I didnt think it was going to happen, and then they made it with other people.. In the stage version, The T-birds wield real switchblade knives but in the movie, these are replaced by much more kid-friendly pocket combs. At the end of the song, Travolta lobbied for a close up of his beautiful face, but the director of the movie stuck to his gut and decided to go with the hot dog and bun scene. Sandy's parents remain in America and enroll Sandy at Rydell where she meets greaser girl clique the Pink Ladies consisting of Frenchy, Marty, Jan and leader Rizzo. The drag racing scene was pretty cool. Everyone understands the scenario of Grease, everyones been to school, everyones understood those feelings. If Grease was released today, it's likely that the relationship between this pair would end in the drive-in, if not sooner. Olivias favorite moment: Everything about making the film was fun, but if I had to pick a favorite moment, it was the transformation from what I call Sandy 1 to Sandy 2, she said to Londons Telegraph. She was in so much pain from an ectopic pregnancy that she had to lean against vehicles to get through the shoot. The Grease film was released in June 1978. Which is a damn sight . They were a couple of 50s teenagers fighting against great odds especially high school peer pressure to be together. Aug 8, 2022, 1:57 PM PDT. "Grease" is available to stream on Paramount Plus ($5/month). The Examiner report for Grease available here, highlights language including frigging A and what do you think this is, an gang bang?, as potentially questionable at the A category, but the overall light touch of the film in its handling of teenage romance, as well as the musical context which would likely appeal to youngsters, ultimately kept the film in the A category. Those pants were no joke, though. Grease 2 (1982) stars Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer. Remember Olivias tight denims she wore in the finale after she had made her transformation? The classic 1978 musical stars John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John. Speaking on the Mamma Mia No Filter podcast in 2018, 72-year-old Olivia Newton-John revealed why she couldn't date John Travolta during filming and why it helped the chemistry on screen. According to Didi Conn, who played Pink Lady and beauty-school dropout Frenchy in Grease one of a small handful of original cast members to return for Grease 2 producers originally had a different sequel in mind. His need for pills lasted a lot longer than the film did. Each cylinder shall have valid inspection and hydro tested certificate. Star Perdita Weeks' Bikini Photos, See Your Favorite Celebrity Couples in Swimsuits: Best Beach Photos, Meet Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone's Daughters Vivian and Georgette, Pure Sunshine! Rizzo fears she is pregnant after missing a period and confides in Marty, who tells Sonny, who inadvertently spreads the rumor to the apparent father Kenickie, though Rizzo denies it to him. Conaway Had It Bad For Olivia Newton-John, But She Set Him Up With Her Sister! "[52] Variety praised the "zesty choreography and very excellent new plus revived music", and thought Travolta and Newton-John "play together quite well. The references to Troy Donohue, Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Annette Funicello are from the original stage version. No, Grease was not a book before the film. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Learn more. The sequel to the hit musical was a critical and commercial disaster on its release but its since become a cult classic, writes Clare Thorp. I didnt think it would be a problem. He appeared in Grease as Putzie, a character created especially for the film. Arnold, Gary (June 17, 1978). Newton-John had done little acting before this film, with only two film credits (1965's Funny Things Happen Down Under and the little-seen 1970 film Toomorrow, which predated her singing breakthrough) to her name up to that time. It starred the likes of John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing. At night, teens are making out, one teen couple is in the back seat of a car, they are fully clothed. Lorenzo Lamas was a last-minute replacement for Steven Ford, who developed stage fright shortly before filming and backed out, and Mark Fidrych, who ran into conflicts with his full-time career as a baseball player. Released, perhaps inadvisably, in the same week as ET, Star Trek II, Rocky III and Poltergeist, it came in fifth at the box office. Even the biggest Grease lovers probably missed the diner snafu where Sandy and her date are seen chatting it up over milkshakes and under a blurred out sign. The songs are so good, says Chris Clegg. [21] You can also rent or buy "Grease" to watch . FOX recently aired Grease: Live, the title of which says it all. The show explores and expands on the characters and story from the film. [40], It was re-released May 18, 1979, in 1,248 theatres in the United States and Canada (except for the New York City area, where it opened a week later), Paramount's biggest ever saturation release at the time, grossing $4.5 million in its opening weekend. Biodegradable: A minimum of 60 percent biodegradation within 28 days for 90 percent of the lubricant formulation or 75 percent of the grease formulation. John had never had the lead in a movie beforeThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble, he explained to xecutives.net. The scene was preserved only in black-and-white; Kleiser attempted to have the existing footage colorized and restored to the film for the film's re-release in 1998 but was dissatisfied with the results. Some grease manufacturers will stamp the grease shipping box with the letters "DOM" for "date of manufacturer." [75], The song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" refers to Sal Mineo in the original stage version. Annette Charles played Cha Cha, and she is probably best known for her flag-waving roll in the infamous car race scene. Mineo was stabbed to death a year before filming, so the line was changed to refer to Elvis Presley instead. On race day, Kenickie is concussed by his own car door, so Danny takes the wheel, winning the race after Leo spins out. Picture: Getty Images. I thought it was also wonderful that people were still talking about it all these years later. Overview - Grease is still the word as it celebrates its 40th anniversary with a new 4K release and a brand-new 4K transfer. [17] Coincidentally, Frankie Avalon and Randal Kleiser had both appeared in 1966's Fireball 500, the latter as an extra. And now the popular movie musical, which starred John Travolta and Olivia . [82] Filming began in January 2022, and the series' cast was announced at the end of the month.[83]. The masterminds behind Grease wanted the leading man, John Travolta, to standtaller than the other males in the film. Other stars included Judy Garlands daughter Lorna Luft as Pink Lady Paulette, and a teenage Pamela Adlon (Louie, Better Things) as her little sister. Released as a single in May, "Grease," also produced by Gibb and with guitar by Peter Frampton, spent two weeks atop the American singles chart in August, selling a million. "[51], Gene Siskel gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "exciting only when John Travolta is on the screen" but still recommending it to viewers, adding, "Four of its musical numbers are genuine showstoppers that should bring applause. "Greased Lightnin'" / Paramount Pictures. "[56], Retrospective reviews have generally been positive. For many of us who rented the film from the bargain section of our local Blockbuster Video in the 80s and 90s, it felt like a more grown-up and infinitely cooler version of the original. Travolta and Kleiser had previously worked together on Boy in the Plastic Bubble, so he could vouch for Kleiser. [79], On October 15, 2019, it was announced that a musical television series based on Grease, titled Grease: Rydell High, was given a straight-to-series order by HBO Max. Randal Kleiser didn't love what Gibb wrote, thinking it was too dark for the film. [43] Discounting inflation, Grease is now the seventh-highest-grossing live-action musical worldwide. Jeff Conaway, like Travolta, had previously appeared in the stage version of Grease; he had played Danny Zuko during the show's run on Broadway. Olivia was 28-years-old and John was 23-years-old when they filmed Grease and the pair were on the edge of superstardom while shooting the movie. These days, Travolta is a household name, having taken on roles in films like Pulp Fiction and Saturday Night Fever (via IMDb).However, at the time, he was just an up-and-coming star. He found John Travolta's Elvis Presleyinspired performance to be the highlight, but felt that Grease "sees the material as silly camp. A sing-along version of the movie was released to some theaters on July 8, 2010. The film is based on the stage musical. While the film turned out to be something of a breakthrough role for Michelle Pfeiffer, the movie managed to kill Maxwell Caulfield's career stone dead. [17] Marie Osmond's brother and duet partner Donny Osmond was another potential Teen Angel before Avalon was cast,[17] as was Frankie Valli, who had been given the choice of either singing the theme or appearing as the Teen Angel (he chose the former).[21]. The original concept for Grease came from high school art teacher Warren Casey and advertising copywriter Jim Jacobs, who were discussing how much they missed doo-wop songs from the 1950s, which gradually spawned the musical and everything that followed. Forty years ago, Grease the movie had America singing and dancing their way into and out of theaters, their inspiration coming (not surprisingly) from the cast, particularly John Travolta as Danny Zuko and singer Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson. How is that going to work? It is based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. And then you have these writers who came up with a brilliant story and music. I saw it when it first opened and then there was a 20th anniversary and I went with a friend of mine and her little girl, she recalled to People. [17], Henry Winkler turned down the role of Danny Zuko for fear of being typecast as a greaser, having been playing the similar bad-boy greaser Arthur Fonzarelli on Happy Days since 1974. These original songs are pretty horrible. "Grease" was the word and one of the most beloved movies of the 1970s. This success made way for a sequel, simply titled Grease 2, but a third movie never happened - here's why. Grease, released on June 16, 1978, is now celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. It tells the story of a summer romance between greaser Danny Zuko . (At one point there were plans for a four-film franchise and a spin-off TV series. Unlike Sandy, who gets the worlds worst perm, takes up smoking and sews herself into spandex leggings to get the guy, Stephanie has no intention of changing who she is for a man. Most of the leading actors and actresses were well into their twenties and thirties when filming took place. The movie was released in 1976 and also appeared his future co-star John. [36][37] The film played for four weeks and was then paired with the PG-rated version of Saturday Night Fever in late June. Based on the 1971 musical of the same name, the film follows. Since John was big news at the time, having just filmed Saturday Night Fever, he got the part, and Conaway had to take a backseat to Mr. Big Shot. Plans for more sequels were promptly scrapped. Stephanie takes the baton from Greases ballsy Rizzo and runs with it. It took place at Rydell High in Venice, California. Director Randal Kleiser had never done a film before heading up Grease, so when it came time for him to take the role of director on, he needed a little help from his old pal, Mega-star John Travolta. He did not get to perform Kenickie's featured number "Greased Lightnin'" due to Travolta's influence and desire to have that song for himself. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies TV Series 2023- TV-14 IMDb RATING 5.0 /10 2K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 89 39 Play trailer 1:58 10 Videos 21 Photos Comedy Musical Romance A spinoff of the original John Travolta and Olivia Newton John 1978 musical. ", "'Grease Sing-A-Long' trailer cuts cigarette from iconic scene: Smoking was not removed from the film itself, "Grease Sing-A-LongTrailers, Videos, and Reviews ComingSoon.net Movie Database", "Grease Sing-A-Long (2010) | Trailer & Official Movie Site", "The UK's biggest selling singles of all time", "Venevisin estrena 'Somos t y yo, un nuevo da, inspirada en Grease', "De regreso a los aos 50 con el musical 'Grease', "Grease Prequel Series Shifting Gears from HBO Max to Paramount+", "Grease Prequel Series Sets Cast, With Jackie Hoffman as Vice Principal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grease_(film)&oldid=1152434282, Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress, Movie Dance Sequence You Reenacted in Your Living Room, "Rydell Fight Song" Rydell Marching Band, "There are Worse Things I Could Do" Rizzo, "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" (Reprise) Sandy, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 06:17. Gosh, I've never seen that before. The film also received five nominations at the 36th Golden Globe Awards, including for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and two for Best Original Song, for "Grease" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You". He struggled with addiction until his untimely passing at age sixty. Director Randal Kleiser also gave it a miss. When Sandy finally says Danny's name, Rizzo arranges a surprise reunion at a pep rally where Sandy meets Tom, a jock, and Kenickie unveils his new used car, Greased Lightnin', which he plans on street racing after a restoration. He had been part of an ensemble in a TV comedy, but this was his first time as the star. Im fascinated to see if the public is going to accept me or reject me. The summer of 1958, in which Grease was set, looked a beguiling cocktail of hormonally charged lindy hops, leather pants and all-round frivolity. Annette Charles, who played bad girl Cha Cha DiGregorio, was 30. 11. This is a sweet little summer movie, it doesnt warrant a sequel. Or anyones, in fact. John Travolta Wasn't Supposed to Sing "Greased Lightnin'" in 'Grease' Get the Details! This means that the section 5 (a) (1) (B) requirement to submit a pre-manufacture notice ("PMN") to EPA at least 90-days before commencing non-exempt commercial manufacture of a new chemical substance in the United States . Love film and TV? Overheated actors definitely became a problem. second-best-selling album of the year in the United States, remove the Coca-Cola logos from the scene, Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Music Original Song, "Grease movie soundtrack earns its second #1 hit", "Year End ChartsYear-end AlbumsThe Billboard 200", "Shrek Has Been Inducted Into the National Film Registry", "Carrie Fisher could have played Sandy in 'Grease', "Carrie Fisher almost played Sandy in Grease", "Grease: 10 things you didn't know about the 1978 hit film", "Henry Winkler on 'Barry,' 'The French Dispatch' and some of his missed career chances", "Frankie Valli Q&A: Looking Back at 50 Years of The Four Seasons", "Grease Is the Word: Twenty Years Later, the Stars Are Still True to Their School", "Famed Animator John David Wilson Dies at 93", "DVD Savant: GREASE and the Curse of Product Placement", "Danny and Sandy finally get their movie-ending 'Grease' kiss, 40 years after it was cut", "Aladdin Is Actually The Second-Most Successful Musical Ever", https://facebook.com/events/s/grease-special-screening/1469003503521816/, "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1978", "A Slick Version of 'Grease': Fantasy of the 50s", "Grease movie review & film summary (1998)", "Grease review - Travolta and Newton-John's summer lovin' still a blast", "Entertainment Weekly's The 50 Best High School Movies", "Grease: 40th Anniversary Edition - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Review | High Def Digest", "The 51st Academy Awards (1979) Nominees and Winners", "Wanna Sing-A-Long with Grease? Danny and Sandy recount their brief romance to their respective groups, Sandy recalling a romantic summer and Danny implying a more physical experience. Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Now Streaming, Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Grease Is The Word, Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Official Trailer), Watch Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies (UK Official Trailer), Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Teaser), Watch Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies (UK), Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Meet The New Rydell Cliques, All of the episode titles are quotes from the original film. Explained director Randal Kleiser to movieline.com, There were a couple of songs we didnt think would pop onscreen. Then I thought, if thats the case, we were the first zombie musical, and we look pretty good considering.. At a carnival, Danny and Sandy each find they have changed for each other: Danny has become a letterman, and Sandy a greaser girl. Even though the '70s are a thing of the past, Grease is still the word. Some of the songs were not present in the film; songs that appear in the film but not in the soundtrack are "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "Alma Mater", "Alma Mater Parody", and "Rydell Fight Song". Despite having almost twice the budget of the first film, it barely made back its costs. The songs dominated the pop charts and brought heady success for its lead actors, John Travolta (Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) despite the fact that--as with their energetic co-stars--their own teenage years were some way behind them. The race was filmed at the Los Angeles River, between the First and Seventh Street Bridges, where many other films have been shot. According to Kleiser, "We just had to hope that Pepsi wouldn't complain. For myself, I saw it six (6) times in the theater upon its release. Sat Sep 15 2018 - 06:00. [39] It went on to become the highest-grossing film in the UK, with a gross of 14.7 million. The soundtrack to Grease was the second best-selling album of 1978, following only the soundtrack to John's hit from the previous year, Saturday Night Fever. Susan Dey, Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family, was the original choice to play Sandy, but she listened to her manager and turned it down. Here are twenty things that happened on the set of Grease that surprised even us. "[57] In 2018, Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian gave it 5 out of 5 stars, saying "It's still a sugar-rush of a film. It wasnt initially, but it has embedded itself in American culture, John told askjimmycarter.com. They didn't. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, its a combination of romance, comedy, music, and dancing that connected with pretty much everyone, and still does. Those who have 4K capability will want to decide if Paramount's new updated color palette for the movie is to their liking, but this one still falls firmly in Recommended territory. At the end, there was a song that we replaced with Youre the One That I Want, because we needed a song that John and Olivia could sing together that would be kind of bouncy and fun, and the play just didnt have that., The Rydell High sequences were shot at Venice High School in Venice, CA, which was also used in various film and TV productions, among them A Nightmare on Elm Street, American History X, Heathers, Masters of the Universe, and Glee. Grease just happened to be the perfect transitionary role for Conaway, a seasoned and accomplished stage actor. The character of Sandy was originally written as an American, but because Olivia couldnt master the accent, the character was rewritten to have come from her native Australia. "[58], Grease was voted the best musical ever on Channel 4's 100 greatest musicals in 2004. On June 16, 1978, "Grease" was released in movie theaters. TSCA section 3 (7) defines the term "manufacture" to include import. It also served as a location for Britney Spears music video Baby One More Time.. John Travolta was 23 at the time of filming, Olivia Newton-John was 29, and Stockard Channing was 33. Maxwell Caulfield has blamed the film for curtailing his career (The party was over it took me a long time to get over it, he said in an interview for a documentary about Grease producer Allan Carr) but has attended screenings and cast Q&As in recent years. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. The movie soundtrack became the second-best selling album of 1978. In this, everyone is ber moralistic about the idea of teenagers having sex, which is neither in keeping with the 'Grease universe' as it were, or a new, fresh take. The sexual revolution was happening, and porn stars were becoming somewhat accepted in media. My how the times have changed. The film Grease was released in 1978, and directed by Randal Kleiser. While Grease was released in 1978, it was a Broadway musical that opened in February 1972. Their offices overlooked filming, and the cast was known to be so loud that the movie stars could not think straight and get theirwork done. The soundtrack to Grease was the second best-selling album of 1978, following only the soundtrack to Johns hit from the previous year, Saturday Night Fever. Its mark on U.S. culture however, feels just as fresh today as it did the day it was released. The project would be a joint-production collaboration with Temple Hill Productions and Picturestart. All this for a film that after such an initially muted reception, looked like it would disappear into cinematic oblivion. They had to get to know a whole new bunch of people on a sequel to something they had watched at least five times, Birch said in an interview, reflecting on the films reception. Conaway Got Really Friendly With SeveralWomen On Set, Travolta Was In Mourning Over The Loss Of His Girlfriend, Diana Hyland, During Filming, Director Kleiser Needed Pull From Travolta To Land His Directorial Role, No Teens Here, Only Adults Playing Young Roles, Olivia Newton-John Had To Be Cut Out Of Her Iconic Leather Pants, The DirectorDidn't LikeThe Opening Song To The Film. Newton-John, who was born in England and spent most of her childhood in Australia, was unable to perform with a convincing American accent, and thus her character was rewritten to be Australian. what certificate was grease when it was released. The lyrics, lines, outfits, and innuendos in the movieGrease seem pretty tame, especially compared to what we hear on the radio and see on television nowadays. Firstly, the songs: EVERY FEMALE SINGER SOUNDS THE SAME. Both of them are surprised to meet again on the first day of the new term at Rydell High School, and Sandy is confused by the cool and disinterested way Danny treats her. Making the film was a fun but distant memory as she went on to have a successful 40-year career in theatre and voice-overs, including working on Sesame Street. Like Sandy, Michael is a newcomer at Rydell High, and a bit of a square. Read about our approach to external linking. [13] In a case of life imitating art, Newton-John's own musical career would undergo a transformation similar to that of the Sandy Olsson character; her next album after Grease, the provocatively titled Totally Hot, featured a much more sexual and pop-oriented approach, with Newton-John appearing on the album cover in similar all-leather attire and teased hair. When Grease hit theaters in June 1978, it was an instant hit and its cast members became instant stars. [26] Furthermore, owing to budget cuts, a short scene was filmed at Hazard Park in Los Angeles. "[69] The film was shown for two weekends only; additional cities lobbied by fans from the Paramount official website started a week later and screened for one weekend. In connection with the film's 40th anniversary, Paramount released Grease on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on April 24, 2018.[63]. Stars Marisa Davila Cheyenne Isabel Wells Ari Notartomaso See production, box office & company info Starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as Rydell High School sweethearts Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko, the film. On September 24, 2002, it was released on DVD for the first time. In the summer of 1958, local boy Danny Zuko and vacationing Australian Sandy Olsson meet at the beach and fall in love. Few may have seen Grease 2 on the big screen, but it found its audience on VHS, and many who grew up with it are now its biggest fans. The film is based on the 1971 musical of the same name. All Rights Reserved, Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Hawaii Adventures! Grease 2 had always been there when I was growing up, but it was probably my mid-teens when I got hooked on it, says Chris Clegg, creator of the Cool Rider stage show,a concert version of Grease 2 who loves it so much he has a tattoo in its honour. The reviews likely didnt help. Forty years later, its still the fourth highest grossing musical of all time. When 29-year-old Olivia Newton-John was cast as 17-year-old Sandy, she wasn't sure she should take the part. Best Answer. Director Randal Kleiser took numerous liberties with the original source material, most notably moving the setting from an urban Chicago setting (based on William Howard Taft High School[10]), as the original musical had been, to a more suburban locale, reflecting his own teenage years at Radnor High School in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Jeff Conaway had a thing for his co-star, actress Olivia Newton-John, during the filming of Grease. The film was released in 1978 in both the United States of America and the United Kingdom. I laughed, Olivia told Huffington Post. She ended up introducing him to her sister, who Conaway eventually married. In Grease 2, the gender of the geek trying to impress the cool kid was reversed (Credit: Alamy), Caulfield hoped the film was his ticket to stardom. Details on Recent Surgery, Recovery, John Travolta Has Been "Wonderful" to 'Grease' Co-Star Olivia Newton-John Amid Her Breast Cancer Battle. Similarly, to place or import your . The movie version of "Grease" was released exactly 30 years ago today, June 16, 1978. Travolta was the "it" guy, and he knew it. Sources: Ranker.com, pensandpatrons.com, foxnews.com, bustle.com, John TravoltaTried To Heal The Director's Foot With His Religious Beliefs, Cha Cha Endured APregnancy Loss That Sent Her Straight To The Hospital, Stockard Channing's "Love Bites" Were The Real Deal, Jack Nicholson AndWarren BeattyWorked Near The Set And Found The Cast Bothersome, They Had To Blur A Poster Because It Showed A Coca Cola Logo (They Were Partnered With Pepsi), The High School Dance Scene Was Filmed Under Such Hot Conditions That People Started Getting Sick, Jeff Conaway's Issues With Addiction Started On The Set Of Grease, Jeff Conaway Was Supposed To Lead Grease Lightning But John Travolta Insisted It Be Him, Travolta Made A Stink Over A Close Up Of Him In The Song Sandy, The Water In The Race Car Scene Was Contaminated And Made Cast MembersSick, Because Travolta Was The Lead, Other Actors Who Were Taller Were Forced To Slouch Down, Everything From Song Lyrics To Costumes Was Pushing The Envelope Back In The 70s. Although the film was released in the late 70s it was set in the Summer on 1958, which explains the iconic poodle skirts and nostalgia of the 1950's America that appears in the show. See 'Magnum P.I.' All I know is, I love that it has, and I adore being a part of it., Although Grease 2 failed to launch Caulfields career, he has affection for it now (Credit: Alamy).
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