39 Years Ago Today: Low-budget Romance Became A Global Hit And Produced An Oscar-winning No. 1 Song

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39 years ago today, Emile Ardolino's 1987 romantic drama "Dirty Dancing" became a bigger success than anyone could've predicted. Made for a budget of only $6 million, the film went on to gross $214.6 million at the box office. It doesn't take too much analysis to understand why "Dirty Dancing" was a hit. Just look at stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, and its popularity is self-evident. Swayze was a handsome, sexy man, and he was capable of dancing the titular dirtiness with aplomb. He also has undeniable chemistry with the utterly charming Grey, who feels every possible emotion on her journey to coming of age.

But beyond its surface-level sexiness, "Dirty Dancing" is a moving, ahead-of-its-time drama that demystifies some of the innocence that 1980s audiences might have attached to the early 1960s. "Dirty Dancing" is set in 1963 at a resort in the Catskills and follows Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey) as she prepares to have a boring vacation with her family. Baby hates the snotty attitudes of her upper-class peers and is drawn instead to the rough-hewn dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze). The working-class staff of the resort have "dirty dancing" parties, which Baby much prefers to the stiff dancing that her parents enjoy. The plot of the movie concerns the fate of Johnny's old dancing partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes), announcing that she is pregnant and the efforts of Johnny, Baby, and others to secure her an abortion. All of this is riveting and surprisingly serious for a film of its era.

Of course, the most memorable part of "Dirty Dancing" was its Oscar-winning song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" performed by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes and written by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. You'll be humming that thing all day.

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The plot of "Dirty Dancing," surrounding the ins and outs of securing an abortion, stands with one foot in the tradition of older melodramas like "Peyton Place" and one foot in the present. Johnny is seen as low-class for associating with "fallen" women, but, in actuality, he's open-hearted and compassionate. There are also themes of class conflict, as the wealthy all seem to be cruel and judgmental, while the working classes lean harder into emotions and passion. Despite being a light romance overall, the film has something to say to every generation. It's a weirdly accessible, broadly appealing flick.

Of course, the central romance is important as well. As Johnny Castle cares for Penny, he trains Baby to be a dancer, something she has little experience with. The pair rehearse and rehearse, trying to improve her technique. As they train, naturally, the two become intensely attracted to one another. Baby begins to find a new sense of self-confidence and connects with more adult emotions, and she reminds Johnny that he's worth more than his class dictates and doesn't have to accept abuse from her rich father (Jerry Orbach). The film ends with a cathartic dance as Baby and Johnny realize they each made the other a better person and finally execute the life they'd been rehearsing throughout the movie.

And there it is on the soundtrack, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," wailing in our ears. The song beat the titular tune from "Cry Freedom," "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from "Mannequin," "Shakedown" from "Beverly Hills Cop II," and "Storybook Love" from "The Princess Bride" to win a Best Song Oscar, on top of going gold and hitting #1 on the Hot 100.

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"Dirty Dancing" didn't need a sequel, of course. Its story had been told, and its characters had finished their journeys. I wouldn't want to see a follow-up with Baby and Johnny anyway. What's to be learned to see where they are, say, four or five years later? No, "Dirty Dancing" was fine coasting on its fame, raking in millions of dollars. It was likewise a hit on home media. I've personally entered few homes that don't have a copy of "Dirty Dancing" somewhere.

Of course, it is Hollywood's tendency to milk box office hits for all their worth, and "Dirty Dancing" did continue to live on in spin-offs and remakes. There was a live 1988 musical tour that performed songs from the movie, along with a long-forgotten (and short-lived) "Dirty Dancing" TV series starring Melora Hardin as Baby and Patrick Cassidy as Johnny (which debuted that same year). Then, in 2004, the film "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" snuck into theaters, and because it's set in Cuba in 1959, it technically counts as a prequel. In actuality, though, it has little to do with the original "Dirty Dancing" beyond its title and a cameo from Patrick Swayze.

Years later, in 2017, "Dirty Dancing" was even remade as an ABC TV film starring Abigail Breslin as Baby and Colt Prattes as Johnny. It's most certainly the lesser movie, bringing very little new to the table. Strange that a film made in 1987 should feel more modern and up-to-the-moment than one made 30 years later.

And while, again, "Dirty Dancing" doesn't need a sequel, we might be getting one anyway. Indeed, it's been reported that Grey may return for a late-stage follow-up to the original "Dirty Dancing." Time will tell if that one ever gets made.