Eleanor Bergstein

Last updated
Eleanor Bergstein
BornEleanor Bergstein
(1938-04-17) April 17, 1938 (age 85)
New York, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Subject American film
Spouse
Michael Paul Goldman
(m. 1966)

Eleanor Bergstein (born 1938) is an American writer, known for writing and co-producing Dirty Dancing , a popular 1980s film based in large part on her own childhood. [1]

Contents

Life and career

Bergstein was born in 1938 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. She has one older sister, Frances, in her Jewish family. Their father, Joseph, [2] was a doctor who left much of the care of the girls to their mother, Sarah. The family spent summers in the luxury resorts Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel in the Catskill Mountains; and, while her parents were playing golf, Bergstein was dancing. [3]

Bergstein was a teenage Mambo queen, competing in local competitions. While at college, she worked as a dance instructor at Arthur Murray dance studios. [4] Bergstein graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958.[ citation needed ]

In 1966, she was married to Michael Paul Goldman and worked as a novelist, including Advancing Paul Newman. This novel contains many of the themes of her famous movie. She also tried her hand at scriptwriting and had success with It's My Turn , a film starring Michael Douglas and Jill Clayburgh. During production, the producers cut an erotic dance scene from the script. That sparked Bergstein into writing a more extensive story, focusing on "dirty dancing".

The movie Dirty Dancing was released in theaters in 1987. [5]

In 2004, Bergstein also adapted the movie into a stage version of Dirty Dancing, which became a musical. [6] The show opened in 2004 in Australia.

Works

Related Research Articles

<i>Broadway Melody of 1936</i> 1935 film by W. S. Van Dyke, Roy Del Ruth

Broadway Melody of 1936 is a musical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935. In New York, the film opened at the Capitol Theatre, the site of many prestigious MGM premieres. It was a follow-up of sorts to the successful The Broadway Melody, which had been released in 1929, although, there is no story connection with the earlier film beyond the title and some music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Grey</span> American actress (born 1960)

Jennifer Grey is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film Reckless (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). She subsequently earned worldwide fame for starring as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the romantic drama film Dirty Dancing (1987), which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her other feature films include Red Dawn (1984), The Cotton Club (1984), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Bounce (2000), Redbelt (2008), The Wind Rises (2013), In Your Eyes (2014), Duck Duck Goose (2018), and Bittersweet Symphony (2019).

<i>Dirty Dancing</i> 1987 American romantic drama film by Emile Ardolino

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) at a vacation resort.

<i>The Front</i> 1976 American drama film by Martin Ritt

The Front is a 1976 American drama film set against the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, when artists, writers, directors, and others were rendered unemployable, having been accused of subversive political activities in support of Communism or of being Communists themselves. It was written by Walter Bernstein, directed by Martin Ritt, and stars Woody Allen, Zero Mostel and Michael Murphy.

<i>Broadway Melody of 1940</i> 1940 film by Norman Taurog

Broadway Melody of 1940 is a 1940 MGM film musical starring Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and George Murphy. It was directed by Norman Taurog and features music by Cole Porter, including "Begin the Beguine".

<i>Broadway Melody of 1938</i> 1937 film by Roy Del Ruth

Broadway Melody of 1938 is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical tradition. The film stars Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor and features Buddy Ebsen, George Murphy, Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Raymond Walburn, Robert Benchley and Binnie Barnes.

Jessica Bendinger is an American screenwriter and novelist.

<i>The Apple</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Menahem Golan

The Apple is a 1980 science fiction-musical film written and directed by Menahem Golan. It stars Catherine Mary Stewart as a young singer named Bibi, who, in a futuristic 1994, signs to an evil label named Boogalow International Music. It deals with themes of conformity versus rebellion, and makes use of biblical allegory including the tale of Adam and Eve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(I've Had) The Time of My Life</span> Theme song of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" is a 1987 song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and used as the theme song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The song has won a number of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

<i>The Indian Tomb</i> (1959 film) 1959 film

The Indian Tomb is a 1959 West German-French-Italian adventure drama film. It was produced by Artur Brauner, directed by Fritz Lang, and stars Debra Paget, Paul Hubschmid, Walter Reyer, Claus Holm, Valéry Inkijinoff, and Sabine Bethma.

Michael Santiago Gutierrez, better known as Michael Terrace, was an American ballroom and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, actor, dance consultant, and writer. His stage and subsequent dance career spanned a total of 60 years, during which he made innumerable contributions to ballroom dancing. Terrace played Bernardo in West Side Story with the national company and was picked out of 2,500 ballet dancers to be at the Metropolitan Opera House with the Bolshoi Ballet Company of Russia.

<i>The Notebook</i> 2004 American romantic drama film by Nick Cassavetes

The Notebook is a 2004 American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love in the 1940s. Their story is read from a notebook in the present day by an elderly man, telling the tale to a fellow nursing home resident.

Bergstein is German for "hill rock" and may refer to:

<i>Its My Turn</i> (film) 1980 film by Claudia Weill

It's My Turn is a 1980 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas, and Charles Grodin.

Jessica Sharzer is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown's Hotel (Catskills)</span> Resort in upstate New York

Brown's Hotel was a nationally known resort complex located in the Borscht Belt area of upstate New York, in the Catskill Mountains. It was one of the largest and most elaborate establishments of its kind during an era when the entire region prospered as a tourist destination. From the 1940s to the 1980s, the hotel was a popular vacation destination for many upper-middle-class families living in the New York City metropolitan area. Jewish-American families were welcomed and even catered to specifically by the hotels in the Borscht Belt during a time period when anti-semitism was prevalent in the hospitality industry. Filling a niche, the area quickly became a mecca for Jewish-American families. Brown's Hotel was located in the hamlet of Loch Sheldrake in the Town of Fallsburg, Sullivan County, New York.

Shana Feste is an American film director and screenwriter. She has directed and written The Greatest, Country Strong, Endless Love, Boundaries, Run Sweetheart Run, and also has writing credits for You're Not You. She also teaches at the American Film Institute.

<i>Dirty Dancing</i> (2017 film) 2017 American TV series or program

Dirty Dancing is a 2017 American television film directed by Wayne Blair and written by Jessica Sharzer. It is a made-for-TV musical remake of the 1987 film of the same name, and serves as an installment in the titular franchise. The film stars Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Debra Messing, Bruce Greenwood, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger and Tony Roberts. It aired on May 24, 2017, on ABC. In its original broadcast, the film was seen by 6.61 million viewers with a 1.4 Nielsen rating in the 18-49 age demographic and a 5 share.

<i>Dirty Dancing</i> (franchise) Film franchise

The Dirty Dancing franchise consists of American dance-romance installments, including two theatrical films, one television series adaptation, one made-for-TV musical remake movie, five reality competition television shows, and various additional multi-media. Based on an original story by Eleanor Bergstein, the plot centers around young women from past decades who are introduced to dancing by experienced males, with the pair becoming romantically involved.

Sweet Lorraine is a 1987 American film directed by Steve Gomer in his directorial debut. The film draws from Gomer's adolescent experiences at the Heiden Hotel in the Catskills.

References

  1. Stannard, Lauren. "Behind the Scenes of Dirty Dancing: An Interview with Eleanor Bergstein". Greenwich International Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  2. 1940 United States Federal Census
  3. Ann Kolson: Fairy Tale Without An Ending auf nytimes.com
  4. Posner, Michael (November 14, 2007). "Dance dirty with me". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  5. "Interesting Facts about Dirty Dancing | Her Campus". www.hercampus.com. 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  6. "To Live & Dialogue in LA: Eleanor Bergstein – Dirty Dancing Screenwriter on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2022-01-23.