Dirty Dancing as a choice for the title of the movie underwent some sort of filtering among producers. First, they were afraid that it might be too suggestive, and people might find it too salacious. This effect might ruin the film’s chances of gaining commercial success, especially among those who are deemed conservative.
When the raw film was forwarded to its editor, he didn’t find the dance scenes “proper” for a woman to perform. He was unaware of its full context, the message of which was to empower women. He finally had the nerve to ask Eleanor, “how can you have respect for a girl who dances that way?”
The Lodge Actually Exists
Because the movie was granted a very low budget to start, they set up to film it in two places, hoping it would have a similar environmental effect on-screen as the Catskills mountains they were supposed to be ensconced in. Besides, by this time, many hotels and resorts in the Catskills had been closed down. The first location was in Lake Lure, North Carolina. The boys camp they used has now been converted into a residential community called Firefly Cove.
The second location was at the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia, where they shot the dining scenes, and Kellerman’s hotel. Those who visit the lodge nowadays get to enjoy the treat of participating in events shown in the movie such as watermelon tossing. An overnight stay is possible in the cabin that used to accommodate Baby Houseman.
No One Other Than Patrick
After the movie had gained worldwide popularity, as is almost always the case, rumors about it started to surface. One specifically targeted Patrick Swayze who, as gossips would have it, wasn’t the original choice for the lead role. This, however, was denied by writer, Eleanor Bergstein, during her 2017 interview with Yahoo! Movies.
“Patrick was the only actor who was ever offered this [role], and he’s the only one we ever wanted,” Bergstein said. And this makes sense, because their main focus was to look for an actor who could also dance. And Swayze sure had the moves.
Rules Of The Dance Floor
Pretty much as soon as rehearsals started, so too did excessive drinking and on-set partying. This was not a one-time thing; in fact, it would go on almost non-stop. The objective was to immerse the actors into their roles and, of course, to acclimatize with the whole working environment, to build camaraderie among them.
Bergstein wanted to build up some sexual tension among the dancers, so she created a rule that banned any sexual contact among them for the next six months, regardless of how sensuous the grinding on the dance floor became. As a result, this group chemistry was bound to be palpable on the silver screen.
Jennifer’s Horrible Accident
Jennifer Grey looked forward to the premiere of Dirty Dancing. She was in Northern Ireland taking time off from work to be with actor, Matthew Broderick, whom she co-starred with in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and dated secretly. They planned their day ahead, rented a car to go for a long drive... until everything took an unexpected turn.
They crossed into the wrong lane, and smashed into another vehicle driven by a mother and daughter—Margaret Doherty, and Anna Gallagher—who both died on the spot. Dirty Dancing premiered a few weeks after. Her survivor’s guilt prevented her from relishing her success, and she withdrew from acting for a while.