History Trivia / SaturdayNightFever

** That is, until 1981-1982, when a combination of social, economic, and financial factors suddenly brought Amerca's "disco fever" to a crashing halt: An unexpected recession in 1981 tanked everyone's spending money, and combined with the new [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_HIV/AIDS AIDS epidemic]] scaring the LGBT community, the disco clubs emptied out. This significantly reduced exposure to new disco artists, and disco lost status in the music charts. The majority conservative, rock-loving U.S. population (the hetero-white, blue-collar, poor and middle classes) sensed this weakening of disco, and culturally revolted against disco's multi-ethnic, gender-empowering, hedonistic themes. [[Creator/MTV MTV]] (launched in August of '81), filled the void left by disco, with a revitalized rock music industry (in terms of both album sales and concert tickets), allowing a second [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] to evict the 70's-style, disco-era fashions. A new, materialist 80's sensibility took hold, and by mid-1982, "Disco fever" and [[TheSeventies the 70's]] were crushed, ushering in '''''[[TheEighties The 80's]]'''''. (''Cue the keyboard synths and screaming electric guitars'')

** That is, until 1981-1982, when a combination of social, economic, and financial factors suddenly brought Amerca's "disco fever" to a crashing halt: An unexpected recession in 1981 tanked everyone's spending money, and combined with the new [[History_of_HIV/AIDS AIDS epidemic]] scaring the LGBT community, the disco clubs emptied out. This significantly reduced exposure to new disco artists, and disco lost status in the music charts. The majority conservative, rock-loving U.S. population (the hetero-white, blue-collar, poor and middle classes) sensed this weakening of disco, and culturally revolted against disco's multi-ethnic, gender-empowering, hedonistic themes. [[Creator/MTV MTV]] (launched in August of '81), filled the void left by disco, with a revitalized rock music industry (in terms of both album sales and concert tickets), allowing a second [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] to evict the 70's-style, disco-era fashions. A new, materialist 80's sensibility took hold, and by mid-1982, "Disco fever" and [[TheSeventies the 70's]] were crushed, ushering in '''''[[TheEighties The 80's]]'''''. (''Cue the keyboard synths and screaming electric guitars'')

** That is, until 1981-1982, when a combination of social, economic, and financial factors suddenly brought Amerca's "disco fever" to a crashing halt: An unexpected recession in 1981 tanked everyone's spending money, and combined with the new [[History_of_HIV/AIDS AIDS epidemic]] scaring the LGBT community, the disco clubs emptied out. This significantly reduced exposure to new disco artists, and disco lost status in the music charts. The majority conservative, rock-loving U.S. population (the hetero-white, blue-collar, poor and middle classes) sensed this weakening of disco, and culturally revolted against disco's multi-ethnic, gender-empowering, hedonistic themes. [[Creator/MTV MTV]] (launched in August of '81), filled the void left by disco, with a revitalized rock music industry (in terms of both album sales and concert tickets), allowing a second [[TheBritishInvasion British Invasion]] to evict the 70's-style, disco-era fashions. A new, materialist 80's sensibility took hold, and by mid-1982, "Disco fever" and [[TheSeventies the 70's]] were crushed, ushering in '''''[[TheEighties The 80's]]'''''. (''Cue the keyboard synths and screaming electric guitars'')

** That is, until 1981-1982, when a combination of social, economic, and financial factors suddenly brought Amerca's "disco fever" to a crashing halt: An unexpected recession in 1981 tanked everyone's spending money, and combined with the new AIDS epidemic scaring the LGBT community, the disco clubs emptied out. This significantly reduced exposure to new disco artists, and disco lost status in the music charts. The majority conservative, rock-loving U.S. population (the hetero-white, blue-collar, poor and middle classes) sensed this weakening, and culturally revolted against the multi-ethnic, gender-empowering, hedonistic themes of disco music. [[Creator/MTV MTV]] (launched in August of '81), filled the void left by disco, with a revitalized rock music industry (in terms of both album sales and concert tickets), allowing a second British Invasion to evict the 70's-style, disco-era fashions. A new, materialist 80's sensibility took hold, and by mid-1982, "Disco fever" and [[TheSeventies the 70's]] were crushed, ushering in '''''[[TheEighties The 80's]]'''''. (''Cue the keyboard synths and screaming electric guitars'')

** That is, until 1981-1982, when a combination of social, economic, and financial factors suddenly brought Amerca's "disco fever" to a crashing halt: A mild recession in 1981 tanked everyone's spending money, and combinded with the new AIDS epidemic scaring the LGBT community, the disco clubs emptied out. This significantly reduced exposure to new disco artists, and disco lost status in the music charts. The majority conservative, rock-loving U.S. population (the hetero-white poor and middle classes) sensed this weakening, and culturally revolted against the multi-ethnic, gender-empowering, hedonistic themes of disco music. [[Creator/MTV MTV]] (launched in August of '81), filled the void left by disco with a revitalized rock music industry (both album sales and concert tickets), allowing the second British Invasion to evict the 70's-style, disco-era fashions. A new, materialist 80's sensibility took hold, and by mid-1982, "Disco fever" and [[TheSeventies the 70's]] were crushed, ushering in '''''[[TheEighties the 80's]]'''''.

* {{Defictionalization}}: The details of the magazine article on which the film was loosely based, was totally fabricated by the author, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Rites_of_the_New_Saturday_Night Nik Cohn]]. As Cohn wouldn't reveal this fact for nearly 20 years, ''Saturday Night Fever'' ironically became the blueprint for real-life nightlife in many U.S. cities until 1981, when a combination of MTV (thrusting a revitalized rock genre back into everyone's faces) and a recession (which reduced everyone's spending money) finally squashed "disco fever".

* HostilityOnTheSet: While filming the final bridge scene, Travolta insisted that Tony should be standing up on the beam while trying to coax Bobby C. off the bridge, as it would show Tony's confidence. Director John Badham told him that other shots for the scene had already been shot with Tony's stunt double crawling on the beam, and they couldn't reshoot them because the stunt doubles had gone home; Travolta had no choice but to crawl to keep the shots consistent. Travolta walked off set to his trailer and refused to return until Tony was allowed to stand up.

* WagTheDirector: Creator/JohnTravolta had worked hard on the "You Should Be Dancing" sequence and threatened to quit the film when the studio suggested it should be shot in close-up instead of full-body. Travolta claims he had to go to Paramount Studios and re-edit the sequence himself.

* WorkingTitle: ''Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night'', the title of the New York Magazine article that inspired it. The film's title was ultimately shortened to "Saturday Night", as a direct reference to the fact that Tony and his friends inhabited 2001 Odyssey on Saturday nights. However, when Music/TheBeeGees submitted the soundtrack, one of the songs, "Night Fever", was thought to embody the film's spirit better than the original. Director John Badham added the word "Saturday" and it replaced the original title.

** When they shot the first bridge scene, director John Badham kept secret from Donna Pescow the fact that when the guys "fell off" the bridge, they actually landed on a platform a few feet below. Badham and the other actors did not tell her about the platform because they wanted a genuine look of horror and anger on Annette's face when Tony, Double J. and Joey appeared to fall off. Therefore, Donna's reaction to them falling, and her facial expressions turning from horror and shock to outright anger, were real, and her next line, "You fuckers!", was not scripted.
** During filming, Travolta's girlfriend Diana Hyland (who played the original mother Joan Bradford on Series/EightIsEnough) was dying of cancer[[note]]in fact, he was initially going to turn down this film to stay home with her but she insisted he take it, correctly predicting it would make him a star.[[/note]]. The scene where Tony comes home to find his brother had left the priesthood was filmed immediately after Travolta had flown back from Hyland's funeral. His downbeat, meditative tone in that scene was ''not'' made up.
* NoStuntDouble: Travolta did his own dancing, and took three hours of dancing lessons a day for eight months to be sure he'd be up to it.

* WagTheDirector: Creator/JohnTravolta had worked hard on the "You Should Be Dancing" sequence and threatened to quit the film when the studio suggested it should be shot in close-up instead of full-body.

* OldShame: John Badham says in the DVDCommentary that he hadn't watched the movie in years and was horrified at the racist language the gang use when walking into the disco for the first time. Though he said it was pretty accurate of Brooklyn residents at the time and likely still is.

* {{Defictionalization}}: The details of the magazine article on which the film was loosely based, was totally fabricated by the author, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Rites_of_the_New_Saturday_Night Nik Cohn]]. As Cohn wouldn't reveal this fact for nearly 20 years, ''Saturday Night Fever'' ironically became the blueprint for real-life nightlife in many U.S. cities until around 1981 or 1982, when a combination of MTV (thrusting a revitalized rock genre back into everyone's faces) and a recession (which reduced everyone's spending money) finally squashed "disco fever".

* AFIS100Years100Songs:
** #9, "Stayin' Alive"

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: When people think of TheSeventies, they think of this movie. When they think of this movie, they think of the 70s.

* CutSong: Two additional songs for the film ended up not being used. One was Music/TheBeeGees singing their self-penned version of "If I Can't Have You", and Samantha Sang's "Emotion". The latter was recorded by Music/DestinysChild in 2001--t the song was played on radio playlists after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the New York City World Trade Center.

* AmateurCast: More than 40% of the cast made their feature debuts in this film including, Joseph Cali, Shelly Batt, Denny Dillon, Fran Drescher, Donald Gantry, Adrienne King, Ellen March, Bruce Ornstein, Paul Pape, Lisa Peluso, Donna Pescow, Ann Travolta and mother Helen Travolta (her only feature cameo).

* {{Defictionalization}}: The details of the magazine article on which the film was loosely based, was totally fabricated by the author, Nik Cohn [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Rites_of_the_New_Saturday_Night]]. As Cohn wouldn't reveal this fact for nearly 20 years, ''Saturday Night Fever'' ironically became the blueprint for real-life nightlife in many U.S. cities until around 1981 or 1982, when a combination of MTV (thrusting a revitalized rock genre back into everyone's faces) and a recession (which reduced everyone's spending money) finally squashed "disco fever".
* DVDCommentary: One by director, John Badham.

* OldShame: Badham says in the commentary that he hadn't watched the movie in years and was horrified at the racist language the gang use when walking into the disco for the first time. Though he said it was pretty accurate of Brooklyn residents at the time and likely still is.

** The scene where Fran Drescher puts her hand on Travolta's butt was not in the original script. Travolta and director John Badham thought that it would be something that a woman like Connie would do, however, so it was kept in.

* BigNameFan: Creator/GeneSiskel's all time favorite movie.

* WhatCouldHaveBee:

* {{Defictionalization}}: The magazine article on which the film was loosely based was bullshit, but ''Saturday Night Fever'' ironically became the blueprint for nightlife in many cities.

* CreatorCameo: John Badham is in the crowd when Frank goes to the disco.

* ScreenToStageAdaptation: The 1998 musical.

* TitledAfterTheSong: The sequel, ''Staying Alive''.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/RayLiotta auditioned for Joey.

** [[Series/OutOfThisWorld Donna Pescow]] (Annette) gained 30 lbs to better fit the role, as well as training herself back to her Brooklyn accent. (Immediately after the film was done, she set to work losing the extra weight and the accent.)

* EnforcedMethodActing: When they shot the first bridge scene, director John Badham kept secret from Donna Pescow the fact that when the guys "fell off" the bridge, they actually landed on a platform a few feet below. Badham and the other actors did not tell her about the platform because they wanted a genuine look of horror and anger on Annette's face when Tony, Double J. and Joey appeared to fall off. Therefore, Donna's reaction to them falling, and her facial expressions turning from horror and shock to outright anger, were real, and her next line, "You fuckers!", was not scripted.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Creator/FranDrescher has a minor role; she often commented about being in the film as a strange route to stardom.
** [[Series/DreamOn Denny Dillon]] also has a minor role.

** Creator/RayLiotta and David Caruso auditioned for Joey.
** Creator/CarrieFisher, Creator/JessicaLange, and Kathleen Quinlan were all considered for Stephanie Mangano. Creator/AmyIrving was one of the finalists for the role.

** Badham wanted to show His getting attacked by the gang but scriptwriter, Norman Wexler insisted they keep showing things from Tony's point of view.