The July 1986 Script vs. The Movie -- The Songs (1)

I know of two Dirty Dancing scripts -- the September 1985 script and the July 1986 script. I have not seen the first script. The reasons for rewriting the first script included the following:

1) Patrick Swayze was allowed to change the script. One of his changes (there were many) was that Johnny Castle beat up Robbie Gould, and that beating is in the second script. Changes were made also by other people at the producer and director levels.

2) The producers could not afford to buy all the music rights that would be necessary in the first script. For example, the first script must have named the songs "La Bamba" and "Twist and Shout". The second script, however, indicated new (or cheaper) songs that would be merely similar to "La Bamba" and "Twist and Shout".

My previous article, Business Decisions About the Movie's Music, indicates that the producers dealt with many difficulties in acquiring and paying for song rights.

Part of the solution was to place five new songs -- written in 1986 -- into the movie. The second script mentions (below at Scene 145) that five new songs were being written in July 1986.

I assume that those songs replaced five period songs -- songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s -- the rights of which were too expensive for the producers to buy. Since I do have not seen the first script, I do not know for sure which period songs were replaced by the new songs.

However, I speculate that Eleanor Bergstein restored at least some of those five songs in the stage musical, which was produced in about 2003-2004. I will discuss this speculation in a future article.

In a previous article, Which Lionel Richie Song Was Replaced?, I argued that one of the new songs was Richie's song "Dancing on the Ceiling", but it was replaced, after filming began, by Franke Previte's new song "Time of My Life".

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The second script specified the song "You Don't Own Me", sung by Leslie Gore. However, the movie's rendition is sung by The Blow Monkeys. This change must have saved the producers a lot of money.

After filming began, the producers decided to buy the rights to "Love Is Strange". In order to afford to buy those expensive rights, the producers (I think) decided to replace Lesley Gore's expensive rendition of "You Don't Own Me" with The Blow Monkeys' much cheaper rendition.

Below I compare the songs in the July 1986 script with the songs in the final movie.

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Scene 2 -- The Houseman family's car driving to Kellerman's

The script -- "Original song"

The movie -- "Be My Baby", sung by The Ronettes

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Scene 4 -- The Houseman family's car driving into mountains

(Remark: This script scene is not in the movie)

The script -- "Not Too Young to Get Married", sung by The Dixie Cups

The movie -- "Big Girls Don't Cry", sung by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

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Scene 10 -- Dance lessons in the gazebo

The script -- "New substitute for La Bamba-like merengue"

The movie -- "Merengue", performed by Erich Bulling and Michael Lloyd

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Scene 16 -- Guests dancing in the ballroom

The script -- "Band version of new song like 'I Love When Your Eyes Close, Whenever I Kiss You'"

The movie -- "Trot the Fox", performed by Michael Lloyd

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Scene 16 -- Johnny and Penny dance

The script -- "original tango"

The movie -- "Johnny's Tango", performed by Erich Bulling, John D'Andrea and Michael Lloyd

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Scene 23 -- Dance party in staff quarters

The script -- "Do You Love Me?", sung by The Contours

The movie -- "Do You Love Me?", sung by The Contours

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Scene 23 -- Johnny and Penny dance

The script -- "Wild Thing", sung by The Troggs

The movie --  "Love Man", sung by Otis Redding

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Scene 35 -- Baby brings money to Penny in staff quarters

The script -- "Duke of Earl", sung by Gene Chandler

The movie -- "Stay", sung by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs

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Scene 36 -- Johnny begins to teach Baby how to dance

The script -- "A Latin dance number ... a ballad"

The movie -- "Wipe Out", sung by The Surfaris

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Scene 39 -- Dance lessons continue

The script -- The above Latin dance number again?

The movie -- "Hungry Eyes", sung by Eric Carmen

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Scene 45 -- Johnny driving Baby out to the countryside

The script -- "Tell Him", sung by The Exciters -- or a new song

The movie -- "This Overload", sung by Alfie Zappacosta

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Scene 49 -- Johnny and Baby dance on a log

The script -- "He's So Fine", sung by The Chiffons

The movie -- "Hey, Baby", sung by Bruce Channel

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Scene 51 -- Johnny and Baby practice in a lake

The script -- "new song -- love ballad"

The movie -- "Time of My Life", instrumental

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Scenes 54 and 58 -- Johnny and Baby dance at other hotels

The script -- The above Latin dance number again?

The movie -- De Todo un Poco", performed by Lou Perez

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Scene 59 -- Johnny drives Baby back to Kellerman's

The script -- No music

The movie -- "Some Kind of Wonderful", sung by The Drifters

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Scene 76 -- Baby enters Johnny's cabin

The script -- "Original song"

The movie -- "These Arms of Mine", sung by Otis Redding

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Scene 77 -- Baby and Johnny dance in his cabin

The script -- "Cry to Me", sung by Solomon Burke

The movie -- "Cry to Me", sung by Solomon Burke

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Scene 81 -- Baby and Johnny in his bed again

The script -- "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", sung by The Shirelles

The movie -- "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", sung by The Shirelles

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Scene 93 -- Johnny and Baby dancing in a studio

The script -- "a cha cha"

The movie -- "Love Is Strange", sung by Mickie and Sylvia

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Scene 94 -- Johnny and Baby walking outside, discussing Neil and her father

The script -- "You Don't Own Me", sung by Lesley Gore

The movie -- No music

(In the movie, the song "You Don't Own Me", sung by The Blow Monkeys (not by Lesley Gore), is played while Johnny is beating up Robbie. Beating scenes, without music, are elsewhere in the script. Johnny beats up Robbie in Scene 73 and beats up Ricco in Scene 92B.

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Scene 98 -- Preparing for the talent show

The script -- "Don't Fence Me In", sung by Moe Pressman

The movie -- "Hula Hana", sung by Lisa Houseman

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Scene 101 -- Baby and Johnny talking after sex

The script -- No music

The movie -- "In the Still of the Night", sung by the Five Satins

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Scene 102 -- Lisa finds Robbie in bed with Vivian

The script -- No music

The movie -- "Yes", sung by Merry Clayton

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Scenes 103-110 -- Baby and Johnny enjoy more sex

The script -- "New song ... rhythm of "Twist and Shout"

The movie -- This sequence is not in the movie

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Scene 125 -- Johnny parts from Baby

The script -- No music

The movie -- "She's Like the Wind", sung by Patrick Swayze

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Scene 145 -- Johnny and Baby dance for the talent-show audience

The script -- "'Dirty Dancing', the fifth of the original tracks we are writing for the movie"

The movie -- "The Time of My Life", sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

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This is the first in a series of articles that compare the July 1986 script to the final movie.

The July 1986 Script -- 16

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

Click on an image to enlarge it.

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Page 101

Page 102

Johnny: I'm not gonna do a mambo.

Johnny gives Ricco a record to play for the dance.

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Page 103

Johnny and Baby dance to a song titled "Dirty Dancing".

They dance the in the "dirty dancing" style. They pivot around and over each other, like sensuous, twining pretzels. They sway way down, grind together, sway apart. They leap and sway. Baby is dancing more and more freely. She bumps, she tips, she twists.

Robbie admires Baby's dancing and realizes he went after the wrong sister.

Manny (Max) is angry.

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Page 104

Baby does a series of turns, and the staff kids in audience start chanting, "Baby! Baby! Baby!"

Baby is the heroine of the working kids.

Johnny calls the staff kids up. They flood the stage in their overalls and jeans -- and their leaping, joyous dancing limbs turn every inch of the stage hot, alive exciting ...

Neil standing at the foot of the stage, awkwardly tries to join the dancing.

As audience members begin to join the dancing, Baby and Johnny perform their lift move.

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Page 105

Lisa and Penny knock Robbie down into prop shrubbery, which is labeled "poison ivy". When Robbie tries to stand back up, Baby knocks him down again.

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Page 106

As Baby and Johnny approach Johnny's car, her father says: Don't be too late. You know we have an early start tomorrow, and you still have to pack. See you later.

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Page 107

The parting conversation between Baby and Johnny indicates that they intend to continue their relationship long-distance.

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Page 108

During their car-ride home, Lisa expresses her jealousy that her younger sister has experienced sex before she herself has.

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In a future article I will analyze the differences between this script and the final movie.

The July 1986 Script -- 15

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 95

Page 96

The conversation between Baby and her mother was filmed but was not included in the final movie.

The parting of Baby and Johnny is much shorter in this script than in the final movie.

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Page 97

Lisa's talent-show performance still is not defined in this script.

Robbie is wearing a chorus-girl costume when Jake gives him money for medical school.

Robbie remarks that he intends to use at least some of the money to buy a stereo for his Alfa Romero car. Perhaps Robbie already has bought the car.

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Page 98

Robbie admits to Jake that he might have made Penny pregnant.

Jake takes back the money and says to Robbie: Go suck your radio.

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Page 99

In this script, Moe sings a cowboy song. In the final movie he is wearing a pirate hat.

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Page 100

Manny (Max) intends to close the hotel.

An earlier script included an orthodontist, whom this script includes only momentarily in the talent show. The orthodontist was not included in the final movie.

The hotel's anthem is sung by:

* the dentist (orthodontist)

* Moe

* a drag chorus of waiters

* two couples who won a First Family [Kennedy] Look-Alike contest

In the final movie, the waiters are not wearing drag costumes, and there is only one woman who looks like Jackie Kennedy.

Left to right in the above photo: 1) a waiter not wearing a drag costume, 2) a woman who looks like Jackie Kennedy, 3) Neil, 4) the entertainment director, 5) Moe.

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Continued at

The July 1986 Script -- 14

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 89

Johnny: I grew up in the same city [Philadelphia] with people like this -- they're rich and they're mean.

Manny (Max): This man [Jake] saved my life, young lady. No, you can't tell me anything unless he's right there in the room with you.   

Baby decides that she must tell Johnny's alibi to Max in her parents' presence.

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Page 90

Page 91

Page 92

Page 93

Page 94

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Continued at

The July 1986 Script -- 13

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 80

The conversation between Lisa and Robbie is not in the final movie.

Lisa is wearing a picture hat (images). Robbie is wearing a chorus-girl costume (images) for a drag chorus.

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Page 81

Moe's last name is Porter in the script but Pressman in the final movie.

Mr. Schumacher: "You're a regular Frankie Lane [Laine]. Klippota klop, klippita klop."

Shumacher is comparing Moe's singing of the song "Don't Fence Me In" (page 79 of this script) to Frankie Laine's singing of the same song. (Laine sang the theme song for the popular television show Rawhide, which was broadcast from 1959 to 1965.)

Two scenes are omitted from a previous script.

Baby and Johnny meet for sex in a boathouse.

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Page 82

While Lisa is finding Robbie in bed with Vivian, Baby and Johnny are dancing and screwing.

Johnny is trying to teach Baby to slow down.

The soundtrack is playing a new song, with the rhythm of "Twist and Shout".

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Page 83

Page 84

Page 85

Baby comes alone to Neil's office to tell him alone that she was with Johnny when Moe's wallet was stolen.

Part of the evidence against Johnny is that he had seen how much money was in Moe's wallet.

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Page 86

Since Neil will not undo the firing of Johnny, Baby must go confess to her father so that he will intercede for Johnny. Baby does not confess to her mother too.

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Page 87

Jake compares Johnny to Gentile boys who picked on him when he was a Jewish schoolboy. This dialogue was removed from the final movie.

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Page 88

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Continued at

The July 1986 Script -- 12

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 75

Page 76

While Johnny is complaining to Baby about Neil, the soundtrack plays the song "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore.

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Page 77

Johnny: "When I don't have a dance gig, I work with my dad. He's a house painter"."

The movie audience does not hear Lisa elaborate about the domino theory.

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Page 78

Johnny: "Jews don't like Catholics."

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Page 79

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Continued at

The July 1986 Script -- 11

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 64

The soundtrack was supposed to play an "original song" when Baby entered Johnny's cabin.

Baby sits down on Johnny's bed. He sits on a chair.

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Page 65

Page 66

Page 67

Baby initiates the kissing.

"They begin to make love."

Baby has "lost her father".

Baby is shown sneaking into the hotel bedroom where Lisa is sleeping. Lisa pretends to keep sleeping.

The scene where Lisa is talking to Baby as they walk to breakfast was filmed but was not included in the final movie, but is in a montage of deleted scenes.

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Page 68

Robbie serves the Houseman family at breakfast. He is hurt, because Johnny has beat him up. Robbie lies that he is suffering from bursitis.

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Page 69

That afternoon, Jake angrily practices driving golf balls, even though it's raining.

Marjorie guesses that Baby is with Lisa, but Baby is in bed with Johnny.

The song "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" by the Shirelles is playing on Johnny's record player.

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Page 70

Jake still is driving golf balls in the rain, while Baby still is in bed with Johnny.

Jake sees Lisa, who is not with Baby.

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Page 71

Rich women give him their room keys two or three times a day -- different women.

Jake, suspecting that Baby is with Johnny, is walking toward the staff house.

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Page 72

Johnny tells Baby that the rich older women (two or three a day) "don't know anything about loving".

Johnny and Baby "start to make love again."

Jake reaches Johnny's door. Because of the heavy rain, he does not hear his daughter making love inside.

Neil distracts Jake from opening Johnny's door. Jake decides not to open the door, and he leaves.

This is a rather long sequence of scenes. Does "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" play all this time?

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Page 73

Johnny: "Frances? Frances? That's a real grown-up name. But you're still Baby to me."

Penny sees Baby coming out of Johnny's room. Penny tells Baby that she is worried about Johnny because of his involvement with Baby.

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Page 74

Ricco is teaching some hotel employees how to dance for the talent show. Everyone knows that Johnny is sexually involved with Baby, and Ricco is making fun of that knowledge. Ricco suggests that Johnny is wooing Baby so that she will keep paying him for dance lessons.

While Ricco is saying all this, Baby enters the room and hears his talk.

Ricco sees Baby and grabs her and makes her dance with him. He touches both her breasts.

Johnny enters the room and sees Ricco abusing Baby. Johnny grabs Ricco, drags him outside and beats him up.

"Baby and Johnny look at each other. They're both way over their heads in the emotion they feel, and in the suddenly hostile world in they they are trying to navigate being in love."

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Continued at

The July 1986 Script -- 10

Continued from -- The beginning of this series

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Page 59

In a previous script there was a scene -- now omitted -- right after the discussion of the abortion and right before Baby's running to fetch her father.

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Page 60

Page 61

Page 62

Page 63

Johnny goes to Robbie's cabin, pulls him outside, and beats him up. Patrick Swayze added this scene to the script. Later the scene where Johnny beats up Robbie was moved forward in the story.

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Continued at