by In 1987, this film became an instant classic and revealed a certain Patrick Swayze! A replica, past since posterity, was hated by the actor, who was very reluctant to pronounce it.
Cult and generational film par excellence, Dirty Dancing scored the 80s before becoming a great classic! He revealed Jennifer Gray in the role of Frances “Bébé” Houseman but he especially exploded the career of a certain Patrick Swayze, who marked the spirits thanks to the frenzied dance step of his Johnny Castle!
If the feature film is obviously cult for their dance sequences and the fiery duo between Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze, he is also involuntarily funny by some of these replicas deemed … a little ridiculous.
We think in particular of the famous baby's sentence launched to Johnny, and which made spectators laugh a lot: “Johnny, stop running after your destiny like a wild horse.” The emeritus dancer is not to be outdone with the scathing: “Go make your spaghetti foam and leave the rest for large calibers.”
A sentence that has become legendary
But if there is a replica that has crossed the decades, almost becoming the emblem of the film, it is this. “We don't leave baby in a corner!” It is at the end of the film, during the end of the season party in the resort where the story takes place.
We don't leave baby in a corner!
Baby is sitting at a table, back to the wall; She is a little sidelined by her family and the organizers, when she experienced an intense and transformative love story with Johnny. The young man, who had been sent back earlier, returns to find him and take him dancing with him one last time. He enters the room, heads for her in a decided step, and declaims this famous sentence before taking her on stage.
They dance together on the song “(i've had) the time of my life”, in an emblematic choreography, including the famous final jump where baby throws himself into Johnny's arms. The reply, which is often mocked by its slightly cute and ridiculous appearance, has nevertheless become mythical.
Vestron Pictures
Patrick Swayze hated this reply
Indeed, she marks the moment when Johnny challenges social conventions and affirms the importance of baby, not only as a dancer, but as a person capable of speaking freely. It is a declaration of respect, love, and personal affirmation. However, Patrick Swayze did not want to say it!
The actor found the replica too kitsch, cheesy and not very credible. He thought that she sounded artificial and did not naturally correspond to her character, Johnny Castle. In his autobiography entitled Time of My Lifeco-written with his wife Lisa Niemi, he explains:
“I couldn't bear this replica. It looked like something that a guy would try to say to look cool, but who would sound false. I thought it was ridiculous.” Patrick Swayze even tried to convince the producers and the director, Emile Ardolino, to cut it or change it, but they insisted to keep it as it is.
The scene in question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuczc7kmy7a
Ironically, this replica he hated has become one of the most iconic of his career. Today, she is part of pop culture and is immediately associated with Dirty Dancing. Who has never placed this sentence by designating someone sitting or posted in the corner of a room?
In any case, if you want to review this great classic, it is available on the TF1+platform.
