mare Winningham.

There are a few references to St. Elmo’s Fire in the movie - the bar and in Rob Lowe’s speech. Let’s take a look.

Is There Really a St. Elmo’s Fire Bar?

The local college bar that the friends hang out in is called St. Elmo’s Fire. There is no bar called St. Elmo’s Fire in real-life in the Georgetown area where the film takes place; the bar in the movie was on the Universal lot. The movie didn’t even film in Georgetown, the college wouldn’t allow it. The University of Maryland stands in for Georgetown in the movie.

What Bar is St. Elmo’s Fire based on?

The bar in the movie might’ve been called St. Elmo’s Fire and was a set piece, but it’s based on a real-life popular college bar in Washington D.C. called The Tombs. The Tombs is still around, and has a 4 out of 5 star review on Yelp.

So Why Did the Writer Choose the Name St. Elmo’s Fire?

If the bar is a fictional bar, then why did the creator of that fiction call it that? Screenwriter Carl Kurlander told Deadline he got the film’s title after a short story he wrote for a woman he liked who worked at St. Elmo Hotel in New York. Presumably he named the bar in the movie that to tie it in to the pre-chosen movie title.

St. Elmo’s Fire is a Meteorological Phenomenon

According to Wikipedia, St. Elmo’s Fire is the appearance of a glow around an object (in a blue or violet shade) in the sky created in an atmospheric electric field.

Rob Lowe’s St. Elmo’s Fire Speech in the Movie

According to Deadline, the movie studio didn’t like the name “St. Elmo’s Fire,” so the screenwriter and director Joel Schumacher decided to add a scene to the movie that talks about the St. Elmo’s Fire phenomenon so that the title of the movie couldn’t be changed. That scene features Rob Lowe’s character (Billy) dispelling the notion that there is a St. Elmo’s Fire phenomenon to make Demi Moore’s character (Jules) feel better about what she was going through. Billy even lights a small fire for effect.

The speech by Billy was not completely true (sailors didn’t make it up to make themselves feel better), something that Rob Lowe has said he has a problem with, according to the screenwriter. No offense to Billy, but I think it’s perfectly within the scope of the movie if he got some scientific facts wrong.

Watch as Billy tries to cheer Jules up with the St. Elmo’s Fire speech below.