The true story begins in the late 1800s when a law was enacted in Elmore City, Oklahoma that prohibited dancing within the city limits. Cast Of Pretty In Pink: How Much Are They Worth Now? If you’d think anyone would stay out of all the partying it would be John Lithgow and Diane Wiest, who play the conservative Christian parents of Footloose. One key contender for Ariel was Madonna, who was already a big name in pop music but hadn’t yet broken through in the movies. Unlikely as it seems, it really happened in the small town of Elmore City, Oklahoma in 1980. [1] Footloose is Based on a Real Story. Other actresses considered for Ariel include Michelle Pfeiffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosanna Arquette, Meg Ryan, Jodie Foster and Bridget Fonda. Thirty years ago, the film "Footloose" became one of … This community banned dancing in 1898 in an attempt to cut down on heavy drinking amongst young people. This is a Ken Loach film, and Loach has a message that goes beyond the conflict between lovers of popular movies and their opponents. This was not the case. One footnote: “Footloose” is based on a true story. It wasn’t so much about sexiness as it was that line to make the [dance] move look more powerful.”. Shaw Moore bans dancing after his son is killed in a car accident coming home from a bar. Into this strict, stifling, small town atmosphere, Ren McCormack reluctantly arrives from Chicago. Given that Footloose is considered a bit of a camp classic, it might surprise you that an Oscar-winning Hollywood heavyweight was originally poised to direct it. Ultimately, Costner wouldn’t get his big break in movies until a year later, with the 1985 western Silverado. Keep scrolling to … Two other up and coming actors considered for the part were then-Brat Packers Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe. Lithgow says that on one occasion, he and Wiest “took off our clothes and swam in the pool” at the hotel where the cast were staying – and their on-screen daughter Lori Singer followed suit. The True Story Behind Footloose The film is loosely based on the true story of Elmore City in Oklahoma. - In 1979, the small town of Elmore City, Oklahoma faced a community crisis. The 'Footloose' movie plot was based on a true story that happened in 1979 in the city of Elmore in Oklahoma. In 1980, the graduating class made history by getting permission to dance at the prom. Actually, from the dawn of the evil of “rock and roll” and the gyrating hips that people like Elvis seemed to inspire, many small The true story begins in the late 1800s when a law was enacted in Elmore City, Oklahoma that prohibited dancing within the city limits. Herbert Ross was hired in his place, and Cimino would instead go on to call the shots on 1985 cop thriller Year of the Dragon. And fascinated and intrigued as well.”, Bacon pays DJs to not play Footloose at parties. A lot of the kids were hostile and the girls did a lot of giggling. Footloose's Bomont is loosely based on Elmore City, a town in Oklahoma known for the saying "If the South is the Bible belt, then we are the buckle." But obviously there were things I wasn’t able to do.” Bacon was also told by producers not to tell the media about his stunt doubles in fear of the film being criticized, but he refused to lie and the truth came out. However, Cimino was fired from the project after he started making extravagant demands: for one, he insisted that he be paid an extra quarter of a million dollars to rewrite the screenplay. It tells the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, where he attempts to overturn the ban on dancing instituted by the efforts of a local minister (John Lithgow). Based on a True Story… is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Blake Shelton. While it’s hard to imagine Footloose under any other title, the project was originally set to be called Cheek to Cheek. In January 1979, a group of high school students challenged the law so that they could have a prom. Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Ren, but he had a scheduling conflict because he was working on the film All the Right Moves at the time. Bacon auditioned for the lead role of Arnie, the awkward teenager who develops an unholy bond with his vintage car. The role of Arnie in Christine ultimately went to Keith Gordon (above left), and the film wound up making considerably less impact at the box office than Footloose would in 1984. However, the film’s story is indeed loosely based on real-life events, believe it or not. This ban was lifted in 1980. A story of grief, strength and resilience in the face of hate. Not only is the 1984 musical drama about a small town that forbids dancing, but the movie’s theme song is also about busting out some sweet moves. Another future superstar actor, coincidentally with the same first name, had also tried out for the role: Kevin Costner. It Was Based on a True Story. The choreographer finally said, ‘You know, we just have to have some rules. 1984 big screen smash “Footloose” was based on a true story. Footloose is based on a true story. Still, it wasn’t the only brilliant track on the Footloose soundtrack, which also contained Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero, and Let’s Hear It for the Boy by Deniece Williams. Ultimately Madonna would have to wait for 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan to get her first big film role. Let’s Hear It for the Boy also became a number one hit single in the US. “I believe this musical is the most relevant production to be working on right now,” says Griffin. Kevin Bacon broke out in hives shooting the town hall scene due to his fear of public speaking. The Footloose team must have loved actor Chris Penn, as the role of Willard Hewitt was heavily reworked just to fit the actor. - In 1979, the small town of Elmore City, Oklahoma faced a community crisis. We don’t know if we’re sad or glad that he was rejected, because we would have loved to see Costner strutting his stuff on the dancefloor! The seniors of Elmore City High School wanted to plan a senior prom, but dances were against the law thanks to a not-forgotten ordinance from the late 1800s that forbade dancing within the city limits. He said, “I remember having these pants on that were unbelievably tight already, but weren’t quite tight enough for some of the shots. Bacon (who was also wearing his New Wave-era clothing and hairstyle) recalls, “It was very much like my experience in the movie. Of course, Kevin Costner wasn’t Bacon’s only competition for the Footloose leading role. Hidden Details You May Have Missed In The Marvel Movies, 7 Dance Movies With Ridiculous Storylines, Things You Might Not Know About 'The Breakfast Club'. He took to the Yellow Pages and looked up a local Assembly of God minister, told him he was lonely on location and needed someone to talk to about Jesus. Once upon a time, there was a small town in Oklahoma that banned dancing in the 1800s. He didn’t lie to the minister, but kind of just left out the part about researching him for a role. Dean Pitchford had read about the story, visited the town and after 22 drafts he had a screenplay. Director Herbert Ross originally had a somewhat different vision for Footloose’s closing prom sequence, shooting it entirely in slow-motion. Ross then decided that Footloose should be the movie’s title, while also deciding to change all the fight scenes into dance scenes. What sounds like a variation on “Footloose” – the 1984 movie (remade in 2011), also based on a true story, about a small town where music and dancing are forbidden – is, in fact, something quite different. Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose. Two movies were produced with the same name, 'Footloose', one in 1984 and another in 2011. In accepting the role of Ren McCormack, Kevin Bacon had to pass on another starring role, in 1983’s Christine. Aside from the stage case, the show includes a technical crew of about 20, handling sound, lights, makeup and stage sets. In this version, like the 1984 movie, the town’s preacher, Rev. As is commonplace for such movies, the actor had a number of doubles to perform certain more challenging or dangerous sequences. DCC’s production of Footloose – the Musical opens Friday March 29th, and we are eagerly preparing for some 80’s fun. This ban stood until 1978, when a group of high school teenagers campaigned to change the law for their senior prom- and ultimately emerged victorious. Daryl Hannah was actually offered Footloose’s female lead role, but turned it down so she could star in Splash instead. Lori Singer of course stars in Footloose as Reverend Moore’s daughter Ariel, but it was a role that nearly every young actress in Hollywood was considered for. However, director Herbert Ross decided against casting Nelson and offered the role to Parker – although Parker was hesitant to say yes. The seniors of Elmore City High School wanted to plan a senior prom, but dances were against the law thanks to a not-forgotten ordinance from the late 1800s that forbade dancing within the city limits. Bacon admitted on the Footloose DVD commentary, “I personally have a very difficult time public speaking.”. Similarly, Dianne Wiest (born 1946) is only 11 years older than on-screen daughter Singer. Not a great film, it has the premise that there is a town where dancing is outlawed (based on a slightly true story). He and his mother move to the small town of Bomont after his father abandons them. Why don’t you just let me dance, and turn the camera on?” In the end he got three weeks of rigorous dance training and had to learn some gymnastics. Watch trailers & learn more. The producers saw potential in Cruise as a dancer (a key part of the role) thanks to that scene in Risky Business. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Lithgow said, “[It was an] incredibly valuable thing to do. Ultimately the actor had to be given half a valium to settle his nerves and get the scene done. Even "Footloose," which has a premise that seems impossible (a town outlawing dancing) is based on a real town in Oklahoma. If you’ve ever found yourself marvelling at just how snug Bacon’s jeans appear to be in certain scenes, this is in no way an accident. The inspiration behind the 1984 musical hit came from the small religious community of Elmore City, Oklahoma. 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Bacon may have been cast based on his ability to cut a rug, but the actor couldn’t do everything himself. It was released on March 26, 2013 via Warner Bros. Records and debuted at #3 with a career best for Shelton at nearly 200,000 sold. And the movie is actually based on a true story. He was introduced as Ren McCormack, and only the school’s principal and the guidance counsellor knew who he really was (presumably not too many kids at this school had seen Bacon’s earlier hits Animal House and Friday the 13th). Kevin Bacon...all breakfast items? Years would pass and high schoolers would ask year after year to be able to throw a prom, rather than their annual dance-free banquet and year after year they would be turned down. The film is loosely based on the true story of Elmore City in Oklahoma. Bacon suffered great anxiety over giving a speech in front of so many people; it was so bad that the actor recalls suffering an outbreak of hives all over his ribs. Kevin Bacon’s distinctive Footloose look as Ren McCormack relies heavily on close-fitting stonewash jeans (back in the good old days when ‘double denim’ wasn’t considered a dad thing). The show had a mixed critical reaction, and ran on Broadway for just under two years; it also had a brief run in London’s West End. Did You Know 'Footloose' is based on a true story? He had four stand ins including two gymnasts, a dance double and a stunt double. Lithgow recalls, “There was a memo sent out to every member of the production the next morning from (producer) Dan Melnick that said, ‘Behave yourselves.’ It was directed to Dianne and me.”. Despite the massive success of The Deer Hunter, Cimino was in dire need of a hit in the early 80s following his massively expensive flop Heaven’s Gate. Shaw Moore bans dancing after his son is killed in a car accident coming home from a bar. People bumped into me in the halls. ”, Supporting actress Elizabeth Gorcey confirms the cast partied hard on the Footloose set, also revealing, “I can’t give names, but somebody lost their virginity on set. In 1980, the graduating class made history by getting permission to dance at the prom. The song from the movie based on the same name is basically the ultimate dance anthem. The actor (who is the younger brother of Sean Penn) really didn’t know how to dance when filming began, so the montage captures his real training and transformation. Kevin Bacon commented on their time there and said he didn’t think the local people trusted them at all. Parker had her doubts about playing Rusty as she was told to cut her hair and dye it red, which she was reluctant to do; once it was agreed she didn’t have to do this, Parker signed on. 'American Graffiti,' George Lucas' love letter to his late-'50s/early-'60s youth, was made on a shoestring budget -- but frugality breeds innovation. The seniors of Elmore High School wanted to plan a … Footloose is Based on a Real Story Madison Gill, Staff Writer March 22, 2019 DCC’s production of Footloose – the Musical opens Friday March 29th, and we are eagerly preparing for some 80’s fun. The movie ran out of money toward the end of filming and couldn’t afford a lavish set up and background dancers so the last scene was going to just be a slow motion dance. The stage adaptation of FOOTLOOSE is based on a true story and the 1984 film, where free-spirited Ren moves from Chicago to a conservative small town where the repressive local minister has convinced the town to ban dancing and rock n’ roll. Cruise ultimately signed up to the movie All the Right Moves instead, but Rob Lowe was a serious contender for a while, as he had both the dance skills and look that casting directors were after. One kid, who was a lot like Chris Penn’s character, was sweet and supportive. I had worked so hard and wanted to do everything. You … Story Behind the Song: 'Footloose' Dave Paulson. When he was asked to reflect on this experience he said, “It was very much like my experience in the movie. The Footloose story was based by writer Dean Pitchford on a real town: ". As far as remakes go "Footloose" is one of the better ones. 1984 big screen smash “Footloose” was based on a true story. You can’t smoke when we’re in the middle of class and you have to put your coffee to the side.”. But one of the other actresses.”, Gorcey recalls, “We were not welcomed in Utah by any means… Normally when I did a film, the locals were very excited that you were even there and invite you for tea or something.