Can't Stop the Music (1980)

Director:

Nancy Walker

Writers:

Allan Carr (writer)
Bronte Woodard (writer)

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Musical Comedy Smash of the 80's!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Disco | Biker | Marriage Proposal | Breasts

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 Archard	...	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	...	Video Gamer (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		writer
Bronte Woodard		writer

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

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)

Sound Department
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)
William C.H. Dager	....	playback operator (as Bill Dager)
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
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
Mauri Syd Blumenfeld	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	titles
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)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia
• Warner Home Video

Also Known As:

Discoland: Where the Music Never Stops (USA) (working title)
You Can't Stop the Music! (USA) (working 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 | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

$10 million of the film's $20 million budget was spent on a lavish world-wide publicity campaign that included spectacular openings across the United States and Europe.

Goofs:

Continuity: In addition to Samantha's ice-cream "renewing" itself, it also changes flavor a number of times.

Quotes:

Alicia Edwards: Alexander, you're so shy that people just forget. Listen, you've got to come out of your shell or you'll be leading that singing group in Washington Square for the rest of your life and everything else will just pass you by.
Alex the G.I.: That's why I took a job as a stagehand in a local theater.
Alicia Edwards: That's your first strategic career mistake.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cosby Show: You Can't Stop the Music (#8.22)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Y.M.C.A.

So horrible that it's GREAT

This movie is amazing!! Rarely in the history of mankind have we seen a movie so incredibly awful that it becomes a "must-see film". And, interestingly enough, this film is one of four from 1979-1980 that I have reviewed that all fall into this same category. To what do we owe this honor? Well, 1979-1980, for those of you who are blessed to be too young to remember it, was time of the last gasp of disco AND the short-lived roller-disco craze. And, all four horrible movies I strongly recommend are so bad, so stupid, so over-the-top bad that they are truly must-see films for bad movie fans. So here is my list of the unholy 4--XANADU, ROLLER BOOGIE, THE APPLE and CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC. All four are chock full of disco as well as crappy dialog and minimal production values. My vote for most awful of these is the sci-fi, disco, religious epic THE APPLE, but any of the four is strongly recommended for a good laugh!

Now, for the specifics on CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC--which, when you watch it you may want to re-name "CAN'T STOP THE RETCHING". Back in 1980, the least well-kept secret in America was the fact that the Village People were gay. Believe it or not, many Americans who loved their music lived in complete denial that these were six gay men from Greenwich Village. Well, all doubt and ambiguity is erased in this film! While a few times in the movie, the ultra-horny character, Lulu, makes very clumsy passes at these guys, the long, over-the-top and strongly homo-erotic music videos within the movie make it obvious these men were quite gay--and this is especially true of their rendition of YMCA--which looks sort of like a gay version of Heaven. In fact, the campiness of the movie is sort of like a combination of Liberace with gay disco--with the most flamboyant and silly sets and costumes you'll see outside of a gay pride march. BUT, despite the singing being so incredibly overdone and campy, it actually works in some cases as you'll probably find yourself tapping your feet and getting into the songs--or at least some of them. They are BAD, yes, but still kinda fun at the same time. The final song, CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC, initially is very catchy as well, but goes on and on and on and on until you are nearly ready to go berserk!

So, if the music is strange but not THAT bad, why did I give the movie a 2? Well, that's because when they are not singing, the members of The Village People have very little to say and absolutely no charisma because they are not actors. So, they fill in this gap by having real actors(?) do almost all the dialog. And, for the most part, they assembled the absolute worst actors Hollywood had to offer!! So, the main problem with the movie rests not on the Village People but on everything else about the movie!! To help illustrate HOW bad the acting is, one of the big "stars" for the movie is a very young and obnoxious Steve Guttenburg! He is assisted by the pleasantly built but incredibly bland Valerie Perrine and the ultra-wooden Bruce Jenner!!! This movie, in fact, single-handedly ruined Jenner's bid to become a serious actor, as he had all the personality and chemistry of Mr. Potatohead.

Now, so far this movie offers us one music video after another (many with very gay visuals that will make a few uncomfortable but most just laugh), horrible acting and dialog, a dopey story and wretched direction by Nancy Walker (yes, the Bounty commercial woman). And, when you put them all together you have a movie that is even worse than a sum of all its parts--so bad, that you'll most likely laugh yourself silly and have great time making fun of the ineptness of the film. Call some friends and make this the party film you all won't soon forget!