MONDAY NIGHTS WITH OSCAR PRESENTS: "THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY" (1978)

EXTRA TREAT: LEGENDARY DISCO DIVA DONNA SUMMER IN A RARELY SEEN PERFORMANCE AT THE 51ST ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS

"LISTEN, MR. BIG SHOT DJ…I'VE PAID MY DUES. ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS A CHANCE." – NICOLE SIMS

When the theater curtain opens and the usually static Columbia Pictures "Torch Lady" does a brief disco dance move before the opening credits, you know this is no ordinary night at the movies. And it's no ordinary Friday night at The Zoo, the hottest new nightclub in Los Angeles. 

Produced at the height of the disco craze, "Thank God It's Friday" tells several zany, intertwining stories of a motley assortment of the staff and patrons of the fictitious nightclub. Think "Grand Hotel" or "American Graffiti," but with slapstick comedy, glitter eye shadow, recreational drugs and a pounding beat. Like those earlier films, "Thank God It's Friday" uses its all-star ensemble cast to create a vibrant portrait of an era.

"Thank God It's Friday" marked the only feature film appearance of Donna Summer, as the girl who wants a chance at stardom. The movie's hot-selling soundtrack featured the Academy Award-winning hit "Last Dance"by Paul Jabara. A Casablanca-Motown Production. Columbia Pictures. 89 minutes.

Academy Award winner: Music – Original Song ("Last Dance," Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara)