Johnny's Initial Hostility Toward Baby

Although Baby Houseman was merely one of hundreds of guests at Kellerman's Mountain Home, Johnny Castle felt a special hostility toward her early in the story. Johnny's first interactions with Baby were the following.

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At the "Dirty Dancing" Party in the Bunkhouse

Johnny sees that Baby has entered the room with his cousin, Billy Kostecki.

Johnny Castle
Yo, cousin, what's she doing here?

Billy Kostecki
She came with me. She's with me.

Johnny knows who Baby is because she is the magician's stooge, and the magician is part of Johnny's Entertainment Staff. Furthermore, Johnny knows that Billy recruited Baby to be the magician's stooge.

Johnny is annoyed that Billy has brought Baby into the party, but Johnny does not make her leave. Johnny even dances with Baby for a while.

Not everyone at the party is an employee. Many of the people there are spouses, girlfriends, dates or merely acquaintances of employees.

Surely Johnny does not question the presence of every non-employee at the party. He does question Baby's presence, however, because there is something about Baby that Johnny does not like.

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At the Demonstration of Wigs

Penny Johnson is demonstrating wigs to Lisa and Baby Houseman and to some other female guests. Johnny walks up behind Penny and says:

Ladies, you look very lovely.

Baby and Lisa Houseman trying on wigs

The reason why Johnny has approached the wig demonstration is that Robbie Goldman has approached. Johnny wants to be ready to intervene if Robbie addresses or bothers Penny (who is pregnant from Robbie).

Although Johnny has addressed a group of women who include Baby, he might not even recognize Baby, because she is wearing a wig. Johnny is not addressing Baby personally in this interaction.

Johnny surely does recognize Lisa, however, because Johnny has been keeping his eyes on Robbie, and Robbie is often with Lisa.

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Going to Help Penny

Baby sees that Penny is crying in the kitchen, so Baby goes to inform Billy and Johnny. As Baby, Billy and Johnny are rushing to the kitchen, Johnny complains to Billy that Baby is coming along.

Johnny Castle
Why's she here?

Billy Kostecki
In case Neil comes back.

Again Johnny is annoyed that Billy has brought along Baby into a situation. Johnny had assumed that he and Billy alone would go to the kitchen and find Penny without Baby's help.

However, Billy told Baby to come along, telling her to distract Neil in case Neil came back to the kitchen. Because Billy's reason is good, Johnny reluctantly allows Baby to come along.

The conversation continues.

Baby Houseman
So, what's wrong? What's the matter with her?

Billy Kosetecki
She's knocked up, Baby.

Johnny Castle
Billy!

Baby Houseman
(Addressing Billy)
What's he gonna do about it?

Johnny Castle
What's he gonna do about it? Oh, it's mine, right? Right away you think it's mine.

Here Johnny is being unfairly angry at Baby. Her apparent assumption that Penny has become pregnant from Johnny is reasonable in the circumstances. Johnny could have simply ignored Baby's question or corrected her false assumption. However, he voices his hostility toward Baby.

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Discussing Penny's Pregnancy in the Bunkhouse

While Johnny, Penny, Billy and Baby are in the bunkhouse and discussing Penny's pregnancy, Johnny remains silent and does not even look at Baby.

Then, beginning at 0:46 in the above video clip, Penny remarks:

Penny Johnson
Jesus! She's going to tell her management boyfriend, and then we'll all get fired.

Why not sky-write it? -- "Penny got knocked up by Robbie, the creep."

Baby Houseman
Robbie?

At that point, Johnny jumps up and interjected, "Look", but he is interrupted by Billy, who begins to tell Baby about Penny's opportunity to get an abortion.

Johnny did not finish his interjection, he intended to tell Baby to keep secret Robbie's role in the pregnancy. As Penny had just explained, if Baby revealed that secret to Neil Kellerman, then Penny, Johnny and Billy would be fired.

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The Houseman family attracted Johnny's special attention and hostility because Baby was Neil's girlfriend and Lisa was Robbie's girlfriend. From Johnny's perspective, Baby and Lisa were not ordinary guests at the resort. Baby and Lisa were the girlfriends of Johnny's two main enemies.

Furthermore, Johnny recognized that Robbie enjoyed special favor from Max Kellerman, because Robbie was a Jewish, single, medical student who was attractive to the resort's Jewish families. Therefore, if some conflict involving Robbie arose among the employees, then Max would keep Robbie and fire Robbie's enemies.

Johnny was hostile toward the entire Houseman family because he feared that some such situation might develop where the Housemans might compel Max Houseman to choose between Robbie, on one hand, and Johnny, Penny and Billy, on the other hand.

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 Baby Giving the Abortion Money to Penny

When Baby brings the $250 to Penny, Johnny expresses his hostility also toward Mr. Houseman.

Johnny Castle
Yeah, it takes a real saint to ask Daddy.

Penny Johnson
Thanks, Baby, but I can't use it.

Johnny Castle
What? What's the matter with you? You should take the money.

Penny thinks it is unfair to the Houseman family to burden them with her pregnancy problem.

In contrast, Johnny feels no such qualms about burdening the Houseman family, which he despises. Johnny despises "real saint" Baby and "Daddy" Jake Houseman. Johnny is being unfair to the Houseman family, which has not done anything bad to him.

In particular, Johnny is being unfair to Baby. His hostility toward her is the main reason he does not want to train her to dance for the Sheldrake performance. The circumstances, however, compel him to do so.