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Staying Alive (1983 film)

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Staying Alive is a 1983 American dance drama film and the sequel to Saturday Night Fever (1977). The film was directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-produced and co-wrote the film with original Fever producer Robert Stigwood, and writer Norman Wexler. Staying Alive stars John Travolta, reprising his Saturday Night Fever role as Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Julie Bovasso, Viktor Manoel and Kevyn Morrow.

Staying Alive
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySylvester Stallone
Screenplay by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNick McLean
Edited by
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
Running time
96 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million[4]
Box office$127 million

The title comes from the Bee Gees song of the same name, which was used as the theme song to Saturday Night Fever and is played during the final scene of Staying Alive.

Staying Alive was theatrically released on July 15, 1983, received universally bad reviews, and is the oldest film to hold a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, Staying Alive was successful at the box office, earning $127 million worldwide on a $22 million budget. The film also featured the song "Far from Over" by Frank Stallone, the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone. "Far from Over" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cashbox charts. Along with Homefront (2013), this is one of only two films that Stallone wrote without starring (although he has an uncredited cameo appearance).

Plot

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Tony Manero, a former disco king, is living in a Manhattan flophouse, working as a dance instructor and waiter at a dance club, searching for a big break in the modern dance productions on Broadway. The break from his Brooklyn life seems to have somewhat matured Tony and refined his personality, including his diminished Brooklyn accent, an avoidance of alcohol, and less use of profanity. Other attitudes remain unchanged, such as his disregard for his girlfriend, the forgiving Jackie, who is a dancer and rock singer. Tony maintains some of his other macho double standards, such as seeing other women but being offended if he sees Jackie with other men.

Tony watches a show that features Jackie as a dancer in the chorus but focuses on the lead, English dancer Laura. He pursues her with seduction in mind and spends the night with her. He is annoyed when she dismisses him afterward, not understanding that she intended their encounter to be a one-night stand. Laura coldly justifies her treatment by saying that "Everybody uses everybody" and implies that Tony used her in order to get a dance role in her upcoming show.

Unable to trust Tony, Jackie breaks up with him. Jackie, Tony and Laura then all audition for the Broadway production, Satan's Alley. Jackie and Tony land small roles, and Laura is cast as the lead female dancer.

Tony begins to realize how callous he has been to Jackie and walks from Manhattan to his old Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn in the middle of the night. When he visits his mother and apologizes for the troublemaking ways of his youth, she points out that his selfish behavior as a teen helped him escape a dead-end life in Bay Ridge. Tony feels better and heads back to Manhattan to repair his relationship with Jackie. His hostility and distance from the arrogant Laura increase as the production progresses.

Tony decides to take a shot at replacing the male lead of Satan's Alley and requests Jackie to help him practice the number. Laura is disgusted when Tony succeeds and openly displays her resentment at having to partner him in the show. They cannot hide their chemistry on stage, though, which pleases the show's director Jesse.

Satan's Alley sells out, and the cast takes the stage to a standing-room-only crowd. The first act is a success despite Tony's disregard for the script when he kisses Laura at the end of their number. Jesse blasts Tony backstage, telling him to take his personal war away from the production. Laura seems to offer a truce when she asks to see him after the show to "clear things up". Aware of her manipulative ways, Tony coldly tells her that he has other commitments, and Laura snidely responds that he lacks star quality.

The second act is a dazzling display of dance and special effects, and Tony abandons the script near the end of the show. He hurls Laura away and gives way to his frustration in a solo dance. He then holds out his hand to Laura with a command to jump, and she leaps in his arms for a climactic finish to the show.

Tony celebrates with his jubilant castmates and reconciles with Jackie. He then leaves the theater and struts through Times Square, beaming with his newfound success with the title song playing in the background.

Cast

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Richie Sambora appeared in an uncredited role as a guitarist of the local band, in which Jackie and Carl also perform.[5] Sylvester Stallone makes an uncredited cameo appearance as a man on the street, whom Tony bumps into.

Some of the cast from Saturday Night Fever were to reprise their roles but ended up removed from the final cut: Donna Pescow appeared in the audience at Tony's Broadway debut, and Val Bisoglio appeared briefly as Frank Sr.[citation needed] His scene was deleted, and the film instead vaguely implies that he has probably died.

Production

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Development and writing

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Kersti Adams-Ray [sv] interviews John Travolta in Sweden about Staying Alive, September 1983

Saturday Night Fever producer and writer Robert Stigwood and Norman Wexler started planning a sequel soon after the original film came out in 1977, due to the film's success. They came up with the title Staying Alive, and Wexler wrote a script. Travolta was open to the idea of a sequel, but did not like the pessimism of the script, thinking that his character, Tony Manero, needed to see more success as a dancer.[6] Stigwood and executives from Paramount Pictures spent the next several years trying to convince Travolta to film the script as written, but with no success.[6] The project was considered abandoned, but then, in 1981, Stigwood met with Travolta to get Travolta's views on how a sequel should go. Travolta stated that he wanted Manero to attempt a dance career on Broadway and end up in a leading role due to his talent.[6] Wexler wrote another script based on Travolta's ideas, in which Manero becomes a Broadway dancer but remains in the chorus. Travolta agreed to participate in the film, though he preferred an ending more like the one he had envisioned: he agreed that Wexler's ending was a more realistic outcome, but felt that it would not be sufficiently exciting for audiences.[6]

It was then time to find a director for Staying Alive, and Travolta, who had just seen the film Rocky III (which Stallone wrote, directed and starred in), told his agent that he wanted a director who could bring the energy and pacing of that film to Staying Alive. To Travolta's surprise, Paramount, with the help of then-studio chief Michael Eisner, was able to bring in Stallone himself.[6] Travolta told Stallone about his idea for a happier ending, and Stallone rewrote the script to more closely match Travolta's vision. Stallone also made the Manero character more mature – given that the character was now six years older than in the original film – and made the film's language tamer than that of the first film, to ensure that it got a PG rating.[6]

Under Stallone's supervision, Travolta spent five months doing rigorous training to develop a dancer's physique for the film, losing 20 pounds (9.1 kg) in the process.[6]

Soundtrack

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Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Bee Gees and others
Released1983
Recorded1977 ("Stayin' Alive"), 1983 in Middle Ear Studio (Miami Beach, Florida)
Length45:29
LabelRSO Records
Producer
Bee Gees chronology
Living Eyes
(1981) 		Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1983) 		E.S.P.
(1987)
Singles from Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "The Woman in You"
    Released: May 1983
  2. "Someone Belonging to Someone"
    Released: July 1983
  3. "Far from Over"
    Released: July 1983 [7]
  4. "Look Out for Number One"
    Released: 1983
  5. "I'm Never Gonna Give You Up"
    Released: December 1983 [8]

Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the film's soundtrack album, was released in 1983 and is performed mostly by the Bee Gees. Five new Bee Gees songs were on Side one, with Side two featuring songs by other artists which were mostly written by Frank Stallone, brother of the film's director, Sylvester Stallone. The album reached No. 14 in the United Kingdom, No. 6 in the United States, No. 1 in Switzerland, and No. 2 in Italy and Japan. The Bee Gees songs were released under RSO.

All tracks on Side one are written and performed by the Bee Gees. "Stayin' Alive" was shortened for the album. The full song is used in the film.

Two songs featured in the film, "Waking Up" by Frank Stallone and Cynthia Rhodes and "The Winning End" by Joe Esposito, do not appear on the album.[9] “Waking Up," with Rhodes' vocals removed, was released as the B-side of the single "Far from Over." An excerpt of a third duet with Frank Stallone and Cynthia Rhodes, "Hope We Never Change," is featured in the film.

Track listing

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All tracks on Side one are written and performed (as the Bee Gees) by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, and are produced by the Bee Gees along with Karl Richardson and Albhy Galuten.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Woman in You"4:01
2."I Love You Too Much"4:27
3."Breakout"4:41
4."Someone Belonging to Someone"4:24
5."Life Goes On"4:23
6."Stayin' Alive" (edited version)1:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Far from Over" (Frank Stallone)
Johnny Mandel3:53
2."Look Out for Number One" (Tommy Faragher)
  • Bruce Stephen Foster
  • Tom Marolda
3:19
3."Finding Out the Hard Way" (Cynthia Rhodes)
  • F. Stallone
  • Roy Freeland
  • S. Levine
  • F. Stallone
3:30
4."Moody Girl" (Frank Stallone)
J. Mandel4:06
5."(We Dance) So Close to the Fire" (Tommy Faragher)
  • Randy Bishop
  • T. Faragher
  • S. Levine
  • Randy Bishop
3:43
6."I'm Never Gonna Give You Up" (Frank Stallone and Cynthia Rhodes)
  • F. Stallone
  • V. DiCola
  • J. Esposito
J. Mandel3:32
Total length:45:29
Outtake
No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."River of Souls"
  • Barry Gibb
  • Robin Gibb
  • Maurice Gibb
Bee Gees6:57

Charts

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Chart (1983) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 28
US (Billboard 200)[11] 6

Chart singles

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Year Title Artist US US
AC 		US
R&B 		US
Dance 		UK
1983 "The Woman in You" Bee Gees 24 - 77 - 81
"Someone Belonging to Someone" 49 - - - 49
"Far from Over" Frank Stallone 10 - - 43 68
"I'm Never Gonna Give You Up" Frank Stallone, Cynthia Rhodes - 16 - - -
"Look Out for Number One" Tommy Faragher - - - - -

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[12] Platinum 100,000^
France (SNEP)[13] Gold 100,000*
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[14] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] Platinum 1,000,000^
Venezuela — 113,000[17]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Reception

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Box office

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Staying Alive was a commercial success. The film opened with the biggest weekend for a musical film ever (at the time) with a gross of $12,146,143 from 1,660 screens.[18][19] Overall, the film grossed nearly $65 million domestically against its $22 million budget. Worldwide it grossed $127 million. Though the domestic box office intake was less than the $94.2 million[20] earned by Saturday Night Fever, the film nevertheless ranked in the top ten most financially successful films of 1983.

Critical response

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Staying Alive was universally panned. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 30 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "This sequel to Saturday Night Fever is shockingly embarrassing and unnecessary, trading the original's dramatic depth for a series of uninspired dance sequences."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 23 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[22]

Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times, who had praised Saturday Night Fever, called the dance productions in Stayin' Alive "laughably gauche", especially the final number, which he mocked for including "fire, ice, smoke, flashing lights and laser beams". Ebert added that what the film most lacked was "the sense of reality in Saturday Night Fever... There's no old neighborhood, no vulgar showdowns with his family (he apologizes to his mother for his "attitude"!) and no Brooklyn eccentricity."[23] In 2006, Entertainment Weekly dubbed Staying Alive the "Worst Sequel Ever."[24] Many critics were unanimous in agreeing that the film did not contain the grittiness and realism that was possessed by Saturday Night Fever.

Accolades

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The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book, The Official Razzie Movie Guide, as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.[25]

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song "Far from Over"
Music and Lyrics by Frank Stallone and Vince DiCola 		Nominated [26]
Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actor John Travolta Nominated [25]
Worst Supporting Actress Finola Hughes Nominated
Worst New Star Nominated
Grammy Awards Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special Staying Alive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Vince Dicola, Joe "Bean" Esposito, Tommy Farragher,
Bruce Stephen Foster, Roy Freeland, Barry Gibb,
Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Tom Marolda, and Frank Stallone 		Nominated [27]
Young Artist Awards Best Family Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Nominated [28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Staying Alive". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-11. ... the 22 Jun 1983 Var announced premiere events in Los Angeles at the Chinese Theatre on 11 Jul 1983, and in New York City at the Ziegfeld Theater on 13 Jul 1983 ...
  2. ^ Galella, Ron (1983-07-11). Smeal, Jim (ed.). John Travolta and Sylvester Stallone during 'Stayin' Alive' Premiere (photography). Seattle: Getty Images. 115412569.
  3. ^ "Staying Alive". British Board of Film Classification. July 19, 1983. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  4. ^ "PowerGrid Project: Staying Alive". The Wrap. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  5. ^ Wuench, Kevin (May 18, 2017). "The Bee Gees fared as well in '80s as the movie 'Staying Alive'". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2021. If you look real close, you can catch Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) in Frank Stallone's on-film band ...
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Farber, Stephan (July 10, 1983). "'Staying Alive' Revives Travolta". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Frank Stallone". Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  8. ^ "Frank Stallone". Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  9. ^ "Staying Alive (1983) - IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/bee-gees/chart-history/tlp/
  12. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Various Artists – Staying Alive (Soundtrack)". Music Canada. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  13. ^ "French album certifications – B.O.F. – Staying Alive (Soundtrack)" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 18 May 2021. Select B.O.F. and click OK. 
  14. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1984". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  15. ^ "British album certifications – Original Soundtrack – Staying Alive - Ost". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  16. ^ "American album certifications – Bee Gees – Staying Alive (Soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  17. ^ "In Venezuela We obtain this results!" (PDF). Cashbox. 13 October 1984. p. 32. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  18. ^ Murphy, Arthur D. (October 31, 1989). "Leading North American Film Boxoffice Weekends in History". Daily Variety. p. 53.
  19. ^ Staying Alive at Box Office Mojo
  20. ^ "Staying Alive". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  21. ^ "Staying Alive (1983)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Critic Reviews for Staying Alive". Metacritic. Indian Land, South Carolina: Red Ventures. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Ebert, Roger (July 15, 1983). "Staying Alive movie review & film summary (1983)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "The Worst Sequels Ever — Staying Alive Entertainment Weekly issue #867. March 10, 2006.
  25. ^ a b Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.
  26. ^ "Staying Alive – Golden Globes". HFPA. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  27. ^ "1983 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  28. ^ "5th Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on 2011-04-03. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
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