Can't Stop the Music (1980)

Director:

Nancy Walker

Writers:

Allan Carr
Bronte Woodard

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Musical

Tagline:

The Musical Comedy Smash of the 80's!

Plot:

This is a Pseudo autobiography of disco's The Village People

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | New York City | Disco | Punctuation In Title | Fantasy Sequence

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Alex Briley	...	Alex the G.I.
David Hodo	...	David the Construction Worker
Glenn Hughes	...	Glenn the Leatherman
Randy Jones	...	Randy the Cowboy
Felipe Rose	...	Felipe the Indian
Ray Simpson	...	Ray the Police Officer
Valerie Perrine	...	Samantha Simpson
Bruce Jenner	...	Ron White
Steve Guttenberg	...	Jack Morell
Paul Sand	...	Steve Waits
Tammy Grimes	...	Sydney Channing
June Havoc	...	Helen Morell
Barbara Rush	...	Norma White
Altovise Davis	...	Alicia Edwards
Marilyn Sokol	...	Lulu Brecht
Russell Nype	...	Richard Montgomery
Jack Weston	...	Benny Murray
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Claudia Walters
Dick Patterson	...	Mr. Schultz, Record Store Manager
Bobo Lewis	...	Bread Woman
Paula Trueman	...	Stick-up Lady
Portia Nelson	...	Law Office Receptionist
Selma Archerd	...	Mrs. Williams
Murial Slatkin	...	Mrs. Slatkin
Aaron Colt	...	TV Reporter (as Aaron Gold)
Vera Brown	...	Ritchie Family
Jacqui Smith Lee	...	Ritchie Family
Dodie Draher	...	Ritchie Family
Greg Zadikov	...	Singing Vendor
Danone Camden	...	Stewardess In Record Store
Rasa Alileen	...	Mime
Gabriel Barre	...	Mime
Don Blanton	...	Relief DJ (as Donald Blanton)
Roger LeClaire	...	Disco Photographer
Cindy Roberts	...	Jean Harlow Maniquin
Maggie Brendler	...	Marilyn Monroe Maniquin
Bradley Bliss	...	Betty Grable Maniquin
Bill Bartman	...	Wino
Victor Davis	...	Buster Sirwinski, Auditioning Bodybuilder
William L. Arndt	...	Construction Commercial Director
Jerry Layne	...	Ventriloquist
Terry Dunn	...	James the Flame
Maria Rodsakos	...	Steve Waits' Secretary
Mike Coolik	...	Milk Commercial Director (as Mike Kulik)
Richard Bruce Friedman	...	Recording Technician
Bill Anagnos	...	Moped Rider
Debbie Ash	...	Dancer (as Deborah Louise Ash)
Semus Brennan	...	Dancer
Wade Collings	...	Dancer
Jane Colthorpe	...	Dancer (as Jane Margaret Colthworphe)
Edyie Fleming	...	Dancer
Roy Hamlyn Gayle	...	Dancer
Virginia Francis Hartley	...	Dancer
Alison Jane Hierlihy	...	Dancer
Richard King	...	Dancer
Kim Elizabeth Leeson	...	Dancer
Perri Lister	...	Dancer
Sara Miles	...	Dancer
Gene Montoya	...	Dancer
Floyd Anthony Pearce	...	Dancer
Blane Savage	...	Dancer
Peter Tramm	...	Dancer
Robert Warners	...	Dancer
Christine Ann Wickman	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Village People
Jimmy Baron	...	Press Photographer (uncredited)
Brad Bogart	...	Disco Dancer / YMCA Man (uncredited)
Gordon Haight	...	Singing Sword Juggler (uncredited)
Lisette Kremer	...	Groupie Skater (uncredited)
Blackie Lawless	...	Metal guy with leash at audition (uncredited)
Steve Malis	...	Dancer (uncredited)
James Marcel	...	Auditioning Sword Juggler (uncredited)
Daniel Selby	...	Young Disco Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Nancy Walker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Allan Carr
Bronte Woodard

Produced by
Henri Belolo	....	producer
Allan Carr	....	producer
Neil A. Machlis	....	associate producer
Jacques Morali	....	producer

Original Music by
Jacques Morali

Cinematography by
Bill Butler

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Casting by
Howard Feuer
Jeremy Ritzer

Art Direction by
Harold Michelson

Set Decoration by
Victoria Hugo
Marvin March
Justin Scoppa Jr.

Costume Design by
Theoni V. Aldredge
Jane Greenwood

Makeup Department
Romaine Greene	....	hair stylist
James Lee McCoy	....	makeup artist (as Jim McCoy)
Carol Mercatoris	....	hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist (as Dan Striepeke)

Production Management
Raymond Hartwick	....	unit production manager: New York (as Ray Hartwick)
Neil A. Machlis	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	first assistant director (as Bill Beasley)
Charles Braverman	....	second unit director
Paul Moen	....	second assistant director
Candace Suerstedt	....	second assistant director: New York
Jim Van Wyck	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Matty Azzarone	....	assistant property master
Leslie Bloom	....	property master (as Les Bloom)
Nick F. Caprarelli	....	lead man
Stephen Hendrickson	....	special visual consultant (as Steve Hendrickson)
Richard McKenzie	....	set designer
Pat O'Connor	....	property master
Eric Orbom	....	set designer (as Eric Orbum)
Eric Orburn	....	set designer
Justin Scoppa Jr.	....	set decorator: New York
John Villarino	....	propmaker foremen
Maurice Zuberano	....	production illustrator
Julian Zutz	....	construction
William Ladd Skinner	....	set designer (uncredited)
Mike Villarino	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Dager	....	playback operator
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Carlos de Larios)
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Aaron Rochin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Barry Thomas	....	sound mixer
John S. Walden	....	sound effects editor
John Whitney	....	dialogue editor (as John Haffen)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Sullivan	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Ron Hays	....	visual effects electrician

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	moped stuntman (as Billy Anagnos)
Arthur J. Edwards	....	stunt double: Stick-up Lady
Gregg Sawaya	....	stunt coordinator
Mike Washlake	....	stunts: gymnast and diver

Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator (as Jim Connell)
R. Michael De Chellis	....	electrician
Jules Fisher	....	lighting: finale
Michael Genne	....	camera assistant (as Mike Genne)
George Hill	....	key grip
Richard C. Kratina	....	photographer: New York (as Dick Kratina)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
James McGrath	....	key grip
Louis Niemeyer	....	first assistant camera
Ray Quinlan	....	gaffer (as Raymond Quinlan)
Warren Rothenberger	....	camera operator: New York
John Tedesco	....	lighting: finale

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting
Chris Trainor	....	extras casting: dancers

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paula Cain	....	costumer: women
Michael Kaplan	....	costumer: men
George L. Little	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Robert Lederman	....	apprentice editor (as Bob Lederman)
Mario Leone	....	second assistant editor
Ann Martin	....	apprentice editor
David A. Simmons	....	assistant editor (as David Alan Simmons)

Music Department
June Edgerton	....	music editor
Juergen Koppers	....	musical engineering consultant
Horace Ott	....	conductor
Horace Ott	....	music arranger
Joe Tuley	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Alan Kaminsky	....	transportation
Howard A. Small	....	transportation (as Howard Small)

Other crew
Bill Bartman	....	dialogue coach
Irene Berkman	....	production office coordinator
Grace Blake	....	production secretary
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	titles
Mauri Syd Gayton	....	assistant to producer (as Mauri Syd Blumenfeld)
Mauri Syd Gayton	....	assistant: Allan Carr
Lewis Gould	....	location manager
Tom Jacobson	....	location manager
Gary Kalkin	....	publicist
Sheila Kent	....	assistant to producer
Roger LeClaire	....	consultant: YMCA
Daniel Levans	....	assistant choreographer (as Dan Levans)
Eric McFarland	....	assistant to producer
Charles Newirth	....	production assistant
Arlene Phillips	....	choreographer
Heather Seymour	....	assistant choreographer
Bill Sheehan	....	first aid nurse
Cynnie Troup	....	script supervisor
Steve Warner	....	auditor

Thanks
Greg Gorman	....	special thanks
Jeff Mont	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• EMI Films

Distributors

• Associated Film Distribution (AFD) (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Greater Union Organisation (GUO) (1980) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Astral Films (Canada)
• Divisa Home Video (2010) (Spain) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia
• Warner Home Video

Also Known As:

"Allan Carr's Can't Stop the Music" - International (English title) (complete title)
"Discoland" - USA (short title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Filming Locations:

Glendale, California, USA

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

The YMCA dance sequence was filmed at the Glendale YMCA in California.

Goofs:

Continuity: Walking on the street, Sam takes several bites out of her ice cream cone, but it is whole again shortly thereafter.

Quotes:

Samantha:I should have know that you could sing. But when you see someone everyday, you just don't know what they have. I mean, counting out exercise is sort of singing, right?
Randy:Yeah, I think it is. It's sort of like...
[singing]
Randy:Got the back bone connected to the hip bone, and the hip bone connected to the thigh bone, and the thigh bone connected to the leg bone
[normal voice]
Randy:How's that? Is that a star or is that a star?
Samantha:Bing! Tonight it is. Be at my place at eight o'clock. You bring the voice, and I'll bring the food... and the wine.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Diva (1981)

Soundtrack:

Samantha

Someone please stop the music...

Boy, where to start? My memory might fail me, but how about Steve Gutenberg rollerskating down the streets of New York, dancing to his transistor radio and wearing his corduroy OP short shorts and an Izod shirt with the collar flipped up? The mirroring camera "tricks" are sophomoric and silly, and the entire sequence sets the tone for the implausible film that follows. I wouldn't be surprised if that scene took months to film as Gutenberg was probably beaten up a multitude of times and they needed to splice together bits and pieces of footage. It isn't exactly Rocky running through the warehouse district of Philly, is it? No... No it's not. How about the brilliant decision to cast Bruce Jenner, fresh off the crowd-pleasing performance on a box of Wheaties? The best moments of the film are of the Village People following closely behind Jenner in his bare midriff t-shirts with cozy little smiles on their faces. Not even Jenner's classic method acting style was enough to help the rest of the cast rise to the ankle-level material here. I seem to recall a scene where they decide on a name for the band... "Hey... We're all from the Village, so why not The Village... PEOPLE?" Then the Village Person dressed as the Indian chief showed his approval by employing the classic Indian war call; hooting while popping his hand over his mouth. I nearly fell out of my chair.

And what about the fellow who comes to the band "try-outs" with the flaming batons? I think there was a message in there somewhere...

This film is hysterical for a million different reasons and therefore, a complete failure. Surely a must-see in order to provide acute awareness of the bad taste high-water mark.