National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released by Paramount Pictures in May 1986 and directed by Tony Scott, Top Gun became the highest-grossing film of that year and a defining artifact of 1980s American cinema. Produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, it launched Tom Cruise to superstardom and embedded its soundtrack and imagery into popular culture. The film's portrayal of U.S. Navy fighter pilots at the Naval Fighter Weapons School remains one of Hollywood's most iconic collaborations with the military.

These three frames capture the opening title sequence, presenting the principal cast billing for Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis above the iconic Top Gun logo — the red lettering flanked by a fighter jet silhouette and stars. The frames originate from the black leader section of a theatrical print, preserving the precise typographic design of the film's original 1986 release credits.