Thank God It's Friday

Infobox Film
name = Thank God It's Friday


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Robert Klane
producer = Neil Bogart (executive producer)
Rob Cohen
Phillip M. Goldfarb
writer = Armyan Bernstein
starring = Jeff Goldblum
Debra Winger
music = Giorgio Moroder
Paul Jabara (song "Last Dance")
cinematography = James Crabe
editing = Richard Halsey
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = May 19, 1978
runtime = 89 min.
country = USA
awards =
language = English
budget = $2,200,000 USD (estimated)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0078382

"Thank God It's Friday" is a 1978 film directed by Robert Klane and produced by Motown Productions and Casablanca Filmworks for Columbia Pictures. Produced at the height of the disco craze, the film features The Commodores performing "Too Hot to Trot", and Donna Summer performing "Last Dance" which won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1979. The film features an early performance by Jeff Goldblum and the first major screen appearance by Debra Winger.

ummary

"Thank God It's Friday" tells several intertwining stories of the patrons and staff of the fictional Los Angeles club The Zoo. These include:

* Tony Di Marco (Jeff Goldblum) - owner of The Zoo. Lecherous and promiscuous, he's inordinantly fond of his car.
* Bobby Speed (Ray Vitte) - the club's DJ, who's broadcasting his first live show from the club.
* Frannie (Valerie Landsburg) and Jeannie (Terri Nunn) - two high school friends who want to win the Zoo's dance contest to buy KISS concert tickets.
* Carl (Paul Jabara) and Ken (John Friedrich) - hopelessly near-sighted shlub looking for a casual liaison, and his friend looking for a girlfriend.
* Dave (Mark Lonow) and Sue (Andrea Howard) - a young married couple celebrating their anniversary.
* Jackie (Mews Small) - dental hygienist by day, drugged-out disco freak by night.
* Jennifer (Debra Winger) and Maddy (Robin Menken) - the new girl in town taken to the disco by her know-it-all friend who's not as sophisticated as she thinks she is.
* Nicole Sims (Donna Summer) - an aspiring disco singer.
* Marv Gomez (Chick Vennera) - a self-described "leatherman" who lives to dance.
* Malcolm Floyd (DeWayne Jessie) - the roadie for The Commodores, responsible for delivering their instruments to the club by midnight.
* Gus (Chuck Sacci) and Shirley (Hilary Beane) - mismatched blind computer daters.

Sue insists her uptight accountant husband Dave take her to the disco. On a bet with Bobby, Tony tries to pick up Sue. Dave is drugged and re-named "Babbakazoo" by Jackie, and makes a fool of himself. Carl gets himself locked in a secured stairwell. Frannie and Jeannie finally manage to sneak in to the disco after several failed attempts. Jennifer tries to meet a guy, but Maddy vetoes each of the guys Jennifer is attracted to. Marv teaches Ken how to dance. Nicole tries desperately to slip into the DJ booth to get Bobby to play her single. Garbage collector Gus is horrified to learn that the dating service has matched him with a college educated women, and one who is taller than he is. Frannie, after tricking Marv's dance partner into the locked stairwell, enters the big dance contest with Marv. Floyd gets stopped repeatedly by the police on suspicion of stealing The Commodores' instruments.

By the end, Maddy ditches Jennifer to attend a hot tub party (with the same guys who came on to Jennifer). Floyd makes it to the club in time for the Commodores to play. But just before they go on, Nicole sneaks up on stage and scores a huge triumph singing "Last Dance". Dave comes down and Sue ditches Tony. Carl and Marv's former partner hook up in the stairwell. Jennifer and Ken share the last dance. Gus and Shirley decide to give it a try. Tony's car, having taken innumerable hits from pretty much every other character's car, falls apart in the parking lot. And Marv and Frannie win the big dance contest. Deciding that the KISS concert is "kid stuff," Frannie and Jeannie, now self-proclaimed "disco queens," go with Marv to hit another disco for the 1 AM dance contest.

oundtrack

For further information, see "Thank God It's Friday (soundtrack)"

DVD release

"Thank God It's Friday" was released on Region 1 DVD on April 4, 2006.

Production notes

* The real nightclub used for the film was Osko's at 333 S. La Cienega Blvd, just south of 3rd Street in Los Angeles. The club had 4 dance floors and 'the Cave', an ice cavern-themed room as seen in the film. The ice cavern-themed room also appears in the horror film "Jennifer". Club owner Osko Karaghassian had a role as a bouncer in the film. In the 1980s, the club became known as The Cathouse, owned by rock singer and MTV VJ Rikki Rachtman and Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe and famous for booking many prominent heavy metal acts of the 1980s. The club was completely demolished by the early 1990s and was replaced by a large Loehmann's dress store.
* Columbia Pictures' "Lady with the Torch" dances to disco music before the opening credits.

External links

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