Which 1977 film starred John Travolta as Tony Manero, a Brooklyn dancer seeking success?

The 1977 film “Saturday Night Fever” starred John Travolta as Tony Manero, a Brooklyn dancer seeking success.

Directed by John Badham, the film follows Tony, a young man from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, whose confidence and identity are closely tied to dancing at a local discotheque. The story contrasts his weekend dance-floor persona with the limited opportunities and tensions of his everyday life.

The film became a landmark of disco-era popular culture. Its soundtrack, dominated by recordings by the Bee Gees, was a worldwide commercial success and helped make disco central to mainstream cinema and pop music. Travolta’s performance also earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

“Saturday Night Fever” is often confused with “Grease,” another major John Travolta film. “Grease” was released in 1978 and co-starred Olivia Newton-John; it is a musical set in an earlier period. Tony Manero, the Brooklyn nightclub dancer, belongs specifically to “Saturday Night Fever.”