John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Grease - Look-In

IT was back in 1971 that writers Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey were given the go-ahead to chance their musical glorification of the fifties in a small, little-known experimental theatre in Chicago. And it was there that a pair of sharp-eyed producers happened across it, and made an on-the-spot deal to take the whole show to the big-time in New York.

Grease ran to over a colossal 2,000 performances, passing Oklahoma to become the eighth-longest running production in the history of Broadway. The show has become an American classic as well as an international hit its popularity in Mexico, Europe and Australia being unequalled. Despite the current craze, both on the cinema and TV about fifties America (ie. Happy Days and American Graffiti) there were still doubts about whether Grease, on the big screen, would create a wide interest in such a recent decade.

To the people who made Grease the answer was simple. It's not just a nostalgic flashback to happier days, it's about characters of universal appeal, people we can all identify with. It's a fast-moving, action-packed musical tribute to the early days of rock 'n' roll. More than anything the most appealing aspect about Grease is that it's great fun.

America's No. 1 pin-up and superstar John Travolta was the unanimous selection to play the starring role of Danny Zuko Fresh from his extraordinary success with Saturday Night Fever. Travolta contained the perfect mixture of animal magnetism and innocence for the role.

International recording star Olivia Newton-John was then persuaded to make her screen debut as Travolta's co-star, the ideal partner to complement his charms.

Special guests in the film add up to a very impressive gathering of names ready to bring the fifties back to life before your very eyes. Eve Graham plays Rydell High School's Principal McGee; real-life fifties superstar Frankie Avalon takes the part of Teen Angel; Joan Blondell is Vi, a fast-talking waitress with a heart of gold; another fifties heart-throb Edd Byrnes, makes an appearance as Vince Fontaine, the ultra-smooth host of the National Bandstand TV Show; Sid Caesar is coach Calhoun, while Sha-Na-Na provide some great music as everybody's favourite fifties group, Johnny Casino and the Gamblers.

Dancing is, of course, a very important part of Grease, so it was absolutely vital that the producers should get the very best choreographer for the film. Four-time stage award nominee Patricia Birch, who worked on the original stage-play, was chosen to re-create the stunning dance scenes that had proved so popular on Broadway.

For obvious reasons, the Broadway score of Grease has been supplemented by some show-stopping genuine golden oldie sounds from the fifties, along with lots of great new songs by Louis St. Louis, Sh-Na-Na's Scott J. Simon, John Farrar and Barry Gibb.

METEORIC RISE

John Travolta's meteoric rise to fame could itself be from a Hollywood movie. He's the youngest of six children born to Helen and Salvatore Travolta (a former American pro-footballer). At the tender age of sixteen John left family life in New Jersey, in search of fame and fortune, and in no time at all found himself in many small productions which finally led to Broadway with Grease. His next move was into TV where famous producer Jimmy Komack took a chance on John's, as yet, untapped talent with a starring role as Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter (an American version of The Fenn Street Gang).

Again, John was looking to improve himself, and improve he did, winning the acclaim of America's fiercest critics with his stunning performance in the TV film The Boy In The Plastic Bubble.

Big screen audiences first discovered John when his small role in the box-office hit Carrie was made into an impressive film debut by his sheer screen magnetism. As you all know, John really hit superstardom with the sensational disco-dance movie Saturday Night Fever. He received extraordinary critical acclaim and won the Best Actor Award from the National Board of Review as well as recognition by the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. Time Magazine described his performance as a revelation, Newsweek called it a triumphant starring debut and his dancing Spectacular. While The New Yorker stated Travolta is such an original presence. He goes so far inside the role he seems incapable of a false note... he acts like someone who loves to dance and more than that, he acts like someone who loves to act. Others have hailed him as the most exciting new screen presence to come along since the early days of (Marlon) Brando, James) Dean and (Paul) Newman.

In Grease, Travolta's role as Danny portrays a high-school heart-throb leader of the T-birds gang, and, just like Saturday Night Fever, the highlight of the film is a dance contest in which our hero steps out in style. The best news for Travolta fans, though, is that Grease marks the second leg of his three-picture deal with producer Robert Stigwood. So watch out for another super Travolta spectacular! Olivia Newton-John, as Zuko's girlfriend Sandy, falls in love with him while on holiday but when Sandy is transferred to Danny's school, he goes cool on the romance to save face as leader of his tearaway gang.

NEW CAREER

Says Livvy of her new-found career: Turning actress was a departure for me in a way, but Grease is a musical, so my appearance in it is also an extension. I've been offered movie roles in the past, but I couldn't find a role in a straight drama that suited me.

I saw Grease on stage in London seven years ago and enjoyed it very much. When the lead role in the movie was offered me. I took it happily. I figured a singing role wouldn't he too much of a jolt for me or the audience.

The biggest problem that Olivia faced in Grease was her Aussie accent. I was supposed to play an American girl in Grease, she says, but they changed her to Australian because of my accent. I was perfectly willing learn my dialogue with an American accent, I could have done it because there's no trace accent when I sing. Even when I lived in Australia, I sang American. Everybody does.

Making movies interests me a great deal. It's time I branched out. I'm 29 and getting on you know. I play an eighteen-year-old girl in an American high-school in the film, and it's easy for me to play a younger female because the part is so beautifully written. The costumes are exactly right. I didn't have to think too much about playing someone 10 years younger than my age. The nice part is, I was about 10 years old myself during the era of the picture and I remember the music and the attitudes.

With Olivia and John both single, it was inevitable that stories of romance between Grease's two stars would circulate. He's just a good mate, explains Livvy. We sing a duet together in the film and I have only one solo. But John and I sing along with the rest of the cast in a couple of other songs. I realise John is quite young, but he's a well trained actor. He helped me a lot on the set when we filmed Grease, especially in the beginning of the film when I was very, very nervous. He was tremendously professional and always very generous in the scenes we shared.

One night, we worked very late and everyone in the crew was tired. The director was doing a close-up on me, shooting over John's shoulder. It was a key scene as far as my performance was concerned and John realised it. Because I was exhausted, I wasn't doing very well, but I'd managed to get through the lake. Then John would deliberately make a mistake because he knew I was unhappy with my performance so I had the opportunity to do it again and again until it was right.

Until she worked on Grease, Olivia had never danced before, but when you see the film you'd never believe it.

It was a lot of hard work, she says. It helps a lot when you've got somebody like John Travolta as a partner. I really had a ball making Grease. Everyone in it was young and enthusiastic. Now I'm dying to do another picture. But this time without music because it's something I've never done before.

EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION: 10 COPIES OF GREASE MUST BE WON!

Yes, indeed, the word is GREASE, and we're celebrating the release of the new all-action Travolta movie with a record company, that could bag you a copy of the top-selling double LP, which includes all the songs from the movie including the one and only You're The One That I Want and Frankie Valli's Grease.

We're giving away 10 copies of the album, and you could be a winner of one of them!

All you have to do to enter is take a look at the questions on the right, and then complete your answers in the spaces provided on the coupon, not forgetting to include your name, address and age. Then send your entry, on a postcard only, to Look in, Grease Competition, P.O. Box 141, London, SE6 3HR. The senders of the first 10 correct entries pulled from the postbag after the closing date, Monday, 15 October 16th, 1978, will each receive a copy of Grease.

GREASE QUESTIONS

1. Which part does John Travolta take in Grease!
2. Who is the choreographer of the film's dance sequences?
3. How many brothers and sisters has John Travolta
4. In which successful TV movie did John star?
5. Olivia Newton-John was born in which country!

Send, on a postcard, to P.O. Box 141, London, SE6 3HR.
Name, Address, Age
Closing date: October 16th, 1978.