Grease celebrates it's silver anniversary this year. Believe it or not, the film was released in 1978, when I was the same age as my daughter is now, and as it is such a special anniversary, there has been a recent surge in attention and coverage of the film and the cast. It has lost none of it's magic in the years that have passed, and is as popular as it ever was, maybe even more so at the moment. This was always meant to be a lighthearted look at high school life with some nice songs thrown in for good measure, and I am sure that everyone involved never expected it to take off the way it has done. For me, it has been the film equivalent of comfort food, it is familiar, and when I need a lift, I regularly watch this film.
When I was much younger, probably 10-12, I loved the idea of living in America and going to high school. It all seemed so cool compared to the school I went to, and I loved to read 'Sweet Valley High' books, and watch Beverley Hills 90210, but Grease encapsulated the fantasy more than the books I read, or the television shows I watched. Looking back, it is so obvious that the cast were way past the age of attending high school (most were closer to 30 than 20!), but it did not matter, nor did it matter that it was set in the 50's, as somehow this added to the mystery and the romance. I wanted to be in their gang! Grease was and still is the word, and I for one am not going to argue with that!
John Travolta plays the now legendary
Danny Zuko. Your typical tall, dark and handsome leading man, and the one all of the girls lusted after in school. He has had a summer romance with a girl who has now gone back home to Austrailia, and he is keeping it to himself, as he would not want anyone to think he had gone soft. We also find out that his version of the relationship is very far from the truth, as it was a very innocent fling, more due to Sandy being quite prudish rather than Danny not being able to perform! Looking at Travolta through my more mature eyes, he really is not the love god I thought him to be as a teenager. I think he is much more attractive, now that he has grown into his looks shall we say.
Olivia Newton John plays Sandy Olsen, a wholesome and certainly not worldy wise Australian girl who met Danny during the summer break, and has no idea that they are going to be at the same school, because she was meant to go back home before the start of the new term. Sandy saw a sweet loving side to Danny, but her bubble soon bursts when she realises that he is not going to let his friends see this side of him, and he starts to act like a macho fool when she is around, and it is here where the story starts, in a true girl meets boy love story, which a few hitches along the way for good measure. Sandy is taken under the wing of the eccentric Frenchie. Newton John is beautiful, and especially when she changes her image towards the end of the film.
Danny is the leader of a gang called The T Birds, a likeable bunch of guys. Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) is Danny's second, and he is the blonde version of Danny. Doody (Barry Pearl) is the member of the gang who has the mickey taken out of him more often than anyone else in the gang, because he likes to think of himself as a comedian, but he really isn't all that funny. Putzie (Kelly Ward) is the baby of the gang, and the least confident about himself. Sonny (Michael Tucci) is the deepest member of the gang, and gives little away. They only date Pink Ladies, so when Danny's summer romance is discovered, he finds himself the brunt of many jokes from his fellow gang members.
The female version of the 'Birds' are The Pink Ladies. Rizzo (Stockard Channing) is the tart with a heart. She lusts after Kenickie, but when she finally gets her man, everything does not go as planned. The aforementioned Frenchie (Didi Conn), is a little eccentric, and only dreams of being a beautician. She likes Sandy, and takes her under her wing, must to the disgust of the other members of the gang, who think Sandy is too square to fit in with them. Marty (Dinah Manoff) is the man eater, she is more subtle than Rizzo, and sets her sights on older men, and would never give any of The T Birds a second glance. Jan (Jamie Donnelly) is the dizzy member of the gang, friendly and liked by all.
Everyone probably knows the plot, but I don't want to give too much away in case there are still people who have never seen the film. Basically, as I have already said, it is boy meets girl, they like each other, and then boy tries to act cool, which makes girl not like boy very much. Friends get involved, and they all have their own stories, and some of them their own demons to deal with. They all like a good sing song, and at the end of the day, girl decides boy is the one for her, and changes her image to make him want her back, and it works, boy loves girl and does not care what his friend think, and they all sing and dance through the closing credits with huge grins on their faces. That is the basics, but does not tell you what goes on inbetween.
The film was pretty risque when you think of the market it was aimed at, and although a lot of the humour goes over children's heads, I was amazed at how naive I was when I first watched the film. The lyrics in some of the songs, do not even try to cover up what they are about. 'Greased Lightening' which refers to breasts, but in a more lewd term. Not offensively lewd I might add, but pretty shocking for the time! The clothes and the setting are something that many have attempted to copy in various formats since, but they have never managed to beat The Pink Ladies or The T Birds.
The acting is excellent, and mock me if you want, but I found their portrayals totally believeable, and the right balance of humour, song and drama is the reason the film has become such a classic. It could have been overplayed, and laughed at, but it was not, and that is why generation after generation enjoy the film. Obviously, the soundtrack is the key to the film, and whilst in my opinion the CD does not live up to the ambience created by the film, it is still a must for anyone's collection, and are without a doubt karaoke favourites amongst men and women. It is a film and a soundtrack that I would highly recommend, although I am sure a lot of you already have it in your collection, and if you do not....what are you thinking?
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Music / Performing Arts, Comedy - Director: Trevor Nunn, Geoffrey Posner - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, Parental Guidance - Starring: Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Julie Walters, Victoria Wood, Jim Broadbent
Greasewas a phenomenal hit with its target teenage audience when it was released in 1977. ... more
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 w...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Greasewas a phenomenal hit with its target teenage audience when it was released in 1977. ... more
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 w...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence ... more
of the decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naive love int...
![Grease [DVD] [1978]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78529728.jpg "Grease [DVD] [1978]")
Aug 13th, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
