Dancin' Yeah! (Saturday Night Fever is 30 Years Old)

National Review ^ | 4/26/07 | John Derbyshire

[Clemenza]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Derbyshire hits on many of the reasons why.

I would like to add that it also represents to some of us an ethnic subculture which, in many ways, no longer exists. Upwardly mobility among Italian Americans (to say nothing of Polish/Eastern European) Americans has led to the loss of cultural distinctiveness. The neighborhood culture shown in SNL has largely disappeared (as an aside, although the movie was filmed in the more scenic Bay Ridge, it actually depicted Bensonhurst folks).

Also, Derbyshire's blue collar populism is on display here. What he tends to forget is that those of us who's families went from poor immigrant, to blue collar, to upper middle class white collar (in three generations), are just as guilty as mocking ne'er do wells as the "elite." Another fact lost on Derbyshire (surprising, since he lives on Lawn Guyland) is that, especially in New York, the Hispanic and black lower/lower middle classes are mocked and/or scorned by folks as well, usually, but not always in jest. Its classism, not racism.

Enough of the psychobabble BS: This is a GREAT movie about one of the more enjoyable, yet mockable eras in American pop culture. I think that when I get out of work, I will crank up "Night Fever" or "If I Can't Have You" as I get onto Route 31.

[Clemenza]

"When My Mother Dies, THEN You Can Have the Job!" --- Tony to Annette, or Clemenza to Bloomberg?

Great Movie Ping!

[jdm]

That's great and all, but the YMCA goes back even further.

[massgopguy]

Stephane: “David Bowie isn’t Gay, he’s Bi-Sexual.”
Double J: “Yeah, he likes Men AND boys.”

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I loved the soundtrack. Of course, I harbor this deep secret: I actually won money (like Tony Manero) in a Disco-Dancing Contest.

[jdm]

lol

[dfwgator]

Well I don’t know about Bowie, but it sure looks like that Travolta does.

[Mr. Mojo]

I won a disco contest too. No money though.

My band used to play for dances in jr. high ('76-'78) and we tried to avoid playing disco at all costs. Problem was there was really no other danceable music back then. When we played to stuff we liked - Stones, Zeppelin, Skynyrd, etc. - people on the dance floor just looked at us like "you expect us to dance to that?"

So we broke down and learned some disco. ....including a couple songs from SNF.

[Fiji Hill]

Karen Gorney is the daughter of Jay Gorney, who co-wrote Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, a smash hit recording for Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees as well as Bing Crosby during the fall of 1932.

[Clemenza]

Yes. Also, Karen was managing an art gallery in midtown last I heard.

[Wolfie]

"Can you dig it? I knew that you could!"

(Man, I'm gettin' old).

[Clemenza]

Bowie used to swing both ways. Then again, he also used to dress as a Nazi and praise the third reich.

These days, he lives a quiet life with the lovely Iman, and claims to have given up swinging. The same can's be said for Sting, btw (although the latter is strictly into chicks).

[Oratam]

"One of the longest journeys in the world is the journey from Brooklyn to Manhattan."

Norman Podhoretz in Making It

[Miss Didi]

I still have my album. Great memories of high school days.

[massgopguy]

It’s a great movie now, but those were dark days. I had just turned 18 and the rock bands I was is were starting to get good. All the rock joints except for a few went Disco. Plus all the school dances started hiring DJ’s. I remember every Gavone in my neighborhood bought the white suit. Every friday night they’d hang out in Pearl Street Park drinking Schlitz with no place to go.

[Gamecock]

Bowie used to swing both ways

Tthat's just plain greedy.

[lesser_satan]

X-er ping

[NavyCanDo]

When the movie came out I was stationed at a Navy base in the Tennessee where at the time red-neck Rock ruled and where the phrase “Disco sucks” was first uttered. I don’t remember the movie going over real well down there. I first saw it on HBO or Showtime years later, when Disco was truly on it’s way out, being replaced by the much better 80’s Rock inspired by MTV which was a great channel in its early days.

[varina davis]

I could listen to Bee Gees music forever — never tire of it.

[Clemenza]

Disco was, IMHO, better than that undanceable, downmarket, seven-minute guitar solo dreck that dominated American rock and roll.

Punk, on the other hand, brought excitement back to rock and roll.