Episode 20: Saturday Night Fever (1977)

"More than a Disco Movie to Me" 1977's Saturday Night Fever as a Primary Source w/ KevinJohn Travolta is attached to two movies that define the 1970s, 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and the following year’s Grease. The former is an icon of the age of Disco, and therefore contemporary of its time, while the latter speaks to the feelings of nostalgia that ran (and continues to run) deep in American culture during the rather dark period in which it was released. Neither film is simple; Saturday Night Fever is not just a Disco movie and Grease isn’t just about 1950s high school hot-rodding. These elements come together to make both pictures, and Travolta’s developing film career, outstanding documents of their era.I recently connected with Kevin Higgins, the host of I Helped Make That, a podcast which gives voice to the people who create our favorite TV shows and movies, and at his suggestion we went forward with dissecting Saturday Night Fever as a document of its era.