Dirty Dancing was a worldwide success, grossing $215 million in movie theaters around the world. Even more impressive, it was done with a budget of only $5 million. Talk about return on investment! Even though 1987 was a huge year for the film, it was actually the year after that made waves for Dirty Dancing. Why? Because in 1988, the hit soundtrack song, “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life”, won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Additionally, the movie became the most popular home video rental of the year!
In the photo above, you can see songwriters, Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz holding their Oscar at the 1988 Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
The Entire Movie Was Basically Done in Two Months
Because of its huge success, many people thought that Dirty Dancing was a big-budget, Hollywood movie. But that wasn't the case at all. In fact, the film had a relatively low budget, and it was basically done in just over two months!
Considering a film usually takes at least a few months to produce, it's quite impressive that Dirty Dancing was able to be completed in such a short time. This meant there were only two weeks for rehearsals - which were a lot - and only 44 days of filming. Unbelievable!
The Best Dance Scene Was Done in One Take
Since there was very little time to rehearse, Jennifer Grey was very uneasy about the final dance scene, when Swayze lifts her up into the air. At first, Grey was really scared of losing her balance mid-air, so much so that she refused to practice the move even once. When the time came to shoot the scene, it was actually the first time they'd ever done it! Needless to say, they both got it perfectly in just one take.
Funnily enough, Grey said it was the first and last time she would ever do the lift; she refuses to do it even to this day. It's a good thing they nailed it in that first take!
A Dirty Dancing TV Series?
Did you know that there was actually a Dirty Dancing TV series? Neither did we! It turns out that in 1988, CBS aired an 11-episode Dirty Dancing TV Series. It starred Patrick Cassidy and Melora Harding as Johnny and Baby.
Even though the show was based on the same plot as the movie, it didn't get critical acclaim, and so, after 11 episodes, it was over.
Dirty Dancing: The Video Game
As we've mentioned before, Dirty Dancing brought about an onslaught of parodies, products, remakes, and spin-offs. But one of the strangest was the movie's 20th-anniversary video game. Yes, you read that right. In 2007, Dirty Dancing: The Video Game was released.
The official marketing text for the computer game read: “Learn how to dance with Johnny and Penny. Start slow and try your best, see how fast you progress with their expert help! Create your own character and check into Kellerman’s – personalize your cabin with tons of amazing collectibles and furniture. Take part in 10 great games as soon as you learn the moves needed to take part in the End of Season Dance Contest!” Pretty much self-explanatory, isn't it?