Though the stage play was set in Chicago, the movie version of Grease was filmed in California during the summer of 1977. (L-R) Jeff Conaway, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta and Stockard Channing in "Grease" Photo: Paramount Pictures/Fotos International/Getty Imagesįilming in hot California posed problems for the cast READ MORE: 10 Facts You’ve Probably Never Heard About Grease
Each of the movie's potential actors had to pass his so-called "crow's-feet test" to officially get the role. According to Vanity Fair, the movie's director, Randal Kleiser, decided he'd check all cast members, including Channing, to see if he could spot wrinkles around their eyes. However, she has stated she couldn't get a signed contract in time, telling the Austin Chronicle, "I gave up Grease to go do Bye, Bye Birdie at the Melody Top Theater in Milwaukee." Stockard Channing was then up for the role, but there were worries that the 33-year-old actress wouldn't be able to pull off high schooler Rizzo.
Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's daughter, was considered for the role of Pink Lady leader Rizzo. It was only after a successful screen test and interacting with Travolta that she agreed to take the role, telling Entertainment Weekly, "John and I had great chemistry from the first time we met." Sandy became a girl from Australia called Sandy Olsson (she'd been Sandy Dumbrowski in the stage show) to allow the star to use her native accent. A previous film of hers had flopped and she "was 29 and worried that I didn't look young enough" to portray high school student Sandy. However, Newton-John was reluctant to join the cast. In 2018, Travolta told People magazine what he'd said at the time, "There is only one person that should play this role and it's Olivia Newton-John…She's every guy's dream." Carrie Fisher and Marie Osmond were among those considered for the lead role of Sandy before Travolta suggested Newton-John, then a country singer, for the part. Producer Allan Carr selected a porn star to portray Coach Calhoun until the studio objected (Sid Caesar ended up in the role). According to Vanity Fair, Henry Winkler of Happy Days fame was offered the lead role of Danny Zuko and Travolta only stepped in after Winkler turned down the opportunity. Grease could've had very different cast members. Travolta told producers Newton-John was 'every guy's dream' However, the road to creating the now-classic movie was not an easy one - the right actors had to be found for each part, filming had to be accomplished in difficult conditions, songs were added to and removed from the film and personal dramas were confronted. You say 'Sandy and Danny' and people instantly know what you're talking about." "It is incredible that it is still going but it's not even just that, it's showing no signs of stopping. "Making it was fun but you never know with movies if audiences are going to go with it or not, even if you love it," Newton-John told Forbes. But when the movie was being filmed in 1977, no one knew they were making what would become the highest-grossing American movie musical of the 20th century, including leads John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, who weren't the initial choices to play high school sweethearts Danny and Sandy. Grease was a huge hit when it came out in 1978 and has since become an American classic.
0 kommentar(er)
