The Summary for this unviewed film was based on an article in the 21 Aug 1980 Rolling Stone and reviews in the 14 Jul 1980 HR, 15 Jul 1980 DV, and 18 Jul 1980 NYT. Credits were derived from official screen credit listings in AMPAS library files and may not reflect exact onscreen credits.
       Shortly after the nuclear reactor meltdown on 28 Mar 1979 at Three Mile Island, PA, a group of concerned artists, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash, and John Hall, formed a group called Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE). They planned to hold a series of concerts to raise funds to spread awareness about the dangers of nuclear energy. One of the non-musicians involved with the concerts, Danny Goldberg, the president of Modern Records, convinced the group that the concerts should filmed, according to an article in the 21 Aug 1980 issue of Rolling Stone. Goldberg would go on to become one of the film’s producers and direct some of the concert sequences.
       The group initially hired John Avildsen, who had received an Academy Award for directing Rocky (1976, see entry), to direct the film. However, he dropped out after going to the Black Hills of South Dakota to film a sequence in which farmers protested uranium mining, saying he had to have complete control.
       Producer Barbara Kopple then suggested Julian Schlossberg as director which the MUSE board approved. However, the group had no money available, so Modern Records lent MUSE $110,000 to hire a crew.
       According to publicity information found in AMPAS library files, filmmakers had complete access to all planning meetings held prior to the show as well as all rehearsals by musicians.
       Five sellout concerts were held in Madison Square Garden in New York City between 19 Sep and 23 Sep 1979. Additionally, an outdoor rally with 250,000 in attendance was held in Battery Square Park in lower Manhattan on the afternoon of 23 Sep 1979.
       A total of 125 hours of footage was shot. Goldberg and Schlossberg compiled a forty-six minute reel and presented it to each of the major movie studios. Three studios bid on the film. A brief in the 1 Apr 1980 DV reported that Warner Bros. had picked up the worldwide distribution rights. The 7 Apr 1980 issue of the Village Voice reported the film was titled Here Comes The Sun and an August release was planned.
       However, by the time the film opened in New York City, on a single screen at the Cinema One theatre on 18 Jul 1980, the name of the film was the same as the name of the concerts, No Nukes. It earned $47,851 in its opening weekend and $35,000 in its second weekend there, according to reports in the 30 Jul 1980 DV. The film opened in Los Angeles, CA, on 1 Aug 1980 and then gradually played in other cities around the U.S.
       A year-and-a-half later, in its 4 Mar 1982 issue, Rolling Stone reported the film was still being booked for college campus and revival house screenings. The film had earned $3 million by that point, which covered the $1.3 million in production costs as well as Warner Bros.’ promotion and distribution costs. Consequently, there were no profits from the film to give to anti-nuclear groups around the country. However, MUSE had previously donated $600,000 of profits from ticket and album sales to those groups.
       No Nukes marked the first feature film appearance for singers Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and Carly Simon. The concert also marked the first public performance for Crosby, Stills & Nash in four years. Springsteen, who had not performed in public in a year, debuted his single “The River” at the concert. That ballad would be the title track for Springsteen’s album released in late 1980.
       The artists appearing in the film had to sign a release allowing filmmakers to use their concert footage. The only musician who did not sign the waiver was Tom Petty, who reportedly did not think his performance was his best. As part of the waiver, each artist in the film was given the right to mix and overdub their performances.
       Singer Chaka Khan, the group Raydio, headed by singer Ray Parker, Jr., and the women’s chorus Sweet Honey in the Rock, performed at the concerts and had songs included in the “No Nukes” triple album that was released in Dec 1979, but are not included in the film.