Remember the cute, little, sneaky-looking old woman that swiped purses when she got a chance? Yes, we’re talking about Mrs. Schumacher. In the film, she is portrayed by an 89-year old Paula Trueman, a famous actress from the 60s and 70s. However, the role was originally meant to go to famous sex therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
As it turns out, Dr. Ruth was a close friend of Bergstein’s and was perfect for the part. Unfortunately, she turned down the role because she didn’t want to play a thief. Ironic, right? You’d think a sex therapist would be more open to the idea of playing a fake thief. But hey, everybody has a line they don’t cross.
One of the Most Parodied Films in History
Since its release, Dirty Dancing has been one of the most parodied films in the history of cinema and TV. From the famous lift-up lake scene, which has been mimicked ad nauseam in countless films, including Crazy, Stupid Love, to people simply dancing to the trademark soundtrack, '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life', it seems Dirty Dancing has stayed on our screens for over 30 years.
In fact, one of the funnier renditions of the film was done in The Muppets, when Kermit The Frog struggles to lift up Miss Piggy in a hilarious scene where they're dressed like Johnny and Baby.
Experienced Dancers Only
Dirty Dancing director, Emile Ardolino, only wanted to cast experienced dancers in the film's lead roles. He wanted the make sure every scene looked as authentic and real as possible. In fact, most of the lead roles had a professional background in dance.
Patrick Swayze had formal ballet training, Jennifer Grey studied dancing in a private school in New York, Cynthia Rhodes had worked as a singer and dancer in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. And the list goes on.
The Film Was Re-released in 1997 Thanks to Conan O'Brien
On its 10 year anniversary, in 1997, Dirty Dancing was released in theaters. but what you may not know is what actually caused this to happen - it was thanks to a gag by Conan O'Brien! In 1997, O'Brien asked his fans to flood the studio with letters demanding to see Dirty Dancing on the big screen again.
Even though the whole thing was meant as a joke, it actually worked! What's even funnier, O'Brien later admitted to not even liking the movie that much.
Clearasil Sponsors Backed Out
The famous skin-care brand from the 50s, Clearasil, was going to sponsor the film. It made sense since they knew the movie would be a hit among teenagers at the time, and what are teenagers most known for? Acne problems. Hence, Clearasil was very interested in becoming one of the movie's main sponsors. However, there was one tiny detail.
Once the company found out about the abortion plot in the movie, they became uneasy. They approached Bergstein about cutting the storyline altogether, but she refused. Thus, Clearasil quickly backed out.