Credit: Lionsgate; Araldo Di Crollalanza/Shutterstock. Kellerman fires Johnny anyway for sleeping with a guest, and he leaves. But Penny is able to recover with the help of Baby's dad. Dirty Dancing wasn't punishing Penny for choosing to have an abortion, but quietly advocating for the availability of safe options. Vestron Pictures Eleanor Bergstein WebPenny Johnson is a dancer and Johnny 's former love interest. Penny from Dirty Dancing Is 63-Years-Old Now and a Proud Mother of Three By Bettina Dizon Jan 07, 2020 02:30 P.M. Share Many remember Cynthia Rhodes for taking the To save Johnny from being fired, Baby confesses she was with him. Indeed, she is afraid of being fired and Robby does not plan to help her. It's hard to tell, but Rhodes is now 55 years old. So it's really no surprise to learn she decided to shun the spotlight completely for married life and motherhood. His most recent acting credit was in a 2011 short titled "Carbone: Breaking Point.". But, shortly after "Dirty Dancing"was released in 1987, Rhodes disappeared from Hollywood entirely, choosing instead to focus on life as a wife and mother. Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In a 2008 interview with Hobo Trashcan, he revealed he was interested in directing TV and film in the future. Her most notable role was as dance instructor Penny Johnson in the hit 1987 motion pictureDirty DancingwithJennifer GreyandPatrick Swayze. Dirty Dancingis based in large part on screenwriterEleanor Bergstein's own childhood: she is the younger daughter of a Jewish doctor from New York, spent summers with her family in the Catskills, participated in "Dirty Dancing" competitions, and was herself nicknamed "Baby" as a girl. Dirty Dancing - Baby visits Johnny and Penny - YouTube Billy Kostecki was Jones' first major role as an actor. Staff and guests (including Lisa) are singing the closing song together when Johnny interrupts them to perform the last dance of the season. Dirty Dancing: Why Frances Is Really Called "Baby Surprisingly, she toldMirror of the song, "It's made me more money than I got paid to do the movie.". After "Dirty Dancing," Jennifer Grey was poised to be the next "it girl" in Hollywood that is, until she became virtually unrecognizable thanks to two nose jobs gone wrong. After serving his country, he set his sights on Broadway and was eventually nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the Woody Allen play "The Floating Light Bulb. In 1984, she pitched the idea toMGMexecutive Eileen Miselle, who liked it and teamed Bergstein with producer Linda Gottlieb. Baby brings her father to help Penny. 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. A couple of films and a few years later, Rhodes landed her big role in "Dirty Dancing." Johnny: You listen to me. After Kelly Bishop was offered the role of Baby's mother in "Dirty Dancing," the role of Vivian Pressman was wide open once again. I only did it on the day I shot it, Grey revealed about the scene during an interview with The Guardian in 2015. She starred alongside the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in a role that required not only her dancing chops but also some serious acting acumen. Cynthia Rhodes Baby agrees to stand-in for Penny, which means she must learn to dance. Jeffrey Jur The actors final roles were in the A&E series The Beast and 2009s Powder Blue. Box office Pennys abortion in Dirty Dancing would have taken place right before the abortion rights movement reached a fever pitch in the U.S. I dont wanna hear that from you. Rhodes and Marx eventually got married in 1989 and had three children together, but the twodivorced in 2014. And I love you. Maybe we'll see some of his directing work in the near future. He refuses, so Baby dumps water on him. Its budget was small, its title risqu, and its stars weren't exactly stars just yet. Baby: ( pause) I used to think so.. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Scroll through for an update on the cast: Voices, hearts and hands! And, after the illegal abortion goes horribly awry, its the reason Baby comes clean with her father a doctor and faces his disappointment, in favor of asking him to help save Pennys life. Despite being a relatively small part, Lonny Price was more than just a little memorable as Kellerman resort heir Neil Kellerman who had his sights set on Baby and made absolutely no secret of it. Baby, the younger of two daughters, plans to study economics in underdeveloped countries and enter thePeace Corps. Cynthia Rhodes (1987)Nicole Scherzinger (2017) (Until then, some states will protect access to abortion, even enshrining it in their constitutions.) That's about $2,000 smackers in today's money. The film's popularity has also caused it to be called "theStar Warsfor girls." Rhodes played a small role in the fantasy musical Xanadu (1980) with her next role as Tina Tech in the musical film Flashdance. While actress Kelly Bishop brought Baby's mother to life in "Dirty Dancing,"fans might be surprised to learn that Bishop was originally meant to play the smaller role of Vivian Pressman. Intrigued, Baby receives a brief, impromptu dance lesson from Johnny. He died in 1991 after a drug overdose. Their dancing, while not that dirty, intrigues her. One might even argue that the role was Knight's big break. His most recent voice acting credits include guest spots on "Harley Quinn" and "Infinity Train.". That was before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came, when I couldnt wait to join the Peace Corps, and I thought Id never find a guy as great as my dad. And crucially, the movie, which debuted in 1987, was also set 10 years before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide. It's safe to say that Max Cantor's Robbie Gould is the main villain of "Dirty Dancing." Though Roe v. Wade was (seemingly) settled law at the time, Republican politicians were running (and winning) on anti-abortion platforms and the inclusion of an illegal abortion plotline in a feature film was certainly controversial. The site's critical consensus reads, "Like its winsome characters,Dirty Dancinguses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles." The resort where Baby and her family stay during the film, and the place of Johnny's employment, is owned by Jake's old friend, Max Kellerman. Is 2022 exactly the same as 1963? The role went instead to 89-year-oldPaula Trueman, and Joel Grey was not cast. Now, Grey is ready to share the parts of her life the media has only been able to speculate about before. [12]It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1987, earning $170million worldwide. Penny Johnson | Dirty Dancing Wiki | Fandom From small parts in films "G.I. Dirty Dancing Cast: Where Are They Now? - Us Weekly Dirty Dancing Quotes, Because Nobody Puts Baby Coles died in November 1992 after a battle with cancer. Penny's character in Dirty Dancing was at the center of it. When she discovers she's pregnant with Robbie the Creep's child, she goes to a doctor in a nearby town to have an abortion. Problem is, Penny doesn't have enough for the procedure. "You just go for something different." Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle. Nearly two years after Swayze was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, he died in September 2009. Her film roles include Tina Tech inFlashdance(1983), Jackie inStaying Alive(1983) and Penny inDirty Dancing(1987). The pregnancy-turned -botched abortion storyline helped drive much of the plot of "Dirty Dancing," and Rhodes displayed her acting chops right alongside her dancing ability. Its appeal was that it was very genuine and simple," she said in a 2020 People interview about the original movie. God wouldn't have given you maracas if He didn't want you to shake 'em. However, when they learned the film contained an abortion scene, they asked for that part of the plot to be cut. The actress added that shes thrilled the move has stood the test of time but she has no plans to follow the trend of fans recreating the moment. Dirty Dancingis a 1987 AUSTRALIA romanticdramadance filmwritten byEleanor Bergstein, directed byEmile Ardolinoand Had) The Time of My Life. The number of deaths from the procedures began plummeting. "Dirty Dancing" was his final film role, but he continued to perform throughout the years. Other reviews were more mixed:Gene Siskelgave the film a "marginal Thumbs Up" as he liked Jennifer Grey's acting and development of her character, whileRoger Ebertgave it "Thumbs Down" due to its "idiot plot",calling it a "tired and relentlessly predictable story of love between kids from different backgrounds." Yes, we love the dancing, and the chemistry between Grey and Swayze is electric, but ultimately, Dirty Dancing is a deeply political movie about abortion, class struggle, and feminist identity. Dirty Dancing has aged surprisingly well because of its modern approach to certain controversial issues throughout the movie. His despicable actions only get worse when he lets Johnny take the fall for Penny getting pregnant after Jake forbids Baby from seeing him, and ends up rejecting Lisa by sleeping with a married woman. His last role was in the 1988 sci-fi comedy "Short Circuit 2." JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Other casting choices wereBroadwayactorJerry Orbachas Dr. Jake Houseman, Baby's father; andJane Bruckeras Lisa Houseman, her older sister. Rhodes' character, Jackie, was an ensemble dancer, bar band singer, and some-time love interest of Travolta's character, Tony Manero. Music by If they managed to get Penny a clinic appointment in another state, she might still face the risk of arrest especially if there are complications and she needs to go to a hospital because many Republican lawmakers are aiming to criminalize even traveling for abortions. Baby tries to get the money from Robbie, who's a deadbeat baby daddy. But, after his quirky portrayal of Stan, he landed roles in films like "JFK,""Basic Instinct," and "Jurassic Park," along with his long-running portrayal of Newman on "Seinfeld.". All dance joyously to "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". You never try to repeat anything thats magic like that," she said. One night, Baby finds Penny He loans Baby the money, even though she won't tell him what it's for. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Great American FilmsLimited Partnership Baby gradually improves, and they develop a romantic attraction. Abortion was illegal in 1963; no clinics. His latest live-action film, "12 Mighty Orphans," is scheduled for release in June 2021. Scenes in Lake Lure were filmed at the old Boys Camp, which is now a private, residential community known as Firefly Cove. Linda Gottlieb Johnny is cleared of the theft after it is revealed that two elderly guests, Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher, stole several guests' wallets. Richard Marx (19892014; divorced) Ready for the dance, Baby and Johnny travel to the Sheldrake for their performance. Playing Penny in "Dirty Dancing" may not have been the first role Cynthia Rhodes took in the '80s, but it's undoubtedly the one for which she's best known. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The cast stayed in the same hotel at Mountain Lake Lodge inPembroke, Virginiaand at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa inLake Lure, N.C. Rehearsals quickly turned into disco parties involving nearly every cast member, even non-dancers such asJack Weston. [6]Considering how many people disliked the film at that point, producer Gottlieb's recollection of her feelings at the time was, "I would have only been grateful,ifwhen it was released, people didn't yell at me.". Like Jerry Orbach, Bishop is a veteran theater actress who has been working consistently in Hollywood since the '60s. After her appearance in "Dirty Dancing," Rhodes continued to appear in music videos with her husband, musician Richard Marx, and was briefly a member of the pop group Baby may not be doing any more lifts, but news broke in 2020 that Dirty Dancing was getting a sequel, with Grey starring and executive producing the new movie. A May 2007 survey by Britain'sSky MovieslistedDirty Dancingas numberone on "Women's most-watched films", above theStar Warstrilogy,Grease,The Sound of Music, andPretty Woman. John MorrisErich Bulling Running time Baby delivers the money to Penny, but learns about another problem: If Penny has the abortion, she can't compete in the resort's dance competition. One night, when she had complications during an illegal abortion, Baby sent for Jake, her father who is a doctor, to help Penny. 14 Not-So-Dirty Facts About Dirty Dancing - Mental Floss He died from lymphoma in 1996. Her film roles include Tina Tech in Flashdance (1983), Jackie in Staying Alive (1983) and Penny in Dirty Dancing (1987). And Rhodes hasn't looked back -- at least that's what she's led Marx to believe. He pretended to be taking real dance lessons. Director Ardolino was adamant that they choose dancers who could also act, as he did not want to use the "stand-in" method that had been used withFlashdance(1983). Penny : Johnny, what are you doing? The two live in Chicago's suburbs with their three sons. The Vestron executives had planned to release the film in theaters for a weekend, and then send it to home video, since Vestron had been in the video distribution business before film production. Dirty Dancing: Penny is pregnant scene - YouTube She finished the script in November 1985, but management changes at MGM put the script intoturnaround, or limbo. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Rhodes began her brief show business career working at Opryland USA as a singer and dancer while attending Glencliff High School during the 1970s. She says she was in his cabin all night. The two live in Chicago's suburbs with their three sons. Johnny: No, no, not for nothin, Baby! Thirty-nine percent of people who viewed the film did not realize abortion was the subplot. Jake apologizes to Johnny for thinking he got Penny pregnant and reconciles with Baby. I dont know how all these people who reenact it have the guts to throw themselves into the arms of anyone other than Patrick Swayze.