The film is satirizing not the real, but the fictionalized '50s. Songs such as "Sandra Dee" and "Beauty School Drop-Out" were spoofs of the sounds of that time; in the film, they are weak references to other caricatures.

Was Grease meant to be a cartoon?

"Grease" could've been an animated film.

The film's cocreator, Jim Jacobs, told Yahoo News in 2018 that Hollywood director Ralph Bakshi pitched "Grease" as an X-rated cartoon. He was well known for his animated hits like "Fritz the Cat," but Jacobs wasn't sold on his vision.

What was the point of Grease movie?

The movie explores Rizzo and Sandy as parallel examples of female desire, ending with Olivia Newton-John's Sandy fully realizing her self-confidence and her rebirth, contrasted with Rizzo's realization that her softness and vulnerability can be one of her strengths.

What is the message of Grease the musical?

Like Hair before it and The Rocky Horror Show which would come a year later, Grease is a show about repression versus freedom in American sexuality, about the clumsy, tentative, but clearly emerging sexual freedom of the late 1950s, seen through the lens of the middle of the Sexual Revolution in the 1970s.

What is Grease based off of?

The script was based on Jim Jacobs' experience at William Taft High School, Chicago. Warren Casey collaborated with Jim and together they wrote the music and lyrics.

Grease Dilemma

Is Grease meant to be satire?

The film is satirizing not the real, but the fictionalized '50s. Songs such as "Sandra Dee" and "Beauty School Drop-Out" were spoofs of the sounds of that time; in the film, they are weak references to other caricatures.

Why didn't John Travolta do Grease 2?

By the time Grease was a hit – and the studio realised a sequel might not be such a bad idea after all – Travolta and Newton-John had moved on to other things. Director Randal Kleiser also gave it a miss. Instead, Patricia Birch, choreographer of the original stage musical and the first film, was put at the helm.

How old was John Travolta in Grease?

John Travolta, who starred as Danny Zuko in Grease, famously stood out as younger than much of the rest of Grease's principal cast during filming in summer 1977 at age 23.

What role did Helen Travolta play in Grease?

Grease (1978) - Ellen Travolta as Waitress - IMDb.

Did John Travolta actually sing for Grease?

You might be surprised to know that John Travolta did use his own voice in the 'Grease' soundtrack. He is, dare I say, a triple threat? He acts, dances, and sings in this classic 1978 film.

Why does Rizzo hate Sandy?

Sandy is bashed by Rizzo and the other women for her lack of sexual experience. Rizzo is judged by the women and men in the movie for her promiscuity. They highlight her problematic expression of her sexuality by Danny Zuko saying, “Sloppy seconds ain't my style”.

What are the movie mistakes in Grease?

Why is the picture blurred in Grease?

Producer Allan Carr had a deal to feature Pepsi in Grease. But the prop manager didn't get the memo and put a Coca-Cola sign in the Frosty Palace, according to Kleiser. Carr blew a gasket when he saw the scene after production wrapped. "He made us blur it with 1978 technology, which looks terrible," says Kleiser.

Who couldn't dance in Grease?

Apparently, actress Dinah Manoff was such a bad dancer in real life that the directors left her character, Marty, out of the scene entirely! She also didn't get to be a part of all the hand-jiving — it looked like so much fun!

What does T birds mean in Grease?

Not shockingly, it had something to do with a really cool car that everyone liked back in the day. The reigning theory is that the boys were all in love with the Ford Thunderbird — the '50s car to have — so they named their greaser gang after the luxury speedster itself, becoming "the Thunderbirds" in the process.

Did Stockard Channing really sing in Grease?

Stockard Channing sings lead on two of the tracks; the two tracks remain her only significant contribution to recorded popular music to date. The title track is featured twice on the soundtrack and performed by Frankie Valli, who had no other connection with the film.

What actress turned down Grease?

New PEOPLE Special Edition: Olivia Newton-John on Why She Initially Turned Down 'Grease' Newton-John hadn't wanted to play high schooler Sandy, telling producers: “I'm not American, I can't do an American accent. I'm 29, how can be 18?" Read what changed her mind in an excerpt from PEOPLE's new tribute issue.

What happened to the actress who played Rizzo in Grease?

She made her London theatre debut at the Royal Court Theatre in the 90s, in John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation. She's returned for stints since, in 2017 for Apologia at the Trafalgar Studios and again in 2021 in Night Mother at the Hampstead Theatre. The star has been married and divorced four times.

Is John Travolta's sister in Grease?

In Grease (1978), one of the waitresses is played by Ellen Travolta, the sister of actor John Travolta. She's the one who says “Oh, there's Danny and Sandy."

Who was the youngest cast member in Grease?

Kelly Ward (Putzie)

Kelly Ward brought the youngest member of the T-Birds, Putzie, to life in a role specifically created for the film. Grease wasn't his first time working with costar John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.

Why do the high schoolers in Grease look so old?

Grease's casting director Joel Thurm, who would been pivotal to assembling the final cast, has finally answered the question. According to him, using older actors was a completely intentional choice on the creative team's part.

Where is Rydell high in Grease supposed to be?

Is Rydell High School a real school? Not only is Rydell High School fictitious, but the school scenes in Grease were also actually filmed in three different places—Venice High School, Huntington Park High School and John Marshall High School. Of the three schools, Venice High was used for its aesthetics.

Did Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta get along Grease?

Danny and Sandy forever. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were friends for more than four decades before she passed away at the age of 73. The actress and the Welcome Back, Kotter alum hit it off on the set of Grease, which hit theaters in 1978, portraying unlikely couple Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson.

Why did Frenchy disappear in Grease 2?

Instead, fans were left to wonder precisely why she just disappears: and it seems the answer is simple... the makers of Grease 2 realised halfway through that they just didn't want her. Perhaps she'd get better treatment if she returns (even briefly) in the upcoming Grease prequel movie.

Who was supposed to play John Travolta in Grease?

As part of a three-picture deal with Stigwood, Travolta was given the lead role after Henry Winkler turned down the role for fear of being typecast as a greaser, having been playing the similar bad-boy greaser Arthur Fonzarelli on Happy Days since 1974. (Winkler would later regret the decision.)