Grease: The Movie, Music and Era

Yes, I love the movie Grease. What initially caught my attention as a youngster was actually the music. Grease was released in 1978 and I was only 3 years old so obviously, I didn’t see the movie until the late 80’s. By this time, I was a music fanatic so the movie was very appealing to say the least. I will admit that my love for 80's Rock allowed me to even watch Grease with an open mind. As for the film, the Intro song also titled Grease by Franki Valli set the tone perfectly.

Frankie Valli - Grease - Movie open Scene/Song

The Soundtrack was showcased throughout the movie because Grease is pretty much a Musical with a nice balance of acting and comedy relief. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starred and performed several of the songs. The chemistry was magical and romantic. For me this is one of those rare times when you actually root for the actors to date in "real life". It's like watching Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. You just knew there was something going on away from the cameras. With this being said, I don't recall hearing if John and Olivia dated outside of the movie. Years later they admitted a mutual "crush" but that was pretty much it. It's public knowledge that Ryan and Rachel dated on and off for years. Sometimes chemistry can spill into real life situations. Ok, back to the movie. Coming from my background, I can’t relate to the characters in this film but as a music lover, I appreciated the art.

Almost 40 years later I still find myself watching Grease and appreciating how well I feel it aged. Yes, some of the scenes look cheesy now but the dancing and music is still fresh to me. (Yes, Fresh is an old 80's lingo) It's unfortunate that some of the cast members never reached this type of glory again on the big screen but they are part of a Cult Classic. They can always say they are part of something magical and special. Of course John Travolta ended up being one of the more successful actors in Hollywood and Oliva Newton-John is a legend in her own right. So, I have a few questions for the readers. Have you ever seen Grease? If so, did you enjoy Grease? Do you have a favorite character? Are you as upset as I am that they attempted to make a sequel? By definition alone, sequels generally never live up to the original project. You don’t touch a classic, but I digress.

I remember in the early 90’s, students at our Graduation Class Day Talent Show performed “We Go Together”. It took me back to the first time I’d seen the movie several years earlier. It’s such a feel good song that I still enjoy. The ending credits show Rydell Highs Yearbook pictures and this reminded me of emotions I had graduating High School. You know, that bitter sweet feeling knowing a piece of your youth would be gone forever. You can't go back to the past but you can lock memories internally forever. Grease was fun. Grease was sexy. Grease was meeting your first love. Grease was going to the shopping center and movies with your friends. Grease was getting your license. Grease was going to your first house party or school dance. Grease was innocence. Grease was High School life. Grease is an American Treasure.

Peace

I leave you with: Grease-We Go Together