THE FANS' LOVE STORY: How The Movie 'DIRTY DANCING' Captured The Hearts Of Millions! (17 page)

It kept me from moping and dwelling on things.

In addition to
Dirty Dancing
, how many movies have you seen multiple times? And is Patrick in them?

I haven’t watched any other movie multiple times. DD is like a nice cup of tea and a good book on a rainy day.

Have you ever met Patrick or anyone else from the cast?

I met Patrick in Houston (2003) when
One Last Dance
was premiered. He was very gracious.

In Houston, did you get a chance to tell Patrick about
Dirty Dancing
helping you with your cancer treatment?

No, cancer was after Houston (January 13, 2004–2005).

I will always be grateful to Patrick Swayze and DD for helping me through this cancer. It is odd, I found the lump in my breast in LA the night two friends and I were going to see Patrick in
Chicago
. So I guess the Swayze will always be part of me so to speak.

Will you continue to watch
Dirty Dancing
?

Yes. It is a lovely movie and I never tire of watching it. I don’t watch too often, but at least once a year I will pull it out and sit down and enjoy it all over again.

Does your husband watch
Dirty Dancing
with you?

My husband will watch it about every three years. LOL!

He loves
Ghost.
It’s one of his favorite movies. He will sit down anytime to watch
Ghost
with me.

What do you think about
Dirty Dancing
, the movie being made into
Dirty Dancing
, the stage musical? Do you plan on seeing the
Dirty Dancing
stage musical?

To me,
Dirty Dancing
is Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, and the rest of the wonderful cast. They brought a special magic to the roles that can’t be duplicated. It was a special moment caught on film. There will only be one Rhett Butler and only one Johnny Castle. I don’t plan on seeing the stage production. I watch the movie when I need some charmed time, a little bit of sweetness.

What do you think about a
Dirty Dancing
movie sequel?

I don’t think I would like to see a sequel—simply because
Dirty Dancing
caught a magic moment that can’t be repeated. I wish they could but I don’t think so. I guess I am the only one that wants them to just leave
Dirty Dancing
be the way it is. You can’t catch lightning in a bottle more than once. But I hope he proves me wrong!!!!

What else do you want to say about
Dirty Dancing
?

A friend sent me a 10x12 color shot of Patrick’s derriere from the movie
Road House
. I took a copy in to show the nurses what I was thinking of during radiation treatment. They were the nicest bunch of women. I laughed to myself when one nurse kept the copy of his Beautifulness, LOL! I called the radiation machine “Hal” after the movie
2001
because it reminds me of Hal. So I was lying with my eyes closed and that machine swung over my face. I kept my eyes closed and said, “Good morning Hal” and was radiated. When that section was finished, I opened my eyes and about an inch from my eyes was that picture of Patrick’s derriere taped over Hal’s eye! I laughed so hard I almost fell off the gurney . . . Here is the follow-up story. I went in for a check-up one day and one of the nurses pulled me over to the nurses’ station and said, “Look what we did with Patrick. We fought so bad over who could take him home that we decided on this.” There was a 10x12 color photo of a beautiful horse hanging right over the nurses’ station on a bulletin board. She walked over and lifted up the horse photo and there was Patrick in all his glory. They tacked up the two corners so they could walk by and take a peek! These women hid him right out in public! I thought it was wonderful. Then the nurse walked in and said how it cheered her up every day. They were so funny and proud that they figured out such a wonderful solution!

I also have a
Dirty Dancing
3D stand-up in my room. It makes me smile every time I go in there.

Dirty Dancing
is just a gem. They managed to capture a really wonderful moment there . . . that’s really nice.

I just love how a woman twenty or eighty is in the same space about
Dirty Dancing
. It gets everybody going.

They got the clothing right. When Baby walks down the bridge the first time, she had a peasant blouse on. She reminded me of wanting a peasant blouse.

Dirty Dancing
is part of the fabric now in the United States and everywhere. It pops up everywhere.

Dirty Dancing
and Patrick Swayze bring happiness. They are a happy jinx.

Additional Demographic Information

Marital status:
Married thirty years

Education:
College

Profession:
Administrative assistant

Official Patrick Swayze International Fan Club member:
Yes, since 2001

Age 54. Lives in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

March 2008 & July 2008 (e-mail interviews).

Has seen
Dirty Dancing
101–500 times.

What year did you first see
Dirty Dancing
? And how old were you?

I first saw
Dirty Dancing
on August 26, 1987. I was thirty-four years old.

Why do you like
Dirty Dancing
so much?

I went to see it because I loved Patrick Swayze, but I fell in love with it because it made me feel happy, peaceful, and care-free.

How has
Dirty Dancing
impacted you personally? I know that you have already made some wonderful comments on this questionnaire. I was wondering if there was anything else that you wanted to add or re-iterate.

Questionnaire comments:
I was already a Swayze fan when the movie came out, so that’s why I went to see it. But WOW! I was very ill at the time and alone. My family was thousands of miles away. I was too sick to work and very depressed. I went to the movies every day—sometimes twice a day. After the first week, I think I knew every word. The movie has sustained me and made me smile in the darkest of times for many years.

Interview:
As I said, because of the way
Dirty Dancing
made me feel, it helped me through a very terrible personal health ordeal, during which I almost died—my entire way of living changed (I was forced to leave my home and move in with my parents) and during which I was fired from my job because of my illness. It was a dark, lonely, desperate, and terrifying time. But when I was in that theater, I could smile and feel good, safe, and healthy for a few hours. The movie really became a kind of lifeline for me.

In addition to
Dirty Dancing
, how many movies have you seen multiple times?

At least 100, but none as often as
Dirty Dancing
. (
Butch Cassidy
,
The Sting
, all three
Lord of the Rings
,
High Noon
,
Slap Shot
,
The Philadelphia
Story
,
Goldfinger
,
Hard Days Night
,
The African Queen
)—it’s a long list, and it’s all over the map. There’s no type.

I
f so, is Patrick in them?

Only
Point Break
and
Road House
because they are on TV so much.

Have you ever met Patrick or anyone else from the cast?

No.

Will you continue to watch
Dirty Dancing
?

Yes.

What do you think about
Dirty Dancing,
the movie being made into a stage production, and do you plan to see the stage production?

I can’t see the reason to do it, and I won’t see it. Why spoil perfection?

When did you first become a Swayze fan? Was it from
North and South
?

Yes, I had read the entire
North and South
series. Orry was my favorite character and I became a Swayze fan immediately. Even before
Dirty Dancing
, I had a friend who made me illegal copies of every Swayze video available.

What do you think of a
Dirty Dancing
movie sequel being done?

No! No! Please, no! Why do the powers that be in Hollywood think everything needs a sequel????? I pray they leave a good thing alone, because no sequel made twenty years later could be relevant, interesting, true to the original, not vomit-inducing! The time for a sequel, if there ever was a time, was nineteen years ago, but I don’t even think there should have been one then either.

I don’t even like the idea that there is a Broadway musical out there! The beauty of DD was its originality. Today’s writers and producers just don’t seem to have original thoughts. What a pity for all of us.

Anything else that you want to say about
Dirty Dancing
?

I wish they had made a bigger deal about the anniversary!

Additional Demographic Information

Marital status:
Single

Education:
JD

Profession:
Disabled lawyer

Official Patrick Swayze International Fan Club member:
I was a member of Swayze’s Fan Club beginning in 1988, but I let the membership lapse. Is there a
Dirty Dancing
Fan Club?

Age 55. Lives in Burbank, California area.

January 2008 & July 2008 (e-mail interviews).

Has seen
Dirty Dancing
16–50 times.

What year did you first see
Dirty Dancing
?

From the first day it was released in the theatres.

Why do you like
Dirty Dancing
so much?

Patrick Swayze—the dancing—the fact that it was a period piece. Great cast overall. And the story elements. Growing up in upstate New York, and having a cousin that would be around the same age and her going through many of the same things as the characters kind of took me “home again.” Plus, I was working with Patrick on his live dance show during that same time period of time—and just seeing what dancers go through first hand compared to what the end result is on screen was fascinating. I think more work, dedication, and passion go into something like this than one can imagine.

And of course, the music. We got to hear Patrick sing “She’s Like The Wind.” The songs are fun and are reminiscent of my childhood . . . not to mention I love “Hungry Eyes.” I could listen to “She’s Like The Wind” and “Hungry Eyes” probably a dozen times in a row and not get tired of them.

How has
Dirty Dancing
impacted you personally?

Really in the ways mentioned above. It reminded me of things from my past. It took me back to a time and place where things were simpler. Yet, at the same time—some things never change—social status, one finding their place in this life . . . One is always searching for their place in life. Everyone in life is searching for love, acceptance, financial security . . . We all need to know we have a place and purpose in this life. It’s like some things change so much as the years go by, and yet, at the same time, it seems like we are still in the same place we were years ago.

In addition to
Dirty Dancing
, how many movies have you seen multiple times? And is Patrick in them?

Well, for one,
Grandview USA
because I was working with them in reference to running contests for fans, etc. Same with
Red Dawn
since they came out around the same time. I was doing fan mail/fan club stuff for Tommy Howell at the time. I dealt a lot with Tommy’s grandfather and with his CPA’s office (Kate). Since it was long ago, I don’t remember all the circumstances surrounding it—but they decided to run contests where selected fans could get a tour of Warner Brothers lot and could go to the screening and get to meet Patrick and/or Tommy. I can’t remember if it was the actors’ idea, Warner Brothers or whose . . . but it was great because it gave some kids a chance to meet with the actors and tour a studio lot.

On a side note—the one nice thing I remember is that on a few occasions Rob Lowe came because Patrick or Tommy was away working on something else, and Rob sort of stepped in. I met him there and at the
Without A Word
show and remember thinking what a great guy he seemed to me. He always seemed very polite and very down-to-earth.