Footloose: 10 curiosities about the film with Kevin Bacon

«It's time to let loose!». Kevin Bacon celebrates 40 years of wild dancing, to the rhythm of Footloose. The cult dance movie directed by Herbert Rossalready, director of the acclaimed Flashdance. It's impossible to sit still in front of Ren's story: the “city” teenager who can't help but dance but who will find himself catapulted, despite himself, into a small provincial town where music has been banned. Making its theatrical debut, the February 17, 1984, Footloose it was a resounding success with ben 80 million dollars in revenue only at the American box office. Thanks (also) to the soundtrack, driven by original song of the title that bears the double film of Kenny Loggins and Dean Pitchford. Appointed to Oscar Prizethe hit spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Thanks to Footloose, Kevin Bacon – then 26 years old and in crazy shape – established himself as a teen idol. The film was a launching pad for future stars such as Lori Singerthe beautiful daughter of the reverend (played by John Lithgow) who made rock illegal, the newcomer Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Penn, brother of the more famous Sean who died tragically at the age of 40 in 2006. The film generated a successful musical and a remake. We celebrate the 40 years of one of the most beloved cults of the Eighties in 10 curiosities.

Footloose it is based on a true story

Dean Pitchford's screenplay is inspired by some real events that happened in 1978 in the small rural town of Elmore City, Oklahoma. Dancing had been banned for nearly ninety years, until a group of high school students challenged the community.

The role of Ren McCormack

Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were in contention to play the lead role. However, the star of Risky Business she was not available as she was busy on the set of The rebel. Lowe was good at dancing but an injury prevented him from taking part in the cast. The choice, then, fell on 26-year-old Kevin Bacon, whom the director had already appreciated in his previous film Having dinner with friends directed by Barry Levinson.

Just like Sting

The actor based his iconic spiky hairstyle on Sting's, as he was a huge fan of The Police.

The dancing feet

The dancing feet in the opening credit sequence were “performed” by members of the cast and crew; the dancer with the gold shoes was Kenny Loggins.

Kevin Bacon's hives

While filming the City Council scene, in which his character defends his right to the prom, the actor broke out in hives. Bacon, in fact, claims to feel uncomfortable when he speaks in public.

The role of Ariel Moore

The star of the series They will be famous she was cast in the role of the rebellious daughter of the reverend and love interest of the protagonist, after the refusal of Daryl Hannah who preferred to play the little mermaid of Splash.

Sarah Jessica Parker

The star of Sex and the city, here in her debut, plays Ariel's best friend, Rusty. Role for which she received a nomination at the Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards.

The claims of Michael Cimino

The acclaimed director of The hunter (1978) was originally hired by Paramount to direct the film. After four months, however, the studios fired him due to his absurd and exorbitant demands, including an additional $250,000 for his work. At that point the director of Flashdance.

Chris Penn couldn't dance

The scenes where Willard's character had to learn to dance were added to the script because Penn really didn't know how.

Bacon had stand-ins

The actor has, sheepishly, admitted in interviews that five acrobatic dancers replaced him during the dance scenes.