Saturday Night Fever (1977)

A Brooklyn teenager feels his only chance to succeed is as the king of the disco floor. His carefree youth and weekend dancing help him to forget the reality of his bleak life.

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Nik Cohn (story), Norman Wexler (screenplay)

Stars:

John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Tony Manero
Karen Lynn Gorney	...	Stephanie
Barry Miller	...	Bobby C.
Joseph Cali	...	Joey
Paul Pape	...	Double J.
Donna Pescow	...	Annette
Bruce Ornstein	...	Gus
Julie Bovasso	...	Flo
Martin Shakar	...	Frank Jr.
Sam Coppola	...	Dan Fusco (as Sam J. Coppola)
Nina Hansen	...	Grandmother
Lisa Peluso	...	Linda
Denny Dillon	...	Doreen
Bert Michaels	...	Pete
Robert Costanzo	...	Paint Store Customer (as Robert Costanza)

Storyline

Nineteen-year-old Brooklyn native Tony Manero lives for Saturday nights at the local disco, where he's king of the club, thanks to his stylish moves on the dance floor. But outside of the club, things don't look so rosy. At home, Tony fights constantly with his father and has to compete with his family's starry-eyed view of his older brother, a priest. Nor can he find satisfaction at his dead-end job at a small paint store. However, things begin to change when he spies Stephanie Mangano in the disco and starts training with her for the club's dance competition. Stephanie dreams of the world beyond Brooklyn, and her plans to move to Manhattan just over the bridge soon change Tony's life forever.

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Plot Keywords:

the bee gees | 1970s | sexism | racist | homophobia | 

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Taglines:

Where do you go when the record is over...

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, sexuality/nudity and some drug content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

16 December 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Saturday Night

Filming Locations:

9324 3d Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$94,213,184 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 113 min (PG)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the DVD commentary, John Travolta used two suits in the climax of the film, he had to switch suits between takes because one would become heavily soaked with sweat and had to be dried while he was wearing the other one for subsequent takes.

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Goofs

When Tony is walking down Brooklyn's 86th Street with the paint can, he walks toward the Benson theater marquee. After he hassles the young lady, he walks away from the Benson, back the way he was coming from.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Tony Manero: Aw, Jesus...

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Connections

Referenced in Dancing with the Stars: Round Five (2009)

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Soundtracks

If I Can't Have You
Courtesy of RSO Records, Inc., Stigwood Music, Inc. (Unichappell Music, Inc.) BMI and Bros. Gibb, B.V.
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb
Performed by Yvonne Elliman

User Reviews

You Should Be Dancing!

Saturday NIGHT FEVER (1977) **** John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Joseph Cali, Barry Miller, Julie Bovasso, Val Bosoglio, Donna Pescow. Quintessential film about the Seventies' disco craze that made Travolta an American icon (Best Actor nominee) and superstar as Brooklynite Tony Manero, a free-wheelin' Italian kid who loves to dance but doesn't know what he wants from life despite his talent and some eye-opening advice from dance partner Gorney. Directed on location with gritty realism by John Badham this blockbuster features songs by the ultimate trio The Bee Gees.(My favorite: "How Deep Is Your Love?"). Look for Fran Drescher and Denny Dillon in the dance sequences. For the film vault: a snake-hipped, lupine Travolta cutting loose to "You Should Be Dancing."