After a couple of critically lauded albums (especially 1979's "London Calling"), the group hit financial paydirt and, in the process of "selling out," broke up by 1983. Following the group's disbandment, Strummer turned to film in the late 80s, providing scores for a couple of Alex Cox films, as well as acting. Although he had earlier appeared in a quasi-documentary on The Clash ("Rude Boy" 1980), and took a lead role in Cox's very unserious romp "Straight to Hell" (1987), it was his stilted, though not entirely off the mark performance in Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (1989) which marked his dramatic acting debut.