NOEL KING, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Noel King. In 1953, the town of Fort Smith, Ark., outlawed dancing in public on Sundays. The mayor said Sunday dances endangered public health. It became known as the "Footloose" law after the Kevin Bacon movie about a teen who moves to a town where dancing is forbidden.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FOOTLOOSE")

KENNY LOGGINS: (Singing) Now I got to cut loose, footloose.

KING: And then most people forgot it existed. A resident recently alerted the city director. He introduced her appeal. It was unanimous. The people of Fort Smith can kick off their Sunday shoes. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.