Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by
Eleanor BergsteinEleanor Bergstein is a US writer best known for writing and co-producing the popular 1980s film Dirty Dancing which was based in large part on her own childhood.-Biography:...
and directed by
Emile ArdolinoEmile Ardolino was an American film director, choreographer, and producer, best known for his films Dirty Dancing and Sister Act .-Biography:...
, the film features
Patrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
and
Jennifer GreyJennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
in the lead roles, as well as
Cynthia RhodesCynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
and
Jerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
. The story is a coming of age drama that documents a teenage girl's rebellion against her father by starting a relationship with a dance instructor during the family's summer vacation.
Originally a low-budget film by a new studio and with no major stars (except
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
legend
Jerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
in a supporting role),
Dirty Dancing became a massive box office hit. , it earned over $214 million worldwide. It was the first film to sell more than a million copies on home video, and the
Dirty Dancing soundtrackDirty Dancing is the original soundtrack of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The album became a huge commercial success in the USA. It spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went multi-platinum. It spawned a follow-up album entitled More Dirty Dancing . Executive Produced by...
generated two multi-
platinumMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
albums and multiple singles, including "
(I've Had) The Time of My Life" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
", which won both the Golden Globe and
Academy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, and a
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for best duet. The film spawned a 2004 prequel,
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights# "Dance Like This" - Wyclef Jean featuring Claudette Ortiz # "Dirty Dancing" - The Black Eyed Peas# "Guajira " - Yerba Buena# "Can I Walk By" - Jazze Pha featuring Monica# "Satellite " - Santana featuring Jorge Moreno...
, as well as a stage version which has had sellout performances in Australia, Europe, and North America, with plans to open on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. The film is copied like several other movies of Hollywood in Bollywood as
HolidayHoliday is a Bollywood film starring Dino Morea, Onjolee Nair and Kashmira Shah in the lead roles. It is produced and directed by Pooja Bhatt....
. On August 8, 2011 a "Dirty Dancing" remake was announced with Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the original film, directing.
Plot
In the summer of 1963, 18-year-old New Yorker Frances "Baby" Houseman (
Jennifer GreyJennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
) is vacationing with her affluent family at Kellerman's, a resort in the
Catskill MountainsThe Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
. She is planning to attend
Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
to study economics of underdeveloped countries and then enter the
Peace CorpsThe Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
. She was named after
Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins , born Fannie Coralie Perkins, was the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. As a loyal supporter of her friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped pull the labor movement into the New Deal coalition...
, the first woman in the
U.S. Cabinet. Her father, Jake (
Jerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
), is the personal physician of Max Kellerman (
Jack Weston), the owner of the resort.
Baby develops a crush on the resort's dance instructor Johnny Castle (
Patrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
), part of the working class entertainment staff. When she, while carrying a watermelon, is invited to one of their secret after-hour parties, she observes the "
dirty dancingMambo .In the late 1940s, Perez Prado came up with the dance for the mambo music and became the first person to market his music as "mambo". After Havana, Prado moved his music to Mexico, where his music and the dance was adopted. The original mambo dance was characterized by freedom and...
" for the first time. She is intrigued by the sexy dancing, and receives a brief, impromptu lesson from Johnny. Later, she discovers that his dance partner Penny Johnson (
Cynthia RhodesCynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
) is distraught over being pregnant by Robbie Gould (
Max CantorMichael 'Max' Cantor was an American journalist and actor in films such as Dirty Dancing and Fear, Anxiety and Depression ....
), the womanizing waiter who is dating and cheating on Baby's sister Lisa. Baby learns that Robbie plans to do nothing about the pregnancy—as he says, "some people count, some people don't." So Baby secures the money from her father to pay for Penny's illegal abortion. Jake agrees to give the money to Baby despite her secrecy regarding what it will be used for, because of the trust Jake has always held in her. In her efforts to help, Baby also becomes Penny's substitute dancer for a performance at the Sheldrake, a nearby resort where Johnny and Penny perform annually. The upcoming show requires Johnny to train Baby to become a better dancer and learn the required routine.
As Baby becomes Johnny's pupil in dancing, tempers flare and a romance begins to develop in the process. Their performance at the Sheldrake goes reasonably well, though she is too nervous to accomplish the dance's climactic lift. When they return to Kellerman's, they learn that Penny's backstreet abortion was botched, leaving her in agonizing pain. Baby brings her father to help, but he assumes that the pregnancy was caused by Johnny, and he therefore forbids Baby to have anything to do with Johnny or his friends. Jake is furious at Baby for lying to him and betraying his trust. Baby, however, defies him and sneaks out to visit Johnny in his room that same night, where they consummate their blossoming romance.
Johnny's and Baby's relationship is eventually revealed after Johnny is accused of stealing a wallet from one of the resort guests and is unable to provide a verifiable alibi. To save Johnny from being fired, Baby confesses that Johnny could not have been responsible as she was with him in his cabin that night. He is eventually cleared of the theft charge, but is still fired for having an affair with a guest. However, Baby's selfless act inspires Johnny to realize that "there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them."
Even after being fired, Johnny returns to the resort to perform the final dance of the season with Baby. Criticizing the Housemans for their choice of Baby's seat at the table, Johnny declares, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner," as he pulls her up from their table. He leads her onstage, interrupting the show which is already in progress. After Johnny makes a brief speech, he and Baby dazzle the audience with a stunning dance performance to the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" which ends with her doing the lift successfully for the first time. Jake learns that the true culprit in Penny's pregnancy was Robbie instead of Johnny, and he admits to Johnny that he was wrong. (Earlier, before Johnny's interruption, Jake gave Robbie a check for medical school. When Robbie willingly confessed to getting Penny pregnant and then insulted her in the process, Jake angrily snatched the check back). The film ends as the dance sequence continues and the room is transformed into a nightclub where everyone (staff and guests) dances together.
Cast
- Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
: Frances "Baby" Houseman
- Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
: Johnny Castle
- Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
: Dr. Jake Houseman
- Kelly Bishop
Carole "Kelly" Bishop is an American actress and dancer, best-known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls, and as the mother of Jennifer Grey's character in the film Dirty Dancing...
: Marjorie Houseman
- Jane Brucker
Jane Brucker is an American actress and screenwriter best known for playing the part of Lisa Houseman, the older sister in the hit 1987 film Dirty Dancing.-Life and career:...
: Lisa Houseman
- Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
: Penny Johnson
- Jack Weston : Max Kellerman
- Max Cantor
Michael 'Max' Cantor was an American journalist and actor in films such as Dirty Dancing and Fear, Anxiety and Depression ....
: Robbie Gould
- Lonny Price
Lonny Price is an American actor, writer, and director, primarily in theatre. He is known for making statements on current events in versions of his musicals. His acclaimed May 2008 New York Philharmonic production of Camelot was making a statement about the current war including having different...
: Neil Kellerman
- Charles Coles
Charles “Honi” Coles was an American actor and tap dancer.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Coles developed his high-speed rhythm tapping on the streets of his hometown. He first went to New York City as one of the Three Millers, who were known for their intricate and difficult dance...
: Tito Suarez
- Neal Jones
Marvin Neal Jones, Jr. is an American stage, film, and television actor. His roles range from Billy Kostecki in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing to Sergeant Major John Sixta in the 2008 HBO original miniseries Generation Kill.Jones was born in Wichita, Kansas to Marvin Neal Jones, Sr. and Marian Myrl...
: Billy Kostecki
Soundtrack
- Be My Baby
"Be My Baby" is a 1963 single written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, performed by The Ronettes and produced by Spector. When released as a single, the song reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles Chart and #4 on the UK's Record Retailer...
– The RonettesThe Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
- Big Girls Don't Cry – Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
and The Four Seasons
- Where Are You Tonight? – Tom Johnston
- Do You Love Me
"Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat...
– The ContoursThe Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records.The group is best known for its Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a million-selling song that peaked twice in the Top 20....
- Love Man
Love Man is a posthumously released Otis Redding album compiled from songs recorded in 1967. It contains the hit songs "Love Man" and "Free Me" .-Track listing:...
– Otis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
- Stay
"Stay" is a doo-wop song recorded by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. The song was written by Williams in 1953 when he was 15 years old. He had been trying to convince his date not to go home at 10 o'clock as she was supposed to...
– Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
- Hungry Eyes
"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988...
– Eric CarmenEric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
- Overload – Zappacosta
Zappacosta also known as Alfie Zappacosta is a Canadian singer/songwriter.-Career:...
- Hey! Baby
"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, who recorded the song in 1961. Channel co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label...
– Bruce ChannelBruce Channel is an American singer, known for his 1962 million selling number one hit, "Hey! Baby".-Career:...
- De Todo Un Poco – Melon
thumb|200px|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit...
- Some Kind of Wonderful
Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 romance film starring Eric Stoltz, Lea Thompson, and Mary Stuart Masterson. It was one of the many successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s, although this one was directed by Howard Deutch. During filming, Deutch met Thompson and two years later...
– The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
- These Arms Of Mine – Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
- Cry to Me
"Cry to Me" is a song written by Bert Russell a/k/a Bert Berns, first recorded under the production of Bert Berns by Solomon Burke, reaching #5 on the R&B charts in 1962....
– Solomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...
– The ShirellesThe Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
- Love Is Strange
"Love Is Strange" was a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams. The co-writers of the song are of some dispute...
– Mickey & SylviaMickey & Sylvia was an American R&B duo, composed of Mickey Baker and Sylvia Robinson. They were the first big seller for Groove Records.Mickey was a music instructor and Sylvia one of his pupils. Baker was inspired to form the group by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford. They had a Top 20 hit...
- You Don't Own Me
"You Don't Own Me" is a popular song written by the Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White, and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when Gore was 17 years old. The song reached No...
– The Blow MonkeysThe Blow Monkeys are a British new wave band that formed in 1981 as a new wave-oriented act. The first single, "Live Today Love Tomorrow" was released in 1982. They subsequently recorded more commercial pop rock hit makers, and finally became a dance group, shortly before splitting up at the...
- Yes – Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer , and an actress...
- In the Still of the Night – The Five Satins
The Five Satins are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night."-Career:The group, formed in New Haven, Connecticut, consisted of leader Fred Parris, Lou Peebles, Stanley Dortch, Ed Martin and Jim Freeman in 1954. With little success, the...
- She's Like the Wind
"She's Like the Wind" is a power ballad performed by actor Patrick Swayze featuring singer Wendy Fraser . The single reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.-Patrick Swayze:...
– Patrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
- (I've Had) The Time of My Life
" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
– Bill MedleyWilliam Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
and Jennifer WarnesJennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
Pre-production
Dirty Dancing is in large part based on screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein's own childhood: She is the younger daughter of a Jewish doctor from New York, spent summers with her family in the Catskills, participated in "Dirty Dancing" competitions, and was herself called "Baby" as a girl. In 1980, Bergstein wrote a screenplay for the
Michael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
film,
It's My TurnIt's My Turn is a 1980 romantic comedy-drama film starring Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas, and Charles Grodin.The film was directed by Claudia Weill and written by Eleanor Bergstein...
. However, the producers cut an erotic dancing scene from the script, much to her dismay. She then conceived a new story, focused almost exclusively on dancing. In 1984, she pitched the idea to
MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
executive Eileen Miselle, who liked it and teamed Bergstein with producer Linda Gottlieb. They set the film in 1963, with the character of Baby based on Bergstein's own life, and the character of Johnny based on the stories of
Michael TerraceMichael Terrace is a retired Ballroom and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, actor, dance consultant and writer. His stage and subsequent dance career spans a total of sixty years, during which he's made innumerable contributions to ballroom dancing...
, a dance instructor whom Bergstein met in the Catskills in 1985 while she was researching the story. She finished the script in November 1985, but management changes at MGM put the script into turnaround, or limbo. Bergstein then shopped the script around to other studios, but was repeatedly rejected until she brought it to Vestron Pictures, the newly formed studio division of Stamford, CT based Vestron Inc., the leading independent home video distribution company. While honing their pitch to Vestron, Gottlieb and Bergstein chose as the film's director
Emile ArdolinoEmile Ardolino was an American film director, choreographer, and producer, best known for his films Dirty Dancing and Sister Act .-Biography:...
, who had won the 1983
Academy AwardThe Academy Award for Documentary Feature is among the most prestigious awards for documentary films.- Winners and nominees:Following the Academy's practice, films are listed below by the award year...
for the documentary,
He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin'He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' is a 1983 documentary film directed by Emile Ardolino about Jacques D'Amboise, a noted former American ballet star who had dancing roles in such films as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel, and who later became a New York dancing instructor...
. Ardolino had never directed a feature film, but was extremely passionate about the project, even sending a message from where he was sequestered in jury duty, insisting that he was the best choice as director. The team of Gottlieb, Bergstein and Ardolino then presented their vision for the film to Vestron's president, Jon Peisinger, and their vice president for production, Mitchell Cannold. By the end of the meeting, Peisinger had given the project the "green light" to become Vestron's first feature film production. The approved film was budgeted at the relatively low amount of $5 million, at a time when the average cost for a film was $12 million.
For choreographer, Bergstein chose
Kenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
, who had been trained by the legendary dancer
Gene KellyEugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
. For a location for the film, they did not find anything suitable in the Catskills (as many of the resorts had been shut down at that point), so they decided on a combination of two locations:
Lake Lure, North Carolina-History:In 1902, Dr. Lucius B. Morse and his brothers Hiram and Asahel purchased around Chimney Rock for $5,000. They later acquired enough land in the area to bring the total to...
, and the Mountain Lake Hotel near Roanoke, Virginia, with careful editing making it look like all of the shooting was done in the same area.
Casting
Director Ardolino was adamant that they choose dancers who could also act, as he did not want to use the "stand-in" method that had been used with the 1983
FlashdanceAnother song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
. For the female lead of Frances "Baby" Houseman, Bergstein chose the 26-year-old
Jennifer GreyJennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
, daughter of the Oscar winning actor and dancer
Joel GreyJoel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
of the 1972 film
CabaretCabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
who, like her father, was also a trained dancer. They then sought a male lead, initially considering 20-year-old
Billy ZaneWilliam George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. He is probably best known for his roles as Caledon Hockley in Titanic, The Phantom from The Phantom, John Wheeler in Twin Peaks and Mr...
, who had the visual look desired (originally the Johnny character was to be Italian and have a dark exotic look) but initial dancing tests when he was partnered with Grey did not meet expectations. The next choice was 34-year-old
Patrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
, who had been noticed for his roles in
The OutsidersThe Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. The film was released in March 1983...
and
Red DawnRed Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey....
, in which he had costarred with Grey. He was a seasoned dancer, with experience from the
Joffrey BalletThe Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
. The producers were thrilled with him, but his agent was against the idea. However, he read the script, liked the multi-leveled character of Johnny, and took the part anyway and Johnny was changed from being Italian to Irish. Grey was not happy about the choice, as she and Swayze had had difficulty getting along on
Red Dawn but when they did their dancing screen test, the chemistry between them was obvious. Bergstein described it as "breathtaking".
Other casting choices were
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actor
Jerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
as Dr. Jake Houseman, Baby's father; and
Jane BruckerJane Brucker is an American actress and screenwriter best known for playing the part of Lisa Houseman, the older sister in the hit 1987 film Dirty Dancing.-Life and career:...
as Lisa Houseman, her older sister. Bergstein also attempted to cast her friend, sex therapist Dr.
Ruth WestheimerRuth Westheimer is an American sex therapist, media personality, and author. Best known as Dr. Ruth, the New York Times described her as a "Sorbonne-trained psychologist who became a kind of cultural icon in the 1980s...
to play Mrs. Schumacher, and Joel Grey as her husband. However, Westheimer backed out when she learned the role involved being a thief. The role part went instead to 79-year-old Paula Trueman, and Grey was not cast. Another role went to Bergstein's friend, New York radio personality
"Cousin Brucie"Bruce Morrow is an American radio personality known to many listeners as Cousin Brucie.-Radio work:...
. She initially wanted him to play the part of the social director, but then later asked him to play the part of the magician. The part of the social director went to the then unknown
Wayne KnightWayne Eliot Knight is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor perhaps best known for his role as Newman in the TV sitcom Seinfeld...
(of later
SeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
and
3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
fame). The part of Baby's mother was originally given to
Lynne LiptonLynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
, who is briefly visible in the beginning when the Houseman family first pulls into Kellerman's (she is in the front seat for a few seconds; her blonde hair is the only indication). But she became ill during the first week of shooting and was replaced by actress
Kelly BishopCarole "Kelly" Bishop is an American actress and dancer, best-known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls, and as the mother of Jennifer Grey's character in the film Dirty Dancing...
, who had already been cast to play Vivian Pressman, the highly sexed resort guest. Bishop moved into the role as Mrs. Houseman, and the film's assistant choreographer
Miranda GarrisonMiranda Garrison is an American actress and choreographer, best known for choreographing dozens of films. She worked on Mulholland Falls, and was assistant choreographer in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, where she also played the part of Vivian Pressman. She was an actress–dancer in The Forbidden...
took on the role of Vivian.
Filming
The tight schedule allowed only two weeks for rehearsal, and 44 days for filming as it was already the tail end of summer. The cast stayed in the same hotel at Mountain Lake Resort in
Pembroke, VirginiaPembroke is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,134 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and rehearsals quickly turned into disco parties involving nearly every cast member, even non-dancers such as
Jack Weston. The dancing and drinking went on almost non-stop and, immersed in the environment, the lead actors, Grey and Swayze, began identifying with their characters. Bergstein built upon this, encouraging the actors to improvise in their scenes. She also built the sexual tension by saying that no matter how intimate or "grinding" the dance steps, that none of the dancers were to have any other kind of physical contact with each other for the next six months.
Filming started on September 5, 1986, but was plagued by the weather ranging from pouring rain to sweltering heat. The outside temperature rose to 105 °F (40.6 °C), and with all the additional camera and lighting equipment needed for filming, the temperature inside could be as high as 120 °F (48.9 °C). According to choreographer Kenny Ortega, on one day ten people passed out within 25 minutes of shooting. The elderly Paula Trueman collapsed and was taken to the local emergency room to be treated for dehydration. Patrick Swayze also required a hospital visit; insisting on doing his own stunts, he repeatedly fell off of the log during the "balancing" scene and injured his knee so badly he had to have fluid drained from the swelling.
Delays in the shooting schedule pushed filming into the autumn, which required the set decorators to spray-paint the autumn leaves green. The uncooperative weather then took a different turn, plunging from oppressive heat to down near 40 °F (4.4 °C), causing frigid conditions for the famous swimming scene in October. The crew wore warm coats, gloves and boots. Swayze and Grey stripped down to light summer clothing, to repeatedly dive into the cold water. Despite her character's enjoyment, Grey later described the water as "horrifically" cold, and she might not have gone into the lake, except that she was "young and hungry".
Relations between the two main stars varied throughout production. They had already had trouble getting along in their previous project, Red DawnRed Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey....
. They worked things out enough to have an extremely positive screen test, but initial cooperation soon faded, and they were soon "facing off" before every scene. There was concern among the production staff that the animosity between the two stars would endanger the filming of the love scenes. To address this, producer Bergstein and director Ardolino forced the stars to re-watch their initial screen-tests—the ones with the "breathtaking" chemistry. This had the desired effect, and Swayze and Grey were able to return to the film with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
Director Ardolino encouraged the actors to improvise, and often kept the cameras rolling even if actors went "off script". One example of this was the scene where Grey was to stand in front of Swayze with her back to him, and put her arm up behind his head while he trailed his fingers down her arm (similar to the pose that is seen in the movie poster). Though it was written as a serious and tender moment, Grey was exhausted, found the move ticklish, and could not stop giggling each time Swayze tried it, no matter how many takes Ardolino asked for. Swayze was impatient to finish the scene, and found Grey's behavior annoying. However, the producers decided that the scene worked as it was, and put it into the film complete with Grey's giggling and Swayze's annoyed expression. It became one of the most famous scenes in the film, turning out, as choreographer Kenny Ortega put it, "as one of the most delicate and honest moments in the film."
Post-production
The shooting wrapped on October 27, 1986, both on-time and on-budget. No one on the team, however, liked the rough cut that was put together, and Vestron executives were convinced that the film was going to be a flop. Thirty nine percent of people who viewed the movie did not realize abortion was the subplot. In May 1987, the film was screened for producer Aaron RussoAaron Russo was an American entertainment businessman, movie producer and director, and political activist. He was best-known for producing such blockbuster movies as Trading Places, Wise Guys, and The Rose...
. According to Vestron executive Mitchell Cannold, Russo's reaction at the end was to say simply, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance."
Further disputes arose over the question of whether a corporate sponsor could be found to promote the film. Marketers of the Clearasil acne product liked the film, seeing it as a vehicle to reach a teen target audience. However, when they learned that the film contained an abortion scene, they asked for that part of the plot to be cut. As Bergstein refused, the Clearasil promotion was dropped. Consequently, Vestron promoted the film themselves and set the premiere on August 16, 1987. The Vestron executives had planned to release the film in theaters for a weekend, and then send it straight to home video, since Vestron had been in the video distribution business before film production. Considering how many people disliked the film at that point, producer Gottlieb's recollection of her feelings at the time was, "I would have only been grateful, if when it was released, people didn't yell at me."
Reception
For the film's opening, the August 16, 1987 edition of The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
published a major review, with a headline reading, "Dirty Dancing Rocks to an Innocent Beat." The Times reviewer called the film "a metaphor for America in the summer of 1963 – orderly, prosperous, bursting with good intentions, a sort of Yiddish-inflected Camelot." Other reviews were more mixed: Gene SiskelEugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
gave the film a "marginal Thumbs Up" as he liked Jennifer Grey's acting and development of her character, while Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave it "Thumbs Down" due to its "idiot plot", calling it a "tired and relentlessly predictable story of love between kids from different backgrounds." TimeTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine was lukewarm, saying, "If the ending of Eleanor Bergstein's script is too neat and inspirational, the rough energy of the film's song and dance does carry one along, past the whispered doubts of better judgment."
Regardless of reviews, the film drew adult audiences instead of the expected teens, with viewers rating the film highly. Many filmgoers, after seeing the film once, went right back into the theater to watch it a second time. Word-of-mouth promotion took the film to the number one position in the United States, and in ten days it had broken the $10 million mark. By November, it was also achieving international fame. Within seven months of release, it had brought in $63 million, and boosted attendance in dance classes across America. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1987, earning $170 million worldwide.
The film's popularity continued to grow after its initial release. It was the number one video rental of 1988, and became the first film to sell a million copies on video. When the film was re-released in 1997, ten years after its original release, Swayze received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and videos were still selling at the rate of over 40,000 per month. , it was selling a million DVDs per year, with over ten million copies sold .
A May 2007 survey by Britain's Sky Movies listed Dirty Dancing as number one on "Women's most-watched films", above the Star Wars trilogy, Grease, The Sound of Music, and Pretty Woman. The film's popularity has also caused it to be called "the Star Wars for girls." An April 2008 article in Britain's Daily Mail listed Dirty Dancing as number one on a list of "most romantic movie quotes ever", for Baby's line "I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you." The film's music has also had considerable impact. The closing song, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" has been listed as the "third most popular song played at funerals" in the UK.
Awards
- (won) Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, 1987
- Golden Globe Awards, 1988
- Three installments of the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's AFI 100 Years... seriesThe AFI's 100 Years… series is a series of CBS television specials featuring the American Film Institute celebrating 100 years of the greatest films in America.The specials are:* 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies* 1999: AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars...
:
- 2002, AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions, #93
- 2004, AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs, #86 with the Academy Award-winning song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life
" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
"
- 2005, AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes, #98 for Johnny's famous line "Nobody puts Baby in a corner"
Music
Rehearsals for the dancing, and some of the filming, used music from Bergstein's personal collection of gramophone records. When it came time to select actual music for the film, Vestron chose Jimmy IennerJimmy Ienner is an American music producer, best known for producing albums for such artists as John Lennon, Bay City Rollers and Three Dog Night. He went to Stamford High School and graduated in the Class of 1963. He grew up in the Cove section of Stamford and while still in High School,...
as music supervisor. Ienner, who had previously produced albums and songs for John LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Three Dog NightThree Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, opted to stick with much of the music that had already been used during filming, and obtained licenses for the songs from Bergstein's collection. He also enlisted Swayze to sing the new song "She's Like the Wind." Swayze had written the song a few years earlier with Stacy Widelitz, originally intending for it to be used in the 1984 film Grandview, U.S.A.Grandview, U.S.A. is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Randal Kleiser. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Carole Cook, Ramon Bieri, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow, Troy Donahue, and Steve Dahl. The original music...
The movie's score was composed by John MorrisJohn Morris is an American film and television composer, best known for his work with filmmaker Mel Brooks.-Life and career:...
. The Kellermans' song that closes the talent show scene had lyrics written specifically for the film, and was sung to the tune of Annie Lisle"Annie Lisle" is the name of an 1857 ballad by Boston, Massachusetts songwriter H. S. Thompson first published by Moulton & Clark of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and later by Oliver Ditson & Co. It is about the death of a young maiden, by what some have speculated to be tuberculosis, although the...
, a commonly-used theme for school alma maters. Kenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
and his assistant Miranda Garrison chose the song for the finale by going through an entire box of tapes listening to each one. According to Ortega, literally the last tape that they listened to had "The Time of My Life" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
", which they saw as the obvious choice. Ienner then insisted that Bill MedleyWilliam Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
and Jennifer WarnesJennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
record it. The song won the 1988 Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, an Academy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
.
The film's soundtrack started an oldies music revival, and demand for the album caught RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
by surprise. According to Franke PreviteFranke Jon Previte is a composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the Knockouts were...
, before a single had even been released, there were a million albums on back-order. The Dirty Dancing albumDirty Dancing is the original soundtrack of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The album became a huge commercial success in the USA. It spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went multi-platinum. It spawned a follow-up album entitled More Dirty Dancing . Executive Produced by...
spent 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album sales charts and went platinum eleven times, selling more than 42 million copies worldwide. It spawned a follow-up multi-platinum album in February 1988, entitled More Dirty DancingMore Dirty Dancing is a 1988 follow-up album released after the huge commercial success of the 1987 motion picture Dirty Dancing and 1987 its soundtrack. David Handelman of Rolling Stone gave the album one star out of five, calling some of the tracks "instrumental idiocies"...
.
Songs from the album which appeared on the charts included:
- "(I've Had) The Time of My Life
" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
", performed by Bill MedleyWilliam Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
and Jennifer WarnesJennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
, composed by Franke PreviteFranke Jon Previte is a composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the Knockouts were...
, John deNicola, and Donald Markowitz – this song rose to #1 on the pop charts.
- "She's Like the Wind
"She's Like the Wind" is a power ballad performed by actor Patrick Swayze featuring singer Wendy Fraser . The single reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.-Patrick Swayze:...
", performed by lead actor Patrick Swayze, composed by Swayze and Stacy Widelitz; this song peaked at #3 in 1988.
- "Hungry Eyes
"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988...
", performed by Eric CarmenEric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
, composed by Franke PreviteFranke Jon Previte is a composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the Knockouts were...
and John deNicola; this song peaked at #4 in 1988.
- "Yes", performed by Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer , and an actress...
, composed by Neal Cavanaugh, Terry Fryer and Tom Graf; this song peaked #45 in 1988.
Additionally, the resurgence in popularity of the oldies contained in the movie led to a re-release of The ContoursThe Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records.The group is best known for its Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a million-selling song that peaked twice in the Top 20....
's single "Do You Love Me"Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat...
". "Do You Love Me" was featured in the movie, but was omitted from the original soundtrack; it was included on More Dirty Dancing. Upon being re-released, "Do You Love Me" became a surprise hit all over again, this time peaking at #11 (it originally hit #3 back in 1962).
Legacy
Jennifer Grey had a rhinoplastyRhinoplasty , also nose job, is a plastic surgery procedure for correcting and reconstructing the form, restoring the functions, and aesthetically enhancing the nose, by resolving nasal trauma , congenital defect, respiratory impediment, and a failed primary rhinoplasty...
in the early 1990s, which changed her nose and made her face nearly unrecognizable from her "Baby" character. To this day she has never been able to find a role which matched the success that she had in Dirty Dancing.
As for the studio, despite the film's huge monetary success, Vestron followed it up with a series of flops, and ran out of money. Vestron's parent company Vestron Inc.Vestron Video was the main subsidiary of Vestron, Inc., a home video company based in Stamford, Connecticut that was active from 1982 to 1992. It is considered to have been a pioneer in the home video market....
went bankrupt in 1990, and was bought out in January 1991 by LIVE Entertainment for $26 million. The rights to Dirty Dancing passed to Artisan Entertainment, and later to Lions Gate Entertainment.
Jerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
, already known as a successful Broadway actor, continued in different genres. He was the voice of the candelabrum "Lumiere" in the 1991 Disney animated film, Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
, before taking on his best known role, detective Lennie BriscoeLeonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green and René Balcer, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach...
on the TV crime drama Law & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, which he played from 1992 until his death in 2004.
Choreographer Kenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
went on to choreograph other major pictures such as the 1992 NewsiesNewsies is a 1992 Disney musical film starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie is widely claimed to have gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office...
and starting in 2006, the High School MusicalHigh School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
series. He also became a director of film and television, including several episodes of Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, in which Dirty Dancing Kelly Bishop had a starring role.
Various images and lines from the film have worked their way into popular culture. Johnny Castle's line "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" has been used in song lyrics, and as the title of the "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" episode of the TV series Veronica MarsVeronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
, and the title of a Fall Out BoyFall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
song. It was also parodied in the webcomic Looking for GroupLooking for Group is a fantasy-themed Canadian webcomic written by Ryan Sohmer and drawn by Lar DeSouza. The Comic follows the adventures of Cale'Anon and Richard , as well as their companions...
where Richard, one of the primary characters, uttered a variation involving his own name, and in Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, where the scene is parodied by Baby's parents questioning Johnny due to her youth. Also parodied in Family Guy is the scene where Baby first sees Johnny dancing with the staff. This line was also parodied in the Total Drama World Tour episode I See London where Owen says a line similar to the famous quote. The line was even quoted in SupernaturalSupernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
where Dean says the line concerning his beloved Impala and when his brother Sam retorted that the line is from a Swayze movie, Dean responds with "Swayze always gets a pass".
In the television series How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, the gang is swapping stories about when they each lost their virginity. Barney Stinson, the groups resident player, (Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
) attempts to pass off the story of Dirty Dancing as his own (among other stories) because he is ashamed of his actual story. As he describes "the summer of his first time", the original "Love is Strange" scene is recreated with Barney replacing Johnny. However, he is quickly called out by Ted (Josh RadnorJoshua Michael "Josh" Radnor is an American actor, director, and writer, best known for portraying the main character Ted Mosby on the popular, Emmy Award-winning CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, for which he has received worldwide fame and recognitions.He made his writing and directorial debut...
) who recognizes the elements of the story as belonging to the popular movie. Later, after Barney's true story is told the gang sympathizes with him and they decide to play along with Barney's 'Dirty Dancing' story, which he enthusiastically tells.
Stage version
The film was adapted for the stage in 2004 as a musical, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage. Produced by Jacobsen Entertainment in Australia for $6.5 million, it was written by Eleanor Bergstein and had the same songs as the film, plus a few extra scenes. Musical direction was by Chong LimChong Lim is an Australian keyboardist, producer, and session musician. He played with James Valentine of Models at Melbourne University, then joined Vanetta Field's Gospel Band. He has toured with the Eurogliders, Jermaine Jackson, WJAZ, and John Farnham...
(one of the composers for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney), and the initial production starred Kym ValentineKym Valentine is a Maltese Australian actress best known for her portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours.-Early and personal life:...
as Baby, and Sydney Dance Company's Josef Brown as Johnny. Although reviews were mixed, the production was a commercial success, selling over 200,000 tickets during its six-month run. It has also had sellout runs in Germany, and in London's West End, where it opened at the Aldwych Theatre on October 23, 2006 with the highest pre-sell in London history, earning £6 million ($US12 million). , over 1 million people have seen the musical in London, selling out 6 months in advance. Josef Brown of Australia continues to play the role of Johnny Castle in London, while Georgina Rich made her musical debut as Baby. The West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production will close in July 2011 after a five year run, prior to a two year national tour.
A New York production was in the planning stage in 2006, with the show first starting in other North American cities. It broke box office records in May 2007 for its first such venue, selling $2 million on the first day of ticket sales in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The production opened on November 15, 2007 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with an all-Canadian cast, except for Monica West (Baby Housman), Britta Lazenga (Penny) and Al Sapienza (Jake Housman). After Toronto, the musical opened in Chicago in previews on September 28, 2008 and officially on October 19, 2008, running through January 17, 2009, followed by Boston (February 7–March 15, 2009) and Los Angeles. No Broadway dates have been announced for the show.
Tours and TV show
Dirty Dancing has appeared in other forms than the stage version. In 1988, a music tour named Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert featuring Bill MedleyWilliam Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
and Eric CarmenEric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
, played 90 cities in three months. Also in 1988, the CBS network launched a Dirty DancingDirty Dancing is a 1988 television series on the CBS network. It was based on the film Dirty Dancing but had none of the original cast or staff. It starred Patrick Cassidy as Johnny and Melora Hardin as Baby...
television series, however with none of the original cast or staff. The series was canceled after only a few episodes.
Prequel
In 2004, a prequel to the film was released, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights# "Dance Like This" - Wyclef Jean featuring Claudette Ortiz # "Dirty Dancing" - The Black Eyed Peas# "Guajira " - Yerba Buena# "Can I Walk By" - Jazze Pha featuring Monica# "Satellite " - Santana featuring Jorge Moreno...
. Although not a remake, Havana Nights showcases a similar storyline about an American teenager learning about life through dance, when her family relocates to Havana, Cuba just before the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Patrick Swayze was paid $5 million to appear in a cameo role as a dance teacher — considerably more than the $200,000 he earned for the first film.
20th anniversary release
For the 20th anniversary in 2007, the film was rereleased in theatres with additional footage, while the original film version was rereleased on DVD with deleted scenes and writer commentary. At the same time, Codemasters released Dirty Dancing: the Video Game. In the United Kingdom the anniversary was marked by a reality TV show based on the film, Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life, filmed at the Mountain Lake resort.
In the UK , to mark the 20th anniversary of the film, Channel Five broadcast a special documentary called Seriously Dirty Dancing. It was presented by Dawn Porter, an investigative journalist and a self-confessed Dirty Dancing addict. The documentary was very successful, Channel Five's highest rated documentary of 2007. She visited the set of the film, met other Dirty Dancing fanatics and also learned the last dance, which she performed at the end of the documentary in front of family and friends.
Remake
Lionsgate announced the plan to remake 1987's hit movie "Dirty Dancing". It was confirmed that the studio have hired "High School Musical" helmer Kenny OrtegaKenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
to direct the remake of "Dirty Dancing". "We believe that the timing couldn't be better to modernize this story on the big screen, and we are proud to have Kenny Ortega at the helm," Joe Drake, president of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group, explained about the project.
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