People PEOPLE Grease

‘I NEVER THOUGHT, “WHY?” THEY TOOK OFF INTO INFINITY…. IT WAS LOVELY. IT IS KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED: 40 YEARS LATER WE’RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT. THEY’RE SUSPENDED IN TIME’—OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, ON SANDY & DANNY’S DRIVE INTO THE CLOUDS IT’S A GREASE CELEBRATION—AND YOU’RE INVITED! EXCLUSIVE PEOPLE INTERVIEWS WITH THE FILM’S STARS • INSIDE THE BESTSELLING SOUNDTRACK • THE BROADWAY ORIGIN STORY • REMEMBERING OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN…

For decades after Grease became a hit, the cast and creators were frequently asked to reflect on making a movie that grew into a phenomenon. By the time the 40th anniversary came around in 2018, you might have thought that Olivia Newton-John or John Travolta—or any of the actors who populated Rydell High—would yawn at the idea. But as each started to reminisce in interviews with People, it became clear it was no problem to ask them to revisit that summer of 1977. They loved making Grease. And, like the most devoted fans, they loved Grease still. “There’s nothing about this film that isn’t a vivid memory to me,” said Travolta. “I’m very grateful for the film,” added Newton-John. In the event you think this long-running Grease lovefest was a put-on,…

‘WELL, HERE WE ARE AGAIN’ ‘YEAH, BUT THIS TIME WE’RE SENIORS—AND WE’RE GONNA RULE THE SCHOOL’—THE PINK LADIES‘WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DANNY ZUKO I MET AT THE BEACH?’—SANDY‘I DO NOT KNOW. MAYBE THERE’S TWO OF US.… WHY DON’T YOU TAKE OUT A MISSING-PERSON’S AD?’—DANNY‘THIS CAR COULD BE SYSTEMATIC … HYDROMATIC … ULTRAMATIC … WHY, IT COULD BE GREASED LIGHTNING’—DANNY‘TO LOOK YOUR BEST FOR THE BIG CONTEST, JUST BE YOURSELVES AND HAVE A BALL. THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, AFTER ALL. SO FORGET ABOUT THE CAMERA AND THINK ABOUT THE BEAT’—VINCE FONTAINE‘IF YOU THINK I’M GOING TO STAY HERE WITH YOU IN THIS SIN WAGON…!’—SANDY [SHE LEAVES]‘SANDY, YOU JUST CAN’T WALK OUT OF A DRIVE-IN!’—DANNY‘WHAT’S THE MATTER? AREN’T YOU HAPPY?’—FRENCHY‘NO, NOT REALLY, FRENCHY. BUT I THINK I KNOW A WAY I…

The leading man was still months away from his superstardom-to-be. The female lead, a hugely popular singer, was so unsure of her acting, she requested a screen test. And the director had never shot a musical. There were a few mishaps—and some Hollywood legends watching (hello, Bette Davis!). But there was also magic. In 2018, to mark the film’s 40th anniversary, the cast and creatives shared with People their memories of making Grease. CASTING ABOUT JOHN TRAVOLTA (DANNY) I was Doody [on Broadway]. I was hell-bent: All I told my manager was I want to do the movie, and I want to play Danny. I’d watched the role with many actors.… I had this idea to take all the things that worked and add my own spin on it. RANDAL KLEISER (DIRECTOR) I…

John Travolta, then 23, first met Olivia Newton-John when he came to her L.A. home to recruit her for Grease. “I knew him from Welcome Back, Kotter,” she recalls. She was 29 and a huge pop star—between 1974 and 1976 she had seven consecutive Top 10 singles. Travolta, whose first big picture had not yet hit theaters, was impressed with the spread—she had a pool! But it was Newton-John herself who really dazzled him, as he knew she would moviegoers. He was right: Their pairing made history. It also brought together two quite different stars in a way that rarely lasts beyond a film shoot. “Maybe when you share that kind of meteoric success—and nothing has been able to exceed it—you share a bond,” Travolta told People in 2018, speaking about…