Saturday Night Fever
Encyclopedia
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film
directed by John Badham
and starring: John Travolta
as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney
as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow
as Tony's former dance partner and would-be girlfriend. While in the disco, Tony is the king. His care-free youth and weekend dancing help him to temporarily forget the reality of his life: a dead end job
, clashes with his unsupportive and squabbling parents, racial tensions in the local community, and his associations with a gang of macho friends.
A huge commercial success, the film significantly helped to popularize disco
music around the world and made Travolta, already well known from his role on TV's Welcome Back, Kotter
, a household name. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
, featuring disco songs by the Bee Gees
, is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time. The film is the first example of cross-media marketing
, with the tie-in
soundtrack's single being used to help promote the film before its release and the film popularizing the entire soundtrack after its release. The film also showcased aspects of the music, the dancing, and the subculture
surrounding the disco era: symphony-orchestrated melodies, haute-couture styles of clothing, pre-AIDS
sexual promiscuity, and graceful choreography.
The story is based upon a 1976 New York magazine article by British writer Nik Cohn
, "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night
". In the late 1990s, Cohn acknowledged that the article had been fabricated. A newcomer to the United States
and a stranger to the disco lifestyle, Cohn was unable to make any sense of the subculture he had been assigned to write about; instead, the character who became Tony Manero was based on a Mod acquaintance of Cohn's.
) is a skirt-chasing Italian American
from the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
neighborhood of New York City
. Tony lives at home with his parents (Val Bisoglio
and Julie Bovasso
) and works at a dead-end job at a small hardware store by day. But on Saturday nights Tony rules the dance floor with his frequent appearances at 2001 Odyssey, a local discotheque. Tony has four close friends: Joey (Joseph Cali
); Double J. (Paul Pape
); Gus (Bruce Ornstein
); and the diminutive Bobby C (Barry Miller
). Another, albeit informal, member of their group is Annette (Donna Pescow
), a neighborhood girl who longs for a more permanent and physical relationship with Tony. Tony has an older brother, Frank Jr (Martin Shakar
), who was the pride of the family because he was a priest in the Catholic Church, but he brings despair to the family by leaving the priesthood.
Tony agrees to be Annette's partner in a local dance competition. Her happiness is short-lived, however, when Tony dumps her after seeing Stephanie Mangano (Karen Lynn Gorney
). Stephanie agrees to partner with him in the competition, but nothing more. Bobby C. asks Tony for advice on getting out of his relationship with his devoutly Catholic
girlfriend, Pauline, who is pregnant with his child. Though Tony tells him to dump her, Bobby C. faces pressure from his family and others to marry her, which he clearly does not wish to do. Bobby asks Tony's older brother, former priest Frank Jr., if the Pope would grant him dispensation
for an abortion
. But when Frank tells him this would be highly unlikely, Bobby's feelings of despair deepen.
Later, Tony and Stephanie dance at the competition and end up winning. However, Tony believes that a Puerto Rican couple performed better and that the judges' decision was based on racism
. Tony gives the Puerto Ricans the prize. Once outside in the car, he tries to rape
Stephanie, resulting in her fleeing from him. He then sullenly takes off with both the gang and a drunken and stoned Annette. Annette agrees to have sex with Double J. and Joey. The two friends take turns with Annette, but Annette starts to cry and struggle, as the drugs wear off.
They then pull the car off onto the shoulder at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
to partake in bridge-climbing antics. Bobby C is attempting more dangerous stunts than the rest. Realizing that Bobby is recklessly acting out, Tony tries to coax him off the railing. But upset at his lonely life, his situation with Pauline, and a broken promise from Tony earlier, Bobby issues a tirade at Tony's lack of care before slipping and falling to his death in the Narrows more than two hundred feet below.
Tony spends the rest of the night riding the subway. He finally shows up at Stephanie's apartment in Manhattan
, apologizing for his bad behavior. He tells her that he plans on leaving Brooklyn and coming to Manhattan. He asks Stephanie if he can salvage their relationship by being friends.
Two theatrical versions of the film were released: the original R-rated version and an edited PG-rated version. (The PG-13 rating was not created until 1984.)
The R-rated version released in 1977 represented the movie's first run, and totaled 118 minutes.
After the success of the first run, in 1978 the film was re-issued to a PG-rated version and re-released during a second run to attract a wider audience. The R-rated version contained profanity, nudity, drug use and an attempted rape scene, all of which were de-emphasized or removed from the PG version.
Producer Robert Stigwood
said in a recent interview on "The Inside Story: Saturday Night Fever", about the PG version: "It doesn't have the power, or the impact, of the original, R-rated edition."
The retooled PG-rated version was 112 minutes. Numerous profanity-filled scenes were replaced with alternate takes of the same scenes, substituting milder language initially intended for the network television cut. To maintain runtime, a few deleted scenes were restored (including Tony dancing with Doreen to "Disco Duck
," Tony running his finger along the cables of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
, and Tony's father getting his job back).
Both theatrical versions were released on VHS
, but only the R-rated version has been released on Laserdisc
and DVD. The two special-edition widescreen DVD releases include some of the deleted scenes present in the PG version. The DVD also includes a director's commentary and "Behind the Music" highlights. Starting in the late 1990s VH1
and TNT
started showing the original R-rated version with a TV-14 rating
. The nudity and stronger profanity were edited, but the cut included some of the innuendos from the original film that were cut out of the PG version.
The network television version (which premiered on November 16, 1980 on ABC
) was based largely on the PG version and contained several minutes of outtakes normally excised from the theatrical releases. It is among the longest cuts of the film.
A sequel, Staying Alive
, was released in 1983. It starred John Travolta and was directed by Sylvester Stallone
. (Staying Alive was rated PG; it also predated the introduction of the PG-13 rating.)
was almost considered 'too pretty' for the role of Annette. She corrected this by putting on 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and training herself back to her native Brooklyn accent, which she trained herself away from while she was studying drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
. After production ended, she immediately lost the weight she gained for the role and dropped the accent.
John Travolta
's mother Helen and sister Ann both appeared in minor roles in this movie. Travolta's sister is the pizzeria waitress who serves him the pizza slices, and his mother is the woman he sells the can of paint to early in the film.
John G. Avildsen
was signed to direct but was fired three weeks prior to principal photography over a script dispute with producer Robert Stigwood.
(*) "Jive Talkin'" was not contained in the film.
According to the DVD commentary for this movie, the producers intended to use the song "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs
for use in the rehearsal scene between Tony and Annette in the dance studio, and choreographed their dance moves to the song. However, representatives for Scaggs' label, Columbia Records
, refused to grant legal clearance for it, as they wanted to pursue another disco movie project, which never materialized. Composer David Shire
, who scored the film, had to in turn write a song to match the dance steps demonstrated in the scene and eliminate the need for future legal hassles. However, this track does not appear on the movie's soundtrack.
The song "K-Jee" was used during the dance contest with the Hispanic couple that competed against Tony and Stephanie. Some VHS cassettes used a more traditional Latin-style song instead. The DVD restores the original recording.
. It also holds a score of 77/100 (generally favorable) on a similar review website Metacritic
. It was eventually added to The New York Times
"Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made," which was published in 2004.
In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Film critic Gene Siskel
, who listed this as one of his favorite movies, praised the film: "One minute into "Saturday Night Fever" you know this picture is onto something, that it knows what it's talking about." He also praised John Travolta's energetic performance: "Travolta on the dance floor is like a peacock on amphetamines. He struts like crazy." Siskel even bought the famous white suit Travolta wore at a charity auction.
Award nominations:
American Film Institute
Lists
parodied the film as "Samurai Night Fever", one of his "Samurai" sketches. Belushi spoofed it again in the film Neighbors
, during a scene in which tilted camera angles
show Belushi combing his hair in front of the mirror as "Stayin' Alive" plays in the background.
The 1980 film Airplane!
contained a parody scene, with Robert Hays
mocking the famous pose and the clothing shown on the poster and album cover, to the tune of "Stayin' Alive" slightly sped up (the actual song used for that scene in Saturday Night Fever was "You Should Be Dancing").
The Goodies
parodied the film in their Saturday Night Grease episode.
The Children's Television Workshop published a record album of music from Sesame Street
under the title Sesame Street Fever
, the cover of which spoofed the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album cover, with muppet Grover
wearing the white three-piece disco suit in the famous Travolta pose and Bert, Ernie, and Cookie Monster taking the place of the Bee Gees. Robin Gibb
(of the Bee Gees) sings on two tracks for this album "Sesame Street Fever" Trash" and has a dialog with cookie monster on the into for "C Is For Cookie."
In 2000, at the Inner Circle press dinner, mayor Rudy Giuliani
spoofed John Travolta by dancing to "Disco Inferno
" by The Trammps
. Giuliani wore a white 70s-style disco suit.
On June 25, 2002, in an episode of Son of the Beach
, David Arquette
guest-starred as Johnny Queefer in a send-off episode entitled "Saturday Night Queefer", which also included parodies of the Bee Gees songs sung by a quartet of guys breathing helium balloons to get the high voices like the Gibb brothers.
In season 6, episode 7
of The Simpsons
, Jessica Lovejoy (Meryl Streep
) invites Bart
for dinner, upon which he says, "There's only one thing to do at a moment like this: strut!". Bart then struts to "Stayin' Alive" in the same manner as Travolta's character at the end of the sequel, Staying Alive.
In the film "Look Who's Talking" (1989), the opening of "Staying Alive" is heard as Mikey, in the stroller, hits the street being wheeled by James (played by John Travolta).
In 2011, British comedian John Bishop
includes a tribute to Saturday Night Fever at the end of his performance on his latest Sunshine stand-up tour. His finale whilst playing in theaters, he included a video of him re-enacting the opening scene and dancing at the discotheque however, whilst performing at arenas, he showed extracts of the video and the section where he is supposed to dance at the disco, he emerges on stage with a troupe of dancers and performs the dance routine like John Travolta.
in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by John Badham
John Badham
- External links :...
and starring: John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney is an American actress, known for her roles on television and film.-Early life:Gorney was born in Beverly Hills, California. She is the daughter of 20th-century composer Jay Gorney, who wrote the music for what many consider the definitive song about America's Great Depression,...
as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow
Donna Pescow
Donna Pescow is an American film and television actress and director.-Life and career:Pescow was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. Her father owned and ran a news stand in downtown NYC at Battery Place. Pescow attended Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn and she took drama classes...
as Tony's former dance partner and would-be girlfriend. While in the disco, Tony is the king. His care-free youth and weekend dancing help him to temporarily forget the reality of his life: a dead end job
Dead end job
A dead-end job is a job in which there is little or no chance of progressing and succeeding into a higher paid position. Such work is usually unskilled and the phrase usually applies to those working as shelf stackers, cleaners, or other menial jobs where the pay is low, and the hours are long....
, clashes with his unsupportive and squabbling parents, racial tensions in the local community, and his associations with a gang of macho friends.
A huge commercial success, the film significantly helped to popularize disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music around the world and made Travolta, already well known from his role on TV's Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
, a household name. The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)
Original Vinyl ReleaseSide A:#"Stayin' Alive" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:45#"How Deep Is Your Love" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:05...
, featuring disco songs by the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time. The film is the first example of cross-media marketing
Cross-media marketing
Cross media marketing is a form of cross-promotion in which promotional companies commit to surpassing the traditional advertisements and decide to include extra appeals to their offered products.. The material can be communicated by any mass media such as e-mails, letters, web pages, or other...
, with the tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
soundtrack's single being used to help promote the film before its release and the film popularizing the entire soundtrack after its release. The film also showcased aspects of the music, the dancing, and the subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
surrounding the disco era: symphony-orchestrated melodies, haute-couture styles of clothing, pre-AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
sexual promiscuity, and graceful choreography.
The story is based upon a 1976 New York magazine article by British writer Nik Cohn
Nik Cohn
Nik Cohn is a British rock journalist, born in London in 1946. He was brought up in Derry, in the North of Ireland, the son of historian Norman Cohn and Russian writer Vera Broido...
, "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night
Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night
"Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" was the title of a 1976 New York Magazine article by British rock journalist Nik Cohn. It was the basis for the plot and characters in the movie Saturday Night Fever....
". In the late 1990s, Cohn acknowledged that the article had been fabricated. A newcomer to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a stranger to the disco lifestyle, Cohn was unable to make any sense of the subculture he had been assigned to write about; instead, the character who became Tony Manero was based on a Mod acquaintance of Cohn's.
Plot
Tony Manero (John TravoltaJohn Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
) is a skirt-chasing Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
from the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
neighborhood of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Tony lives at home with his parents (Val Bisoglio
Val Bisoglio
Val Bisoglio is an Italian-American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Bisoglio performed in numerous TV series in the 1970s including M*A*S*H, Roll Out, Kojak and The Rockford Files...
and Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family.-Career:Bovasso appeared in many films, including Saturday Night Fever and...
) and works at a dead-end job at a small hardware store by day. But on Saturday nights Tony rules the dance floor with his frequent appearances at 2001 Odyssey, a local discotheque. Tony has four close friends: Joey (Joseph Cali
Joseph Cali
Joseph Cali is an American actor.He is most remembered for playing Joey in the 1977 blockbuster movie Saturday Night Fever.Cali has appeared in TV and films such as 'Voices The Competition with Amy Irving...
); Double J. (Paul Pape
Paul Pape
Paul Pape is an American actor and voice actor. He has appeared in over 20 films since 1977, most notably as the role of Double J in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. He also stars in the Need for Speed video game franchise Need for Speed: Undercover as Lt. Jack M. Keller police Lt...
); Gus (Bruce Ornstein
Bruce Ornstein
Bruce Ornstein is an American actor. He appeared in 8 films or TV-episodes between 1977 and 2000.Bruce Ornstein began his career appearing in the classic 1977 "Saturday Night Fever". Since then, he has appeared in a number of films, television films, episodic television and plays...
); and the diminutive Bobby C (Barry Miller
Barry Miller (actor)
Barry L. Miller is an American actor. He won Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor for his performance as 'Arnold Epstein' in Biloxi Blues....
). Another, albeit informal, member of their group is Annette (Donna Pescow
Donna Pescow
Donna Pescow is an American film and television actress and director.-Life and career:Pescow was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. Her father owned and ran a news stand in downtown NYC at Battery Place. Pescow attended Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn and she took drama classes...
), a neighborhood girl who longs for a more permanent and physical relationship with Tony. Tony has an older brother, Frank Jr (Martin Shakar
Martin Shakar
Martin Shakar is an American theatre, film and television actor, born January 1, 1940), in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York....
), who was the pride of the family because he was a priest in the Catholic Church, but he brings despair to the family by leaving the priesthood.
Tony agrees to be Annette's partner in a local dance competition. Her happiness is short-lived, however, when Tony dumps her after seeing Stephanie Mangano (Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney
Karen Lynn Gorney is an American actress, known for her roles on television and film.-Early life:Gorney was born in Beverly Hills, California. She is the daughter of 20th-century composer Jay Gorney, who wrote the music for what many consider the definitive song about America's Great Depression,...
). Stephanie agrees to partner with him in the competition, but nothing more. Bobby C. asks Tony for advice on getting out of his relationship with his devoutly Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
girlfriend, Pauline, who is pregnant with his child. Though Tony tells him to dump her, Bobby C. faces pressure from his family and others to marry her, which he clearly does not wish to do. Bobby asks Tony's older brother, former priest Frank Jr., if the Pope would grant him dispensation
Dispensation
Dispensation may refer to:* Dispensation , the suspension, by competent authority, of general rules of law in particular cases in the Catholic Church* Dispensation , a period in history according to various religions...
for an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. But when Frank tells him this would be highly unlikely, Bobby's feelings of despair deepen.
Later, Tony and Stephanie dance at the competition and end up winning. However, Tony believes that a Puerto Rican couple performed better and that the judges' decision was based on racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. Tony gives the Puerto Ricans the prize. Once outside in the car, he tries to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Stephanie, resulting in her fleeing from him. He then sullenly takes off with both the gang and a drunken and stoned Annette. Annette agrees to have sex with Double J. and Joey. The two friends take turns with Annette, but Annette starts to cry and struggle, as the drugs wear off.
They then pull the car off onto the shoulder at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
to partake in bridge-climbing antics. Bobby C is attempting more dangerous stunts than the rest. Realizing that Bobby is recklessly acting out, Tony tries to coax him off the railing. But upset at his lonely life, his situation with Pauline, and a broken promise from Tony earlier, Bobby issues a tirade at Tony's lack of care before slipping and falling to his death in the Narrows more than two hundred feet below.
Tony spends the rest of the night riding the subway. He finally shows up at Stephanie's apartment in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, apologizing for his bad behavior. He tells her that he plans on leaving Brooklyn and coming to Manhattan. He asks Stephanie if he can salvage their relationship by being friends.
Versions and sequel
The R-rated version released in 1977 represented the movie's first run, and totaled 118 minutes.
After the success of the first run, in 1978 the film was re-issued to a PG-rated version and re-released during a second run to attract a wider audience. The R-rated version contained profanity, nudity, drug use and an attempted rape scene, all of which were de-emphasized or removed from the PG version.
Producer Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
said in a recent interview on "The Inside Story: Saturday Night Fever", about the PG version: "It doesn't have the power, or the impact, of the original, R-rated edition."
The retooled PG-rated version was 112 minutes. Numerous profanity-filled scenes were replaced with alternate takes of the same scenes, substituting milder language initially intended for the network television cut. To maintain runtime, a few deleted scenes were restored (including Tony dancing with Doreen to "Disco Duck
Disco Duck
"Disco Duck" is a satirical disco novelty song performed by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. It became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in October 1976 . It also made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at number 15...
," Tony running his finger along the cables of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
, and Tony's father getting his job back).
Both theatrical versions were released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, but only the R-rated version has been released on Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
and DVD. The two special-edition widescreen DVD releases include some of the deleted scenes present in the PG version. The DVD also includes a director's commentary and "Behind the Music" highlights. Starting in the late 1990s VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
started showing the original R-rated version with a TV-14 rating
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines system was first proposed on December 19, 1996 by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission , and went into effect by January 1, 1997 on most major U.S...
. The nudity and stronger profanity were edited, but the cut included some of the innuendos from the original film that were cut out of the PG version.
The network television version (which premiered on November 16, 1980 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) was based largely on the PG version and contained several minutes of outtakes normally excised from the theatrical releases. It is among the longest cuts of the film.
A sequel, Staying Alive
Staying Alive
Staying Alive is the 1983 film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow and Nanette Tarpey...
, was released in 1983. It starred John Travolta and was directed by Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
. (Staying Alive was rated PG; it also predated the introduction of the PG-13 rating.)
Cast
- John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
- Tony Manero - Karen Lynn GorneyKaren Lynn GorneyKaren Lynn Gorney is an American actress, known for her roles on television and film.-Early life:Gorney was born in Beverly Hills, California. She is the daughter of 20th-century composer Jay Gorney, who wrote the music for what many consider the definitive song about America's Great Depression,...
- Stephanie Mangano - Barry MillerBarry Miller (actor)Barry L. Miller is an American actor. He won Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor for his performance as 'Arnold Epstein' in Biloxi Blues....
- Bobby C. - Joseph CaliJoseph CaliJoseph Cali is an American actor.He is most remembered for playing Joey in the 1977 blockbuster movie Saturday Night Fever.Cali has appeared in TV and films such as 'Voices The Competition with Amy Irving...
- Joey - Paul PapePaul PapePaul Pape is an American actor and voice actor. He has appeared in over 20 films since 1977, most notably as the role of Double J in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. He also stars in the Need for Speed video game franchise Need for Speed: Undercover as Lt. Jack M. Keller police Lt...
- Double J. - Donna PescowDonna PescowDonna Pescow is an American film and television actress and director.-Life and career:Pescow was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. Her father owned and ran a news stand in downtown NYC at Battery Place. Pescow attended Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn and she took drama classes...
- Annette, a former girlfriend of Tony, still in love with him - Bruce OrnsteinBruce OrnsteinBruce Ornstein is an American actor. He appeared in 8 films or TV-episodes between 1977 and 2000.Bruce Ornstein began his career appearing in the classic 1977 "Saturday Night Fever". Since then, he has appeared in a number of films, television films, episodic television and plays...
- Gus - Val BisoglioVal BisoglioVal Bisoglio is an Italian-American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Bisoglio performed in numerous TV series in the 1970s including M*A*S*H, Roll Out, Kojak and The Rockford Files...
- Frank Manero, Sr, Tony's father; an unemployed construction worker - Julie BovassoJulie BovassoJulie Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family.-Career:Bovasso appeared in many films, including Saturday Night Fever and...
- Flo Manero, Tony's mother - Martin ShakarMartin ShakarMartin Shakar is an American theatre, film and television actor, born January 1, 1940), in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York....
- Father Frank Manero, Jr, Tony's brother; a Catholic priest - Nina Hansen - Tony's grandmother
- Lisa PelusoLisa PelusoLisa Peluso is an American soap opera actress.-Biography:Peluso was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Mary Peluso. Her first big break came at the age of nine, when she starred in the Broadway production of Gypsy with Angela Lansbury...
- Linda Manero, Tony's sister - Sam CoppolaSam CoppolaSam Coppola , is an American actor. He has appeared in 67 films since 1968.He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.-External links:...
- Dan Fusco, paint store owner, Tony's boss - Denny DillonDenny DillonDenise "Denny" Dillon is an American comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live. At 4'11" , Dillon is the shortest cast member in the show's history...
- Doreen - Bert Michaels - Pete, owner of dance studio
- Robert CostanzoRobert CostanzoRobert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
- Paint store customer - Robert WeilRobert WeilRobert Sam Weil is a Swedish businessman and philanthropist.He is the chairman of the investment company Proventus, which he founded in 1980. He is also chairman of Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, and the Jewish Theatre in Stockholm, and a member of the international advisory board for the Batsheva...
- Becker - Fran DrescherFran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
- Connie (Drescher's film debut) - Donald Gantry - Jay Langhart
- Ann Travolta - Pizza girl (Travolta's sister)
- Helen Travolta - Lady in paint store (Travolta's mother)
- Monti Rock IIIMonti RockMonti Rock III is a flamboyant American musician and performer from New York City.-Career:Born on 29 May 1942, to a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx, Monti parlayed his role as celebrity hairdresser into a role center stage...
- The deejay - Adrienne KingAdrienne KingAdrienne King is an American actress, dancer and painter. She is mostly known for her starring role in the original Friday the 13th.-Life and career:...
- Dancer (uncredited)
Production
Donna PescowDonna Pescow
Donna Pescow is an American film and television actress and director.-Life and career:Pescow was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. Her father owned and ran a news stand in downtown NYC at Battery Place. Pescow attended Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn and she took drama classes...
was almost considered 'too pretty' for the role of Annette. She corrected this by putting on 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and training herself back to her native Brooklyn accent, which she trained herself away from while she was studying drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
. After production ended, she immediately lost the weight she gained for the role and dropped the accent.
John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
's mother Helen and sister Ann both appeared in minor roles in this movie. Travolta's sister is the pizzeria waitress who serves him the pizza slices, and his mother is the woman he sells the can of paint to early in the film.
John G. Avildsen
John G. Avildsen
John Guilbert Avildsen is an American film director.-Life and career:Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Ivy and Clarence John Avildsen...
was signed to direct but was fired three weeks prior to principal photography over a script dispute with producer Robert Stigwood.
Filming locations
- Verrazano-Narrows BridgeVerrazano-Narrows BridgeThe Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
- Basketball courts located along Fort HamiltonFort HamiltonHistoric Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
Parkway near Marine Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. The Verrazano Bridge west bound approach runs above the park containing the courts. - Bench vista toward the Verrazano Bridge, located along the Shore Promenade in Shore Road Park, Brooklyn, NY. Accessible to pedestrians via the Shore Road and 4th Avenue footpath park entrance. Accessible to motorists via the parking area alongside the Belt Parkway, east bound just 450 feet prior to Exit 2, 4th Avenue/Ft Hamilton Pkwy, and approximately 600 to 800 feet from passing underneath the bridge.
- White Castle fast food restaurant, located at 92nd street and 4th. ave. Brooklyn, NY.
- Phillips Dance Studio West 7th. street and Bay Parkway.
- 2001 Odyssey, which was later renamed Spectrum (a Gay club) in 1987 before being demolished in 2005. The club was located at 802 64th Street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York.
- Six Brothers Hardware and Paints formerly located at 7309 5th Ave in Brooklyn was the backdrop for Tony's workplace.
- Grand UnionGrand Union- Transport :* Grand union, a four-way, double track rail junction often found on tram systems* Grand Union Canal, a waterway running from London to Birmingham in the United Kingdom...
supermarket on 5 Avenue, today a Staples store located at 9319 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. - A coffee shop across the street from the Grand Union, in 2010 a VolkswagenVolkswagenVolkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
dealership located on the north side of 94th Street between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.
Soundtrack
Track listing- "Stayin' AliveStayin' Alive"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 4:45 - "How Deep Is Your LoveHow Deep Is Your Love"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia...
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 4:05 - "Night FeverNight Fever"Night Fever" is a disco song, written and performed by The Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was...
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 3:33 - "More Than a WomanMore Than a Woman (Bee Gees song)"More Than a Woman" is a disco song written by the Bee Gees for the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever....
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 3:17 - "If I Can't Have YouIf I Can't Have You"If I Can't Have You" is a song written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. It was most famously recorded by Yvonne Elliman for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.-Background:...
" performed by Yvonne EllimanYvonne EllimanYvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
- 3:00 - "A Fifth of BeethovenA Fifth of Beethoven"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
" performed by Walter MurphyWalter MurphyWalter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
- 3:03 - "More Than a Woman" performed by Tavares - 3:17
- "Manhattan Skyline" performed by David ShireDavid ShireDavid Lee Shire is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtrack to the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 and parts of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack such as Night on Disco Mountain, an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald...
- 4:44 - "Calypso Breakdown" performed by Ralph MacDonald - 7:50
- "Night on Disco Mountain" performed by David Shire - 5:12
- "Open Sesame" performed by Kool & the GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
- 4:01 - "Jive Talkin'Jive Talkin'"Jive Talkin" is a song by the Bee Gees, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top-five on the UK singles chart in the summer of 1975. Largely recognized as the group's "comeback" song, it was their first U.S. top ten hit since "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" in...
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 3:43 (*) - "You Should Be DancingYou Should Be Dancing"You Should Be Dancing" is a single by the Bee Gees, from the album, Children of the World, in 1976. The single hit number one for one week on the American Billboard Hot 100, number one for seven weeks on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, and in July the same year, reached number five on the UK...
" performed by Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
- 4:14 - "Boogie ShoesBoogie Shoes"Boogie Shoes" is a popular song released in 1975 on the self-titled album KC and the Sunshine Band by the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The song became a hit when it appeared on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack in 1977. The song is still heard on radio stations today as a disco-era staple...
" performed by KC and the Sunshine BandKC and the Sunshine BandKC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
- 2:17 - "Salsation" performed by David Shire - 3:50
- "K-JeeK-Jee"K-Jee" is a 1971 song by American Soul/Funk Band The Nite-Liters. Written by Harvey Fuqua & Charlie Hearndon it charted in 1971 at 17 on the R&B Charts and 39 on the Pop. MFSB covered this song on their Universal Love album, charting number 2 on the Disco charts in 1975...
" performed by MFSBMFSBMFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the...
- 4:13 - "Disco InfernoDisco Inferno (The Trammps song)-Tina Turner version:Tina Turner covered the song in 1993 for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack and it charted at number twelve in the UK Singles Chart, 4 places higher than The Trammps' version...
" performed by Trammps - 10:51
(*) "Jive Talkin'" was not contained in the film.
- The novelty songs "Dr. Disco" and "Disco DuckDisco Duck"Disco Duck" is a satirical disco novelty song performed by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. It became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in October 1976 . It also made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at number 15...
", both performed by Rick Dees, were played in the film but not included on the album.
According to the DVD commentary for this movie, the producers intended to use the song "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
for use in the rehearsal scene between Tony and Annette in the dance studio, and choreographed their dance moves to the song. However, representatives for Scaggs' label, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, refused to grant legal clearance for it, as they wanted to pursue another disco movie project, which never materialized. Composer David Shire
David Shire
David Lee Shire is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtrack to the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 and parts of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack such as Night on Disco Mountain, an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald...
, who scored the film, had to in turn write a song to match the dance steps demonstrated in the scene and eliminate the need for future legal hassles. However, this track does not appear on the movie's soundtrack.
The song "K-Jee" was used during the dance contest with the Hispanic couple that competed against Tony and Stephanie. Some VHS cassettes used a more traditional Latin-style song instead. The DVD restores the original recording.
Critical response
Saturday Night Fever received mostly positive reviews and is regarded by many as one of the best films of 1977, often mainly due to its soundtrack music.("melodramatic, out-dated blockbuster") The film currently holds a 90% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. It also holds a score of 77/100 (generally favorable) on a similar review website Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. It was eventually added to The New York Times
The New York Times
The 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...
"Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made," which was published in 2004.
In 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Film critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene 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....
, who listed this as one of his favorite movies, praised the film: "One minute into "Saturday Night Fever" you know this picture is onto something, that it knows what it's talking about." He also praised John Travolta's energetic performance: "Travolta on the dance floor is like a peacock on amphetamines. He struts like crazy." Siskel even bought the famous white suit Travolta wore at a charity auction.
Awards and nominations
Award wins:- National Board of ReviewNational Board of Review of Motion PicturesThe National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
Award for Best Actor - John Travolta - Golden Screen, Germany
Award nominations:
- Academy Award for Best ActorAcademy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
- John Travolta - BAFTA Award for Best Film MusicBAFTA Award for Best Film MusicThe Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music is an annual award given by British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-1960s:*1968 - The Lion in Winter - John Barry...
- Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb - BAFTA Award for Best SoundBAFTA Award for Best SoundThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Sound has been presented to its winners since 1968 and sound designers of all nationalities are eligible to receive the award.-Winners 1968-present:...
- Michael Colgan, Robert W. Glass Jr., Les Lazarowitz, John T. Reitz, John Wilkinson - Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Musical or ComedyGolden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyThe Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
– John Travolta - Golden Globe Award for Best Original ScoreGolden Globe Award for Best Original ScoreThe Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947...
- Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, David Shire - Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden 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:...
- Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb for the song "How Deep Is Your Love?How Deep Is Your Love"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia...
" - Writers Guild AwardWriters Guild of America AwardThe Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Best Drama Written Directly for the ScreenWriters Guild of America Award for Best Original ScreenplayThe Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the three film writing awards given by the Writers Guild of America Award....
- Norman Wexler
American Film Institute
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...
Lists
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies - Nominated
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
- Stayin' Alive - #9
- More Than a Woman - Nominated
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers - Nominated
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) - Nominated
Parodies
John BelushiJohn Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
parodied the film as "Samurai Night Fever", one of his "Samurai" sketches. Belushi spoofed it again in the film Neighbors
Neighbors (film)
Neighbors is a 1981 film based on the book by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, directed by John G. Avildsen and stars John Belushi as Earl, Dan Aykroyd as Vic , Cathy Moriarty as Ramona, Kathryn Walker as Enid, and Lauren-Marie Taylor as Elaine. The film takes liberties...
, during a scene in which tilted camera angles
Dutch angle
Dutch tilt, Dutch angle, Dutch shot, oblique angle, German angle, canted angle, Batman angle, or jaunty angle are terms used for one of many cinematic techniques often used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed...
show Belushi combing his hair in front of the mirror as "Stayin' Alive" plays in the background.
The 1980 film Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
contained a parody scene, with Robert Hays
Robert Hays
Robert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
mocking the famous pose and the clothing shown on the poster and album cover, to the tune of "Stayin' Alive" slightly sped up (the actual song used for that scene in Saturday Night Fever was "You Should Be Dancing").
The Goodies
The Goodies
The Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
parodied the film in their Saturday Night Grease episode.
The Children's Television Workshop published a record album of music from Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
under the title Sesame Street Fever
Sesame Street Fever
Sesame Street Fever is a concept album made by the cast of Sesame Street in 1978. It follows the characters as a love of disco sweeps Sesame Street....
, the cover of which spoofed the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album cover, with muppet Grover
Grover
Grover is a Muppet character on the popular television show Sesame Street. Self-described as lovable, cute and furry, he is a monster who almost never uses contractions when speaking or singing....
wearing the white three-piece disco suit in the famous Travolta pose and Bert, Ernie, and Cookie Monster taking the place of the Bee Gees. Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
(of the Bee Gees) sings on two tracks for this album "Sesame Street Fever" Trash" and has a dialog with cookie monster on the into for "C Is For Cookie."
In 2000, at the Inner Circle press dinner, mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
spoofed John Travolta by dancing to "Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno is a song by The Trammps.Disco Inferno can also refer to:* Disco Inferno , a 1976 disco album recorded by The Trammps featuring the song* Disco Inferno , a band formed in the late 1980s...
" by The Trammps
The Trammps
The Trammps were an American disco band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973...
. Giuliani wore a white 70s-style disco suit.
On June 25, 2002, in an episode of Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2002 on the FX network. The series was a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual jokes, innuendo and the like. The studly David Hasselhoff character is instead an average, pot-bellied, out-of-shape bald man but...
, David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
guest-starred as Johnny Queefer in a send-off episode entitled "Saturday Night Queefer", which also included parodies of the Bee Gees songs sung by a quartet of guys breathing helium balloons to get the high voices like the Gibb brothers.
In season 6, episode 7
Bart's Girlfriend
"Bart's Girlfriend" is the seventh television episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 1994. The plot of the episode follows the secret romance of Bart and Jessica Lovejoy, Reverend Lovejoy's daughter...
of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Jessica Lovejoy (Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
) invites Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
for dinner, upon which he says, "There's only one thing to do at a moment like this: strut!". Bart then struts to "Stayin' Alive" in the same manner as Travolta's character at the end of the sequel, Staying Alive.
In the film "Look Who's Talking" (1989), the opening of "Staying Alive" is heard as Mikey, in the stroller, hits the street being wheeled by James (played by John Travolta).
In 2011, British comedian John Bishop
John Bishop
Lionel Albert Jack Bishop was an Australian academic, conductor and patron of the arts. Bishop played a leading role in the development of music education in Australia and was a founder of the Adelaide Festival of Arts.- Biography :Bishop was born in Adelaide and studied piano from the age of 12...
includes a tribute to Saturday Night Fever at the end of his performance on his latest Sunshine stand-up tour. His finale whilst playing in theaters, he included a video of him re-enacting the opening scene and dancing at the discotheque however, whilst performing at arenas, he showed extracts of the video and the section where he is supposed to dance at the disco, he emerges on stage with a troupe of dancers and performs the dance routine like John Travolta.
Blu-ray release
On May 5, 2009, Paramount released Saturday Night Fever on Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
External links
- Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night The NY Magazine article by Nik Cohn that inspired the film
- Article on the 30th anniversary of the film
- Article on the re-mastered 30th Anniversary DVD by writer John Reed