I'll Bet He Looks Good On The Dance Floor

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2019)

Timing as they say is everything. The confluence of rising director John Balham, new face John Travolta in the lead role and the insertion of a soundtrack powered by the newly discofied Bee Gees saw the high watermark of disco music as both movie and soundtrack broke box office and chart records at the time.
That said, I wonder what the teenage audience who flocked to the cinema made of what is actually at times a pretty gritty urban drama set in contemporary New York. It gets off to a great start with the now-iconic image of Travolta's Tony Manero cruising down the streets, hair perfectly coiffured, dressed to kill, checking his appearance in every mirror, his step in perfect syncopation with the anthemic "Stayin' Alive" booming out in the background. From there we're introduced to Tony's world, well-liked shop boy by day, troublesome young adult at home to his Italian parents, dad a feckless do-nothing and mum hung up on religion, lionising her other son who's already joined the priesthood to Tony's comparative detriment. However it's outside shop hours and home time that he really comes alive, running about with his similarly sharp-dressed teenage gang boys but in particular coming alive at the local disco where he takes as much care over his dance moves as he does his personal appearance.
Sub-plots involving other characters also happen by, like the rivalry with another gang in the neighbourhood, his regular girl dancing partner who wants more than that and the return of his brother who has summarily given up his religious calling much to the disappointment of both parents who seem to somehow blame Tony's influence for this family catastrophe. The main story is Tony's interest in the hot new girl who comes to the disco and catches his eye with her slick dance moves. Mix in a little Sharks and Jets turf war and a dash of the tragedy born of bravado from "Rebel Without A Cause" and you arrive at a fairly downbeat ending, with just the hope that Tony has now matured and is ready to grow up and face his adult responsibilities.
So, a coming-of-age contemporary musical drama with a new, young cast which might have disappeared without trace if it wasn't for those great Bee Gees songs and Travolta's star turn, particularly when he's dancing to their music. I personally could have done without the misogynistic treatment of women with some of the sexual encounters with females bordering on rape and the casual racism in some of the dialogue but director Badham certainly seems to capture the authenticity of late 70's street life in the poorer backstreets of NYC and like I said obviously recognised the benefits of centring the film round Travolta's electric performance and those hit songs of the Brothers Gibb.