Why Was Everyone In The Movie "Grease" So Old?

They were the oldest cast playing teenagers until 90210 came along

Since Stockard Channing was the first cast to star as Rizzo, all the others had to be cast to age scale. And, seeing that she was 72 at the time, you see the problem.

Stockard could pass for fifteen, so it wasn't a stretch.

She is pretty, not Olivia Newton-John pretty but nice.

[quote]Since Stockard Channing was the first cast to star as Rizzo

She wasn't the first cast. She was the last cast. They wanted Lucie Arnaz and kept hoping she would do it, but the Queen of Musical Theater, Lucille "Maimed" Ball gave the decree that her daughter was not going to screen test for a company she once owned. Even John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John did a screen test to measure their chemistry together. Alas, had Lucie Arnaz listened to her heart instead of her emphesemic mother, she may have had a bigger screen career.

Stockard was added at the very last minute.

Why is Stockard always yelling her lines in her roles? She started in silent films and big, overacting gestures were necessary to convey the story to the audience.

Because Grease wasn't meant to be a realistic portrayal of high school life, but a stylized tribute with overtones of parody. Real teenagers wouldn't be able to capture that sense of spoof, the way real teenagers seldom have the depth of understanding and facility with words required to play Romeo and Juliet. Besides, if you were a kid in the late '70s than Grease was about people your parents' age, so seeing older actors play teens from the far-off but already heavily mythical fifties did not seem so strange. The kids in yearbooks from the fifties all looked far more adult-like than seventies-era high school kids did. Also - after Kotter and Saturday Night Fever, who but John Travolta would anyone expect to play a guy named Danny Zuko? It was the most inevitable piece of casting since Clark Gable played Rhett Butler.

Thanks for the input, Stevie Wonder @ R3

[quote]Stockard could pass for fifteen, so it wasn't a stretch.

No, but it was a bit of nip and tuck.

We were already used to old people playing teenagers in the 1950s on Happy Days. All the teenagers, other than Joanie, were already in their 20s, so it wasn't a huge stretch.

The guys who wrote the musical "Grease" were appalled by the film version. Sandy, the all American girl was made an Australian exchange student. The characters in the film version were relentlessly stupid and goofy; they were more like cartoon characters than real people. And of course there was the advanced age of cast; Travolta was 26, Olivia Newton-John was 29 and Stockard Channing was 33 (and looked 40). The film version was crap.

In a Playboy interview John Travolta was asked how he was dealing with the bad reviews Grease had been getting. He replied 'Grease has gotten a lot of good reviews. It depends on which ones you're reading." And the interviewer said "the ones we read were awful."

[quote]The film version was crap.

And yet, it's one of the biggest musical movie hits of all time.

My nieces (11 and 14) and their friends still watch Grease and know all the words to the songs. It's big with girls around that age.

The film version was a musical that got tens of millions of teenagers to sit through a movie musical. It deserves credit for that alone. Hair was a much better movie that came out a year later, but few people bothered to see it. I was in junior high when Grease came out and half the kids in my town had the record before the film finally came around. When "Summer Lovin'" started, most of the kids in the audience sang along with it. As a young and budding Show Tune fairy, it was an amazing thing for me to behold - a musical that even the straight kids loved.

Grease was huge when it came out. I had John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John plastered on my ceiling for a long time.

R5, total urban legend. Lucie said that Lucy was never so involved in her career that she would have her reject a role. Lucie said she was heavy in the audition process but Michael Eisner never liked her. She was set to do "Bye Bye Birdie" in stock with Tommy Tune and had already been paid her $5,000 salary, which she said, was a lot to her She could either stay and audition more and return her salary or go do BBB with Tune. She did BBB and Channing, who starred with Lucie and Sandy Duncan in "Vanities" got the nod. Ironically, Tune dropped out of BBB because of another job that came up.

"Grease" onstage is truer to the time. It's racist, sexist, homophobic, you name it. The best thing about the movie is that it's so MGM-ized that you can't seriously take Sandy turning into a slut into anything more but her changing her clothes. There's an ugliness to it onstage. Sandy succumbs to peer pressure and loses her chance at the middle class, which she aspired to.

[quote] the Queen of Musical Theater, Lucille "Maimed" Ball gave the decree that her daughter was not going to screen test for a company she once owned.

Honey, Lucy didn't own Paramount. Desilu bought RKO, which was next door to the Paramount lot.

Lucy sold Desilu to Gulf+Western which also owned Paramount.

Grease the movie is a great throwback to the Frankie and Annette movies with a little of the Roger Corman teen B pictures of the late fifties, early sixties thrown in for good measure. It's not supposed to be a great movie, but is fun, and the songs created for the movie have become pop music staples. Of course, the Broadway producers would be pissed at the changes made, but the original production was way too crude and vulgar for a mainstream audience.

The movie also received positive reviews. Roger Ebert gave it three stars and found it incredibly likeable. Vincent Canby of the New York Times likened Newton John to a modern day Sandra Dee, but admitted that Olivia had a much better voice.

That's so fascinating, R13. Young girls like "Grease." Well, I'll be. Any other startling insights to share with us? Next you'll shock us by claiming children love "The Wizard of Oz" or women enjoy rom coms. Have you ever noticed what color the sky is? What water feels like? What religion the Pope is? Do tell. Teach us your ways.

Travolta was 23 when he shot most of Grease, not 26. He maybe turned 24 at the tail end of shooting.

[quote]He maybe turned 24 at the tail end of shooting.

He might have turned them bi but I doubt that even at his hottest he turned two dozen tail ends gay.

And why did the Broadway producers get so hung up about the movie casts age? Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau were 27 at the time of the Broadway show.

[quote]The guys who wrote the musical "Grease" were appalled by the film version.

They were probably appalled because they didn't have good lawyers and settled for way less money than they should have received. Grease has grossed 394 million.

What's your point, R12?

"Of course, the Broadway producers would be pissed at the changes made, but the original production was way too crude and vulgar for a mainstream audience. "

Which is why it was dumbed down in order to appeal to its core audience: teenage girls who swooned over the dreamy John Travolta. Olivia Newton John was a favorite of teenage girls too. She was way too old and the character of Sandy was revamped to suit her, but so what? The little girls loved her, so she was in.

I've tried to watch Grease a few times. I've never been able to sit through it. It's just so BAD. It was a big hit, but it sucked. There are movies like that. Another one was "Love Story." It was a piece of shit, but females adored it and it was hugely successful.

"Love Story" is totally forgotten and "Grease" has gained in reputation. The movie has broad appeal, girls, parents, gays and weirdly, even teen boys reference it. The producers should be grateful because were it not for the movie, the show would be as well remembered as their next project "Over Here."

And speaking of age, Carole Demas, the original Sandy was 32 when she did the role!

"Love Story" is totally forgotten and "Grease" has gained in reputation."

GAINED in reputation? I seriously doubt that. It's a bad movie, but some people LIKE bad movies which is why Grease did well. And what teen boy "references" Grease, unless he's gay?

Grease is a stupid movie for people who like stupid movies.

[quote]They were the oldest cast playing teenagers until 90210 came along

The show premiered on October 4, 1990. Douglas Emerson (b. October 4. 1974) was newly-turned 16, Brian Austin Green (b. July 15, 1973) was 17, Tori Spelling (b. May 16, 1973) was 17, Jennie Garth (b. April 3, 1972) was 18, Shannen Doherty (b. April 12, 1971) was 19, Jason Priestley (b. August 28, 1969) were barely out of his teens at age 21, Luke Perry (b. October 11, 1966) was 24, Ian Ziering (b. March 30, 1964) was 26, and Gabrielle Carteris (b. January 2, 1961) was the oldest at 29.

It's a myth that the entire cast were all in their late twenties and thirties. Furthermore, they graduated high school in the Season 3 finale. After that, they became college students and later working adults. So, it's not like the show was mainly about their high school experience. It lasted 10 seasons, but only the first three were about high school.

[quote] And what teen boy "references" Grease

Louis Tomlinson from 1D says its his favourite film.

[quote] unless he's gay?

Never mind.

[quote]In a Playboy interview John Travolta was asked how he was dealing with the bad reviews Grease had been getting. He replied 'Grease has gotten a lot of good reviews. It depends on which ones you're reading." And the interviewer said "the ones we read were awful."

I'm sure he cried all the way to the bank! GREASE was a megablockcuster! It was the highest-grossing film of 1978, even bigger than SUPERMAN, which was #2. It remains the highest-grossing musical movie of all time.

[quote] GAINED in reputation? I seriously doubt that. It's a bad movie, but some people LIKE bad movies which is why Grease did well. And what teen boy "references" Grease, unless he's gay? Grease is a stupid movie for people who like stupid movies.

Gee R 28 you're a rebel, a loner and a fool.

I did not realize it was still popular with the younguns R13. I thought they'd moved on to High School Musical

I just saw Grease for the first time since it came out this Monday at The Rooftop Film Club at Yotel in Manhattan. It was an outdoor screening on the rooftop lounge.

John Travolta was beautiful at 23/24.

It's a good natured nostalgic fantasia and the production numbers are wonderful with the rest of it enjoyable.

Eve Arden, Dody Goodman, and Joan Blondell, were campy delights.

Stockard Channing was terrific. It was MAKE BELIEVE so her age believably added to the hard edge of the character.

Olivia Newton-John was perfect.

It was a smash when it came out and it still holds up as FUN.

Virtually all of the audience were way too young to have seen it originally and a number of them were singing and dancing to it.

As usual the sour pusses here vent and trash everything. SAD.

Leave it to an ancient theatre queen like R26, R28 to think that "Grease" was dumbed down. The stage show is an ode to stupidity. Go back to your basement and listen to your OCR of "Mame" and cry bitter tears how Angie was denied the starring role.

When I graduated high school in 1998, our graduating song was 'We Go Together." It was the 20th anniversary, and there was a GREASE nostalgia. The movie was reissued, and "The Grease Megamix" was in heavy rotation on the radio.

Personally, I never cared for the movie, though it was quite popular with my age group in high school. but I did enjoy the soundtrack. However, my 14-year-old niece and her friends love it.

.Grease Megamix

The only people who like the film version of "Grease" are teenage girls or someone with the mentality of a teenage girl. Evidently R34 and R35 are in the latter category: "Oooh, John Travolta is soooo dreamy! And Olivia Newton John is soooo perfect! And Stockard Channing wasn't too old, she was JUST RIGHT! Grease is just the bestest movie EVER! Oooh!"

R38, one can enjoy the movie Grease while realizing that it's silly and sloppy and kind of stupid. I am not the least bit enamored of Grease or anyone in it but it's fun and funny and likable in spite of its weaknesses. You must be rather shallow if you can only adore things 100% or despise things 100%.

Any movie musical that has Joan Blondell, Eve Arden, Alice Ghostley, and Dodie Goodman in it can't be all bad.

One of the things that made the film superior to the broadway show was the addition of the John Farrar penned songs for the movie. Both "You're the One that I want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to you" were written by him for the movie. The other thing is Olivia Newton-John, who IS perfection, motherfucker. Without her, John Farrar would not have been involved.

As a 27 year old, trust me "Grease" is super popular with people my age. Outside of Disney movies, I could probably count on one hand the number of movies from before we were born that are more viewed (Star Wars films, and "The Wizard of Oz" and that's pretty much it.) It's pretty much a stock answer for people my age to say, "I don't like musicals, EXCEPT for Grease." Even straight guys like it as much as they like any non-superhero teenage boy oriented film.

[R41] don't forget "Grease" written by Barry Gibb! Probably my favorite song in the film.

It's no Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The arrangement for the songs is way better in the movie version. I saw Barry Bostwick and whoever played Sandy singing some of the songs and it was terrible. Summer Nights was devoid of any charm.

Why would anyone be bitter and angry that the film is still popular? The reasons that it became timeless are the music, the dancing, and both leads are gorgeous and appealing. What do you crabby queens think deserves its place?

expect sell- out crowds next month for TCM's Grease sing-along...!

My favorite part is Alice Ghostley saying, "Haul ass."

If you look at yearbooks from the 50s everyone in there looks 30.

I remember my friend's mo would it let her dress up as Sandy for Halloween because she was played by a 30-yr-old. ONJ had some serious smile lines for 29, btw.

As a kid at the time, I always thought that they were playing '50s teens, so they were trying to get people who actually remembered the '50s. I had some irrational idea in my head that they had to make all the '50s media (Happy Days, american Graffiti) with actual '50s people. John Travolta being relatively young compared to the others was cast for box office draw and that's why he couldn't get the part right. (No, I wasn't that much of an idiot about most things, just reacting to a super old cast.) and if you think about it, it would have been worse with Brooke Shields and Scott Baio.

Friend's mo would it = friend's mother wouldn't

sigh.

[quote] Leave it to an ancient theatre queen like [R26], [R28] to think that "Grease" was dumbed down. The stage show is an ode to stupidity. Go back to your basement and listen to your OCR of "Mame" and cry bitter tears how Angie was denied the starring role.

Were you actually around to see the original production of Grease at the Eden or on Bway, because it sounds like all you have to refer to are the two Bway revivals which were much more tourist and family friendly (not to mention incorporating dialogue and songs that were only from the film). The original production of Grease was very different from what you're seeing now on a stage, and it was very different than the film version. Perhaps "dumbed down" wasn't the most precise description, but it was definitely sanitized and mainstreamed a bit for the film.

Bitch.

When I first saw Grease as a 13/14 year old in the late 80s, the fact that most actors in that movie were in their late 20s and 30s somehow didn't register with me, nor with my peers. Same thing with 90210; we 17 years olds ca. 1991/92, all believed that the actors were actual teens. There was no IMDB back then, so things like that were not easy to find out.

You can only tell that they are old when you are old. When I first saw Grease I was really young and they were what I guessed High schoolers looked like. When 90210 was on I was in highschool and college so they fell in the range of me so I didn't notice. Except Andrea, she looked a bit too old for highschool.

" ONJ had some serious smile lines for 29, btw. "

Luckily, she's had those removed now that she's 66.

By the way, she currently has the number 1 album for the past three weeks in Australia.

This poor girl didn't realize she was dating a gay boy.

R56 I didn't realize that GREASE was still running on Broadway during the film's release. That must've been a shock to people who saw the movie and then were eager to see the stage show. The movie is fluffier and cornier than the show, and they changed a lot.

Reminds me of when the TITANIC musical came out 8 months before the movie and won the 1997 Tony for Best Musical. It was a success in its own right (running for two years), but after the movie became a huge phenomenon, suddenly the musical got a boost in sales. Many people who don't follow Broadway suddenly became aware of the show and assumed that it was the movie put on stage. I even heard someone ask their friend, "I wonder who'll play the Leo part?" They must've been so disappointed.

[quote]By the way, she currently has the number 1 album for the past three weeks in Australia.

Even I can get a #1 album in Australis

I wouldn't call the movie Grease "Dumbed down" as much as "cleaned up." I recall the big stink that "Saturday Night Fever" was rated "R" and that prevented a huge number of potential audience members from seeing it. Later SNF was reissued in a cut version so younger teens could see it.

They obviously wanted to avoid this with Grease in the first place.

"One of the things that made the film superior to the broadway show was the addition of the John Farrar penned songs for the movie. Both "You're the One that I want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to you" were written by him for the movie. The other thing is Olivia Newton-John, who IS perfection, motherfucker. "

The film was absolutely NOT "superior" to the Broadway musical. The added songs sure as fuck didn't make it better. They were hits but that didn't make the film any less dopey and juvenile. The film was DIFFERENT from the musical, and not in a good way. In comparison, the film is watered-down and bland. It had to be in order to attract the audience it was going for: teenyboppers.

Speaking of bland...ONJ was sure as hell NOT "perfect." She looked her age (almost thirty) and in the musical Sandy is an All-American girl, not a fucking Australian exchange student.

[quote]I didn't realize that GREASE was still running on Broadway during the film's release.

Yes, r57. When I went to see the movie, they played this commercial in the theater at the end of the movie.

Also, watch that commercial and look at the chests of the Pink Ladies. I know that Adrienne Barbeau had a big chest, but I think the other women were padded because the stage show was much raunchier than the movie.

R58 Madonna's last three albums (REBEL HEART, MDNA, HARD CANDY, CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR) peaked at #1 in Australia.

Also r57, when the movie came out, the Broadway show was on its last legs and I think they were just keeping it open to try and get some of the interest from the movie. It had been the longest running Broadway show and was just kind of being propped up as long runs sometime are (when I went to see A Chorus Line late in its run, there were 30 people in the audience on a Tuesday night).

[quote]Without her, John Farrar would not have been involved.

I could have brought in Mother to play the Principal. She was a triple threat. Can't you just hear her saying, "If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter?"

"Madonna's last three albums (REBEL HEART, MDNA, HARD CANDY, CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR) peaked at #1 in Australia."

They didn't "peak" higher?

R61, that wasn't Adrienne, it might have been Lorelle Brina. Jan was Mimi Kennedy from Dharma and Greg and Sandy was Candice Early who played former hooker Donna Beck on AMC.

It's funny that aging theatre queen R60 continues to defend a stupid show like "Grease". It was a cheap as shit show to do which is why it ran so long and also cashed in on the nostalgia craze for the 50s at the time. It's badly written and poorly paced. Very much a 70s musical about the 50s. Aging Theatre Queens will insist anything on Broadway was better than the film version. In some cases I'd agree, but not this one.

ONJ is Sandy in the way that Julie Andrews is Maria Von Trapp.

[quote]that wasn't Adrienne,

Yes, I realize it's not Adrienne, but they created the character of Rizzo based on Adrienne and since Adrienne was big chested, all the other Rizzos had to be big chested. There's actually a bit from the original where Kenickie comes up behind Rizzo and cups her breasts, indicating how big chested the character is.

R69, I don't think the character was based on Adrienne. Remember the show had its origins in Chicago so none of the Broadway/off Broadway cast were involved. Marilu Henner was part of that original cast as Marty, which she later played on Broadway and tour. I saw Judy Kaye do Rizzo at the Shubert in LA (with Travolta as Doody) and I don't remember the titties. Damn, Travolta looked so sweet and innocent.

[quote]Go back to your basement and listen to your OCR of "Mame" and cry bitter tears how Angie was denied the starring role.

Combine that with my anger at Disney over their short-version only [italic]Bedknobs and Broomsticks[/italic] Blu-ray (and taking the long version away from those who bought it on certain streaming media platforms) and together we can create a vortex of Theater Queen Rage.

Age is just a number.

R71, watch "Something for Everyone" while playing the OCR and we'll wait for you while you recover from your breakdown.

[quote]I don't think the character was based on Adrienne.

Let me rephrase. When bringing the show from off-Broadway to Broadway, I believe they used the fact that Adrienne had a big chest in the choreography.

I saw the show years later and definitely remember the move of Kenickie grabbing Rizzo's breasts, because it kind of shocked me. I believe that choreography was developed for Adrienne originally and it was just maintained through the run of the show. I say this to point out that the show was much raunchier than the movie.

The original lyrics were

"You're the one that I would like to have sex with..."

"woo woo woo hoo..."

Was there any gay gossip on the actor who played the blonde T-Bird? Putzie I think? He dated the rotund girl in the movie.

When I was ten, I honestly didn't notice the cast's ages. I remember rewatching it as an adult and thinking, "Rizzo's worried about becoming a TEENAGE MOTHER?"

The girl who played Marty is the only one who was still in her teens during filming, AFAIK. She could have been Stockard's daughter.

[quote] ONJ is Sandy in the way that Julie Andrews is Maria Von Trapp.

Have you SEEN what the real Maria Von Trapp looked like? Let's just say I can believe schnitzel with noodles were some of her favorite things.

[quote]Let's just say I can believe schnitzel with noodles were some of her favorite things.

Don't forget the crisp apple strudels. And probably "wild geese that fly..." were a favorite weekend snack.

[quote]The girl who played Marty is the only one who was still in her teens during filming, AFAIK. She could have been Stockard's daughter.

That was DInah Manoff, Lee Grant's daughter. She would also go on to star in EMPTY NEST as Carol Weston, who also appeared on GOLDEN GIRLS.

Anyway, she was 19 when GREASE was filmed.

[quote] That was DInah Manoff, Lee Grant's daughter. She would also go on to star in EMPTY NEST as Carol Weston, who also appeared on GOLDEN GIRLS. Anyway, she was 19 when GREASE was filmed.

And it was the only time she was ever restrained onscreen. She's a scenery chewer just like her mother.

"Even straight guys like it as much as they like any non-superhero teenage boy oriented film."

Straight guys like a silly, stupid version of a Broadway musical? I find that VERY hard to believe. And Grease sure as hell is not "teenage boy-oriented." It's obviously geared towards the sensibilities of squealing teenage girls. All this talk about how EVERYBODY loves Grease is ridiculous. A lot of people thought it was tripe, a lightweight Hollywood trifle,if they ever thought of it at all. And quite a few critics saw it for the shit that it was. No, Grease is NOT universally beloved.

YOU'RE not universally beloved!

R82, it's OK with us if you don't like Grease.

I don't like Titanic but nothing either one of us has to say can change the fact that both films are wildly popular among people whose taste is different than our own .

[quote]And quite a few critics saw it for the shit that it was.

Incidentally, what did Pauline Kael have to say about it?

"And why did the Broadway producers get so hung up about the movie casts age? Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau were 27 at the time of the Broadway show. "

An actor onstage can pull off looking younger a lot better than an actor onscreen. On a movie screen everything is blown up, there are close-ups...it was very obvious in the film version that the actors were much older than teenagers, especially Stockard Channing. I saw some tv show where the people who cast the film said that crow's feet would have prevented someone from being cast in Grease, and that Stockard Channing didn't have crow's feet. Maybe she didn't have crow's feet but she sure looked much older than a teenager. And in some scenes it looks like she has a mustache!

You don't become a monster hit, still popular nearly 40 years later, by appealing just to teenage girls.

The appeal of the movie Grease cuts across the age spectrum.

I've seen audiences from eight to 80 equally enjoy it; just see it in a movie theater one day and you'll know it's true.

The entire car culture was totally boy oriented. The race finale always drew cheers from the guys. Kael never wrote a review about "Grease" but did say she thought it was a "klutzburger".

I saw it in the theater when I was 9 and didn't question their ages at all except Stockard Channing who looked like my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Snedden. I also remember being disappointed that it wasn't a cartoon (Pink Panther got me that way too) but I did end up liking it.

Question: I never saw the live action play. When Sandy turned slut in the end, was it a happy ending like in the movie? Someone up thread mentioned that she lost her chance to be in the middle class...so was the broadway version more bittersweet?

My mind was blown when I learned that Stockard Channing was a high school junior when GREASE takes place (senior year 1959-1960). And here she was almost 20 years later playing a high schooler -- and she didn't look young. She was starting to develop those aging jowls at 33.

Yes, she was older than the rest, but when she starts snapping her gum and spitting out those wisecracks, ripostes and asides, she is just so right in the part. And her two songs were well-delivered as well, hitting her comic marks with Sandra Dee and breaking your heart (Mary!) with There are Worse Things I Could Do...

The subtext of both is that Rizzo started out life as a Sandy but then lost her virginity to Danny. She became the slut and her dreams of a better life were destroyed, as she explains in "There are worse things". That's the primary reason she hates Danny, although in the stage show, she tries to get him back by suggesting she can act like a virgin in "Look at me".

Grease may have been the Mamma Mia of its day (weak story, great songs) but it really hit at the right time for it - America was in that 50s retro phase, since the 70s sucked so badly, and Grease kind of picked up where Happy Days left off and ran with it.

I've heard that back in the olden days people didn't live so long - so I think that's it - they just looked older because they died sooner.

(And apparently if you were gay you had to sell your soul to the Church of $cientology or some weird shit like that too - I don't know - I've just heard stories.)

Rizzo says, "I feel like a defective typewriter. I skipped a period." All the audience thought with Stockard Channing was, "No honey, that's menopause setting in."

So the stage show wasn't exactly bittersweet because they reprised "We Go Together" with Sandy but she would spend her time with this group of thugs and graduation wouldn't promise anything better since she would have a bad rep like Rizzo. Sandy's immortal final line, not said in the movie is "Fuck it".

[quote]and Grease kind of picked up where Happy Days left off and ran with it.

Happy Days also tapped into the love for the movie American Graffiti. American Graffiti started the 1950s nostalgia craze.

"Happy Days" began life as an episode of the old "Love American Style". It was before "American Graffiti". and once the movie caught on, it was picked up as a series.

And to elderly theatre queen who keeps putting down the film, let me remind her that "Grease" onstage didn't get good reviews originally, either.

Here is a comparison between the original Broadway script and what was cleaned up for the revivals.

Here is the TV commercial that ran for years for the original Broadway show, prior to the movie's release (there was a post-movie commercial too, touting that the Broadway show was "live.")

"Every night at the Royale Theater, the Fifties come to life..."

Strange morality tale---don't be slut and end up like Rizzo or be a slut and have fun like Sandy....

Thanks for that very interesting list, r100

r101 see r56 and r61

Fashions, styles, and designs in the mid-sevenites had a unisex, bisexual sensibility. The mythic candy-apple fifties revival was a safe way of expressing old-fashioned gender stereotypes. Boys in denim and leather and girls in bullet bras and skirts were reassuring to those threatened by poly-blend rugby and baseball shirts, men in leisure suits, and women wearing pants everywhere.

By the way, Fox is doing a "Grease Live" version in January. I'm sure they will use the cleaned up script.

You know they won't say shit Or be gettin' lots of tit in Greased Lightnin

[quote]You know they won't say shit Or be gettin' lots of tit in Greased Lightnin

This must mean Shepard Smith is playing Kenickie.

American Graffiti was set in 1962.

They countered the adults as teens by having the school employees, Eve Arden, Dodie Goodman, Sid Caesar all seniors.

109 posts and nobody mentioned how beautiful Lorenzo Lamas was?

Grease worked having the kids played by young adults, which I think was just the fluke of casting.

When they tried it on purpose in Grease 2, it was a disaster.

Camp can't be forced, it has to be inadvertent to properly work, and be enjoyable to the audience.

Duh! For a successful fluck, the producers needed name recognition, proven talent that can be marketed, and compatibity among all. Wet behind the ears of unknown teen actors is too much of a financial risk to employ.

[quote]109 posts and nobody mentioned how beautiful Lorenzo Lamas was?

Right after "Grease" Lorenzo posed full frontal and erect for Playgirl. His father was a total homophobe and had a fit because he thought Playgirl was a gay magazine and he had his lawyer get the pictorial killed. It's in Lorenzo's book. Lorenzo said he never saw the pictures. He also told a story in the book where his father came out of the bedroom one day while Lorenzo was about twelve. His dad was totally erect walking around the house and said he shocked how huge he was.

"You don't become a monster hit, still popular nearly 40 years later, by appealing just to teenage girls. "

Oh, come on. Its fanbase was definitely female. I truly don't believe that guys went crazy over a particularly dumb musical. Yes, Grease was a movie that primarily appealed to teenage girls, little kids...the kind of audience that likes fluffy pap, especially when it stars a dreamboat like that Johnny Travolta and an adorable blue-eyed blonde with a cute accent like Olivia Newton John.

"Grease" reminds me of another monster hit movie that was a piece of shit: "Titanic." That too appealed primarily to the female element. The story was trite and banal (rich girl, poor boy love story), the dialogue sucked, but Leonardo DiCaprio was every girl's dream back then. There were women or girls who went to see that movie dozens of times. One particularly obsessed fangurl saw it over a hundred times! I saw it. I thought the special effects were good, but other than that it was pretty crummy. Anyway, Grease is a bad movie, a bad movie that made a lot of money. It happens.

The soundtrack was fun. If you look at John Travolta's outfit and moves in "Summer Nights", they predate Thriller-era Michael Jackson, particularly the short black pants w white socks to better showcase the feet. The move he does @ 1:55 -2:00 reminds me of one of Michael's after he had started to get weird about proving he was sexual - maybe "the way you make me feel" era? And the bit @ 2:18-2:25 is a like a slowed down MJ move as well from the Thriller era, or maybe MJ was a faster version of the Grease move.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Travolta passed on doing Billy Flynn in the movie version of Chicago. He can both sing and dance, unlike Gere, who could do neither. It would have been a boon for his career, which has obviously had its peaks and valleys. Instead, he does Hairspray.

Because in hairspray he played a woman. You do the math.

r113, did Lorenzo talk about having two women pregnant at the same time? I'll have to read his book.

r116 I thought Gere started out being a chorusboy, no?

Travolta looked terrible in a fatsuit.

The porn parody is great!

[quote]Oh, come on. Its fanbase was definitely female. I truly don't believe that guys went crazy over a particularly dumb musical.

Do you have any straight friends? I do. I went opening night as a teen with a bunch of guys and girls and all the guys with the exception of me are straight and went on to be happily married with kids. So after the movie ended everyone loved it, the guys LOVED Olivia Newton John and they all wanted to stay and sit through it again. A bunch of ushers came down to us to see why we hadn't left, and we asked if we could stay (without paying again), and this was a first run, a high profile theater for the area and they all said sure, they had watched it all day and loved it too. They got it too. This was before home video and we all went back to see it a few more times. "Grease" was a blockbuster at the time, has had two re-issues, one way after it was available on home video and is one of the most rented and bought VHS/DVD's in history and is still beloved today.

I was at a company party this week and was really surprised when some of the 20-somethings sang "Grease" songs during karaoke.

I think the casting for "Glee" is somewhat similar. At least the few times I've tuned in, several "students" looked like they were in their late 20s, trying to look like teenagers. But the fans don't care.

Grease is also one of the easiest shows to cast in high school, college, and other amateur productions because more young men will audition for it than for most shows. You usually get about four times as many women as men going out for amateur musicals. Grease pulls young male performers out of the woodwork.

R114, has no friends, so forget about talking to her about popularity. Notice that she has no more argument so she's trying to combine commentary that had already been made about other films, i.e. "Titanic." What's incredible is that she's admitted she hasn't even seen the movie all the way through, so she's basically arguing for the sake of arguing.

And Richard Gere played Danny in the first international cast in London.

They re-release the DVD with a leather jacket sleeve for the boys, a Pin Ladies jacket for teh girls and a Rydell letter sweater for everyone

Pink for girls....

Rydell sweater

"For the life of me, I can't figure out why Travolta passed on doing Billy Flynn in the movie version of Chicago. He can both sing and dance, unlike Gere, who could do neither. It would have been a boon for his career, which has obviously had its peaks and valleys. Instead, he does Hairspray."

He also turned down the role Denzel played in "Flight" (for which he was Oscar nominated)

Travolta's belief was that the stars of the movie were Roxie and Velma and Billy was a mere supporting player. He would later understand how wrong he was and admitted turning down the movie was one of his biggest career regrets. Though perhaps not a bigger regret than "Moment by Moment".

Lorenzo - post Grease.

You forgot to add FAKE R180 This is him after "Grease" and reported to be a shot from the Playgirl shoot.

[quote]Right after "Grease" Lorenzo posed full frontal and erect for Playgirl. His father was a total homophobe and had a fit because he thought Playgirl was a gay magazine and he had his lawyer get the pictorial killed. It's in Lorenzo's book. Lorenzo said he never saw the pictures. He also told a story in the book where his father came out of the bedroom one day while Lorenzo was about twelve. His dad was totally erect walking around the house and said he shocked how huge he was.

This is NOT TRUE.

I think they should have cast a bunch of 16 and 17-year-olds to keep it real.

[quote]"Grease" reminds me of another monster hit movie that was a piece of shit: "Titanic." That too appealed primarily to the female element. The story was trite and banal (rich girl, poor boy love story), the dialogue sucked, but Leonardo DiCaprio was every girl's dream back then. There were women or girls who went to see that movie dozens of times. One particularly obsessed fangurl saw it over a hundred times! I saw it. I thought the special effects were good, but other than that it was pretty crummy. Anyway, Grease is a bad movie, a bad movie that made a lot of money. It happens.

A movie doesn't become the highest-grossing movie of the year (GREASE) or the highest-grossing movie of all time (TITANIC) by appealing to some demographics. During their original theatrical releases, men, women, gay, straight, whatever, went in droves to see GREASE. The 1950s nostalgia was in full swing, so that helped it a lot, but also the soundtrack was a bestseller. The movie may be corny and trite, but it's got some great songs.

As for TITANIC, it drew all sorts of people: the history buffs (who enjoyed Cameron's eye for detail re ship replica & furnishings and the sinking recreation, more than anything), the Leo fangurls, the people who liked the romance and costume drama aspect of it, and, of course, the special effects and action sequences in the latter half.

True that most of their fans now seem to be female and gay, but at the time, most everyone went to see them in theaters, which accounts for their massive grosses. It's like the GOLDEN GIRLS. It's often associated with just gays and women, but the show wouldn't have been consistently in the Nielsen's top ten, if only women and gay men watched. I don't know how many straight men watch the reruns now, but in its time the show appealed to people of both genders, ages, and orientations.

A movie or show that appeals primarily or exclusively to women could easily be a hit. Although women are referred to as a minority group they makeup more than half of the country. And women typically choose the films that their families are going to go see.

Actors had more longevity back then, no? It seems there's always someone 'new' these days. Today, they'd put Zac Efron in it. At the time, though, I don't think you'd have gotten the audience it did if they used little Scotty Baio.

[quote]A movie or show that appeals primarily or exclusively to women could easily be a hit. Although women are referred to as a minority group they makeup more than half of the country. And women typically choose the films that their families are going to go see.

I'm not saying that movies catered to women can't be hits, but they wouldn't be the #1 movie of the year or of all time. MAMMA MIA! was a huge hit, but it was only the #5 movie of 2008. That same year, SEX AND THE CITY was a hit, too, but it didn't even make the top ten.

The reasons why studios aim for the male demographics is because they know that women will go see those movies but men won't necessarily go for so-called chick flicks. GREASE and TITANIC appealed to all types of people, and that's why they became the biggest hits of their respective years.

R137, the Fox live broadcast/remake/whatever is using Broadway heartthrob (and star of USA's "Graceland") Aaron Tveit, who at 31 is older than Travolta was (and was up for Finn, the Cory Monteith role, on "Glee" years ago). I can't imagine they didn't ask Efron first, though, especially since 26/7-year-old "baby" Vanessa Hudgens will be playing Sandy.

I don't think most guys would love a movie like "Grease" or "Titanic." The main plotline in both of them was a love story and God knows guys don't go for that very much.

I've been watching clips of "Grease"; most of the cast seems to be mugging furiously most of the time. It looks so dumb. And Olivia Newton John is so miscast. She's no actress and she's definitely no dancer; her dance scenes are sad to watch. She keeps makes funny faces all throughout; why is that? I guess to distract the viewer from her very limited dancing ability.

Isn't Vanessa "How do you like my bush? All the boys like my bush!" Hudgens playing Rizzo and Julianne "The contract's up, Ryan! No extensions!" Hough playing Sandy?

R140, etc. Watch the whole movie you dumb shit and then come back and give your opinions, which we already predictably know every word. You clearly don't know that a highlight of the film is an auto race between Danny and Crater face, which drew cheers in the theater and not just from the girls. One of the biggest reactions in the film is where Kenickie drives out of auto shop with the revamped Greased Lightning. That's guy stuff. Now go back and play with your OhMiBod while listening to Carole Demas singing "It's Raining on Prom Night".

"Grease" was only four years after everyone thought "Mame" killed the movie musical.

[quote]Right after "Grease" Lorenzo posed full frontal and erect for Playgirl.

I think Lorenzo was being imaginative. Unless by "erect" he meant fluffed. Playgirl didn't show erections then; they eased into it in the early 90s.

You're right, R141, clearly I didn't re-read the Playbill article closely enough. Hough is the same age as Hudgens but seems to have an "older" ethos. Will be interesting to see how it all turns out!

They didn't want Efron, they wanted Nick Jonas who would have been good. Joe Jonas might have been even better but he wasn't considered. As for Hudgins and Hough, they're playing the wrong roles. Switching roles would help the production a lot.

Nick Jonas single-handedly threw Les Mis 25 off the rails. Looked and sang like he was constipated the whole time. He would have been a horrible choice for Grease. And Joe Jonas is a complete non-entity now.

R146 and aaron tweivdt is a household name

Yes, Nick Jonas was horrible in Les Mis and I can't imagine him being right for Danny, but I agree Hough and Hudgens (neither of whom I've really seen in anything, but based on looks and resumes) should probably switch role. Tveit has a bit of danger in him that should make Danny fun, but seems an awfully white-bread choice, and of course is courting Stockard Channing territory even if that means something different visually now than it did then. Seems like odd casting, but are we surprised given the other recent live offerings? One can only hope The Wiz will be better.

How many cocks do you think slid up Travolta's ass during filming?

The 50s were not amusing, and the whole faux diner, faux maltshop, pompadour, teased hair, poodle skirt revival was pretty stale by the time Grease came out. If you loved the movie, you were too young or too unsophisticated to be discerning. It had no ambition other than to make a lot of money for its producers and showcase Allen Carr's idea of campiness.

Never saw the show even though it debuted in my city. I think the pockets of rebellion (Next Stop Greenwich Village) and corruption (Good Night and Good Luck, Quiz Show) in the 50s are much more interesting evocations of the era although none are musicals.

R150 shits Skittles.

r110

Because of how AWFUL Lamas turned out

[quote]"For the life of me, I can't figure out why Travolta passed on doing Billy Flynn in the movie version of Chicago. He can both sing and dance, unlike Gere, who could do neither.

Travolta has made some weird choices. Like he thought "Moment By Moment" would be another smash completing a "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" trifecta.

He also bailed on "American Gigolo" at the last moment, supposedly because of the nude scenes, though Richard Gere, denies this and said, when he signed on, there were no nude scenes and only later did they add them and they asked him if he'd do them.

By bailing on "American Gigolo" this forced Travolta into doing "Stayin' Alive." Paramount had been trying to force him into a sequel, even before Grease and he had turned down script after script, till this then Paramount was able to say, "Do it or we won't loan you out till you do."

Anyone read Lamas' book? I'm tempted to buy it.

Travolta's Blow Out was a totally underrated movie.

I know we hate Revolta, but he was so sexy and charismatic in Grease. He is the reason why the movie succeeds

I auditioned for a role, but was turned down.

Blow Out was a good movie,I just rewatched it a few months ago and was surprised how well it held up ! Of course Grease is fluff,it was never meant to be anything but. How many other movies can you name that make you smile through most of it ? Or you know nearly every word to ? Its fabulous fluff,and John was at his beauty peak,and Olivia was too,and it was FUN. It made pastels more popular as a side bonus,wich I was eternally grateful for .

R157 Yes. The Eve Arden role.

Lucille Ball was supposed to play Sandy but Gary Morton wouldn't let her

I was molested while filming Grease 2.

Sally Struthers played Miss Lynch in one of the last touring shows and said that people often came up to her, shuddering "You're not playing Sandy, are you?"

I would pay to see fat Sally in the leather suit going through the shake shack. That would be worth every fucking cent of the ticket.

"Watch the whole movie you dumb shit and then come back and give your opinions, which we already predictably know every word. You clearly don't know that a highlight of the film is an auto race between Danny and Crater face, which drew cheers in the theater and not just from the girls. One of the biggest reactions in the film is where Kenickie drives out of auto shop with the revamped Greased Lightning. That's guy stuff."

Musicals are not "guy stuff" you fucking idiot, even one with an auto race and a souped up car in it. You must be a pathetic Grease fangurl who thinks everybody in the world loved that kiddy movie. You wouldn't know a good movie if it bit you on your pimply ass.

I was originally cast as Sandy, but EIGHT wouldn't let me out of my contract. I cried for days on end in my dressing room. Thank god Daddy Dick and Miss Betty Buckley were there to soften the blow. Miss Betty Buckley planned to be on set acting/dialect/singing/dancing coach. The world was denied a brilliant performance by me and the artistic integrity of Miss Betty Buckley.

Oh R164, take a break. The nurse just said it's time for your bath. Come back tomorrow and we can argue more about a movie you never saw. Maybe you can even finger yourself to the OCA of "Grease" while we do it.

I wish trolldar still worked because I have a feeling r164 would light up this thread...

Actually, if there were trolldar I think the retards at R166 and R167 would light this thread up like a beacon. Poor devils...they love "Grease." GREASE! Can't get much more pathetic than that.

Whether r166 and r167 love Grease or not (and that's not what either claimed) their point is that the enduring popularity of Grease over the past 40 years transcends the teenybopper audience.

One of the big movie houses is having a Grease singalong in Denver this week. Some millennials from my office are planning on going with their friends. They try to pretend they're doing it ironically but I know they're really into the idea.

Movie house? Well isn't that the bee's knees!

R153 Travolta also turned down AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, which once again went to Gere. The film was a smash hit (#3 of 1982, after E.T. and TOOTSIE) and another notch on Gere's belt. Meanwhile, Travolta would have 3 flops in a row: STAYING ALIVE, TWO OF A KIND, PERFECT. His career was in the toilet for the rest of the decade.

Why was Travolta so terrible at picking movies in the '80s?

Two of a Kind...talk about a dog...

[quote]Meanwhile, Travolta would have 3 flops in a row: STAYING ALIVE, TWO OF A KIND, PERFECT. His career was in the toilet for the rest of the decade. Actually Staying Alive was a critical failure but it was commercially successful. I recall Siskel and Ebert reviewing "Look Who's Talking" and saying how sad it was that John Travolta was reduced to being a supporting player for a baby. Of course that film launched him back into "A-List' territory.

[quote] Why was Travolta so terrible at picking movies in the '80s?

He must have thought anything was better than going back to TV.

R168 and all the rest of you haters: You know what kind of fire you can go die in.

R171, it's actually the Mayan, one of the big old historic theaters that barely escaped being demolished some years ago and is now owned by the Landmark chain. So yeah, movie house is a good way to describe it.

I helped John get back on the A list

I'm gladder than glad the $cienos never got to Olivia. That would just about break my heart.

The Scienos probably tried to get Olivia in.

They tried but it seems they failed.

I wonder how much money they made off of Grease? I read somewhere that Olivia only got paid $150,000. Hopefully she had some kind of points deal, where she made money off the profits. I'm sure she made bank off the soundtrack as well. I believe she was one of the first artists that was smart enough to own her catalogue.

In one of the books about Michael Eisner, it says when he was head of Paramount, he strongly disliked the film enough to consider shelving it. But wiser heads prevailed and prevented a boneheaded move that would have cost the studio hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.

Yeah, R182, smart enough to own her catalog, but denying fans the box set or career retrospective they've been clamoring for while squeezing out shit like that Christmas abortion.

"Christmas Abortion" by Olivia Newton-John has a nice ring to it.

It would probably sound better than her actual releases the last few years, R185.

As long as she stops foisting that daughter of hers on us. Who gets plastic surgery before the age of 30?

[I'm sure she made bank off the soundtrack as well.]

She and John both made big money from the soundtrack, which is second only to "Thriller" as the biggest album of all time. As of 2013, it had sold nearly 45 million copies worldwide and it's still a "perennial seller."

R176 has proved once again that anybody who adores the movie "Grease" is a teenybopper or someone with the mentality of a teenybopper.

Never knew ONJ was such a fucking bitch! Imagine, denying her fans the box set they've been clamoring for for years! Just heartless, making all those people keep their CDs in separate cases when they could be together in ONE BIG BOX!

A problem is that ONJ was on several different labels so the logistics might be difficult to work out.

Poor Chloe. Having two incredibly gorgeous parents and getting neither of their good looks. I think if she left her face alone, she might have grown into a very lovely lady but she was very insecure because she was ugly even as a toddler.

Turner Classics is sponsoring "Grease Sing-A- Long" nationwide. I hope it looks better on screen than their last "Jaws" did. I know it was digital but it looked better on Blu-ray than my local bijou.

Really. How the fuck did Chloe turn out so fucking ugly. I mean Chelsea you can understand...

R189 proves anyone who doesn't like this movie is an asshole. The theater critics who disliked the Broadway show disliked it because it originated outside of New York. The common "Sandy turns into a slut" criticism does not wash; it's just slut-shaming and therefore sexist and sex-negative. Changing your outfit and hairstyle is not the same as becoming promiscuous—and no, tight clothing is NOT an invitation to sexual advances—and there is nothing in the lyrics of "You're the One That I Want" or any of the dialogue to suggest Sandy is putting out for any of the other T-birds.

The movie [italic]Grease[/italic] was a group of gay men putting the screws to the myth of 1950s Innocence once and for all. That needed to happen. And it's not a tenth as manipulative as [italic]American Graffiti[/italic] nor as asinine as the worst of [italic]Happy Days[/italic]. And we can all agree nothing else Allan Carr made was nearly as good, although in hindsight one marvels at [italic]Can't Stop the Music[/italic]'s cognitive dissonance in promoting both the YMCA and milkshakes—the carbohydrate industry had a significant role in funding the film—as well as its foresight regarding Bruce Jenner transforming into something other than he was before—a major point in the film's hackneyed plot.

You, R189, are why so many theater queens are just fucking insufferable. You come into a thread and denigrate something that brings people of all ages joy and happiness and give no reasons to back up your poorly-formed opinion other than "pointless bitchery". You're not much better than a shit-flinging monkey. You know you'll never create anything of lasting impact so you piss on those who did. Go die alone jerking off to [italic]Sondheim Review[/italic] because you know and I know reading his lyrics serves them better than actually listening to them sung.

[quote] Turner Classics is sponsoring "Grease Sing-A- Long" nationwide. I hope it looks better on screen than their last "Jaws" did. I know it was digital but it looked better on Blu-ray than my local bijou.

The Blu-ray was nearly 10 years ago and frankly, it was kind of soft and it used that horrible re-mix from the 1998 reissue. When I saw the sing-along version in San Francisco five years ago, I couldn't believe how soft the picture was. The negative probably needs a restoration; 1970s film stock faded fairly quickly, and Kodak didn't come out with low-fade stock until the 1980s. Technicolor stopped doing dye-transfer prints in 1974, and this was in Metrocolor anyway. But there's a whole "dead zone" of Kodak film from 1975 to 1982 where everything is at risk, and this film is right in the middle of it.

R194, you have to understand that R189 is a troll. Her whole opinion on the movie is based on something weird, maybe theatrical envy. She's admitted she's never seen the movie and also based her opinions on clips seen on YouTube.

R191 - She was pretty before plastic surgery. ONJ really fucked her up, wasn't a good mother at all (absent most of the time, leaving Chloe alone once she hit her preteens) - total NPD.

Olivia was the only one that could ever rock a mullet. Markie Post ....maybe. But Olivia definately could.

Favorite Olivia look... Right after Grease....The Totally Hot years...

So it's playing right now on ABCFamily...about half over.

Greased Lightning scene coming up.

Yes, they are all too old. But wow it's a good time.

karen carpenter would've been better as sandy

[quote]Also - after Kotter and Saturday Night Fever, who but John Travolta would anyone expect to play a guy named Danny Zuko? It was the most inevitable piece of casting since Clark Gable played Rhett Butler.

Travolta was cast in Grease BEFORE Saturday Night Fever. Carr cast him but they had to wait to do it because the movie rights to Grease said the movie couldn't be produced before the Broadway run reached a certain point, so Travolta was doing other things waiting for the popularity of the Broadway show to wain.

R4 Olivia Newton-John is pretty? She is blond, I'll give you that - but pretty?

r7 has it right. I saw the movie when it came out and don't remember thinking that any of them seemed too old for the roles.

BUT: I don't remember who it was, but in a review at the time, a critic wrote about Stockard Channing being way too old to be playing a high school senior: "When she says she's skipped a period, you wonder if it's because she's menopausal."

I saw the '94 revival with Rosie O'Donnell (who was 32) as Rizzo; Sandy Wood as Sandy (an actress I never heard of again), Rick Paull Goldin as Danny, Sam Harris as Doody, and my Playbill says Megan Mullally as Marty, although she was a long way from fame then and I don't remember her specifically. Davy Jones was the DJ. The only thing I recall is that it was very hot that day (I saw a matinee) and, from the show, Sam Harris absolutely tore up "Those Magic Changes." It's not a very substantial song in terms of lyrics, but he sang it as if it were the last song he'd ever sing. Sweat was pouring off him by the end. He got a standing O. It was incredible.