To commemorate my latest interview with legendary director JOHN BADHAM (Episodes 57 & 58) - who is best known for directing the iconic 1977 classic disco film “Saturday Night Fever” - I've put together this entertaining trivia list featuring some fun facts about his films for you to test your knowledge with. Enjoy!
Producer Michael Douglas considered Badham as director of “Starman” but the job went to John Carpenter.
He is the brother of actress Mary Badham who portrayed Jean Louise "Scout" Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
“The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings” (1976) was the debut theatrical feature film of Director John Badham.
“Bingo Long” was based slightly on Leroy "Satchel" Paige, the Negro league and Major League Baseball player and pitcher.
In the film “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) in Tony Manero’s bedroom there's a poster for Rocky, a film directed by John G. Avildsen. The sequel to this film, "Staying Alive", was written and directed by the star of "Rocky", Sylvester Stallone. In fact, Avildsen was the original director of this film but was fired by producer Robert Stigwood shortly before principal photography began due to "creative differences". John Badham was approached to fill in at the last minute. Tony also has a poster for “Serpico” on his wall. Avildsen was originally considered to direct that film as well, but left the project due to "creative differences".
Allan Carr designed the ad campaign for the film “Saturday Night Fever”. It was so successful that producer Robert Stigwood asked him to help him produce his next film, “Grease”.
The scene where Fran Drescher puts her hand on John Travolta's butt was not in the original script. Travolta and director John Badham thought that it would be something that a woman like Connie (Drescher's character) would do, however, so it was kept in.
“Saturday Night Fever” was one of the very first films to utilize the Steadicam, a camera-stabilizing device invented by Garrett Brown (who would win a 1978 Oscar for his invention).
The movie was originally called "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", the title of the "New York" Magazine article that inspired it. The title was ultimately shortened to "Saturday Night", as a direct reference to the fact that Tony (John Travolta) and his friends inhabited 2001 Odyssey on Saturday nights. However, when The Bee Gees submitted the soundtrack, one of the songs, "Night Fever", was thought to embody the film's spirit better than the original. Director John Badham added the word "Saturday" and it replaced the original title.
To try to throw off John Travolta's fans, John Badham and his team took to shooting exterior scenes as early in the morning as possible before people caught on - often at the crack of dawn. They would also generate fake call sheets. The tactics worked well enough that Badham was usually able to get the scenes done before significant crowds had time to gather.
John Badham got his inspiration for the disco's multi-colored lighted dance floor from dining at a well known establishment named "The Club" in Birmingham, AL, which had a similar floor.
Director John Badham originally intended to shoot “Dracula” (1979) in black-and-white to mirror the black-and-white scenic design of cartoonist Edward Gorey's sets and costumes of the stage play, as well as Universal Pictures' original monochrome Dracula, but Universal Pictures objected. This movie utilized mostly warm and golden colors, black, white, and muted greys with only intermittent garish colors, a look and feel that director John Badham said was to evoke the romanticism of period pen-and-ink drawings.
Director John Badham saw the stage production of "Dracula" with Frank Langella, and then went back at least four more times.
There were two stipulations that Frank Langella insisted upon when accepting the role of Dracula in this movie. First, there would be no scenes with fangs dripping blood, and second, that Langella would not do any commercial promotions as Dracula.
The first Universal-produced Dracula adaptation, 48 years after the 1931 version.
Despite not liking flying in real life, Malcolm McDowell said years later that “Blue Thunder” (1983) is one of his favorite films in which he has acted in. He got on well with co-star Roy Scheider, thought director John Badham was very professional, and also relished a chance to play a straightforward villain.
The helicopter used to portray ‘Blue Thunder’ in the film was a French-made Gazelle with bolt-on parts to change its appearance. The chin cannon assembly was too heavy, necessitating a weight attached to the tail to keep the nose from dipping forward in flight.
In the film “WarGames” (1983) the delegation from the city of Birmingham, Alabama, visiting NORAD is a tribute to director John Badham's hometown.
Martin Brest, the original director of “WarGames”, was replaced after twelve days into filming as his approach to the plot seemed too dark to the movie studio. John Badham took over, adding some light-hearted elements.
According to John Badham, the jeep trying to crash through the gate at NORAD and turning over was an actual accident. The jeep was supposed to continue through the gate. They added the scene of the characters running from the jeep and down the tunnel, and used the botched jeep stunt.
The tunnel and exterior used for the entrance into NORAD in the film “WarGames” is located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The same tunnel was used to enter and exit Toontown in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, and in the climax of “Back to the Future Part II”.
John Badham wanted the WOPR to have flashing lights to give it personality.
Actress Ally Sheedy and Badham would work together again in “Maid to Order”in 1987; also in “Short Circuit” in 1986.
In the film “Short Circuit”, Stephanie and Number 5 dance to a scene from "Saturday Night Fever," which was also directed by John Badham.
The script for “Short Circuit” (1986) called for extensive stop-motion animation to be utilized, but Director John Badham opted to use practical effects.
Puppeteer Tim Blaney was selected to voice and operate Number 5 on set, after John Badham heard Blaney's robot voice and liked it. Blaney was originally intended to supply only a placeholder voice for Number 5 during filming, which was to be dubbed over later by another voice actor. After three months of filming “Short Circuit”, the crew got so used to hearing Blaney's voice as Number 5 that they could not imagine anyone else in the role, and so Blaney was officially cast.
Originally the film “Bird on a Wire” (1990) was supposed to star Kurt Russell opposite his real-life partner Goldie Hawn. However, Russell had already committed to star alongside Sylvester Stallone in “Tango & Cash”, which was filming at the same time but released several months before this. Russell suggested that director John Badham ask his “Tequila Sunrise” co-star Mel Gibson if he would be interested and Badham was pleasantly surprised when Gibson accepted.
The climactic Zoo sequence in “Bird on a Wire” (1990) took seven days a week to film with Director John Badham's primary crew and Producer Rob Cohen's second unit which he was directing to back him up.
Goldie Hawn did most of her own stunts in “Bird on a Wire”, after being convinced by Mel Gibson to do so. She was originally reluctant to perform them, fearing the harsh and overwhelming nature of the tasks. She was eventually so pleased with her stunt performances that she kept her stuntman's jacket after filming resumed, and as of 2017 still exhibits it next to her Oscar statuette.
The film “Point of No Return” (1993) was filmed in sequence. Director John Badham thought this would help actress Bridget Fonda portray the evolution of her character.
One of the most remarkable film sequences in “Nick of Time” (1995) involved one seamless take, during which Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken board a glass-walled elevator, and ride 35 floors to the top of Los Angeles' Bonaventure hotel. Crammed into the confines of the elevator with the actors were director John Badham, cinematographer Roy H. Wagner, focus-puller Todd Slyapich, sound mixer Willie D. Burton, boom operator Marvin E. Lewis, and script supervisor Barbara Thaxton. Given the fact that the elevator was glass from top to bottom, was lit by eight Kino Flo lamps, ensuring that camera and crew reflections were not captured on film, was quite an exercise in and of itself.
“Incognito” (1997) was director John Badham's final feature film. He has since worked exclusively in television.
Trivia items from IMDB
To listen to my fascinating conversation with legendary director JOHN BADHAM on my podcast - click on the links below. Enjoy!
Episode 57 - HERE
Episode 58 - HERE
