40 YEARS OF FEVER

A STAR OF THE CLASSIC DISCO HIT OPENS UP ABOUT ITS STAYIN’ POWER

Temperatures rose in Brooklyn when John Travolta filmed scenes there for 1977’s Saturday Night Fever. “He was hugely popular from Welcome Back, Kotter, so girls were constantly screaming his name,” his Brooklyn-born co-star Donna Pescow recalls to Closer. “It’s hard to shoot when you have so many screaming people in the background!”

Yet John delivered an Oscar-nominated performance as working-class disco king Tony Manero, and, 40 years later, fans still feel the fever. “John knew it was going to be a big hit, but I had no clue,” says Donna, 63, who starred in the sitcom Angie. “I don’t think anyone thought it would become as iconic as it was and still is.” (A 40th anniversary edition comes out May 2 on DVD and Blu-ray.)

Made for an estimated $3 million, the film grossed more than $237 million, its popularity fueled by a record-breaking soundtrack featuring songs by the Bee Gees. “I think of it as a marriage — one enhances the other,” says Donna. “The film is a great drama; put music in, and it’s a musical with a great story.”

Donna dropped her native accent while studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She relearned it for her role as neighborhood girl Annette. “I had three dinners with my parents, and it was back!” she says.

After four decades, Tony’s struggle to keep stayin’ alive still resonates with audiences. “The story centers on people who feel stuck and want to move forward and better their lives,” concludes Donna. “It’s a universal theme that doesn’t change over time.”

— Bruce Fretts, with reporting by Ilyssa Panitz