Grease 1978

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser and produced by Paramount Pictures.^[2] It is based on Warren Caseyand Jim Jacobs' 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway. It was successful both critically and at the box office. Its soundtrack album ended 1978 as the second-best selling album of the year in the United States, behind the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever'^[3]

A sequel, Grease 2, was released in 1982, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer. Only a few of the original cast members reprised their roles.

In the summer of 1958, local boy Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and vacationing Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) met at the beach and fell in love. When the summer comes to an end, Sandy who is going back to Australia frets that they may never meet again, but Danny tells her that their love is "only the beginning". The film moves to the start of the seniors' term at Rydell High School ("Grease"). Danny, a greaser, is a member of the T-Birds, consisting of his best friend Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), Doody (Barry Pearl), Sonny (Michael Tucci), and Putzie (Kelly Ward). The Pink Ladies, a popular clique of girls, also arrive, consisting of Rizzo (Stockard Channing), Frenchy (Didi Conn), Marty (Dinah Manoff), and Jan (Jamie Donnelly).

After her parents decide not to return to Australia, Sandy enrolls at Rydell and is befriended by Frenchy, who considers dropping out of school to become a beautician. Unaware of each other's presence at Rydell, Danny and Sandy tell their respective groups the accounts of events during the pair's brief romance, without initially mentioning the other's name. Sandy's version emphasizes the romance of the affair, while Danny's version is more sexual (and therefore presumably less honest) ("Summer Nights").

When Sandy finally says Danny's name, Rizzo arranges a surprise reunion for the two, but Danny is forced to maintain his bad-boy attitude in front of his pals, upsetting Sandy, who storms off. Frenchy invites the girls to a pajama party, but Sandy falls ill from trying a cigarette, drinking and getting her ears pierced by Frenchy. As she recovers in the bathroom, Rizzo makes fun of her innocence and virtuous nature ("Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee"). The T-Birds almost crash the party in Kenickie's Greased Lightning car, but a guilty Danny leaves, followed by Rizzo, who departs to make out with Kenickie, who later becomes her boyfriend. Sandy laments over her feelings towards Danny, despite his earlier behaviour ("Hopelessly Devoted to You").

The two are disturbed by Leo Balmudo (Dennis C. Stewart), leader of the T-Birds' rival gang, the Scorpions, and his girlfriend Cha-Cha (Annette Charles), leading to a planned car race between Leo and Kenickie. Kenickie purchases an old second-hand car and the group repair it and give it a paint job ("Greased Lightnin'"). In an attempt to impress Sandy, Danny turns to Coach Calhoun (Sid Caesar) to get into sports, eventually becoming a runner. He reunites with Sandy and they attempt to go on a date, but their friends crash it, resulting in Kenickie and Rizzo arguing and parting. Left alone, Frenchy is visited by a guardian angel (Frankie Avalon) who advises her to return to school after a mishap in beauty class leaves her with bubblegum-pink hair ("Beauty School Dropout").

The school dance arrives, broadcast live on television and hosted by DJ Vince Fontaine, (Edd Byrnes) who flirts with Marty. Rizzo and Kenickie attempt to spite one another by bringing Leo and Cha-Cha as their dates, while Danny and Sandy arrive together. They dance well and are expected to win, but just before the winners are announced they are separated by Sonny, and Danny and Cha-Cha (who were once boyfriend and girlfriend) end up performing together and winning ("Born to Hand Jive").

Danny tries to make it up to Sandy by taking her to a drive-in theater but makes a clumsy pass at her, causing Sandy to angrily depart, leaving Danny distraught ("Sandy"). Meanwhile, Rizzo fears she is pregnant after missing a period and confides in Marty, but Marty tells Sonny and he inadvertently spreads the rumor to Kenickie, the apparent father, though Rizzo denies this to him. Kenickie does the honorable thing and offers to marry Rizzo, but she dislikes the way he proposed and emphatically declines. Rizzo laments on her reputation and how it has affected her personal life ("There Are Worse Things I Could Do").

The race arrives, but Kenickie is knocked out by his own car door thanks to the careless behavior of his friend Putzie, so Danny takes up the challenge. He and Leo race until Leo crashes and leaves humiliated, with Danny as the victor. Sandy watches from afar, concluding she still loves Danny, and decides to change her attitude and look to impress him – she then asks Frenchy for help to achieve this goal ("Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)"). On the last day of school, while Principal McGee (Eve Arden) and her assistant Blanche (Dody Goodman) sob about the departing class, the class celebrates their graduation at the fair on the school grounds.

Rizzo discovers she is not pregnant after all and reunites with Kenickie. He proposes to her again, and this time she accepts. Danny has become a jock, but is shocked when Sandy arrives with a new hairstyle, dressed in black leather, and smoking a cigarette (although she still looks over at Frenchy to check what to do when Danny notices her). In song, the two admit they love each other and reunite ("You're the One That I Want").

The film ends with Danny and Sandy departing in the fantasy version of Greased Lightning together, which takes flight, and the pair wave goodbye to their friends ("We Go Together"). The film ends with credits in the style of a yearbook.