Grease ***** (1978, John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Didi Conn, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar) – Classic Movie Review 1478

Re-released in cinemas for its 20th birthday in 1998 and again for its 40th birthday in 2018, director Randal Kleiser’s breathlessly exuberant, joyous 1978 movie of Grease, Broadway’s second longest running musical after A Chorus Line, seems better than ever in its luminous brand-new digitally re-mastered print and gloriously ear-popping stereo sound.

As Danny and Sandy, the star-crossed lovers at a 50s American high school, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are warm and appealing, though he now looks impossibly thin, young and sexy and she looks far too old (already at 29!). As bitchy Betty, Stockard Channing looks positively middle-aged, but she brings a wonderfully acerbic touch of wit to the proceedings.

The catchy nostalgic songs, all-stops-out dancing, a super young cast and the game turns of the welcome veteran stars Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes and Sid Caesar combine with Kleiser’s zesty direction to make this magic movie musical entertainment.

Only complaint: the lack of continuous dance sequences: everything is cut to disguise the fact that the principals (even the incredibly nimble Travolta) aren’t really dancers. Thrill to these big hits of the day: ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, ‘Greased Lightning’, ‘You’re the One that I Want’, ‘Sandy’ and of course ‘Grease’.

The $6 million movie raked in over $150 million first time round and another $30 million in 1998 in the US alone. It is still the top-grossing musical of all time, though Chicago came close in 2002 with its US cinema take of $170 million. Based on the original musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease was voted the best musical ever on Channel 4‘s 100 greatest musicals TV show.

It was re-released again in 2010 with the tagline ‘The original high school musical is back!’ By 2014 Grease has grossed $188 million in the US and $206 million internationally, totalling just under $395 million worldwide.

Grease was premiered in New York City on 13 June 1978 and released in the UK on 14 September 1978.

It was followed by the ill-fated Grease 2 in 1982 with Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer. A few cast members from the original movie such as Dody Goodman, Sid Caesar, Eddie Deezen, Didi Conn, Dennis Stewart and Eve Arden reprise their roles.

It was announced in April 2019 that a prequel to Grease is in the works.

Olivia Newton-John turned 70 on 26 September 2018.

Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and two Billboard 200 number one albums.

She died of cancer at her Santa Ynez Valley home in California, aged 73, on 8 August 2022.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1478

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