Travolta was known primarily for his role on Welcome Back, Kotter at the time, and was by no means a professional dancer, but you wouldnt guess that from watching him here. John Travolta look alike busts out Saturday Night Fever disco dance moves for a corporate event! Fashion history is a big interest of mine, particularly in how it relates to film. Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadoolman, guest curator of the V&As exhibit, offered an explanation of the suits appeal to the Daily Mail prior to the opening of the exhibit: Saturday Night Fever was actually a very dark little movie, and this suit, made of completely gross polyester, was the shining light, the symbol of aspiration and hope that shone in the film in that heart-stopping moment when it all comes together, the music, the lights, the suit, and Travolta dances in it It took me totally by surprise. Didnt realise until recently that the inspiration for Tony Manero was a Shepherds Bush (West London) mod acquaintance of the writer Nik Cohn in his sixties youth (Tribal rites of the New Saturday Night) Now he's strutting toward his biggest challenge yet: succeeding as a dancer on the Broadway stage. The white suit that John Travolta wore in "Saturday Night Fever" (alongside Karen Lynn Gorney) belonged for a time to Chicago film critic Gene Siskel. Premiering in theaters on Dec. 16, 1977 . This 7-piece outdoor sectional furniture set is marked down from $900 to $600 on Amazon right now. It doesnt get more 80s than Danny Zukos black ensemble in Grease. John Travolta in his iconic white suit in Saturday Night Fever. "Staying Alive" Line Dance - YouTube "Dance Scene" John Travolta and Finola Hughes in Staying Alive 1983 A major chunk of the story involves Tony trying to make it with this girl (played by Karen Gorney, who was Tara on the TV soap opera All My Children). Film note: Saturday Night Fever is going to be a very popular motion picture, especially with the teen-age audience. We, AOL, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. What was the official certification given to Staying Alive (1983) in Mexico? They will do battle in the film with a Puerto Rican gang. Im just a little too young to know whether people at discos would actually step aside and watch the best dancers do their thing (that seems implausibly cordial), but it makes for a show-stopping sequenceespecially after all those bodies get out of the way of the multi-colored dance floor, which has its own signature moves via lighting. The only way Tonys night is getting any worse is if Bernie Goetz boards the same train. Having grown up in a household that was totally taken over by 80s music and fashion its only natural that May lives and breathes the 80s! (See:Chicago.) Tony's class aspirations are mirrored in his relationship with his dance partner, Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney), a secretary eager to move into the glamorous world of Manhattan. John Travolta dances with Karen Lynn Gorney in Saturday Night Fever (1977). But theyd be equally glorious onstage. A rightfully ashamed Tony pays Stephanie a visit. Reach him at PKennedy@aimmedia.com. The movie ends on a note of hesitant uncertainty. Patrizia von Brandenstein, Saturday Night Fevers costume designer, said her thoughts behind the creation of the outfit would be reminiscent of a white knight reflective of heroes throughout history. Von Brandenstein found the all-polyester white suit and knew that she had her armor for the newly enlightened Tony Manero though she could have hardly anticipated its full impact. He begins dancing with Stephanie and stops dancing for the crowd. Both are important, but the latter has been getting an increasingly bad rap for decades now, starting with the advent of music videos and continuing through the ascendancy of Michael Bay. Which is precisely what he is there. The movie's 2001 Odyssey Disco was a real club located at 802 64th Street. Yet another 17 years passed and the suit seemingly disappeared, until 2012 when the superfan agreed to lend it to the Victoria and Albert museum for its Hollywood Costume exhibit that opened that October. The white suit Travolta wears for the films climactic dance contest instantly became iconic, as did many of the movies shots and set pieces. Saturday Night Fever is a lot rougher and more real than we might expect it to be. (According to the DVD commentary, Travolta actually had two identical suits for the dance sequence; after performing (and sweating profusely) in one, he would switch into a second while the other suit dried.). The white polyester suit worn by John Travolta sold at auction for $145,000 and was purchased by movie critic . Youd think he was Elvis Presley. In the 80s, as evidenced by John Travolta's character in the 1983 drama Staying Alive, it was all about flared pants, bold colours, three-piece suits, and wide lapels. Cowboy chic is how we would describe pretty much every outfit John Travolta wore in Urban Cowboy. He wears them with black socks, hardly the most traditional hosiery with white suits but ultimately consistent with his black-and-white aesthetic. As a wannabe dancer struggling to make it on the stage, John Travolta is at his sexy, sizzling best. Until I revisited it just now, however, Id forgotten that the early dance routine is bracketed by Bobby C. (Barry Miller) pestering Tonys older brother, Frank (Martin Shakar), whos a priest, about getting a papal dispensation for his girlfriends abortion. He struts like crazy. And suddenly we know that this kid is into his feet, just as deeply as this movie is into its main character. My response was that continuity editing, done skillfully, is practically invisible, and thatfor me, at leastnot cutting actually calls more attention to the filmmaking process than cutting would. The Making of Saturday Night Fever: John Travolta and the Cast's The film is far from perfect, commented Roger Ebert in his four-star review, which itself masterfully explores what givesSaturday Night Fever such appeal seemingly despite itself. All Of John Travolta's Best Dancing Scenes - Wide Open Country ), How to Style Trench Coats (13+ Outfits Ideas to Try Including Shoes! In every other instance, however, the cut is seamless, occurring in the middle of a particular move thats still in progress when the angle changes. The background crowd becomes blurred. John Travolta keeps Brooklyn stayin' alive at event honoring actor Shot seven pulls Tony the length of the dance floor, watches him do his little box shuffle (the same steps performed in the four compass directions), then shifts to the classic hip-and-point move that defines disco dancing more than any other. The longer, simpler necklace has a plain gold cross. "More Than A Woman" by the Bee Gees. Wanneer u onze sites en apps gebruikt, gebruiken we, gebruikers authenticeren, veiligheidsmaatregelen toepassen en spam en misbruik voorkomen, en, gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content weergeven op basis van interesseprofielen, de effectiviteit meten van gepersonaliseerde advertenties en content, en, onze producten en services ontwikkelen en verbeteren. Tony (Travolta) sees an opportunity to replace the lead male dancer at the show and asks Jackie (Rhodes) to help him succeed, by rehearsing with him. Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees - Songfacts It can also achieve almost subliminal effects that an extended single take cant. Now he's strutting toward his biggest challenge yet: succeeding as a dancer on the Broadway stage. Forty five years ago, John Travolta strutted down a Brooklyn sidewalk and into movie history in the iconic opening sequence of Saturday Night Fever. ), Robert Hays strikes a familiar pose in a familiar outfit in Airplane! Whenreviewingthe film in 1999 after the death of his friend Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert included the following quote from Scott T. Anderson: The peculiar construction of disco pants is a marvel of modern engineering So loose at the ankles, yet so tight in the groin.. Other songs playing when Travolta is on-screen: "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees (opening credits) "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees (disco line . Eberts review mentions that he once had the opportunity to inspect theSaturday Night Fever suit that Siskel had in his possession and he noticed that it came with a shirt that buttoned under the crotch, so it would still look neat after a night on the dance floor. The Christies auction listing elaborates on this device, explaining that the shirt was attached to the waistband of the trousers with an elastic fabric; this allowed Mr. Travolta the freedom to dance and strike his now legendary poses.. originally preferring a black suit-and-white shirt combination as . Shoes first. However, Id like to take another stab at a defense of montage, which Im not using in the Team America sense (In anything, if you want to go / From just a beginner to a pro / You need a montage / Even Rocky had a montage), but in opposition to that oft-confusing French term mise-en-scne. "Staying Alive." The title and lyrics make sense because "Saturday Night Fever" isn't just a happy . We may earn a commission from links on this page. Forty five years ago, John Travolta strutted down a Brooklyn sidewalk and into movie history in the iconic opening sequence of Saturday Night Fever. Black tuxedos have been fashionable for as long as we can remember. I don't understand why critics always scorn this film. Disco Dancing - Saturday Night Fever (8/9) Movie CLIP (1977) HD The Tony Manero look is best reserved for costumes, but if youare going to shoot for pulling off this look, you may as go for real clothing rather than some papery-looking costume kit. The famous gown was expected to fetch between 250,000 ($330k) and 350,000 ($460k) when it went up for auction recently in London. I first sawSaturday Night Fever, and for better or worse I was able to identify with Tony and his pals who shielded their insecurities with macho swagger and who strove for no greater ambition than to land a date for the night. Lets be honest, who wasnt obsessed with John Travolta in the 1980s? This 1980 flick tells the tale of a country boy named Bud who meets a cowgirl at a local bar and falls in love. She thinks because her son is a priest thats gonna score her some points in heaven, Tony explains. Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night,, Travolta swaggering down the street to the insistent throb of The Bee Gees Staying Alive.. Songfacts: This plays over the opening credits of the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever while John Travolta struts through the streets of New York City. Tony wears a thick gold ring with a dark rectangular flush-set stone on the third finger of his left hand, traditionally a finger reserved for wedding rings though this certainly is not that. This is a cheap polyester suit in 1977, and so Tonys wide peak lapels are far from timeless, extending nearly the entire width of the front of the jacket and coming to a sharp peak at the armpits. Often remembered for its soundtrack and street style, a closer look reveals an uncompromising film that wasnt afraid to explore the dark themes that lurked beneath the eras glittery polyester veneer, all propelled by an equally uncompromising star turn from a 23-year-old John Travolta. This crossover between music and movies set the pace for many movies to come, as it also marked the rise and fall of 1970s disco culture. The shirt has steeply mitred cuffs that close through one of two buttons; Tony wears his cuffs on the inner button for a looser fit around the wrists. In that moment, director John Badham cleverly tightens his focus on Tony and Stephanie. For the affair, Travolta donned a classic black tux with a bow tie. Now in 2017, as Ive turned 28 and the film turns 40, I have a greater appreciation for what the film was communicating and that, rather than glorifying this lifestyle,Saturday Night Fever is merely putting it on display, providing an immortal voice for a short-lived but significant era in American culture and allowing future generations to take from it what we will.