Book Review: Fever

Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, it’s impossible to resist the throbbing disco beats and lasting cultural impact of Saturday Night Fever. Released in December 1977, the low-budget “disco movie” was the surprise gift that kept on giving. It made millions at the box office, earned an Oscar nomination for TV-actor-turned-movie-star John Travolta, catapulted the Bee Gees’ music career into the stratosphere with a record-breaking, Grammy-winning soundtrack album, and ignited a “disco inferno” that burns to this day. From Travolta’s iconic white polyster suit and legendary dance moves to the flashing lights and illuminated floor of the 2001 Odyssey disco in Brooklyn, Saturday Night Fever captured the era like no other film—and launched a phenomenon that changed the world forever.

Here, for the first time, is the complete history of Saturday Night Fever. From the New York magazine article that inspired the film—“Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night” by Nik Cohn—to the on-and-off-set dramas of Travolta, director John Badham, and producer Robert Stigwood, this deep dive into the making of a movie classic also includes special interviews with actors Donna Pescow and Joseph Cali, among others. It explores the huge impact of the film on the industry—including the “Death to Disco” backlash—as well as on American culture itself.

Fever: The Complete History of Saturday Night Fever by Margo Donohue will be published on August 26, 2025. Kensington Publishing provided an early galley for review.

I first saw the movie (the R-rated version) in February of 1978, right around my thirteenth birthday. I was already a big fan of disco music; this film sealed disco forever into my DNA. And I am proud of that. Of course, I knew some of the history behind it all but was willing to see if Donohue could surprise me with some nuggets of lore I did not know. Turns out, there were a ton of juicy details that I gleaned from the book.

I was impressed just looking at the names of those she interviewed for the book. While there might be some notable absentees here, I was certainly interested to see what those who might not have gotten to speak much on the record before have to say as we approach the film's 50th anniversary. I found so many of their insights entertaining and informative.

This oral history, along with a recent rewatch of the film a few years back, reminded me of all the heavy topics (racism, sexism, rape) that the movie covers. It is more than just a spotlight on dance culture. I believe that is why it resonated with me even as an early teen; back then we were not sheltered from mature topics - we were exposed to them so that we could learn from them.

Fans of the film should definitely check this one out.