John Travolta’s legendary scene from Saturday Night Fever recently received a Christmassy update when he was featured in an ad for Capital One that recreated the iconic opening scene from the film. Featuring the song Stayin Alive from the Bee Gees, the ad features Travolta as Santa Claus as he does his iconic strut across town like the film.
Travolta rose to international stardom when he starred in Saturday Night Fever and the opening scene where his character, Tony Manero struts across Brooklyn is a huge part of pop culture history. The scene has been recreated, parodied, and paid tribute to many times, and was even responsible for the popularization of discos in the late ‘70s.
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John Travolta Recreates His Iconic Strut For Capital One
John Travolta gained international stardom for his role as the local cool cat Tony Manero in the dance drama Saturday Night Fever. The actor, who was already known for his role in the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter became even more famous because of the film. His dancing abilities and the representation of a new generation of youth connected with the audience.
The actor has been a part of many legendary openings. Be it the small talk between hitmen in Pulp Fiction or the animated opening credits of Grease, Travolta knows how to choose a great opening. But none of his films are as iconic as his opening strut across Brooklyn in Saturday Night Fever.
John Travolta’s introduction as Tony Manero begins with him walking with a can of paint across town, eyeing the women walking along the sidewalk as the Bee Gees’ Stayin Alive plays in the background. The song, coupled with his inherent swagger has made the scene a pop cultural milestone in American cinema.
This scene was recently recreated by the company Capital One in an ad to promote their credit cards. Titled ‘Holiday Night Fever’, the ad sees Travolta donning the Santa Claus costume as he struts around New York with a can of glitter. Similar to the film, he looks at a pair of elf shoes at a store and then buys cookies instead of pizza.
The ad has more Easter eggs that refer to the iconic film. It sees Travolta’s Santa Claus going to the disco and owning the floor with his moves. The scene is similar to another iconic scene from the film. The sixty-second ad is underscored by the Bee Gees’ Stayin Alive.
The Enduring Legacy Of Saturday Night Fever
There is a reason why a company like Capital One chose to recreate Saturday Night Fever’s iconic scene. The legendary film was a runaway success when it was released in 1977, earning $237 million at the global box office against a budget of $3.5 million. It catapulted John Travolta to global stardom, after which he starred in the musical Grease.
The film is also credited with making discos popular in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. The soundtrack contained many songs by the Bee Gees and other artists of the era. It was the best-selling album in history until the release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Travolta was also nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards and the album won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
The opening scene has been parodied and paid tribute to multiple times. A representative from Capital One spoke about the reason they chose to recreate the scene for their Christmas ad to Muse,
“While trying to pull at the heartstrings, we wanted to create a different vibe. Something fun, playful, and memorable. A spot that would reward you for watching it over and over to pick up on some of the Easter egg references. And it doesn’t hurt to have the coolest Santa on the planet recreating one of the most iconic movie openings ever.”
The comedy film Airplane! has a flashback sequence that parodies the club scene from the film. The film Ready Player One by Steven Speilberg also references the film and the disco scene while also paying tribute to the Bee Gees song. The musical TV show Glee has paid tribute to the film as well.
