Even so, Grease 2 didnt just fall short it flopped with gusto. 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. This year Grease turns 40, and were taking a special look back at it, offering 40 facts and comments from those involved regarding the film. 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. Annette Charles played Cha Cha, and she is probably best known for her flag-waving roll in the infamous car race scene. No, its Grease 2.. Were all terribly excited.. After the film became a box office hit, it was later revived in . [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. 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 . It is widely considered the most popular movie musical of all time. Winkler would later regret the decision. However, though Grease centers around high schoolers, none of the main actors were even close to acting their age. Its now the role shes asked about the most. The Travolta to her Newton-John would be a young British actor called Maxwell Caulfield, who played Sandys British cousin, Michael Carrington. 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. I got to play a different character and wear different clothes, and when I put on that tight black outfit to sing Youre the One That I Want, I got a very different reaction from the guys on the set., Randal Kleiser had previously directed John Travolta in the TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, which is what secured him the position. 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. As People reported, Travolta got the role after playing Doody (one of the other T-Birds) in the Broadway production of Grease.He reportedly once told Jim Jacobs, Grease co-author, "All Doodys dream of becoming . The opening beach scene was shot at Malibu's Leo Carrillo State Beach, making explicit reference to From Here to Eternity. [3] The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John), who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance. [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. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $8,941,717 in 862 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking at number 2 (behind Jaws 2 ) at the box-office for the weekend [20] and with the all-time opening weekend records. The masterminds behind Grease wanted the leading man, John Travolta, to standtaller than the other males in the film. Newton-John agreed to a reduced asking price in exchange for star billing. 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. 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? 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 was one of the highest-grossing films of all-time when it was released and wasn't considered at all controversial. Similarly, to place or import your . Even those who might be forgiven for wanting to forget all about the film seem to have softened. This movie is a musical, drama, romance, and comedy. 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 capitalized on his role as one of the main characters and entertained several female actresses in his trailer. 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. Michelle Pfeiffer, who went on to star opposite Al Pacino in Scarface and has often winced when asked about her debut film role, has taken to posting Grease 2 clips on her Instagram account. Like a lot of young gay boys, I gravitated to that camp strong female lead. 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. The movie Greasecenters around a bunch of teenagers, but the main characters in the film were anything but. Rumor has it, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty were among those who counted themselves as non-fans. I thought it was also wonderful that people were still talking about it all these years later. [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]. Jeff Conaway (Kenickie) was 27. They were a couple of 50s teenagers fighting against great odds especially high school peer pressure to be together. ), 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. On race day, Kenickie is concussed by his own car door, so Danny takes the wheel, winning the race after Leo spins out. It is based on the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. 1. When Grease was released in cinemas in 1978, its producers were all too aware of the power of a sequel. "Grease" was written for Valli by Barry Gibb, who accomplished a remarkable feat of his own with the song. Originally cast in the role of Coach Calhoun was adult film star Harry Reems, though obviously that didnt come to pass. However, upon its cinema release, the film did generate some public feedback. They were her own, but when the zipper broke she had to actually be sewn into them. Grease gave us the ultimate dance moves during the Prom scene in the school gym. The film was critically mauled, and aside from Michelle Pfeiffer, who was likely on her way to great things anyway it didnt propel anyone to stardom. published 18 July 2021. Jeff Conaway, who naturally stands taller than Travolta, was instructed to slouch down for scenes where he stood next to John. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. In a 1998 review, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "an average musical, pleasant and upbeat and plastic." 6. [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. 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. 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. In Grease, no one cares who's 'going all the way', if anything, girls who aren't having sex are treated as prudish. [42], A further re-issue for its 40th anniversary in 2018 grossed $1 million. Everyone understands the scenario of Grease, everyones been to school, everyones understood those feelings. [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. 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". Maybe Im tired of being someones chick, she says one of the films most quoted lines, along with: I aint no-ones trophy and I kiss who I want, when I want. She knows who it is she wants, too. It is an ingratiating, jubilant improvement on a crummy original. Even with a few cheerleaders, Grease 2 grossed just over $15m at the box office, a fraction of what its predecessor made and barely covering its budget. 5 and 28, respectively). He showed up to the scene at the diner with a fever of 101 degrees. It was a box office. Then we added our special feeling to it., Director Randal Kleiser had reservations about Olivia Newton-John playing Sandy. Then I thought, if thats the case, we were the first zombie musical, and we look pretty good considering.. There had been talks of a spin-off film called Summer School, with the wedding of Rizzo and Kenickie at the center of it. Overheated actors definitely became a problem. After the slumber party comes to an end, Sandy realizes she still loves Danny after all. [72] Additionally, the dance number to "You're the One That I Want" was nominated for TV Land's award for "Movie Dance Sequence You Reenacted in Your Living Room" in 2008. There is a dubious scene in a nuclear bunker where a T-Bird tries to coax a Pink Lady to lose her virginity to him by telling her its her patriotic duty. 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. 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. The drag racing scene was pretty cool. It also served as a location for Britney Spears music video Baby One More Time.. Coincidentally, this scene as well as the scene before and the scene after it were filmed on August 16, 1977, the date of Presley's death.[76]. Because of his injuries, he started taking painkillers while on set. [47][48][49][50], The New York Times' Vincent Canby, on its initial release in June 1978, called the film "terrific fun", describing it as a "contemporary fantasy about a 1950s teen-age musicala larger, funnier, wittier and more imaginative-than-Hollywood movie with a life that is all its own"; Canby pointed out that the film was "somewhat in the manner of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which recalls the science-fiction films of the '50s in a manner more elegant and more benign than anything that was ever made then, Grease is a multimillion-dollar evocation of the B-picture quickies that Sam Katzman used to turn out in the '50s (Don't Knock the Rock, 1956) and that American International carried to the sea in the 1960s (Beach Party, 1963). Only Lorenzo Lamas, who . More like this: - The most outrageous film ever made?- The classic thats saved lives- The film that exposed our misogynistic culture, On a budget of $6m, Grease made back ten times that in just one month (and would go on to gross $400m). [25] The final scene where the carnival took place used John Marshall High School. Back in the seventies, Grease was really pushing the envelope and was considered to be pretty taboo. 2015-02-22 12:59:12. By clicking the I agree button, you agree to us doing so. Best Answer. In a 2018 interview, she said the cast were all ready to make a movie that was set and shot immediately after the first film but Paramount, never imagining Grease would take off like it did, vetoed the idea. "Greased Lightnin'" / Paramount Pictures. 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. 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. Grease was a huge hit when it came out in 1978 and has since become an American classic. I can see its charm now, he said. Copy. 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. Learn more. Chicago P.D. Star Marina Squerciatis Bikini Photos, What Happened to Ben Napier? All this for a film that after such an initially muted reception, looked like it would disappear into cinematic oblivion. 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. Overview - Grease is still the word as it celebrates its 40th anniversary with a new 4K release and a brand-new 4K transfer. He had been part of an ensemble in a TV comedy, but this was his first time as the star. I laughed, Olivia told Huffington Post. The temperatures were so high in the Huntington Park High School gym where they were filming that extras were becomingsick from heat-related illness. NORTH EUROPEAN Oil Corp. doesn't exist anymore, but if you stumble across one of the company's old stock certificates, don't throw it away: A $100 investment in the . [71], In March 2019, it was announced that a prequel, called Summer Lovin', was in development from Paramount Players. [37] During the reissue, it overtook The Godfather as Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film. Today Grease remains at PG, with the BBFCinsight warning parents of frequent mild sex references and mild language. The Rydell interiors, including the high school dance, were filmed at Huntington Park High School. 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. 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. Given the success of the first film, Paramount wanted to do a sequel, but there was apparently no follow through. With Sandy and Danny out, they focused on new faces primarily, a young actress called Michelle Pfeiffer, playing Pink Lady Stephanie Zinone. So wheres that manager working these days? 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. First, all Mil-Spec grease must have a manufacturer date and a batch number. Watching this was akin to stepping on multiple bricks of lego. 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. (At one point there were plans for a four-film franchise and a spin-off TV series. [82] Filming began in January 2022, and the series' cast was announced at the end of the month.[83]. Forty years later, its still the fourth highest grossing musical of all time. [4], In the United Kingdom, it opened with a record $2.2 million in its first eight days. The sleepover was shot at a private house in East Hollywood. Each cylinder shall have valid inspection and hydro tested certificate. [70], On May 15, 2020, it was announced that CBS, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS, which also owns Paramount, would air this version of the film on June 7, 2020, which was to be the date of the 74th Tony Awards, which was postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Grease was the biggest box office hit of 1978, pulling in almost $400 million and costing only $6 million to produce. In a chaotic hand jive contest, Danny and Sandy dance well, but just before the winners are announced, Sonny pulls Sandy away and Cha-Cha cuts in to win with Danny, as Sandy storms out. The Empire Strikes Back of the Grease movies. He made a number of casting recommendations that Stigwood ultimately accepted, including suggesting Kleiser (who had never directed a theatrical feature before this but had directed Travolta in the 1976 telefilm The Boy in the Plastic Bubble) as director, and Olivia Newton-John, then known almost exclusively as a multiple Grammy winning pop and country singer, as Sandy. But compared to Grease it was positively progressive. When Grease hit theaters in June 1978, it was an instant hit and its cast members became instant stars. The part of Danny Zuko was originally offered to Henry Winkler, then riding high as The Fonz on Happy Days, but he turned down the opportunity out of fear of typecasting (plus the fact that he didnt really sing played into that decision as well). The movie was released in 1976 and also appeared his future co-star John. On September 19, 2006, it was re-released on DVD as the Rockin' Rydell Edition, which came with a black Rydell High T-Bird jacket cover, a white Rydell "R" letterman's sweater cover, or the Target-exclusive Pink Ladies cover. His hip-shaking dance moves sent him right to the top of the industry. 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. [36][37] The film played for four weeks and was then paired with the PG-rated version of Saturday Night Fever in late June. Released, perhaps inadvisably, in the same week as ET, Star Trek II, Rocky III and Poltergeist, it came in fifth at the box office. Julianne Hough as Sandy, Aaron Tvelt as Danny, Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo, Carly Rae Jepsen as Frenchie, and Carlos PenaVega as Kenickie. [11][12], John Travolta had previously worked with Stigwood on Saturday Night Fever, recorded the top-10 hit "Let Her In" in 1976, and had previously appeared as Doody in a touring production of the stage version of Grease. Like Sandy, Michael is a newcomer at Rydell High, and a bit of a square. With Sandy's character arc, Grease suggests that Sandy being herself isn't enough. 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. If Grease was released today, it's likely that the relationship between this pair would end in the drive-in, if not sooner. The musical made its debut in a Chicago former trolley barn on Feb. 5, 1971, arriving Off Broadway at the Eden Theatre a year later. 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. They didn't. We all remember the scene where Stockard Channing's character Rizzo does a full out inspection of her love bites in the mirror. A spinoff of the original John Travolta and Olivia Newton John 1978 musical. Nothing like starting out with arguably the most popular song in the film. We sold out the 900 seats in 12 days. [22] Kelly Ward had previously appeared as a similar sarcastic supporting character in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble with Travolta under Kleiser; he was cast as Putzie, a mostly new character. what certificate was grease when it was released. Two songs from the musical, "Shakin' at the High School Hop" and "All Choked Up", were left off both the film and the soundtrack. [19][20], Elvis Presley was considered for the role of The Teen Angel but died before production. Or anyones, in fact. Valves of the cylinder shall be protected by cap. And now the popular movie musical, which starred John Travolta and Olivia . 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. 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. Even though the '70s are a thing of the past, Grease is still the word. Go, greased lightning! [27] Prior to the film's release, producer Allan Carr had made a product placement deal with Coca-Cola's main competitor Pepsi (for example, a Pepsi logo can be seen in the animated opening sequence animated by John David Wilson at Fine Arts Films[28]). They were put there by Channing's costar and movie love interest, Jeff Conaway. And it would have been a lot more fun if Stephanie had ridden a motorcycle herself instead of just lusting after men on them. "I was worried I was too old," she told Sunday Night's True Stories. 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. ButJohn was charmingand really wanted me to do it, and that was one of the deciding factors. 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. Gosh, I've never seen that before. 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. [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. Here are twenty things that happened on the set of Grease that surprised even us. By then, film-goers were growing accustomed to successful movies spawning sequels, and Hollywood was relying on them to hook in an audience already sold on the original. 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. [2] Another re-issue took place in select AMC Theatres locations in August 2022 to honor Olivia Newton-John following her death earlier that month, with $1 per sold ticket and the proceeds going to breast cancer research, through a donation by AMC Cares. Explained director Randal Kleiser to movieline.com, There were a couple of songs we didnt think would pop onscreen. Annette Charles, who played bad girl Cha Cha DiGregorio, was 30. 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. TSCA section 3 (7) defines the term "manufacture" to include import. Sat Sep 15 2018 - 06:00. The sequel, Grease 2, was released in 1982 and reversed the formula, with Maxwell Caulfield as nice boy English exchange student Michael Carrington, and Michelle Pfeiffer as bad girl Stephanie Zinone.