20. They Didn’t Like Each Other During Filming
There are hundreds of thousands of people that say Dirty Dancing is easily their favorite movies ever, and it is obvious why: it makes you feel good, and it is a classic. But did you know that Jennifer Grey thought the movie would be a flop? She had no idea that it will become a classic and an all-time favorite for millions of people all over the world.
But we bet you didn’t see these next Easter eggs in the movie, or what actors went through as they filmed. Here are some juicy facts behind the scenes you would never think you would spot!
Grey was not happy when she learned that Swayze was chosen to play Johnny. Both of them starred in “Red Dawn” and did not get along well on that film. They’d fight before filming a scene, even though the dance tests they took together were so good. Outside of takes, they didn’t want to talk to one another!
19. A Great Dancer
In 2016, Grey spoke of Swayze, seven years after he died, saying that her co-star was a “great dancer and he was fearless.” She also remembers that they were like in a marriage that has two opposites, and that “he’d do anything and I’d be scared to do anything.”
Check out the next fact!
18. The Crawling Scene
Can you believe that one of the most famous scenes in the movie where Baby and Johnny crawl towards each other was actually a spontaneous scene? The scene was first taken during a rehearsal, and they crawled on the floor for a warm-up and the director loved the action that he made it part of the movie!
17. The “Arm Tickling” Scene
Grey couldn’t keep a straight face when Swayze trailed his fingers down her arm in a famous scene, so she started laughing. The actor found it annoying, probably because he was eager to finish filming that scene. How did they make it look sensual is beyond us, but let’s face it, Patrick Swayze’s sexual look on his face did help a lot!
16. He Was Exhausted
When talking about the scene, Swayze said the following:
“I was on overdrive for the whole shoot – staying up all night to do rewrites, squeezing in dance rehearsals, shooting various scenes – and was exhausted a lot of the time,” adding that taking many retakes was not something to be patient about.
15. Spray Painting the Trees
The water dancing scene was shot in October and leaves were starting to fall from the trees. Probably not many viewers noticed it, as they were focused on the pair that was walking on the log. But if you watch closely, some leaves are falling to the ground.
The next fact is also about the water dancing scene…
14. The Lake Scene
You probably had no idea that most of the movie was filmed in Virginia, but the lake scene was filmed in North Carolina. Also, the fact that it was mid-October, made the filming unable to get a close-up during the water scene because the actors were so cold that their lips were blue!
13. Costume Changes
Did you notice that Baby’s outfit in a scene appears to have a different color? We did, and not only that: the film is set in 1960, but she wears denim jeans fashioned and popular for the 60s. The jeans in the 60s were dungarees – loose around the legs, and these shorts were not in the fashion 20 years earlier.
12. Contrasting Clothes
It was deliberately chosen that Johnny and Baby wear contrasting colors to make the scenes look more dramatic. Johnny wears dark and Baby wears either light or vibrant colors.
Now let’s check out some of the romantic lines and songs at #6.
11. “The Most Romantic Quote Ever”
According to the Daily Mail, Dirty dancing is the most romantic movie ever, and the number one quote was: “I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.” Another famous quote is: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner,” although Patrick Swayze hated it.
Get ready for #2!
10. The Age of the Characters
Did you know that Jennifer Grey was 10 years older than what Baby was supposed to be? She was 27 when filming the movie and Baby was meant to be 17. While auditioning, Grey had to prove in 5 minutes that she can play younger than she was and that she had the moves for the role!
As for Swayze, Johnny was meant to be 25 in the movie, while he was actually 34 when filming.
9. Dirty Dancing Sequel
Believe it or not, but Swayze refused six million dollars when he was offered to return for a sequel to Dirty Dancing as his character Johnny. He said that he was not a fan of filming sequels. However, the original writer of the film, Eleanor Bergstein, said she is thinking of creating her two favorite dancers in the modern times!
8. Swayze Did His Own Stunts
Swayze insisted he did his own stunts to make everything look real, but he did get hurt during the dance on the log scene. He fell on rubber mats, but it was for several times, and his old knee injury made him go to the hospital.
7. Baby’s Name Is After Frances C. Perkins
In a scene, Baby tells Johnny that her name is Frances, after the Secretary of Labor, Francis C. Perkins. The choice of this name indicates Baby’s parents were liberal Democrats, a hint that the screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein was also named after the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, mimicking the same naming after a political figure.
6. The Famous Dirty Dancing Song
We don’t need to tell you that the most famous Dirty Dancing song is (I’ve had) The Time Of My Life! It was voted #86 in the American Film Institute’s list called “100 years… 100 Songs.”
But did you know that it was almost not made? The soundtrack was produced by Jimmy Ienner, and thought of Franke Previte… Here’s what Previte said about it.
5. Write Me a Song
In an interview, Previte said that he got a call from Jimmy Ienner:
“Jimmy asked me to write a song for this little movie called Dirty Dancing. I told him I didn’t have the time and he said, ‘Make time. This could change your life.” And it did…
4. Written in the Car
Previte’s former bandmate John DeNicola and a friend Don Markowitz made the music:
“I received a track from John and Donny and I wrote the lyric and melody for the chorus in the car while I was driving along the Garden State Parkway, going to a studio session for another song.”
3. Cynthia Rhodes Looked Too Good
In the agony scene, Cynthia Rhodes looked too good, and the make-up crew had to make her look worse! Another detail in a scene with Cynthia Rhodes – Penny, that you probably didn’t know was when she was dancing with Johnny. She had a criss-cross back for the dress and Johnny kept getting his fingers stuck in it!
2. The Sexy “Cry to Me” Scene
One of the sexiest moment in the film history is the “Cry to me” scene. It was actually supposed to be longer and feature “She’s Like The Wind,” which would have been performed by Patrick Swayze. However, that scene was replaced by Johnny and Baby making love. The long version of the deleted scenes can be seen on the 2007 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD release.
1. Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón
Ardolino had many issues with dance doubles in Flashdance, so he cast experienced dancers for Dirty Dancing to avoid problems and to make the movie look natural. For example, Jennifer Beal’s iconic audition at the end of Flashdance has featured Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón during the breakdancing elements of the routine. Can you see it?