Before he was Danny Zuko, John Travolta was Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, a 1977 dance drama that enjoyed critical and commercial success. In fact, it had a major cultural impact on the ’70s and it solidified the success Travolta planted the seeds for in Welcome Back, Kotter.
Now, a bit of this formative, celebrated film history is up for auction. Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) organized a Hollywood: Classic & Contemporary auction sale and the three-piece suit set Travolta wore is one of the starring items.
John Travolta’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’ suit is up for auction
You should be dancing: 'Saturday Night Fever' suit up for sale.
The wing-lapelled suit, in which a dashing Travolta broke many a 1970s heart, is the centerpiece of the "Hollywood: Classic and Contemporary" collection at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hill… pic.twitter.com/X1H3zbSZCH
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Martin Nolan, executive director and founder of Julien’s Auctions offered high praise for the Saturday Night Fever suit. “This white three-piece suit worn by John Travolta in his iconic role as Tony Manero in the blockbuster film Saturday Night Fever defines disco and is truly a piece of cinematic dreams and one of the most prized pop culture artifacts ever to come to auction,” said Nolan.
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That’s no exaggeration and it’s a sentiment others agree with. New York-based auction house Christie’s says of Saturday Night Fever, “The 1978 movie which so defined the disco decade, is still considered the standard of 1970s contemporary anthropology.” Travolta’s performance is celebrated as “a timeless classic,” and the soundtrack still sits on bestseller lists.
How to own a piece of cinematic history, Travolta’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’ suit
The Hollywood: Classic & Contemporary auction sale features other iconic items from beloved movie franchises. Other items include the machete used by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, priced at around $100,000 to $200,000, wands used in the Harry Potter series, and Warren Beatty’s trench coat and fedora from Dick Tracy.
As Travolta’s costume, the starting bid was $25,000. “The estimate is $100,000 to $200,000,” Nolan further revealed, “but we expect it to more than double because of its significance.” The auction will be taking place in California and online between April 22 and April 23. The suit is being presented by Julien’s Auctions as the star of the sale. As of April 13, the garment had three bids that elevated the price to $100,000.
John Travolta, dancing in that white jacket again. He was honored Tuesday outside Lenny's Pizza in Bensonhurst, which was featured in "Saturday Night Fever." pic.twitter.com/b6W7t2PVFG
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