THE GOOD OLD DAYS:Nostalgia draws moviegoers to ‘Dirty Dancing’ revival

Newport Beach native McKenna Medley was only a newborn when her father, Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, recorded “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” with Jennifer Warnes for a low-budget romance film starring then-little-known actors Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Twenty years later, the song has gone on to win an Academy Award and a Grammy, McKenna Medley has a successful singing career of her own, and “Dirty Dancing” has captivated the hearts of a diverse audience, generating more than $170 million in box office sales.

“At some point in everybody’s life, they need to see a feel-good movie like ‘Dirty Dancing,’ and they need to hear a song like ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ ” said Bill Medley, who almost turned down the opportunity to record the song because he didn’t want to be far from his pregnant wife. “It’s just a great movie — the age-old story of the bad boy and the good girl done so perfectly.”

The father-daughter duo often performs together at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater in Branson, Mo., where McKenna is based nine months out of the year, closing their shows with the hit that once topped Billboard charts.

The 20-year-old singer and songwriter said she is not surprised that the movie’s success has spawned a booming stage production set to hit the United States in 2008, an in-progress “Dirty Dancing” video game from Codemasters and another film — “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.”

“I was probably too young to be watching ‘Dirty Dancing’ the first time I saw it, but I became obsessed with it,” said McKenna, who recalls wanting to be called “Baby” as a grade-schooler. “It has really stood well with time because it’s a great movie and a great story that anyone can connect with.”

Moviegoers packed a theater at Edwards Metro Pointe on Tuesday evening, when “Dirty Dancing” played as part of a special two-night engagement at theaters nationwide.

Asked what drew them out for the screening, fans cited various motives, including Swayze’s sex appeal, nostalgia for the ‘80s and early ‘60s, and the superb dancing showcased in the movie.

“We love ‘Dirty Dancing.’ We’ve watched it a million times,” said 21-year-old Jana Aoki.

“For us, it’s the dancing,” her mother Judy Aoki added.

After learning of their son’s acceptance into the Orange County High School of the Arts, Greg and Jaylene Valentine brought 13-year-old Cody — the “future Patrick Swayze” — to the theater for a little inspiration.

“His P.E. class will be ballroom dancing, so we thought this was perfect,” Jaylene Valentine said. “We own the movie, but we wanted to see it again on the big screen.”

A 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, featuring a rare interview with Swayze, drops nationwide on Tuesday.