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Can't Stop the Music

From Alfawiki
Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm production
PredecessorEMI Films
ParentThorn EMI

Can't Stop the Music is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker, marking her only feature-length directorial effort. The screenplay, penned by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, serves as a fictionalized account inspired by the 1970s disco ensemble the Village People, loosely depicting their origins. The cast features Valerie Perrine, Caitlyn Jenner in her cinematic debut, Steve Guttenberg, Paul Sand, Tammy Grimes, June Havoc, Barbara Rush, Altovise Davis, Marilyn Sokol, and The Ritchie Family.

The production was handled by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment (previously EMI Films) and distributed through the independent firm Associated Film Distribution (AFD). Released after disco’s popularity had waned, the movie was met with predominantly unfavorable critiques and failed commercially, earning just $2 million against an estimated budget ranging from $13.5 to 20 million dollars. Alongside Xanadu, it played a role in inspiring the establishment of the Golden Raspberry Awards, ultimately receiving the inaugural Razzies for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay at the first ceremony.

Plot

Jack Morell, a songwriter, resigns from his record store job following persistent mistreatment and begins working as a DJ at the disco club Saddle Tramps. His roommate, Samantha "Sam" Simpson, a recently retired supermodel, frequents the club and offers to help Jack obtain a recording contract after witnessing the audience’s enthusiasm for his track "Samantha." Sam’s former boyfriend Steve Waits, who serves as president of Marrakech Records, shows more interest in rekindling their relationship than in Jack’s music but consents to hear a demo.

Not satisfied with Jack’s singing abilities, Sam enlists their neighbor Felipe Rose (the Indian), who works as a waiter and go-go dancer at Saddle Tramps; model David "Scar" Hodo (the construction worker); and Randy Jones (the cowboy), enticing them with dinner in exchange for joining. Meanwhile, Sam’s ex-agent Sydney Channing dispatches her assistant Lulu Brecht to persuade Sam to return. Ron White, a lawyer from St. Louis, arrives disoriented after being mugged. Brecht administers drugs to Jack, unsettling him when Alicia Edwards introduces Ray Simpson, a singing police officer; Jack records their performance of "Magic Night." Overwhelmed by the situation, Ron departs.

The following day, Ron apologizes to Sam and follows her home. After an accidental spill of lasagna, they spend the night together. Ron offers his Wall Street office as a venue for auditions where Glenn M. Hughes (the leatherman) and Alex Briley (the G.I.) join, completing a six-member group. They select their name based on an offhand comment made by Ron’s socialite mother Norma. When Ron’s employer refuses to represent them due to their unconventional appearance, Ron resigns.

Ron secures rehearsal space at the YMCA, leading to their signature "Y.M.C.A." performance. The group produces a demo titled "Liberation" for Marrakech Records; however, Steve proposes only a minimal contract which Sam declines. To fund their project independently, they organize a pay-party.

Sam consents to return to modeling for a milk commercial featuring the Village People; yet advertisers reject the advertisement. Norma invites them to debut at her charity event in San Francisco. Sam entices Steve with promises of a romantic getaway but ends her relationship with Ron due to his response. On Steve’s private jet, Jack and his mother Helen negotiate a deal that includes merchandising T-shirts in Japan.

Prior to their San Francisco performance, Ron proposes marriage to Sam. Montgomery attempts to rehire Ron as junior partner to represent the group professionally. Following The Ritchie Family’s opening set ("Give Me a Break"), Village People make their triumphant debut with "Can't Stop the Music."

Cast


Development

Initially named Discoland... Where the Music Never Ends, Can't Stop the Music presents a fictionalized account of how the Village People came together.[1] Producer Allan Carr revealed plans for the project in June 1979, describing it as "Singing in the Rain tailored for disco enthusiasts," featuring a cast that included the Village People, Valerie Perrine, Tammy Grimes, Chita Rivera, Barbara Rush, Pat Ast, and Bruce Jenner. The film was intended to be the first installment among three productions from Carr, alongside Chicago and The Josephine Baker Story starring Diana Ross. Filming was scheduled to commence on August 20, with financing provided by EMI, then headed by Barry Spikings. When asked about backing a disco-themed movie following Saturday Night Fever, Spikings responded, "I hope it stands apart. The film explores new territory."

Director Nancy Walker, recognized for her extensive work in theater, cinema, and television since the 1940s, had earned two Tony Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and eight Emmy Awards.<ref>Walker had guest-starred and directed episodes on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Rhoda. Can't Stop the Music remained her only feature film directing credit.<ref>

Casting

Supporting roles were filled by Tammy Grimes, Russell Nype, June Havoc, Altovise Davis, Jack Weston, and Leigh Taylor-Young. Initially cast members Chita Rivera and Pat Ast exited before filming began.

Can't Stop the Music marked Caitlyn Jenner's first appearance on film (credited as Bruce Jenner), following her acclaim from setting three world records in decathlon and securing a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. Jenner’s record held from 1975 until shortly before this film's 1980 release. She did not return to acting until appearing in Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill (2011), which, like this film, received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture. Producer Allan Carr forecasted, "Jenner will become the Robert Redford of the 1980s, and this movie will elevate Valerie similarly to how Carnal Knowledge did for Ann-Margret."

Among those auditioning for roles in the Village People were Blackie Lawless, known from glam-punk band New York Dolls and metal group W.A.S.P., and James Marcel (later recognized as James Wilder). Background dancers included Perri Lister, partner of musician Billy Idol, and Peter Tramm, who went on to appear in numerous music videos and served as a stunt double for Kevin Bacon in Footloose.

After original lead singer Victor Willis departed during pre-production, he was replaced by Ray Simpson. Producer Jacques Morali had initially cast Willis’ then-wife, Phylicia Ayers-Allen, to portray Alicia Edwards; following Willis’ exit, Ayers-Allen also left and was succeeded by Altovise Davis.

Carr proclaimed, "This film represents a revolution. It’s launching entirely new careers—we need fresh stars now. Warren, Ryan, Redford—they’re all past their prime."

Carr sought to cast Olivia Newton-John as Samantha Simpson; however, due to disputes between her producer, John Farrar, and Morali regarding songwriting credits, Newton-John chose to star in Xanadu. Carr clarified, "It wasn’t merely financial—it involved creative control and other stipulations." Newton-John later indicated her sole condition was that Farrar compose two songs for her, similar to her arrangement during Grease.

Filming

The production spanned 11 weeks, with eight weeks allocated to Los Angeles, two weeks in New York City, and one week in San Francisco. A scheduled week of filming on Fire Island was ultimately canceled due to adverse weather conditions. Following his worldwide success with the pop musical Grease, Carr managed the shoot from May to July 1979 during the height of the disco era, personally overseeing the casting and directing of male athlete extras for the "Y.M.C.A." dance sequence.

Principal photography took place at MGM Studios located in Culver City, California, supplemented by on-location shoots in New York and San Francisco. In New York, filming faced interruptions caused by protests targeting the nearby production of Cruising, resulting in confusion between the two sets and disruptions intended for Cruising impacting this film's schedule. Prior to the film’s debut, Jenner and Perrine appeared on the television special Allan Carr's Magic Night to promote the project.

On set, conflicts arose between Walker and Perrine, which led to Walker being absent during her scenes; consequently, cinematographer Bill Butler assumed directing duties for those moments. Additionally, Perrine reportedly expressed dissatisfaction when a dance sequence featuring her was removed from the final cut.

During production, Carr revised the film’s title to better represent its diverse musical content, which incorporated classic ballads and Broadway tunes, moving away from the original disco-centric title Discoland. This shift occurred alongside disco’s decline following Disco Demolition Night. Despite decreasing disco popularity and falling Village People album sales, Carr maintained a hopeful outlook regarding their continued success. Notably absent from the film were two of Village People’s biggest hits, "In the Navy" and "Macho Man", although Perrine is seen wearing a "Macho Woman" T-shirt during a locker room scene. The track "San Francisco (You've Got Me)" is subtly referenced in the opening credits as Jack Morrell (Steve Guttenberg) passes women sporting "San Francisco" shirts.

Costume designs for the band included silver and white outfits featured in the "Milkshake" number and red ensembles worn during the finale, all crafted by Theoni V. Aldredge.

Music

  1. "The Sound of the City" - David London
  2. "Samantha" - David London
  3. "I Love You to Death" - Village People
  4. "Sophistication" - The Ritchie Family
  5. "Give Me a Break" - The Ritchie Family
  6. "Liberation" - Village People
  7. "Magic Night" - Village People
  8. "Y.M.C.A." - Village People
  9. "Milkshake" - Village People
  10. "Can't Stop the Music" - Village People

The character Jack’s song "Samantha" is performed by David London, an alias for rock vocalist Dennis Frederiksen, who is recognized for his role as lead singer on Toto's 1984 album Isolation. Frederiksen also lends his voice to "The Sound of the City" on the soundtrack.

The film’s soundtrack album contains ten tracks featured in the movie, while an incidental score composed by Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo was released exclusively in Australia. One instrumental piece included is a background track based on "Like an Eagle," originally a hit by fellow Casablanca Records artist Dennis Parker.

Release

Debuting in the summer of 1980 during a period of declining disco popularity in the United States, the film faced harsh critical reviews and was a significant box office disappointment. With an estimated production cost of $20 million, it earned roughly only one-tenth of that amount, accelerating the downturn of AFD. Investor Lew Grade remarked, "Our timing was off, and in this industry, timing is crucial."

The accompanying soundtrack fared comparatively better, peaking at No. 49 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart—marking the first Village People album not to achieve Gold status—but it reached No. 9 in the United Kingdom and topped the charts at No. 1 in Australia. The movie had its premiere in Sydney on June 1, 1980, where it experienced stronger ticket sales. The BBC acquired broadcasting rights for $3.5 million amid some controversy, while ABC paid $6 million for television rights in the U.S.

Following this project, director Carr's subsequent movie, Grease 2, significantly outperformed it by earning over twice the total gross during its opening weekend and nearly recovering its budget domestically.

In a promotional tie-in, the ice cream franchise Baskin-Robbins introduced a flavor named "Can't Stop the Nuts."

Reception and legacy

Can't Stop the Music was met with predominantly unfavorable critiques. It holds a 21% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews, averaging a score of 3.1/10. The New York Times labeled it as "completely homogenized," while Variety pointed out deficiencies in the performances by both the Village People and Caitlyn Jenner. Notably, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert included it among their "dogs of the year" for 1980, acknowledging some commendable musical numbers but criticizing its weak storyline cluttered with unnecessary characters.

In contrast, Rex Reed awarded it three stars out of four, describing it as "an energetic and uplifting musical" that simultaneously puzzled and amused him, ultimately recommending it as worth watching more than once.

The film's poor financial performance played a role in diminishing EMI Films' stature as a significant Hollywood entity.

Accolades

Can't Stop the Music holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Worst Picture Golden Raspberry Award. Its double billing alongside Xanadu inspired John J. B. Wilson to create the Razzies. The movie is featured in Wilson's The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of "The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made."

Award Category Nominee(s) Result
Golden Raspberry Awards (1980) Worst Picture Allan Carr Template:Won
Worst Director Nancy Walker Template:Nom
Worst Actor Caitlyn Jenner Template:Nom
Worst Actress Valerie Perrine Template:Nom
Worst Supporting Actress Marilyn Sokol Template:Nom
Worst Screenplay Bronte Woodard and Allan Carr Template:Won
Worst Original Song "(You) Can't Stop the Music" – Jacques Morali Template:Nom
Golden Raspberry Awards (2005) Worst "Musical" of Our First 25 Years Template:Nom
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Picture[lower-alpha 1] Allan Carr, Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali Template:Nom
Worst Director Nancy Walker Template:Nom
Worst Actor Steve Guttenberg Template:Won
Worst Supporting Actor Caitlyn Jenner Template:Won
Worst Screenplay Bronte Woodard and Allan Carr Template:Nom
Worst Song or Song Performance in a Film or Its End Credits "Milkshake" – Village People Template:Nom
Young Artist Awards Best Family Music Album Can't Stop the Music Template:Nom


Home media

Can't Stop the Music became available on Region 1 DVD through Anchor Bay Entertainment under a license from StudioCanal on April 16, 2002. Later, Shout! Factory released a Blu-ray version on June 11, 2019.

See also

External links

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