what a lovely post! Thank you. I too hope he gets well soon.

:) I made my then-boyfriend go with me to the 20th (25th?) anniversary re-release. I *LOVE* me some Patrick Swayze.

To quote his character in "Ghost" - ditto. Get well Patrick!

I am still OBSESSED with Dirty Dancing. It is Top 5.

Yes, sweet Patrick, get well soon.

How about this one. Remember when they were in the forest and they dance on that log? There was a part where he goets on it first, jumps around, then puts is arms out wide, catches his balance, and looks up at her...

This is the moment where we paused the video and made kissy faces at the teevee, and tried taking pictures of the screen, so we could always see him in that moment. (Of course, the screen was all f'd up, in that way it would be when you paused a video, and our cameras were super crappy, but you can picture all this, I'm sure.)

Just caught part of Dirty Dancing on tv yesterday. Patrick has incredible hip action. Hope he recovers so that he and I can get in the lake and practice our jump and hold move.

I have seen RoadHouse 1476 times. I think. Around there. I *never* get tired of it, watching Patrick kick butt or watching Sam Elliott. *sigh.

I'm with ya. And I hope PS gets well soon too.

I was very sad when I heard the news. I hope you gets better soon.

Ah, but don't forget about Dallas "Dally" Winston, in the Outsiders. *swoon*

I add my wishes and prayers to yours. I think every hetero female I knew then was into "Dirty Dancing". And "Roadhouse" and ...

But I have a particular fondness for his drag queen role in "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar".

I love the movie Roadhouse, mostly because Patrick Swayze was in it, but also for the music. The Jeff Healy band does all the music, and Jeff Healy is the blind guy playing the guitar in the movie.

Jeff died sunday of cancer in Toronto, Canada. He was only 41yrs old. So sad, I found out about Patrick being sick the other day, and then an hour later read about Jeff Healy's death.

I really wish Patrick Swayze would get better, but I've had relatives with pancreatic cancer. I know it's not good, and usually not something that you can recover from. By the time someone gets a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, it's too late to do anything. Hopefully they figured out Patrick's ilness before it was too late.

I wonder if there's some way to send Patrick a crocheted (or knitted) afghan, like a comfort afghan? Or maybe a hat?

Oh wow, I didn't know he was sick. I wasn't a Dirty Dancing kinda gal (I was a little too old), but he was so. incredibly. awesome. in "To Wong Foo: Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar."

Get better, Patrick.

I wished/fantasized I was Kelly Lynch in Roadhouse, lucky girl!

I'm going with some friends to see Dirty Dancing: The Musical tomorrow in Toronto. He'll definitely be in our thoughts.

I've been known to mambo around my parents house. I love that movie.

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER.

Me? I'm a Jennifer Gray fan myself...I didn't want to emulate her I wanted to, well you get the picture. ;) But I did love the dancing all together and Patrick Swayze reminds me of High School. I hope he does get better soon.

And then of course there was Ghost!

I even got my 16 year old daughter to love Dirty Dancing.

In the summer of 1989, "Dirty Dancing" was being shown constantly on one of the cable stations. My BFF at the time and I(we were in jr. high) would make my 3-yr. old brother run the length of the bed and we'd do "The Lift" with him. Only too bad 'cause we sometimes were overbalanced and we'd throw him over heads and he'd crash onto the floor.
I love telling that story when I meet his girlfriends.

I add my wishes and prayers to all of yours. I love, love, love the end of "Dirty Dancing" when Baby flys off the stage into his arms. And, I loved him in "Ghost" and "To Wong Foo." What a talent! Get better soon, Patrick...

Ahh - SUCH a great movie. My friends and I were OBSESSED with it. I totally remember going to a slumber party to see it the first time and how MESMERIZED by it I was. That all just came back to me with your post.

I heart you Patrick Swayze! Get better soon!

I have the exact same memories that you do of Dirty Dancing.

I too hope Patrick Swayze gets well soon and I wish the media would just leave him alone, quit predicting what his prognosis will be and let him and his family deal with this privately.

At one of my favorite dive bar/restaurants last night their outside menu board said simply "WOLVERINES!!!!" It made me a bit misty, even though I've never seen "Red Dawn" in its entirety.

OK, true story. I went to Mount Holyoke, a little women's college in western Massachusetts. Most of you probably don't remember this, but in the scene where Baby is dancing with Neil, Jerry Orbach says "Baby's starting Mount Holyoke in the fall."

Now, in the fall semester at Mount Holyoke, if you walk around the dorms, you will hear this line, the bzzrrzzrp of a VHS rewinding, and then this line again, over and over and over. (Mount Holyoke students REALLY love their school.) Dirty Dancing is worshipped beyond all reason at Mount Holyoke, for this single line of Jerry's mostly.

But a lot of us sighed and swooned watching Swayze dance and tried to hide it. I loved Swayze long before I went to Mount Holyoke, and I still do. Do you know he's been married to his non-Hollywood wife for like 35 years?

And what about City of Joy? I love that movie. And the Chip'n'Dales scene with Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live was one of the best SNL moments ever.

My friends and I were also obsessed with the movie.I think I played the tape of the soundtrack out until it broke. I still know nearly every line of the movie and Jerry Orback no matter how many years he was on Law & Order was still Baby's father.

Those black pants in the "love scene" were the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

Get Well Soon Patrick!

not a dirty dancing fan here either, but gotta love "To Wong Foo"!! Best wishes for a long lasting recovery!

PATRICK!!!!!! Ahhh Johnny Castle. My first love.

I actually wanted to be Penny until I grew older and realized that it wasn't a tummy ache keeping her from dancing at the Shell Break.

My sister called me with the news and said, "I have awful news for you"

And I said, "Oh God, is it about my wedding?! Did they order the wrong dress again?"

And she said, "No. It's worse..."

AND IT WAS! :(

Long live Orry Main. I was in the 5th grade when "North & South" aired the first time and I was glued to the TV every night.

Oh Toni...me too! That moment at the end of DD when Baby nods and then leaps onto Patrick's hands....I get misty every.single.time!

And Carrie....The Outsiders....yes. Absolutely.

OMG I've been OBSESSED with Dirty Dancing lately. I bought it on itunes and have watched it almost every weekend for a month now (and that's in addition to the DVD I've almost worn out). I LOVE that movie!

Do you know that you can go to the hotel where that was filmed and take tours? They have Dirty Dancing weekends with dance lessons and everything!!!!

Anyway, I hope Patrick gets better. It's just awful that he's sick! :(

"To Wong Foo" was filmed partially in my hometown. (Omaha, Nebraska) I got to see a bit of it being filmed at a hotel (New Tower Inn) that was about 2 minutes from the house I grew up in. They filmed in the Leopard Lounge which was a bar that was in the parking lot of the hotel.

The hotel went out of business soon after, they tore down the hotel and the Leopard Lounge and bult a CompUSA there, along with a big strip mall. Every time that I eat at the BrazenHead Pub that was built very close to where the Leopard was located, I think of that movie.

I did get to see Patrick and Leguizamo in full drag walking thru the parking lot when they were done filming a scene. Kinda scary seeing Patrick in full drag just after I'd watched Roadhouse on cable for the first time.

Patrick looks a lot better as a girl than Leguizamo and Snipes did in real life. Altho, Leguizamo seemed to be the most comfortable in the clothing.

oh god, I must have watched that movie 11 billion times. I wanted to be Baby so so so much. Mostly because I mostly already was (not "pretty", too smart and bookish for my own good, awkward do-gooder) without the hot dancing.

I love Patrick. I hope they can ease his pain.
And now I'm gonna have to watch Dity Dancing this weekend.

i was crushed when i heard the news because pancreatic cancer is particularly virulent. but his prognosis sounds good. i wish him well.

Ohh! I LOVED North and South. I taped it, and played the scene where Orry and Elkanah Bent (Phillip Casnoff) sword fight while they were at West Point repeatedly...probably wore that tape out. (I liked both actors, and thought sword fights were cool)

I remember when they re-aired it on another channel a few years later. I made sure I had every night off after work so I could be home to clip the commercials out of the show...my old copies were never complete, and had the commercials.

I really need to buy the whole N&S series on dvd one of these days...

Dudes, yes pancreatic cancer is scary as HELL. But let's concentrate on the 5% that MAKE IT. It may sound hippy-dippy, but let's focus positive energy in that direction. I know both sides of this coin. I have a client at work who was diagnosed a few years ago and I automatically thought she wouldn't live. With a transplant she did. I was surprised she could even get approved. Today she is doing beautifully. MY pancreas tried (unsuccessfully) to kill me last year (not cancer)but I am now one paranoid freak about that organ even though what caused my problem is not likely to happen again. (I keep singing Weird Al's "I Love My Pancreas" on the off chance that it might help.)

Patrick Swayze, somebody's got to be in the 5%: it might as well be YOU!

btw-I lived in the South Carolina Low Country during North & South mania--book, filming and movie. I remember being terribly disappointed with the casting for Orry Main because PS was so different than how John Jakes wrote that character. But I have thoroughly enjoyed other performances and loved the way he played Johnny Castle (and sang "She's Like the Wind") and later Bodhi in Point Break (even though I hated the blond hair.) Also LOVE the way he freely admits adoring his wife of 30+ years. THAT'S the sexiest thing about him!

I know nobody puts Baby in a corner...but I really fell in love with Orry Main, way back when I watched "North and South." That dashing Southern gentleman. *sigh*!

I love you too, Patrick Swayze. Get well!

I loved Patrick in "Roadhouse" even though I have been secretly and madly in love with Sam Elliott for *years*--I went to see the movie JUST because Sam was it it.... but more importantly, it introduced me to Jeff Healey. I loved his music, and I have to thank Patrick for that. I was sad to read that Jeff Healey passed last weekend.

Get well, Patrick.

Lovely words!

oh, I love Dirty Dancing. I had no idea Patrick Swayze was sick until now though. =/

I was just old enough to be "too cool" to watch DD when it came out.. you know, anything really popular was just...*below* my refined tastes. *snort* I'm so glad I got over that affliction (I even love American Idol now), and I finally rented Dirty Dancing... then rented it again, and again, and... I love that movie. Did you see the Oprah where she had on the couple that did the DD dance at their wedding... and Patrick *came out and danced* with the woman! I cried and cried when I saw that. It was great.

My prayers (and distance reiki) are with Patrick.

I was at a Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers concert when they were doing movie quotes in the middle of songs. The pianist (which already sounds a bit kinky to me) yelled "No one puts Baby in the corner!" and all the women in that concert hall screamed for a good 3 minutes. We feel you honey!

Summer of 1987. My cousin Tanya and I got a copy of the vhs video and literly wore that tape out. I cut my hair like Baby, had the long shorts outfit, the short jean shorts outfit, the all white capri outfit and I bought both the soundtracks and when we weren't watching the movie we were practicing the dance moves. Obsessed much. 21 yrs later I own the soundtracks on cd, have the movie on dvd and watch it at least once every 2 months or so. Love everything about this movie and love that there are so many people out there that can relate to this obsession. Patrick has always been a favorite in everything he has done, from the Outsiders to Ghost to Road House. He's a manly guy that can dance his pants off, make pottery,looks good riding a horse, and kick's ass while he wears drag. I wish him a speedy recovery. And will be watching Johnny Castle this weekend.

Amen.

My twelve year old self is FREAKING OUT right about now - I was just heartbroken when I heard the news.

I'm really glad to hear above posters say that they know someone who has made it through alive. My mom died of pancreatic cancer and it was FAST. Just 6 weeks from wedding cake tastings to dead. Actually, kind of funny - she started feeling sick right when we were on our wedding cake tasting week and was CONVINCED that a particular bakery had poisoned her. She went all around town slandering them left and right. After she died, I had to go make some apologies/explanations to people we had talked to that week.

Just checked the Tivo..

Dirty Dancing is on tomorrow at 1030am CST on one of the Movie Channels.

To Wong Foo will be on the 10th at 615am CST on some channel that's abbreviated "SEDG"

Ghost will also be on the 10th at 8pm CST on one of the Cinemax channels.

Road House, also on the 10th will be on at 9pm on whatever channel that's called "Versus" is...

Amen, sista!!

I fell in love (lust?) when he played Orry in North and South.

When Dirty Dancing came out, I went to see it at the movies. Yummy. And I too thought the only good part of DD 2 was when he made the cameo.

Jeff Healy is gone, and now Patrick is sick. I hope Roadhouse doesn't turn into another Poltergeist.

Oooooh how I wanted that chiffon-skirted dress that Baby wore as my prom dress. Wanted, Lusted, NEEDED...but yeah, didn't get it. Wrong shape for me anyway (sigh).
But I STILL get all funny inside the second I hear the first bass line of "Time of My Life".

Get well, Patrick--and if you read this--try the Optimum Health Institute in Lemon Grove, San Diego- they won't officially talk about it, but I went there (for a non-cancer issue) and met all sorts of people with "My doctor said it's cancer- go home and get ready to die...20 years ago!" stories.

Jeff Healy is gone???? I too watched Roadhouse to see him, both hims, really, but I hadn't heard Jeff died. "Angel Eyes" is my ANTHEM.

Very nice post. I always wanted to practice dance moves in a lake after that film. Maybe I need to find a lake this weekend. :-)

I grew up in and worked in the Catskill Mountains of New York where those hotels actually exist. I have never seen a dancing instructor at those places look anywhere near as HOT as Patrick Swayze is. And I looked, believe me!

I'm ending healing wishes and love to Patrick and his family. If anybody can survive pancreatic cancer, it's him for sure.

My brother swore Patrick Swayze was singing 'She's microwaved.' It was about five years before he would believe me it was 'She's like the wind.

Er, I meant Sending.

I'm a big Patrick Swayze fan, too. I fell when I saw him in the TV mini-series, "The North and The South." Then, came "Dirty Dancing", I was hooked. A gorgeous hunk and he could dance! I hope he can beat the cancer.

Patrick Swayze is sooo very cool...those eyes, smile, hips...well, I loved him in DD, N&S and Ghost...will now have to view the rest.

If we all send him our positive wellness vibes, it'll surely make him well. I gotta love a guy who adores his spouse after 30+ years...but, we knew he would, right?

Just back from a much-needed vac., so have to weight in on the Katie/Armando...very spot-on, Laurie...as are your recent posts...my, it warms my heart to watch evolvement in motion!

Hugs, K.

I was about 13 when 'North & South' screened here in Australia...he was gorgeous as Orry Main...it was love at first sight. My ex-husband took me to the drive-in to see 'Dirty Dancing' on Valentine's Day 1988...and I was hooked :D

I am now coming up to 41 and quite proudly admit to owning 'Dirty Dancing' on DVD, and I still love watching it.

Patrick and his wife Lisa are both in my thoughts and prayers.

I was also big fan of "North and South" back in the day. When "Dirty Dancing" came out I was a freshman in college and just about everyone in my dorm went to see it and bought the soundtrack.

I heard "She's Like the Wind" on the radio the other day shortly after the announcement. I'm pleased to say I remembered most of the lyrics. I need to dig out my soundtrack cassette now...

I heart Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing is one movie where the chemistry hasn't been recaptured in any way shape or form.
I think I know what movie I am watching tonight....Dirty Dancing and/or Ghost.

One of the very first DVDs I purchased is Dirty Dancing. And, while channel surfing, when I find it's on, I *always* stop to watch! Oh, and many of the songs on the soundtracks - there were 2 cassette taps and I had both - are GREAT!

Should we do an afghan? If we each did a little square, about 4x4", in acrylic (I know - but it won't shrink!) and sent them to CAP, could WEHO SNB assemble them and find somewhere the studio could forward it from?

Even if there was no way to get it to Patrick, it could be donated on his behalf to a cancer ward. What do ya'll think?

Enclosing a pic of ourselves, with various familial and furry hangers-on, would be nice, too.

CAP, sorry to ask to you volunteer for this, but....

I'm a little old for the DD obsession, but still think he's a great guy, and the best thing to happen to plain white t-shirts since James Dean!

I was late to the party - I did not see Dirty Dancing until it was years old, but I LOVE it and watch it every chance I get!

I don't think I have ever heard a bad story in the news about Patrick Swayze - and that is a rarity these days.

I have been thinking about P.S. since I heard and I wish him the best uf luck in battling a tough disease. I will send him all the "wellness vibes" I can muster!!

Farmgirlnow

I recently bought the "collectors edition" of Dirty Dancing. I am heartbroken for Patrick, and would love to nurse him back to health!

DITTO

Dirty Dancing........swoon
North and South.........sigh
Ghost...........got the vapors
Patrick Swazye and Chris Farley auditioning for the ChippenDale dancers on SNL..........Hells Yeah!!!

Wow. You are an excellent writer. You said everything I was thinking but better!

GL Patrick!

Kim

Just in case another voice in the Universe carries any weight or helps push karma to the good side, I too say, "Get Well dear Patrick Swayze."

Patrick Swayze, actor,dancer, choreographer, musician, songwriter, singer and STRAIGHT!?! And still married to his first and only wife? My husband has always "hated" him! BUT he still loves "Roadhouse"--watches it every time it's on the cable loop. One night, "Roadhouse" was on one station while "Dirty Dancing" was on another at the same time--it was a guy/girl channel flipping contest to be sure!
Also check out "One Last Dance" from 2004 that he made with his wife, Lisa--he is a SUPER HOT man of ANY AGE! After the news, the title is kind of eerie. Let's pray that's not the case.
I really would have loved to see him when he did his turn in "Chicago"-mmmmm......

I love him, too!

My husband was cleaning out old VHS tapes and threw out my old copy of "Dirty Dancing." I nearly divorced him over that one.

Well, that and the fact that the wedding video from his first marriage survived the downsizing, but Patrick Swayze did not.

Wrong. Just wrong.

When I first heard the news I was devastated. I can't tell you how many times I have watched his movies...too many to count. I am/was a cancer patient/survivor and receive a magazine called "HEAL, Living Well after Cancer", 2 days after I heard of the diagnosis, the magazine came and there was a feature article of a SURVIVOR of Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer- he is alive and well in Missouri EIGHT years after diagnosis...he gave me a real sense of hope and some updated facts about pancreatic cancer! I hope it does the same for you!

I guess I'm "Blizzard Chase" now .. .

Anyway, bought your book for the Missus for her birthday, it's a hoot, great writing, make another one!

And it's worldwide... "Ich habe eine Wassermelone getragen" is the melon line in German *sigh*

Thanks for your wonderful words. All the best to Patrick {{ }}

Sanne
from Germany

I love this conversation! And Patrick Swayze. I hope he gets well soon.

Okay-
Jodi- let me get this one straight-
The first marriage video got saved and DD/Patrick didn't?
Whoa..that's a LOT of chocolate, roses and footrubs worth of making up to do!!
(Oh and dancing- lots of check-to-check dancing!)

Ghost.

Crazy Aunt Purl, I wrote about your blog on my blog today.

one of my all time favorite movies...it just never gets old!

Someone rememberedThe Outsiders and Red Dawn. Woohoo, I am not the oldest one here.

I agree with you all. Dirty Dancing will never go out of style just like the feeling it brings back to us all -our first love. What a feeling! At any age.

Jodi,
I got a chance to see P. S. as Billy Flynn when Chicago was at the Pantages a few years ago. He was superb, and his classical dance training brought much to the stage. What a memorable night.

Oh, to all who said they "were too old" for DD - you're NEVER too old!! ;) Take it from me...and I'm almost his age. I heart PS - always have.

PS in drag in "To Wong Foo..." looks JUST like my sister!!! I'm so serious, even down to how he held his hands. I agree with whoever said that one of the sexiest things about him is his devotion to Lisa for over 30 years.

Healing thoughts and prayers for you, Patrick. We love you.

I love all your movies.Dirty Dancing was the sexiest,then Road House,Black Dog.My son is 38 and everytime he sees me watching one of your movies,which happened to be Dirty Dancing most of the time, he says;not again mom! Ha!!I truely love all your movies and am Praying for you and your family.I lost my father and i lost my sister about 5 yrs. ago,so i know how you feel.May God heal you!

Hi, I'm with all of you on Patrick Swazye! I sure hope he was diagnosed in the early stages. Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst.

Here's something for the truly "Dirty Dancing" obsessed....
The movie may have been set in the Catskills, but it was filmed in South-western Virginia at Mountain Lake Hotel, www.mountainlakehotel.com . The hotel is still alive and well, they have rooms in the main hotel and the cabins are also available. Can you imagine SLEEPING in the actual cabin that was his? Swoon.

For someone who has shown us such energy over the years, it is shocking to hear that this has happened to Patrick Swayze, isn't it? May he recover from this ordeal.

*sigh* I was just a bit too old for Dirty Dancing, and when I watch it I see its myriad flaws all too clearly.

Patrick Swayze is not one of them.

Get well soon, indeed.

Almost as good as the tai chi scene that Laurie mentioned is that scene in Roadhouse where Kelly Lynch stitiches him up and he passes on having anesthetic...what a bad as*. hubba hubba.

My boyfriend and I just took a ballroom dancing class. We sucked -- er, we weren't good at it. I recently watched "Dirty Dancing" and told BF that when I win the lottery I was going to hire Patrick Swayze to teach me to dance.

Get well soon, Patrick!

Another tidbit about the Dirty Dancing movie location--apparently the filming went longer than they anticipated and the leaves started turning so they actually PAINTED tne leaves green to keep the continuity!

And sadly, one of his other co-stars (Jeff Healey) from Roadhouse died recently of cancer. I wish this dreaded disease would no longer be a life taking threat.

My darling daughters who are 15 and 13 have fallen in love with dirty dancing over the last couple of years. Both of the girls were very disappointed to hear that Patrick had pancreatic cancer. My dearest friend in the world past away last June due to the disease. She live with pancreatic cancer for 2 years and 8 months after her diagnosis. She was active and full of life until the last 2 months. I hope that Patrick will be in the 5% that survive.

i first fell crazy head over heels in love with patrick when i saw him in the made for tv mini-series North and South. OMG... i taped that show and watched it so much i wore the tape out.. all because i was in love with patrick. to this day, the memory of him as a southern gent is enough to curl my toes.

PS's mom had a dance studio around the corner from the house I grew up in (in Simi Valley, CA), and in junior high I had some girlfriends that took dance lessons there. They said that sometimes Patrick would come in and help out, and one of them bragged for weeks about dancing with him. Damn the luck, I lack the talent to even walk into a dance class without tripping.