Movie Details:
Based on | Grease by Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Comedy, Musical, Romance |
Release date | June 16, 1978 |
Running time | 1hr 50min |
Age rating | PG |
Starring | John Travolta Olivia Newton-John Stockard Channing Jeff Conaway Eve Arden Frankie Avalon Joan Blondell Edd Byrnes Sid Caesar Alice Ghostley Dody Goodman Sha Na Na |
Directed by | Randal Kleiser |
Screenplay by | Bronté Woodard |
Adaptation by | Allan Carr |
Produced by | Robert Stigwood Allan Carr |
Cinematography by | Bill Butler |
Edited by | John F. Burnett |
Music by | Michael Gibson |
Production Company | Allan Carr Enterprises Stigwood Group |
Distributor | Paramount Pictures |
Cast & Characters:
- Protagonists
- John Travolta as Danny Zuko
- Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson
- T-Birds
- Jeff Conaway as Kenickie, Danny’s best friend and second-in-command.
- Barry Pearl as Doody
- Michael Tucci as Sonny LaTierri
- Kelly Ward as Putzie
- Pink Ladies
- Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo, leader
- Didi Conn as Frenchy Facciano
- Jamie Donnelly as Jan
- Dinah Manoff as Marty Maraschino
- Students
- Eddie Deezen as Eugene Felsnic, the class nerd.
- Susan Buckner as Patricia “Patty” Simcox, the head cheerleader.
- Lorenzo Lamas as Thomas “Tom” Chisum, captain of the Rydell Rangers football team.
- Dennis Cleveland Stewart as Leo “Crater-Face” Balmudo
- Annette Charles as Charlene “Cha-Cha” DiGregorio
- School staff
- Eve Arden as Principal McGee, the principal of Rydell High.
- Dody Goodman as Blanche Hodel, Secretary of Rydell High.
- Sid Caesar as Coach Vince Calhoun, Rydell High’s Physical Education teacher and athletics coach.
- Alice Ghostley as Mrs. Murdock, Rydell High’s tomboyish Auto shop teacher.
- Darrell Zwerling as Mr. Lynch
- Dick Patterson as Mr. Rudie
- Fannie Flagg as Nurse Wilkins
- Others
- Joan Blondell as Vi
- Frankie Avalon as Teen Angel
- Edd Byrnes as Vince Fontaine
- Johnny Contardo and Sha Na Na as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers
- Ellen Travolta as a Frosty Palace waitress
Storyline:
A musical about teens in love in the 1950s. It’s California 1958 and greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Australian Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) are in love. They spend time at the beach, and when they go back to school, what neither of them knows is that they both now attend Rydell High. Danny’s the leader of the T-Birds, a group of black leather jacket-wearing greasers while Sandy hangs with the Pink Ladies, a group of pink-wearing girls led by Rizzo (Stockard Channing). When they clash at Rydell’s first pep rally, Danny isn’t the same Danny from the beach. They try to be like each other so they can be together.
About Movie:
Grease is an American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser in his feature debut, based on the stage musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The screenplay was written by Bronté Woodard, with an adaptation by co-producer Allan Carr. The film stars John Travolta as greaser Danny Zuko and Olivia Newton-John as Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson, who fall for each other during a summer romance.
Released on June 16, 1978, by Paramount Pictures, Grease became a critical and commercial hit, earning the title of the highest-grossing musical film at the time. Its soundtrack was a major success as well, ending 1978 as the second-best-selling album in the U.S., just behind Saturday Night Fever, which also starred Travolta.
The song “Hopelessly Devoted to You” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 51st Academy Awards. Additionally, Grease received five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and nominations for two songs: “Grease” and “You’re the One that I Want.”
In 2020, Grease was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, recognized for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
A sequel, Grease 2, was released in 1982, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer, though few original cast members returned. As of 2023, a prequel TV series, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, debuted on Paramount+, and a prequel film titled Summer Lovin’ is currently in production.
Budget & Box Office Collection:
Budget | $6 million |
Domestic Opening | $8,941,717 |
Domestic Collection | $190,071,103 |
International Collection | $206,200,000 |
Worldwide Collection | $396,271,103 |