Saturday Night Fever (1977)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Nik Cohn (magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night")
Norman Wexler (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 December 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A Brooklyn youth feels his only chance to get somewhere is as the king of the disco floor.

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | 1970s | Male Female Relationship | Day In Title | 8 Track

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Tony Manero
Karen Lynn Gorney	...	Stephanie Mangano
Barry Miller	...	Bobby C.
Joseph Cali	...	Joey
Paul Pape	...	Double J.
Donna Pescow	...	Annette
Bruce Ornstein	...	Gus
Julie Bovasso	...	Flo Manero
Martin Shakar	...	Frank Manero Jr.
Sam Coppola	...	Dan Fusco (as Sam J. Coppola)
Nina Hansen	...	Grandmother
Lisa Peluso	...	Linda Manero
Denny Dillon	...	Doreen
Bert Michaels	...	Pete
Robert Costanzo	...	Paint Store Customer (as Robert Costanza)
Robert Weil	...	Becker
Shelly Batt	...	Girl in Disco
Fran Drescher	...	Connie
Donald Gantry	...	Jay Langhart
Murray Moston	...	Haberdashery Salesman
William Andrews	...	Detective
Ann Travolta	...	Pizza Girl
Helen Travolta	...	Lady in paint store
Ellen March	...	Bartender
Monti Rock III	...	The Deejay
Val Bisoglio	...	Frank Manero Sr.
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Cheverie	...	The Wrong Partner (uncredited)
Adrienne King	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Alberto Vazquez	...	Gang Member (uncredited)

Directed by
John Badham

Writing credits
Nik Cohn		(magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night")
Norman Wexler		(screenplay)

Produced by
Milt Felsen	....	associate producer
Kevin McCormick	....	executive producer
Robert Stigwood	....	producer

Original Music by
Barry Gibb
Maurice Gibb
Robin Gibb

Cinematography by
Ralf D. Bode

Film Editing by
David Rawlins

Casting by
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Charles Bailey

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Sr.		(as George Detitta)

Costume Design by
Patrizia von Brandenstein		(as Patrizia Von Brandenstein)

Makeup Department
Max Henriquez	....	makeup artist (as Henriquez)
Joe Tubens	....	hair designer

Production Management
John Nicolella	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Ray	....	second assistant director
Allan Wertheim	....	assistant director

Art Department
James Mazzola	....	property master
William Canfield	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Colgan	....	sound editor
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Glass Jr.)
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John K. Wilkinson)

Stunts
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt coordinator
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Holly Bower	....	still photographer
James Finnerty	....	key grip (as James Finnerty)
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator
William Ward	....	gaffer (as Bill Ward)
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Paone	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Nichols	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Angelo Corrao	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Jean-Marc Vasseur	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
John Caper Jr.	....	music editor
David Shire	....	composer: additional music
David Shire	....	music adaptor
Lester Wilson	....	stager: musical numbers
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Arlene Albertson	....	production office coordinator
Lorraine Fields	....	assistant choreographer
Jimmy Gambina	....	technical consultant (as James Gambina)
Gary Kalkin	....	unit publicist
Lloyd Kaufman	....	location executive
Carl Lotito	....	assistant: Mr. Stigwood
Joy McMillan	....	assistant: Mr. Stigwood
Colleen Murphy	....	assistant: Mr. Badham
Jo Jo Smith	....	dance consultant (as Jo-Jo Smith)
Ron Stigwood	....	assistant: Mr. Stigwood (as Ronald Stigwood)
Renata Stoia	....	script supervisor
Lester Wilson	....	choreographer
Deney Terrio	....	dance instructor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1978) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Cherokee Studios  music recorded at
• Cirrus Productions Inc.  main titles design
• RSO Records Inc.  soundtrack album
• Todd/Champion Ltd.  extras casting

Also Known As:

Saturday Night (USA) (working title)
Tribal Rites of Saturday Night (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, sexuality/nudity and some drug content. (2002 version)

Runtime:

118 min | USA:113 min (PG version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Italy:VM14 (uncut) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:16 (orginal rating) | Brazil:12 | UK:A (re-rating) (1979) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (re-rating) (2002) | Australia:PG (cut) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:G (Quebec) (edited US version) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (cut) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (cut) | USA:PG (edited version) | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (edited US version) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

221 79th Street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Trivia:

Five additional instrumental cues by David Shire were recorded for the film: "Barracuda Hangout", "Tony and Stephanie", "Near the Brooklyn Bride", "Death on the Bridge", and "All Night Train". However, only one was credited, and all remained unreleased.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tony wakes up after the first night at the disco, he sits up. He has nothing in his hands after scratching himself. After a moment he stands and the scene cuts to a shot of the mirror. In the mirror you can see smoke and briefly a cigarette in his hand that had not been there. He then puts the lit cigarette in an ash tray on his dresser.

Quotes:

Tony Manero: Would ya just watch the hair. Ya know, I work on my hair a long time and you hit it. He hits my hair.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Glow Ropes: The Rise and Fall of a Bar Mitzvah Emcee (2005)

Soundtrack:

K-Jee

Dazzling.

I suppose you could say that Saturday Night Fever is John Travolta, and vice versa. You couldn't have anyone else playing Tony Manero and have the same impact that the film has. This film, which on the surface doesn't seem to have much in the way of a plot, is a dazzling piece of cinema, made so by Travolta and the legend he created. But it's also a very sad story, one of a young man and his confusion and frustration about living a life he's not happy with. Dancing at the local discotheque is all that Tony has to make himself feel special and wanted, as he doesn't get it from his family. The arrival of Stephanie, an older woman who is just as good a dancer as he is, lights a fire inside Tony and he sees his life as having a purpose. But things don't turn out as he had envisioned. Saturday Night Fever is a phenomenal film, with so many different aspects that make it so. Of course, there is Travolta, sizzling across the screen as the main attraction. But there's also some nice supporting turns from Karen Lynn Gorney as Stephanie, Barry Miller as Bobby C. and Donna Pescow as Annette. They all bring their characters to life, and they make you want to know what happens to them as well, not just Tony. But, in the end, Saturday Night Fever is John Travolta, and vice versa, and sitting there, mesmerised at the screen, watching Travolta shimmy across that dancefloor to that funky disco music, makes you realise that this film is like no other. It is, quite simply, amazing.