The Iconic Line May Have Been Missing from Dirty Dancing Because Patrick Swayze „Hated It and Was Going to Do Anything in His Power to Get It Cut”
Patrick Swayze hated one line from Dirty Dancing so much that he wanted to get rid of it at all costs. However, he finally got around to it.
Dirty Dancing is an undeniably cult film, in which we could see Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in leading roles. The production was a hit not only when it was released in theaters, but it is still one now, still enjoying great popularity. Even almost 40 years after its release, viewers are eager to revisit this title.
The dance scenes in it are downright unforgettable, especially the very moment of the famous lift, but it's not just the actors' movements that have made history and made mark in memories of the audience. The same is true for certain quotes from Dirty Dancing, and one in particular – " Nobody puts Baby in a corner". However, it turns out that the line said by Patrick Swayze may have been missing from the film. Why? Because the actor himself wanted to get rid of it.
As he confessed during an interview with AFI, he didn't understand the meaning of the line, thought it wasn't needed there, and therefore wanted to get rid of it at all costs.
I hated that line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner". And it was only because I didn't understand what was behind it. I was thinking it's time for Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle to come back into this room and do his big dance number. And it was only when I found what was that line. That it wasn't about getting ready to do the big dance number of the movie with the girl that you were never going to be able to have because she was always going to be out of your league. It was about coming back to serve. You know, there's an Eastern adage that says, "Only when one learns to serve can one be truly mastered".
It was only when I started this kind of thought and looking beneath the surface was when that line worked for me. When I went to her (Baby) and said that I truly believed it, but up until that point and not until I found that background and the passion as an actor, I hated that line, and I was going to do anything in my power to get it cut.
It was a good thing that Swayze found a way to understand the value of this sentence, as it turned out to be one of the key ones in the film. In addition, it was particularly memorable for viewers, still able to quote it today.
