Grease (1978)
It's easy to sneer at Grease and dismiss it as a relic
of the 70's like Space Dust and the Bay City Rollers.
But while it may recall a time when John Travolta wasn't
shopping for elasticised trousers at Big and Tall, and Olivia
Newton-John was famous outside of her own house, you have to
remember that there was only one movie to see in 1978.
And no movie encouraged so many re-visits by pre-teen girls. It
was quite common for many of them to have seen this movie more
than 20 times and know the complete dialogue and dance movements.
 This
1950s-set story of the summer love that blossoms between
leather-jacket-clad Danny and Australian exchange student Sandy
has captivated generations of moviegoers; the Rydell High gang,
the cars, the chicks, the Brylcreem . . . and fresh from Saturday
Night Fever, this was the film that confirmed Travolta's
superstar status.
Travolta's Danny Zuko is a member of the T-Birds, a juvenile
gang of greaser hoods whose other members are Kenickie (Jeff
Conaway), Doody (Barry Pearl), Sonny (Michael Tucci) and Putzie
(Kelly Ward).
Sandy, meanwhile, is 'mentored' by the all-female gang, The
Pink Ladies (although she is never herself a member).
The Pink Ladies are led by Betty Rizzo (a fabulous performance
by Stockard Channing) and include Frenchy (Didi Conn), Jan (Jamie
Donnelly) and Marty Maraschino (Dinah Manoff).
By the end of the film, romance blossoms between the two groups
with pairings between Rizzo and Kenickie and Frenchy and Sonny
respectively.
Not only is Grease the most successful film musical of
all time, but the instantly recognisable songs are still heard in
college campuses, karaoke bars and cheesy nightclubs more than 20
years on.
Grease also dominated the music charts in the US, the UK
and Australia. Summer Nights alone spent seven weeks at
number one.
And while Baz Luhrmann might like to think otherwise, there
hasn't been a musical to touch it since.
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