Grease (movie) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grease
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Randal Kleiser
Produced by	Robert Stigwood Allan Carr
Screenplay by	Bronte Woodard
Starring	John Travolta Olivia Newton-John Stockard Channing Jeff Conaway Eve Arden Frankie Avalon Joan Blondell Edd Byrnes Sid Caesar Alice Ghostley Dody Goodman Sha Na Na
Music by	Michael Gibson
Cinematography	Bill Butler
Editing by	John F. Burnett Robert Pergament
Studio	Paramount Pictures Allan Carr Productions RSO Records Polydor Records
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 16, 1978 (1978-06-16)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$6 million
Money made	$366.2 million

Grease is a super popular American musical movie from 1978. It was directed by Randal Kleiser and produced by Robert Stigwood. This fun film tells the story of high school friends like Danny, Sandy, Rizzo, and Kenickie.

Story of Grease

The car race in the film took place at the Los Angeles River.

The movie starts in the summer of 1959. Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson meet in Los Angeles, California. They have a wonderful summer together and become very close.

When summer ends, Sandy has to go back to Australia. They think they will never see each other again. But then, Sandy's family moves, and she ends up at Danny's school, Rydell High!

When Danny sees Sandy at school, he acts cool and tough. He wants to keep his reputation with his friends, the T-Birds. Sandy doesn't understand why he's acting this way and feels sad.

Danny and Sandy try to date, but it's tricky. Sandy gets upset because Danny doesn't always treat her well. By the end of the movie, Sandy decides to make a big change. She transforms her look and attitude. This helps her and Danny truly connect, and they get back together.

Main Characters

The T-Birds

The T-Birds are a group of cool guys at Rydell High. They love cars and hanging out.

• John Travolta plays Danny Zuko. He's the leader of the T-Birds. He tries to act tough but is really sweet, especially when it comes to Sandy.
• Jeff Conaway is Kenickie. He's Danny's best friend and owns a cool car called Greased Lightnin'.
• Barry Pearl plays Doody. He's a T-Bird who likes to have fun.
• Michael Tucci is Sonny LaTierri. He's a T-Bird who sometimes causes a bit of mischief.
• Kelly Ward plays Putzie. He's another member of the T-Birds.

The Pink Ladies

The Pink Ladies are a group of fun and stylish girls at Rydell High.

• Olivia Newton-John plays Sandy Olsson. She's a new student from Australia and Danny's girlfriend. She starts as a sweet, innocent girl and later changes her style.
• Stockard Channing is Betty Rizzo. She's the strong and confident leader of the Pink Ladies.
• Didi Conn plays Frenchy. She's Sandy's good friend and dreams of becoming a beautician.
• Jamie Donnelly is Jan. She's a quirky Pink Lady who enjoys eating sweets.
• Dinah Manoff plays Marty Maraschino. She's another member of the Pink Ladies.

Other Students

• Eddie Deezen as Eugene Felsnic, the smart but sometimes awkward class nerd.
• Susan Buckner as Patricia "Patty" Simcox, the head cheerleader who likes Danny.
• Lorenzo Lamas as Thomas "Tom" Chisum, a popular athlete who also likes Sandy.
• Dennis C. Stewart as Leo "Crater-Face" Balmudo, the leader of a rival gang called the Scorpions.
• Annette Charles as Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio, Leo's girlfriend and a great dancer.

School Staff

• Eve Arden as Principal McGee, the school principal.
• Dody Goodman as Blanche Hodel, the school secretary.
• Sid Caesar as Coach Vince Calhoun, the tough gym teacher.
• Alice Ghostley as Mrs. Murdock, the auto-shop teacher who helps the T-Birds.

Other Fun Characters

• Frankie Avalon as Teen Angel, a special singer who appears in a dream.
• Edd Byrnes as Vince Fontaine, a radio and TV personality.
• Johnny Contardo and Sha Na Na as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers, the band that plays at the school dance.

Movie Music

The Grease soundtrack album was incredibly popular. In 1978, it was the second-best-selling album in the United States! Another movie starring John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever, had the only album that sold more.

The song "Hopelessly Devoted to You" was even nominated for an Oscar! Before the movie came out, "You're the One That I Want" was released as a single and quickly became a number one hit.

In the United Kingdom, two songs from the movie, "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights," were huge hits. They are still among the best-selling singles ever! The movie's title song, "Grease," was also a number-one hit for Frankie Valli.

Here are the songs as they appear in the film:

See also

In Spanish: Grease para niños