Film trivia can get intense. Sometimes it’s your pride on the line, sometimes it’s money, and sometimes you need to impress a new acquaintance. It’s unexplainable: how are the stakes almost too real for something that comes from a reel?
Q: What’s the weight of an Oscar?
A: 8.5 lbs
Q: Who originally was set to play Neo in The Matrix?
A: Will Smith
Q: Have Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds ever been in the same movie?
A: Not yet, but hopefully soon
It can all be too much… sometimes you just want to take it easy, and maybe brush up on the wacky, the trivial, and the super-specific. Like, say for example, first thing off the top of your head: dancing on roller skates! Next time you find yourself at the neighborhood roller disco, you can drop some serious knowledge on the rink. Let’s take a look back at the history of dancing on roller skates on the big screen.
SHALL WE DANCE
It all starts in this 1937 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers with a song written by George and Ira Gershwin. This is number seven of ten Hollywood musicals the dancing duo did together and the only one with a dance duet number on roller skates in Central Park.
XANADU
Olivia Newton John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck keep the party going in this 1980 romantic musical fantasy. The story isn’t worth typing, the film was not a success, but the movie’s cult following did not let it go gently into the roller disco night as it was adapted into a 2007 Broadway show that garnered multiple Tony nominations.
ATL
Where to start with this skate crew dance-off movie? It’s the directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson, the acting debut of rapper T.I., and loosely based on the experiences of T-Boz (from TLC) and Dallas Austin. And it features cameo appearances by just about every Atlanta recording artist.
BOOGIE NIGHTS
In this 1997 ode to the early days of the adult film industry, Heather Graham’s character gets the nickname Roller Girl because she never takes her skates off. That includes in the less than wholesome scenes as well as on the dance floor in the big disco dance number.
AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER
The third Austin Powers movie is often remembered as one of Beyonce’s early film roles as Foxxy Cleopatra, but it’s also the introduction of the villain Goldmember (of course played by Mike Myers) that should never be forgotten. Travel back to gold-laced 1975 and relive the dancing, skating, and all around moves that would make a contortionist blush.
Did we miss your favorite? Can you predict who is next? What combination of actors, writers, directors, and producers will be brave enough to put more roller-skating dancing on the big screen? C’mon cowards! Your move, Hollywood!
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Note From Tongal: “Let's Call The Whole Thing Off: A Brief History of Roller-Skating on the Big Screen" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
