Grease (film)
"Grease" is a film adaptation of the 1972 Broadway musical that premiered in 1978 and quickly rose to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Set in the 1950s, the story centers around the romantic relationship between Danny, portrayed by John Travolta, and Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John. Their connection experiences ups and downs, culminating in Sandy's decision to adopt a more daring persona to win Danny's affection. The film features iconic characters, including Rizzo and Frenchy, members of the Pink Ladies, and showcases themes that resonate across generations, such as teenage identity and societal expectations.
Musically, "Grease" incorporates a disco flair to appeal to its late 1970s audience, with standout tracks like "Grease" and "You're the One That I Want" achieving significant chart success. The film reflects a nostalgic longing for the 1950s, a decade perceived as simpler and more stable against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1970s. Its cultural impact is amplified by the era's fascination with 1950s Americana, demonstrated through related media like the television series "Happy Days" and the film "American Graffiti." The enduring popularity of "Grease" continues to influence pop culture and musical theater today.
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Subject Terms
Grease (film)
Identification Motion picture
Grease, one of the last of the big-production film musicals, was a tribute to the 1950’s musical genre and romanticized that era for Americans yearning for simpler times.>
Date Released in 1978
Director Randal Kleiser
Key Figures
Randal Kleiser (1946- )
The film adaptation of the 1972 Broadway musical Grease opened to some lackluster reviews but went on to become the top-grossing musical and one of the highest-grossing films ever. The story line, set in the 1950’s, involved Danny (played by John Travolta), a “greaser” who is in love with “good girl” Sandy (Olivia Newton-John). Their on-again, off-again relationship is resolved when Sandy decides to change her image and shows up at the annual high school carnival smoking and wearing a black leather outfit. Sandy’s transformation occurs just as Danny has attempted to transform his image by lettering in track in order to impress Sandy. Grease also starred Stockard Channing as Rizzo and Didi Conn as Frenchy—two of the members of the girl gang, the Pink Ladies—and Jeff Conaway as Danny’s friend Kenickie.
Although the setting is the 1950’s, some themes in the film are timeless and easily allowed a 1970’s audience to relate: Rizzo’s pregnancy scare, Frenchy’s embarrassment after dropping out of beauty school, Sandy’s infatuation with a “bad boy,” the boys’ desire to fix up an old jalopy in order to race it, and all of the characters’ preoccupation with image.
The music for the film version of Grease was updated with a dicso edge in order to appeal to the audiences of the late 1970’s. The title song, although sung by 1950’s icon Frankie Valli, was written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. The Bee Gees were on the top of the music charts at the time with the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever (1977), which also starred Travolta. Several of the songs from the Grease soundtrack made it to the Top 10 of the Billboard charts, including two that went to number one: “Grease” and “You’re the One That I Want,” sung by Newton-John and Travolta. The soundtrack sold more than eight million copies.
Impact
Nostalgia for the 1950’s was an important part of the popular culture of the 1970’s. Happy Days, a popular television show about the 1950’s, was at the top of the Nielsen ratings when Grease was in production, and American Graffiti (1973)—another film about the 1950’s—gained unexpected success among U.S. audiences. To those Americans who were experiencing a peak in the nation’s homicide rate, a dramatic increase in inflation rates, and government scandal, the 1950’s represented a simpler time with lower crime rates, a robust, post-World War II economy, and a presidency that was perceived as stable and fair.
Bibliography
Hischak, Thomas. Film It with Music: An Encyclopedic Guide to the American Movie Musical. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001.
Sigoloff, Marc. Films of the Seventies: A Filmography of American, British, and Canadian Films, 1970-1979. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2000.