The song "You're the One That I Want" was released as a single prior to the film's release and became an immediate chart-topper, despite not being in the stage show or having been seen in the film at that time. 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. I can see its charm now, he said. On June 16, 1978, "Grease" was released in movie theaters. When John Travolta belted out the tune of Sandy, he made hearts swoon from coast to coast. [46], The film was ranked number 21 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.[61][62]. But when the movie was being filmed in 1977, no one knew they were making what would become the highest . 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. Travolta, who was very devout in his unconventional religious beliefs, thought that he could heal the director's foot. John had never had the lead in a movie beforeThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble, he explained to xecutives.net. Randy did get better, but that might have been thanks to modern medicine. The reviews likely didnt help. [18], Lucie Arnaz auditioned for the part of Rizzo, but a talent client of Carr, Stockard Channing, was cast, several years after her last major film role and debut in The Fortune. The project would be a joint-production collaboration with Temple Hill Productions and Picturestart. [13] The screen test was done with the drive-in movie scene. SUBSCRIBE: $1 for 3 months. After a disastrous beauty class leaves Frenchy with candy-pink hair, she reluctantly decides to return to Rydell to complete her high-school education. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. The film that exposed our misogynistic culture. [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]. "Alone at a Drive-in Movie (Instrumental)", "Mooning", and "Freddy My Love" are not present in the film, although all three are listed in the end credits in addition to being on the soundtrack. 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. A few years earlier, Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather Part II which won the Academy Award for best picture suggested that sequels could even improve on the original. 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 . A musical romance, set in the 1950s, and starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the film follows the story of a pair of teenagers who fall in love despite their differences. 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. JoinBBC Culture Film and TV Clubon Facebook, a community for cinephiles all over the world. It included several No. "[56], Retrospective reviews have generally been positive. Grease is part of the American culture. Starring Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, and Vanessa Hudgens, the adaptation received positive reviews, especially for Hudgens, and ten Emmy nominations. Grease was one of the highest-grossing films of all-time when it was released and wasn't considered at all controversial. Grease was released in the US on VHS by Paramount Home Video in 1979, 1982, 1989, 1992 and 1994; the last VHS release was on June 23, 1998, and was titled the 20th Anniversary Edition following a theatrical re-release that March. The excitement didnt last long. In Grease, no one cares who's 'going all the way', if anything, girls who aren't having sex are treated as prudish. Grease (1978) came to the BBFC for classification in June 1978. Before accepting the role, Newton-John requested a screen test for Grease to avoid a career setback. [74] The film's title song was also a number-one hit single for Frankie Valli. 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. 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. Sandy, watching from afar and rejoicing for Danny's victory, concludes she still loves him and enlists Frenchy's help in changing her attitude and looks to impress him. Its now the role shes asked about the most. It starred the likes of John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing. Although the musical would go on to become the highest grossing film of that year, it was beaten at the box office in its opening weekend by Jaws 2 the follow-up to Spielbergs hugely successful shark-attack horror. Starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as Rydell High School sweethearts Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko, the film. Director Randal Kleiser also gave it a miss. It sold 28 million copies worldwide.. All this for a film that after such an initially muted reception, looked like it would disappear into cinematic oblivion. Even those who might be forgiven for wanting to forget all about the film seem to have softened. No, its Grease 2.. Here are twenty things that happened on the set of Grease that surprised even us. Based on the 1971 musical of the same name, the film follows. Grease was a phenomenal hit with its target teenage audience when it was released in 1977. At night, teens are making out, one teen couple is in the back seat of a car, they are fully clothed. [81] In 2020, the series' title was changed to Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies and will premiere on Paramount+. 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. Newton-John had to be sewn into them before filming, and then the pants had to be ripped off at the end of filming. 1 hit songs, including the Oscar-nominated hit, "Hopelessly Devoted to You." Depicting. Its forerunner might have been the biggest film of 1978 but when Grease 2 came to cinemas in June 1982, it wasnt even the biggest film that week. While she liked him perfectly well as a friend,she was not interested in him in a romantic sense. Instead, Patricia Birch, choreographer of the original stage musical and the first film, was put at the helm. At least Glee for the most part covers songs that people already like. With its catalogue of hit songs, iconic characters, memorable quotes and familiar scenes, 'Grease' is truly a behemoth of US and global popular culture. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy frets that they may never meet again, but Danny tells her that their love is "only the beginning". The Grease film was released in June 1978. We trusted each other, and had the kind of shorthand that happens when youve already worked together., Stockard Channing genuinely needed to be cast: At the time I had no money and I had a mortgage, she admitted to Broadwayworld.com. 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. The movie was released in 1976 and also appeared his future co-star John. My how the times have changed. "Grease" came out in June 1978, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as Danny and Sandy. Biodegradable: A minimum of 60 percent biodegradation within 28 days for 90 percent of the lubricant formulation or 75 percent of the grease formulation. Jeff Conaway was supposed to head up the famous song, Grease Lightning, but Travolta insisted that he should be the lead on the song. [8] He had little control over the musical aspects of the film; his choice of theme song, a composition by Charles Fox and Paul Williams, was overruled when Robert Stigwood and Allan Carr commissioned a song from Stigwood's client Barry Gibb at the last minute. During the school dance, broadcast live on National Bandstand and hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine, Rizzo and Kenickie spite each other by bringing Leo and Cha-Cha as their dates. Grease gave us the ultimate dance moves during the Prom scene in the school gym. He got through it, but it wasnt easy. There had been talks of a spin-off film called Summer School, with the wedding of Rizzo and Kenickie at the center of it. It wasnt initially, but it has embedded itself in American culture, John told askjimmycarter.com. The Rydell interiors, including the high school dance, were filmed at Huntington Park High School. In other words, the digital certificate has expired long times ago. On the last day of school, Rizzo finds she is not pregnant and reunites with Kenickie. I laughed, Olivia told Huffington Post. Similarly, to place or import your . ), Matching the success of an original is a tall order for any sequel particularly to a film as huge as Grease, and especially when youre attempting it without the star power of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, but with a new, mostly unknown cast. The message in modern coming-of-age films is often to be true to oneself in an environment where fitting in is everything. The next day, Danny apologizes to Sandy for having brushed her off the night earlier and, with Coach Calhoun's help, becomes a runner and successfully wins her back from Tom, but their friends crash their date, and Kenickie and Rizzo break up after an argument. 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. Very cringe-inducing. Like a lot of young gay boys, I gravitated to that camp strong female lead. While several of the Rydell High staff characters reprise their roles, the sequel focused on the latest class of graduating seniors, hence most of the principals from Grease did not appear. Two songs from the musical, "Shakin' at the High School Hop" and "All Choked Up", were left off both the film and the soundtrack. Check the digital certificate of the WebGrease assembly, hitting "Advanced" button, and you will notice that the Microsoft Code Signing PCA is valid between 1/25/2013 till 4/25/2014. An explosion of song and dance that made an indelible impact on popular culture when it was released in 1978, Grease boasts an unforgettable soundtrack that includes "Greased Lightnin'," "Look At . [36][37] The film played for four weeks and was then paired with the PG-rated version of Saturday Night Fever in late June. [21] The film was released in 1978 in both the United States of America and the United Kingdom. When Didi Conn auditioned for the role of Frenchie, she was told to do so in character. The films soundtrack, though slated at the time (Songs, what songs? wrote The New York Times), has also emerged as a cult favourite, getting a vinyl reissue earlier this year. [17] Jamie Donnelly reprised her role as Jan from the Broadway show, the only cast member to do so; as her hair had begun to gray by this point, she had to dye her hair to resemble her stage character. The film was a bomb, costing $13 million and grossing $15 million. [75], The song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" refers to Sal Mineo in the original stage version. Offered director Randal Kleiser to vanityfair.com, It was the 70s, and at that time it was sort of anything goes. In an interview with New York magazine before Grease 2 was released, he said: Next year, if this film is marketed right, everyone will want to look like Maxwell Caulfield. The 1978 film version of Grease benefits from a form of triple nostalgia. W hen Grease was released in cinemas in 1978, a starry, bubblegum-bright adaptation of the 1971 Chicago-to-Broadway musical, the initial reviews were not kind. Grease just happened to be the perfect transitionary role for Conaway, a seasoned and accomplished stage actor. I didnt think it would be a problem. Oliva has warm memories of working with John, feeling that they worked well together and had chemistry with each other from the moment they met. Grease Edit Grease (also known as Grease 1) is a 1978 American musical film directed by Randal Kleiser and produced by Paramount Pictures. On Monday, Paramount+ announced the start of production on a new Grease prequel musical series, titled Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies . Seeing that I really was older, I think that added to the isolation of Rizzo.. 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. 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. All my years singing with New York City Opera at the Lincoln Center and doing all these big Broadway revivals. If you remember the blue windbreaker that Danny wears at the beginning of the film, that was done as a tribute to actor James Dean and his film Rebel Without a Cause. 6. They were a couple of 50s teenagers fighting against great odds especially high school peer pressure to be together. This movie is a musical, drama, romance, and comedy. ButJohn was charmingand really wanted me to do it, and that was one of the deciding factors. Other stars included Judy Garlands daughter Lorna Luft as Pink Lady Paulette, and a teenage Pamela Adlon (Louie, Better Things) as her little sister. [9], The soundtrack album ended 1978 as the second-best-selling album of the year in the United States, exceeded only by another soundtrack album, from the film Saturday Night Fever, which also starred Travolta. Newton-John agreed to a reduced asking price in exchange for star billing. The songs appear in the film in the following order: On August 17, 2009, a television series inspired by the film premiered in Venezuela. The film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name. After the film became a box office hit, it was later revived in . Fortunately, there's nothing flat about John Travolta Travolta can't dominate this movie as he did Fever, but when he's on screen you can't watch anyone else. John appeared in a touring production of Grease playing the background character of Doody. The songs are so good, says Chris Clegg. Then we added our special feeling to it., Director Randal Kleiser had reservations about Olivia Newton-John playing Sandy. According to Kleiser, "We just had to hope that Pepsi wouldn't complain. ", "'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. 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. We knew it was a little cult thing but it well exceeded our expectations. Some grease manufacturers will stamp the grease shipping box with the letters "DOM" for "date of manufacturer." The film Grease was released in 1978, and directed by Randal Kleiser. It gave us songs like Grease Lightning, Sandy, and You're The One That I Want. 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. But after the film aired on BBC One on Boxing Day some hit out, citing . Everybody loves the cast of Greasealmost everybody, that is. The original musical's cocreator Jim Jacobs, who was not involved in the making of Grease 2, has disowned the film. Aug 8, 2022, 1:57 PM PDT. How is she going to become this slut?, It was Johns opinion, as he shared with askjimmycarter.com, that there was only one person on the planet that could be Sandy, and that was Olivia Newton-John, and I was hell-bent to get her in this movie., Olivia was nervous about doing the film, telling the Telegraph, I worried that at 29 I was too old to play a high-school girl. Overall, a pretty inspid money-grab, but not that I'd expect anything more from paramount plus. Inspection for damaged or faulty cylinder with regulators and valve. John Travolta was 23 at the time of filming, Olivia Newton-John was 29, and Stockard Channing was 33. Newton-John was 29. Few of the original cast members reprised their roles. The temperatures were so high in the Huntington Park High School gym where they were filming that extras were becomingsick from heat-related illness. 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. Grease is one of the most iconic films ever made. While Grease beat the odds with its small budget of $6,000,000, not everything that happened during filming was roses & sunshine. The songs took centre stage when Clegg put on the Cool Rider show at Londons Lyric Theatre in 2014. 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. This success made way for a sequel, simply titled Grease 2, but a third movie never happened - here's why. With Sandy's character arc, Grease suggests that Sandy being herself isn't enough. Or anyones, in fact. The letter explains the decision to pass the language in the film at A, particularly a reference to contraception, which is described by the BBFC Examiner as an Americanism not widely understood by most young people who would see the film and therefore not significant enough to raise the film to the AA category. Grease is the word! We sold out the 900 seats in 12 days. Everyone understands the scenario of Grease, everyones been to school, everyones understood those feelings. You can also rent or buy "Grease" to watch . To coincide with a special sing-a-long format of Grease, showing in cinemas across the UK this Valentines Day, we take a look at how BBFC Examiners responded to their first look at the film in summer of 1978. Like Sandy, Michael is a newcomer at Rydell High, and a bit of a square. In 2020, Grease was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The drive-in movie scenes were shot at the Burbank Pickwick Drive-In (it was closed and torn down in 1989 and a shopping center took its place). Five years after the movie's release,. While Grease was released in 1978, it was a Broadway musical that opened in February 1972. It just brings nothing new to the table, the housewife sequence at the beginning of the second episode is nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is. Earlier this year, comedian Scott Aukerman asked the internet if Patrick Swayze had a blink and youll miss it part in the film (he didnt) and sparked a debate on whether one of the characters is, in fact, a ghost (unconfirmed). Forty years later, its still the fourth highest grossing musical of all time. When the lights went down and the overture started it was like being at Wembley or something. Birch flew over to see the show, as did several cast members, including Ivy Austin, who is baffled but delighted by the love the film inspires.