Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel was a resort in the Catskill Mountains in the Town of Liberty , near the village of Liberty, New York . It was a kosher establishment that catered primarily to Jewish clients from New York City . Under the direction of hostess Jennie Grossinger , it became one of the largest Borscht Belt resorts. After decades of activity and notable guests, it closed in 1986. Most of the buildings on site had been demolished by 2018; however, a few remained in decrepit condition, and were destroyed in a fire in 2022.
86-761: Asher Selig Grossinger and his wife, Malka Grumet Grossinger, were both born in Baligrod , a small village in Galicia , Poland. They immigrated to the United States in the 1890s. After several failed business ventures, Asher's health was failing, and around 1913 the family moved from New York City to Ferndale in Sullivan County in the Catskill Mountains in the 1900s. There he rented rooms to visitors from New York City. His wife, Malka, operated
172-528: A made-for-television musical adaptation in 2017, and an untitled sequel scheduled to be released in 2025, with Grey reprising her role. In the summer of 1963, teenager Frances "Baby" Houseman is vacationing with her family— cardiologist father Jake, mother Marge and older sister Lisa—at Kellerman's, an upscale Catskills resort in the Borscht Belt owned by Jake's sarcastic best friend Max. Exploring one night, Baby secretly observes Max instructing
258-751: A vacation resort . The film was based on screenwriter Bergstein's own childhood. She originally wrote a screenplay for the Michael Douglas film It's My Turn , but she ultimately ended up conceiving a story for a film which became Dirty Dancing . She finished the script in 1985, but management changes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put the film in development hell . The production company was changed to Vestron Pictures with Emile Ardolino as director and Linda Gottlieb as producer. Filming took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina , and Mountain Lake, Virginia , with
344-426: A "compassionate depiction of abortion in which the woman seeking an abortion was not demonized with the primary concerns being her health and preserving her capacity to bear children at a future time rather than the ethical dilemma that might or might not inform her decision, a portrayal that is not necessarily available in current films." The film drew adult audiences instead of the expected teens, with viewers rating
430-507: A 250 room hotel, convention centre, private residences and other amenities. Sullivan Resorts LLC was said to be "a subsidiary of owner Louis Cappelli's Valhalla-based Cappelli Enterprises". The author of a news item in September 2019 did not seem as certain as to the long-term plan for the property. Like most Catskill resorts, Grossinger's grew over time, evolving from a Victorian hotel, later remodeled with Mission-style improvements, through
516-460: A Tudor-styled expansion in the 1940s and ending with the construction of Modernist-styled accommodations and entertainment facilities in the 1950s and 1960s. The original building, the former Nichols House, was designed by Frank Cottle, a local architect. Competition from nearby resorts drove the 1940s expansion, expanding the dining room on a large scale and creating the Terrace Room club and
602-573: A follow-up multi-platinum album in February 1988, entitled More Dirty Dancing . Songs from the album that appeared on the charts included: The Dirty Dancing album held the number one spot on the Billboard album chart for over four months. As of July 2022, the Dirty Dancing album has sold over 14 million copies. Additionally, the resurgence in popularity of the oldies contained in
688-591: A knee injury. However, Swayze read the script, liked the multi-level character of Johnny, and took the part anyway. After this, Johnny's heritage was changed from being Italian to Irish. Grey was initially not happy about the choice, as she and Swayze had difficulty getting along on Red Dawn , but when they did their dancing screen test, the chemistry between them was obvious. Bergstein described it as "breathtaking". Other casting choices were Broadway actor Jerry Orbach as Dr. Jake Houseman, Baby's father; and Jane Brucker as Lisa Houseman, her older sister. Bergstein, as
774-568: A midnight showing of the four-hour documentary Woodstock , and an appearance by John Sebastian , who advised, "Don't eat the purple tzimmes ." Abbie Hoffman , who was thrown off the Woodstock stage by Pete Townshend of The Who for making a political speech, was brought in by Grossinger's for the promotion. In 1986, the Grossinger descendants sold the property to Servico. Grossinger's main hotel and main resort areas closed in 1986, but
860-486: A place in the history of skiing as the first resort in the world to use artificial snow . During the years that the resort was operated by their daughter Jennie Grossinger , it expanded to over 35 buildings. The main building contained an enormous dining room capable of seating 1,300 guests; under the dining room there was a vast, cavernous night club called the “Terrace Room". It had its own airstrip and post office. During his fighting days, Rocky Marciano would train at
946-493: A popular place of country gentleman's meetings. Salomea Bal Karsziniki, John Bal's daughter, was the last of the Bal family line to own the town as her son Andrew Karsznicki inherited the town after her. By the 19th century, Baligród's land was owned by many different people. In 1879, a Jewish settler by the name of Hersch Grossinger bought Baligród for 50,000 zlotys . Baligród was mainly composed of farmers and cattle breeders causing
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#17327941023611032-408: A screenplay for the Michael Douglas film It's My Turn ; however, the producers cut an erotic dancing scene from the script, prompting her to conceive a new story that took inspiration from her youth dance competitions. In 1984, she pitched the idea to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) executive Eileen Miselle, who liked it and teamed Bergstein with producer Linda Gottlieb. They set the film in 1963, with
1118-505: A successful climactic lift. Dr. Houseman admits he was wrong about Johnny and reconciles with Baby, and all the staff and guests join Baby and Johnny dancing to " (I've Had) The Time of My Life ". "Cousin Brucie" Morrow appears in a cameo as a magician; Morrow himself could be heard as a DJ's voice in different parts of the film. Emile Ardolino and Matthew Broderick (who was dating Grey at
1204-454: A weekly television series of the same name , however with no involvement of the original cast or crew. Starring Melora Hardin as Baby and Patrick Cassidy as Johnny, it was canceled after ten episodes. In 2004, a prequel film was released, entitled Havana Nights . Starring Romola Garai and Diego Luna , the plot follows a sheltered American teenager learning about life through dance, when her family relocates to Havana, Cuba just before
1290-663: Is a village in Lesko County , in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship ( province ) of south-eastern Poland . It is also the seat of the municipality ( gmina ) called Gmina Baligród . Location: 49°21' N 22°17' E . From 1 January 1999 until 1 January 2002 it was located in Bieszczady County. Baligród, previously called Balówgród is a village situated in the valley of the Hoczewka river near
1376-437: Is ready to fire Johnny, but Baby backs up his alibi, revealing she was with Johnny the night of the theft. The real thieves, Sydney and Sylvia Schumacher, are caught, but Johnny is still fired for mixing with Baby. Before leaving, Johnny tries to talk to Dr. Houseman but is accused of only trying to get at Baby. Baby later apologizes to her father for lying, but not for her romance with Johnny, and then accuses him of classism. At
1462-468: The 1959 Cuban Revolution . Swayze was paid $ 5 million to appear in a cameo role as a dance teacher. The film was a minor box office success but received mostly negative reviews from critics. The film was adapted for the stage in 2004 as a musical, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage . Produced by Jacobsen Entertainment in Australia for $ 6.5 million, it was written by Eleanor Bergstein and had
1548-644: The Academy Award for Best Original Song , the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song , and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals . The film's popularity successfully launched its titular franchise , including a 1988 television series , multiple reality competition shows , a 2004 prequel titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights , a stage production which has had sellout performances in multiple countries,
1634-788: The Aldwych Theatre on October 23, 2006, with the highest pre-sell in London history, earning £6 million (US$ 12 million). As of March 2011 , over 1 million people have seen the musical in London, selling out 6 months in advance. The original West End production closed in July 2011 after a five-year run, prior to a two-year national tour. The show returned to the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre and ran from July 13, 2013, to February 22, 2014, before resuming its tour of
1720-542: The Bieszczady mountains . The settlement of Baligród occurred during the early parts of the 17th century by Sanocki Podkomorzy Piotr II Bal (Peter). A castle was built between 1600 and 1615 in this location with defense surrounding the castle. This defense included the Hoczewka and Stężnicki streams on three sides of the castle. The existence of the town is shown through a document that was issued by King Wladyslaw IV and
1806-804: The National Theatre in Washington, DC with dates scheduled in 31 cities. Previews started August 26 and the official opening night was on September 2. The original tour's cast included Jillian Mueller as Frances "Baby" Houseman, Samuel Pergande as Johnny Castle, Jenny Winton as Penny Johnson, Mark Elliot Wilson as Dr. Jake Houseman, Emily Rice as Lisa Houseman, Gary Lynch as Max Kellerman, Jesse Liebman as Neil Kellerman, Caralyn Kozlowski as Marjorie Houseman, Sam Edgerly as Robbie Gould, Jerome Harmann-Hardeman as Tito Suarez, Doug Carpenter as Billy Kostecki, Amanda Brantley as Vivian Pressman, Jon Drake as Moe Pressman, and Herman Petras as Mr. Schumacher. For
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#17327941023611892-728: The Ukrainian Insurgent Army targeted and murdered Polish civilians. In the summer of 1942, 1200 local Jews were sent to the Zasław concentration camp and later sent to the Belzec extermination camp . The Jewish cemetery became an execution place of the Jews and Poles. The main synagogue was burned down by the Germans and its ruins dismantled after the war. The Jewish Cemetery was also destroyed and roads were paved with tombstones. In
1978-549: The "stand-in" method that had been used with Flashdance (1983). For the female lead of Frances "Baby" Houseman, Winona Ryder , Sarah Jessica Parker and Sharon Stone were considered. Bergstein chose the 26-year-old Jennifer Grey , daughter of the Oscar-winning actor and dancer Joel Grey ( Cabaret (1972)). Grey was paid $ 50,000 for her role. The producers then sought a male lead, initially considering 20-year-old Billy Zane , though initial screen tests when he
2064-510: The "third most popular song played at funerals" in the UK. In October 2021, amid a dispute over abortion in Texas , magazine The Hollywood Reporter recommended the film as one to revisit on abortion in the cinema industry. Angie Han, writing for the magazine, highlighted Eleanor Bergstein 's writing of the film. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Rehearsals for
2150-537: The 1988 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, an Academy Award for Best Original Song , and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song . The film's soundtrack started an oldies music revival, and demand for the album caught RCA Records by surprise. The Dirty Dancing album spent 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went platinum 14 times, selling more than 32 million copies worldwide. It spawned
2236-475: The 20th anniversary in 2007, the film was re-released in theaters with additional footage, while the original film was reissued on DVD with deleted scenes , and included writer commentary. At the same time, Codemasters released Dirty Dancing: The Video Game . In the United Kingdom, the anniversary was marked by a reality TV show based on the film; titled Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life , which
2322-556: The Catskills (as many of the Borscht Belt resorts had been shut down at that point), so they decided on a combination of two locations: Lake Lure, North Carolina , and the Mountain Lake Hotel near Pembroke, Virginia , and with careful editing made it look like all shooting was done in the same area. Director Ardolino was adamant that they choose dancers, such as Swayze, who could also act, as he did not want to use
2408-634: The Jewish school building and opened their own school forcing the Polish school to go into the poorest area of the town. During this time when Germany occupied Poland, Baligród became a gathering area for some surrounding villages near the Bieszczady Mountains. These small villages included Solina, Wołkowyja, and Zawóz. It was also the place of the Baligród massacre , during which soldiers of
2494-707: The Pink Elephant bar. The Terrace Room was expanded and renovated in 1949 by architect Morris Lapidus : one of his first hotel commissions. Grossinger's inspired "Kellerman's Mountain Resort" in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing . A feature documentary about the resort is scheduled for release in 2025, produced by Harris Salomon of Atlantic Overseas Pictures Television and Robert Friedman of Bungalow Media and Entertainment. 41°47′23″N 74°43′23″W / 41.7898°N 74.7230°W / 41.7898; -74.7230 Baligrod Baligród [baˈlʲiɡrut]
2580-492: The Second Polish Republic. And in 1879, the first town church was formed. The town stayed within the Bal family name until the end of the 18th century. The town was inherited by Peter's son, Stephen Bal. After Stephen, Baligród was passed down to his son Jon (John). John Bal was a huge contributor to the economic boom that Baligród had at the time. With his help, the town became a hugely famous wine market and
2666-613: The Ukranina Ingugency's support base in Baligród. The Remnants of the region's Ukrainian population were relocated to the Recovered Territories . The first major decrease in the population of Baligród occurred in the 1720s after The Great Northern War had caused large amounts of damage throughout the town. The next large decrease in population had occurred during and after World War I as they were caught in
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2752-576: The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Another West End revival played at the Dominion Theatre from February 2 to April 16, 2022, then again between January 21 to April 29, 2023. A New York production was in the planning stage in 2006, with the show first starting in other North American cities. It broke box office records in May 2007 for its first such venue, selling $ 2 million on
2838-517: The area of Woronikowka dating back to 1605 in historical records. Up until the end of the 18th century, the Jewish population of Baligród most likely worked with the Jewish Cooperative of Lesko, a Jewish Community in a larger town near Baligród. The Jews of Baligród were an average shtetl (Jewish village) that was composed of different shuls. Overall within the community, there were many young and sophisticated people. Hasidism dominated in
2924-399: The area. The Concord Resort was part of the same deal. Demolition of the remaining buildings on the resort started in summer 2018. The last building at Grossinger's was demolished on October 19, 2018. One of the remaining buildings on the property burned to the ground on August 16, 2022. In February 2019, a news report stated that Sullivan Resorts LLC intended to build a "$ 50 million resort with
3010-803: The autumn leaves green. The weather became cold, causing the lake's temperatures to drop to near 40 °F (4 °C) for the famous swimming scene, which was filmed in October. Despite her character's enjoyment, Grey later described the water as "horrifically" cold, and she might not have gone into the lake, except that she was "young and hungry". Relations between the two main stars varied throughout production. They had already had trouble getting along in their previous project, Red Dawn (1984), and worked things out enough to have an extremely positive screen test, but that initial cooperation soon faded, and they were soon "facing off" before every scene. To address this, producer Bergstein and director Ardolino forced
3096-682: The autumn of 1942, Germans had taken 880 Jews to Załawie and killed them. Between 1944 and 1946, members of the Ukrainian minority in Poland were forcibly repatriated from Poland to the Soviet Union. On March 28, 1947, Polish General Karol Swierczewski was killed nearby on a road to Cisna, close to Jablonki, by members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army . In 1947, the People's Republic of Poland conducted Operation Vistula in an effort to eliminate
3182-611: The beach games, the Houseman family's cabins, the water lift scene and Penny crying in the kitchen. Filming started for Dirty Dancing on September 5, 1986, and lasted just 43 days. The production had to battle bad weather, including outside temperatures of 105 °F (41 °C). With the camera and lighting equipment needed for filming, the temperature inside could be as high as 120 °F (49 °C). According to choreographer Kenny Ortega, 10 people passed out within 25 minutes of shooting one day. Paula Trueman collapsed and
3268-484: The cemetery. The Jewish Community of Baligród had its own cemetery and religious school, with approximately 40 students enrolled. Most Jewish families made a living off of trade and craft, especially in the market days. They owned 52 stores, taverns, and inns throughout Baligród. From January to March 1915, Baligród was in the middle of a World War I warzone between the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies. The fighting
3354-577: The character of Baby based on Bergstein's own life and the character of Johnny based on the stories of Michael Terrace , a dance instructor whom Bergstein met in the Catskills in 1985 while she was researching the story. She finished the script in November 1985, but management changes at MGM put the script into turnaround , or limbo. Bergstein gave the script to other studios but was repeatedly rejected until she brought it to Vestron Pictures . While honing their pitch to Vestron, Gottlieb had agreed to cut
3440-406: The dancing, and some filming, used music from Bergstein's personal collection of gramophone records. When it came time to select actual music for the film, Vestron chose Jimmy Ienner as music supervisor. Ienner, who had previously produced albums and songs for John Lennon and Three Dog Night , opted to stick with much of the music that had already been used during filming and obtained licenses for
3526-402: The end of the meeting, Peisinger had greenlit the project to become Vestron's first feature film production. The approved film was budgeted at the relatively low amount of $ 5 million, at a time when the average cost for a film was $ 12 million. For choreographer, Bergstein chose Kenny Ortega , who had been trained by Gene Kelly . For a location, they did not find anything suitable in
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3612-422: The end-of-season talent show, Dr. Houseman gives Robbie a recommendation letter for medical school, but when Robbie admits that he got Penny pregnant, and then insults her and Baby, Dr. Houseman angrily grabs the letter back. Johnny arrives and disrupts the final song by bringing Baby up on stage and declaring that she has made him a better person, and then they perform the dance they practiced all summer, ending with
3698-399: The family name of Roth. Dirty Dancing Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein , produced by Linda Gottlieb , and directed by Emile Ardolino . Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey , it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) at
3784-410: The film a "marginal Thumbs Up" as he liked Jennifer Grey's acting and development of her character, while Roger Ebert gave it "Thumbs Down" due to its "idiot plot", calling it a "tired and relentlessly predictable story of love between kids from different backgrounds." Time magazine was lukewarm, saying, "If the ending of Eleanor Bergstein's script is too neat and inspirational, the rough energy of
3870-445: The film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. The New York Times described the film as "a metaphor for America in the summer of 1963— orderly, prosperous, bursting with good intentions, a sort of Yiddish-inflected Camelot." Other reviews were more mixed: Gene Siskel gave
3956-470: The film contained an abortion scene, they asked for that part of the plot to be cut. As Bergstein refused, the Clearasil promotion was dropped. Consequently, Vestron promoted the film themselves and initially aimed for a July premiere before setting the premiere on August 16, 1987. The Vestron executives had planned to release the film in theaters for a weekend, and then home video, since Vestron had been in
4042-494: The film highly. Many filmgoers, after seeing the film once, went back into the theater to watch it a second time. Word-of-mouth promotion took the film to the number one position in the United States, and in 10 days it had broken the $ 10 million mark. By November, it was also achieving international fame. Within seven months of release, it had brought in $ 63 million in the US and boosted attendance in dance classes across America. It
4128-690: The film's score composed by John Morris and dance choreography by Kenny Ortega . Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987 and was released on August 21 in the United States, earning over $ 214 million worldwide—$ 64 million in the US and Canada and $ 150 million in other territories. It earned positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Grey and Swayze, and its soundtrack , created by Jimmy Ienner , generated two multi- platinum albums and multiple singles. " (I've Had) The Time of My Life ", performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes , won
4214-534: The film's song and dance does carry one along, past the whispered doubts of better judgment." In a retrospective review, Jezebel ' s Irin Carmon called the film "the greatest movie of all time" as "a great, brave movie for women" with "some subtle, retrospectively sharp-eyed critiques of class and gender." Abortion rights advocates have called the film the "gold standard" for cinematic portrayals of abortion, which author Yannis Tzioumakis described as offering
4300-435: The film's writer, also attempted to cast her friend, sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer , to play Mrs. Schumacher (and Joel Grey as Dr. Ruth's husband). However, Westheimer backed out when she learned the role involved her playing a thief. The role went instead to 89-year-old Paula Trueman . Another role went to Bergstein's friend, New York radio personality "Cousin Brucie" Morrow . She initially wanted him to portray
4386-727: The first day of ticket sales in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The production opened on November 15, 2007, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with an all-Canadian cast, except for Monica West (Baby Houseman), Britta Lazenga (Penny Johnson), and Al Sapienza (Jake Houseman). After Toronto, the musical opened in Chicago in previews on September 28, 2008, and officially on October 19, 2008, running through January 17, 2009, followed by Boston (February 7 – March 15, 2009) and Los Angeles. An official American tour began in September 2014 at
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#17327941023614472-418: The golf course stayed open until 2017, and was kept maintained. The members of the golf clubhouse called the course "Big G". The golf course clubhouse was demolished in July 2018. Servico failed to reopen the hotel due to the massive costs associated with it. Numerous other companies also failed to accomplish the same feat. It was owned by Louis Cappelli as of September 2013, who was hoping for casinos to come to
4558-409: The interior dancing scenes, Baby carrying the watermelon and practicing on the signature stairs, Johnny's cabin, the staff cabins and the famous "log" scenes. The final dance scene was filmed at the camp gymnasium, which no longer stands. The golf scene where Baby asks her father for $ 250 was filmed at Rumbling Bald Golf Course. Scenes filmed at Mountain Lake included dining scenes, Kellerman's Hotel,
4644-490: The kosher kitchen, and Jennie Grossinger (1891–1972), his daughter, was the hostess. They called their home Longbrook House. In 1919, they sold it and purchased a bigger house on 100 acres (0.40 km), calling it Grossinger's Terrace Hill House. Reportedly, the Grossinger family offered a million dollars to rename the local New York, Ontario and Western Railway train station at Ferndale to "Grossingers", but were rebuffed by competing hoteliers. In 1952, Grossinger's earned
4730-448: The main occupation to be breeding and cultivation. The town's farm listing in 1870 included 50 horses, 166 oxen, 117 cows, 63 sheep, and 63 pigs. In 1634 the town received Magdeburg rights and privileges allowing the townspeople to host markets, fairs, and wine storage. Due to Baligród being situated on the travel trade route to Hungary, opportunities for greater economic development grew. Markets were becoming more popular. A regular market
4816-469: The meantime. Baby learns Johnny's dance partner Penny is pregnant by Robbie, a waiter and womanizer who attends the Yale School of Medicine and now has his eye on Lisa. When Robbie refuses to help Penny, Baby borrows money from her father, without explaining why, to pay for Penny's abortion. At first, Penny declines as it would cause her and Johnny to miss a performance at a nearby resort, costing them
4902-454: The middle of a war zone between two opposing armies, a situation that caused great destruction and instilled fear into the people of Baligród. During World War II, mass deportations of the Jews and mass killings likewise greatly decreased the town's population. Baligród still remains as a village in Poland. After World War II, the Jewish community and Ukrainians never returned to Baligród and to this day there are very few, if any, Jews living in
4988-407: The most delicate and honest moments in the film." Grey has stated that the final climactic lift was never rehearsed and only ever done on the day the scene was shot. The shooting wrapped on October 27, 1986, both on-time and on-budget. No one on the team, however, liked the rough cut that was put together, and Vestron executives were convinced the film was going to be a flop. In May 1987, the film
5074-404: The movie led to a re-release of The Contours ' single " Do You Love Me ." "Do You Love Me" was featured in the movie but was omitted from the original soundtrack; it was included on More Dirty Dancing . Upon being re-released, "Do You Love Me" became a surprise hit all over again, this time peaking at No. 11 (it originally hit No. 3 back in 1962). In Sweden, feminist art group Sisters of Jam put
5160-555: The movie. The wood floor from the final dance scene was salvaged and used in Esmeralda Inn and Restaurant. The film is screened annually for incoming first-years at Mount Holyoke College , specifically for the line "Baby's starting Mount Holyoke in the fall." In 1988, a music tour, Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert , featuring Bill Medley and Eric Carmen , played 90 cities in three months. In October 1988, CBS launched
5246-492: The name at that time of Carole Bishop, and had been a professional dancer.) Principal photography for Dirty Dancing took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina , and Mountain Lake, Virginia . Scenes in Lake Lure were filmed at a former Boy Scout Camp called Camp Chimney Rock, which is now a private, residential community known as Firefly Cove where only the stone steps where Baby practiced still exist. These scenes included
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#17327941023615332-444: The proposed budget in half. Bergstein and Gottlieb then chose Emile Ardolino as the film's director; Ardolino had never directed a feature film, but was extremely passionate about the project after reading the script while he was on jury duty. The team of Gottlieb, Bergstein, and Ardolino then presented their vision for the film to Vestron's president, Jon Peisinger, and the company's vice president for production, Mitchell Cannold. By
5418-673: The rate of over 40,000 per month. As of 2005 , it was selling a million DVDs per year, with over ten million copies sold as of 2007 . A May 2007 survey by Britain's Sky Movies listed Dirty Dancing as number one on "Women's most-watched films", above the Star Wars trilogy , Grease , The Sound of Music , and Pretty Woman . The film's popularity has also caused it to be called "the Star Wars for girls." The film's music has also had considerable impact. The closing song, " (I've Had) The Time of My Life ", has been listed as
5504-477: The resort. In 1972, Jennie died and the decline began. By the late 1970s and 1980s, resorts like Grossinger's or the Concord could no longer attract younger guests. In August 1984, Grossinger's, in its dying years, promoted a Woodstock weekend to mark the 15th anniversary of the festival. It featured a workshop in tie-dyeing, a musical performance by David-Clayton Thomas , formerly of Blood, Sweat & Tears ,
5590-416: The role of Mrs. Houseman, and the film's assistant choreographer Miranda Garrison took on the role of Vivian. (When Baby is dancing in the final scene, the line that her mother says to Jerry Orbach, "She gets that from me ..." is a wink to the fact that Kelly Bishop was in the original cast of A Chorus Line winning a 1976 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance, using
5676-585: The same songs as the film, plus a few extra scenes. Musical direction was by Chong Lim (one of the composers for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney), and the initial production starred Kym Valentine as Baby and Sydney Dance Company's Josef Brown as Johnny. Although reviews were mixed, the production was a commercial success, selling over 200,000 tickets during its six-month run. It has also had sellout runs in Germany and in London's West End , where it opened at
5762-1054: The season's salary, but Baby volunteers to stand in for Penny. During her dance sessions with Johnny, they develop a mutual attraction, and despite their failure to execute a climactic lift, Johnny and Baby's performance is successful. Back at Kellerman's, Penny is badly injured by the botched abortion, and Baby enlists her father's help to stabilize Penny. Angered by Baby's deception, and assuming Johnny got Penny pregnant, Dr. Houseman commands Baby to stay away from them. Baby sneaks off to apologize to Johnny for her father's treatment, but Johnny feels he deserves it due to his lower status; Baby reassures him of his worth, declaring her love. They begin secretly seeing each other, and her father refuses to talk to her. Johnny rejects an indecent proposal by Vivian Pressman, an adulterous wife, who instead sleeps with Robbie, inadvertently foiling Lisa's plan to lose her virginity to him. When Vivian spots Baby leaving Johnny's cabin, she feels spurned and attempts revenge on Johnny by claiming he stole her husband's wallet. Max
5848-484: The shtetl, but there were other beliefs including Prominent Judaism, Talmidei Chachamim , and Pious Judaism. The first synagogue in Baligród was built near the beginning of the 18th century, even though the first records of the Jewish Community existing were not written until 1870. A second synagogue was built around the 19th century which was located in the northwest corner of the main square that had led to
5934-492: The social director, but then later asked him to play the part of the magician. Morrow himself could be heard at different parts of the movie as a New York area DJ (at the time of the film's setting he was working at WABC , a top 40 station), and served as period music consultant. The role of the social director went to the then-unknown Wayne Knight (later of Seinfeld and 3rd Rock from the Sun fame). The part of Baby's mother
6020-535: The songs from Bergstein's collection. He also enlisted Swayze to sing the new song " She's Like the Wind ". Swayze had written the song a few years earlier with Stacy Widelitz , originally intending for it to be used in the film Grandview, U.S.A. (1984). John Morris composed the film's score. The lyrics for the Kellermans' song that closes the talent show were written specifically for the film and were sung to
6106-430: The stars to re-watch their initial screen-tests—the ones with the "breathtaking" chemistry. This had the desired effect, and Swayze and Grey were able to return to the film with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Some of the scenes in the film are improvised. For example, the scene where Grey was to stand in front of Swayze with her back to him and put her arm up behind his head while he trailed his fingers down her arm. Grey
6192-579: The text "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" (in English) in white neon light at Umeå Bus Square (2008) and at Karlstad University (2012). The resort where Dirty Dancing was filmed has had themed weekend activities, such as dance lessons, guided tours, film screenings, parties, and lawn games. Lionsgate, however, stopped the Dirty Dancing festival in 2023, so a Lake Lure Dance Festival is held instead, though festival organizers say they still remember
6278-485: The time and co-starred with her in Ferris Bueller's Day Off ) have cameos. Dirty Dancing is based in large part on screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein 's own childhood: she is the younger daughter of a Jewish doctor from New York and had spent summers with her family in the Catskills where she participated in "Dirty Dancing" competitions; she was also nicknamed "Baby" herself as a girl. In 1980, Bergstein wrote
6364-478: The town. It continues to be an area with small family farms. As most of the area of Baligród Commune is covered by forests and forest land, local activity is being focused on the wood industry. Today, Baligród is a tourist place due to its location near the Bieszczady Mountains and the significant historical sites of the area. The family of the current Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich has roots in Baligród. The rabbi's mother's parents used to live there under
6450-436: The tune of " Annie Lisle ", a commonly used theme for school alma maters. Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison chose the song for the finale by going through an entire box of tapes, listening to each one. According to Ortega, literally the last tape they listened to had " The Time of My Life ", which they saw as the obvious choice. Ienner then insisted that Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes record it. The song won
6536-423: The video distribution business before film production. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 72% based on reviews from 74 critics and a rating average of 6.30/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles." Metacritic , another review aggregator, assigned
6622-413: The waiters, all Ivy League students, to romance the guests' daughters, no matter how unattractive. Max also demeans the working-class entertainment staff, including Johnny Castle, one of the dance instructors. Baby is attracted to Johnny and dances briefly with him after his kindhearted cousin, Billy, introduces them at a secret "dirty dancing" party for resort staff. Max's grandson Neil flirts with Baby in
6708-434: Was exhausted at the time and found the move ticklish, and could not stop giggling each time Swayze tried it, and he became annoyed. The footage was found in the editing room and the producers decided the scene worked as it was and put it into the film, complete with Grey's giggling and Swayze's annoyed expression. It became one of the most famous scenes in the movie, turning out, as choreographer Kenny Ortega put it, "as one of
6794-472: Was extremely dangerous and treacherous. Because of this, there was mass emigration during and after World War I. Around this time, some Zionism began to spread throughout Baligród. Just before the start of World War II on September 10, 1939, Slovakian and German troops occupied Baligród. Germany eventually opened a station for the Gestapo and an Arbeisamt (administration) in the area. The Ukrainians took over
6880-413: Was given to Peter's son Adam in 1634. As the town began to grow, public buildings began to be created. In 1808, the community of Baligród got its own bathhouse and hospital (house for the poor). In 1855 the first post office of Baligród was built, and in the same year the Baligród court district was created. During 1862 a public school was established. In 1876, Baligród had gotten its own medical doctor in
6966-409: Was held in the town on Mondays where Hungarian wine, wax, honey, leather, wool, and linen was sold. However, when the town began to decline in 1915, Baligród lost its municipal rights. Other industries in Baligród included town sawmills, a mill, smithy, bakery, craftsmen, tailors, and shoemakers. Jews living in Baligród date back to near the town's emergence. A Jewish man under the name Zelman lived in
7052-496: Was one of the highest-grossing films of 1987, earning $ 170 million worldwide. The film's popularity continued to grow after its initial release. It was the number one video rental of 1988 and became the first film to sell a million copies on video. When the film was re-released in 1997, ten years after its original release, Swayze received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and videos were still selling at
7138-399: Was originally given to Lynne Lipton , who is briefly visible in the beginning, when the Houseman family first pulls into Kellerman's (she is in the front seat for a few seconds; her blonde hair is the only indication), but she became ill during the first week of shooting and was replaced by actress Kelly Bishop , who had already been cast to play resort guest Vivian Pressman. Bishop moved into
7224-534: Was partnered with Grey did not meet expectations. Val Kilmer and Benicio del Toro were also considered for Johnny. The next choice was 34-year-old Patrick Swayze , who appeared in Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) and had co-starred with Grey on Red Dawn (1984). He was a seasoned dancer, with experience from the Joffrey Ballet . The producers were thrilled with him, but his resume read "No dancing" after
7310-476: Was screened for producer Aaron Russo . According to Vestron executive Mitchell Cannold, Russo's reaction at the end was to say simply, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance." Further disputes arose over whether a corporate sponsor could be found to promote the film. Marketers of the Clearasil acne product liked the film, seeing it as a vehicle to reach a teen target audience. However, when they learned
7396-405: Was taken to the local emergency room to be treated for dehydration. Patrick Swayze also required a hospital visit; insisting on doing his own stunts, he repeatedly fell off the log during the "balancing" scene and injured his knee so badly he had to have fluid drained from the swelling. Delays in the shooting schedule pushed filming into the autumn, which required the set decorators to spray-paint
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