Was Portsmouth Tugboat in '80s Movie With Travolta & Newton-John?

Did an aquatic landmark of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, make a cameo in a feature film starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta???

No, not that one. The 1983 rom-com Two of a Kind. Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it either.

But that’s the rumor going around the Facebook group "The (un)Official City of Portsmouth." A music video for the song “Twist of Fate” features scenes from the movie, and sure enough – about a minute-and-a-half in – that sure looks like the Portsmouth Tugboat rubbing elbows with Danny and Sandy.

There it is. Red, plodding, even has “Margaret Moran” right there on the side. All these years, we’ve had a movie star in our midst while chowing down at Old Ferry Landing.

Maybe during his next visit to Portsmouth Harbor, Tom Bergeron could book it on "Sailing with the Stars." Well, not so fast.

As commenters on the Facebook page were quick to point out, Moran isn’t exactly a limited supplier of tugboats. One resident noted that it has at least 100 known vessels throughout the world, while another shared that they operate out of at least 15 ports.

As the film features the World Trade Center in the background, it’s a safe bet that the ship in the clip is one of the Portsmouth Tug’s relatives in New York Harbor (also...you might see several red tugboats just in Portsmouth Harbor).

Getty Images/iStockphoto

It's a little like when you see mall Santas hanging at a bar.

But…who says we have to admit it? The next time you have someone visiting the Seacoast, just go with the story that the Portsmouth Tugboat appeared in a movie with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (no, not that one).

And that motorcycle that woke you up as it blazed past the Beach Plum at midnight? That also appeared in a movie with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (why yes, that one).

And the house it continued past? Almost purchased by Aerosmith legend Steven Tyler (no, for real!).