''Grease 2'' is a 1982 American
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...
film and the
sequel to the
1978 film ''Grease'', adapted from the 1971
musical of the same name by
Jim Jacobs and
Warren Casey
Warren Casey (April 20, 1935 – November 8, 1988) was an American theater composer, lyricist, writer, and actor. He was the writer and composer, with Jim Jacobs, of the stage musical '' Grease''.
Career
Warren Casey was born on April 20, 1935, ...
. Originally titled ''More Grease'', the film was produced by
Allan Carr and
Robert Stigwood
Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream (band), Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions ...
, and directed and choreographed by
Patricia Birch, who choreographed the original stage production and prior film. The plot returns to Rydell High School two years after the original film's
graduation
Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...
, with a largely new cast, led by
Maxwell Caulfield
Maxwell Caulfield (né Maxwell P.J. Newby; born 23 November 1959) is a British-American film, stage, and television actor and singer. He has appeared in ''Grease 2'' (1982), '' Electric Dreams'' (1984), '' The Boys Next Door'' (1985), ''The Su ...
and
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...
in her first starring role.
The film was released in United States theaters on June 11, 1982, and grossed $15 million against a production budget of $11 million, a far cry from its predecessor's $132 million domestic box office. Despite breakout roles for Pfeiffer,
Adrian Zmed
Adrian George Zmed (born March 14, 1954) is an American actor, singer and television personality, noted for the roles of Johnny Nogerelli in ''Grease 2'' and Officer Vince Romano in the '' T.J. Hooker'' television series.
Early life
Zmed was bo ...
, and
Christopher McDonald
Christopher McDonald (born February 15, 1955) is an American film, television, theatre and voice actor.
McDonald is best known for playing the villainous professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 comedy ''Happy Gilmore''. Other notable ...
, the film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Despite this, ''Grease 2'' maintains a devoted fan base decades after its release.
Plot
It is 1961, two years after the events of
the prior film, and the first day of school has arrived ("Alma Mater" from
the original stage musical). Principal McGee and her secretary Blanche react as the students, including the
ruffian T-Birds and Pink Ladies, arrive at high school ("Back to School Again"). The Pink Ladies are now led by Stephanie Zinone, who feels she has "outgrown" her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Johnny Nogerelli, the arrogant,
chauvinistic, and rather immature leader of the
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...
riding T-Birds.
A new arrival comes in the form of clean-cut British student Michael Carrington (a cousin of Sandy Olsson from
the previous film). He is introduced to the school atmosphere by Frenchy, who agreed to help show Michael around. Frenchy has returned to Rydell to obtain her diploma so she can start her own cosmetics company. Michael eventually meets Stephanie and quickly becomes smitten with her.
At the local
bowling alley
A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...
, a game ("Score Tonight") turns sour from the animosity between Johnny and Stephanie. Stephanie retaliates by kissing the next man who walks in the door, who happens to be Michael. Bemused by this unexpected kiss, Michael falls in love with Stephanie. He asks her out, but learns she has a very specific vision of her ideal man ("Cool Rider"). After realizing how he can win her affection, Michael gets to work on acquiring a motorcycle. Michael begins to covertly accept payments from the T-Birds to write their
term paper
A term paper is a research paper written by students over an academic term, accounting for a large part of a grade. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a major written assignment in a school or college course representative of a student's achievement ...
s and uses the cash to buy a motorcycle. Substitute teacher Mr. Stuart leads a rousing biology lesson ("Reproduction").
A rival gang called the Cycle Lords (including members of the defunct Scorpions) led by Leo Balmudo, surprise the T-Birds at the bowling alley. Before the fight starts, a lone mysterious biker appears (actually Michael in disguise), defeats the enemy gang, and disappears into the night ("Who's That Guy?"). Stephanie is fascinated with the stranger. Meanwhile, T-Bird Louis attempts to trick his sweetheart, Pink Lady Sharon, into losing her virginity to him by taking her to a
fallout shelter
A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War.
During ...
and faking a
nuclear attack
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear ...
("Let's Do It for Our Country").
The next evening while working at a gas station/garage, Stephanie is surprised again by the Cool Rider, and they enjoy a romantic twilight motorcycle ride, which includes a kiss. Just as Michael is about to reveal his identity, they are interrupted by the arrival of the T-Birds and Pink Ladies. Before Michael departs, he tells Stephanie that he will see her at the school
talent show
A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather ...
. Johnny, enraged by Stephanie's new romance, threatens to fight the Cool Rider if he sees him with her again. The Pink Ladies walk away haughtily, but this has little effect on the T-Birds' self-confidence ("Prowlin'").
At school, Stephanie's poor grades in English lead her to accept Michael's offer of help. Johnny, upon seeing them together in a discussion, demands that Stephanie quit the Pink Ladies to preserve his honor. Although still enchanted by the mysterious Cool Rider, interactions with Michael reveal that she has become romantically interested in him as well. Michael ponders over the continuing charade he puts on for Stephanie ("Charades").
At the talent show, Stephanie and the Cool Rider meet up but are abruptly ambushed by the T-Birds who pursue Michael on their respective motorcycles, with Stephanie, Sharon, Paulette, and Rhonda following in a car. They chase him to a construction site which conceals a deadly drop, and the biker's absence suggests that he has perished below, leaving Stephanie heartbroken and inconsolable. Johnny and his T-Birds remove the competing Preptones –
preppie
Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word ''preparatory'') is a subculture in the United States associated with the alumni of old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a pers ...
boys – by tying them to a shower pole in the boys' locker room and drenching them. During the Pink Ladies' performance in the talent show ("Girl for All Seasons"), Stephanie enters a dreamlike fantasy world where she is reunited with her mystery biker ("(Love Will) Turn Back the Hands of Time"). She is named winner of the contest and crowned the queen of the upcoming graduation
luau, with Johnny hailed as king for his performance of "Prowlin'" with his fellow T-Birds.
The school year ends with the luau ("Rock-a-Hula Luau (Summer Is Coming)"), during which the Cycle Lords appear and begin to disrupt the celebration. The Cool Rider reappears, defeats the Cycle Lords again, and reveals himself to be Michael. Initially shocked, Johnny gives him a T-Birds jacket, officially welcoming him into the gang, and Stephanie is delighted that she can now be with him. Michael and Stephanie share a passionate kiss, and he whispers that he loves her. All the couples pair off happily as the graduating class sings ("We'll Be Together"). The credits start rolling in
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
-style, as in the original film ("Back to School Again").
Cast
Principal cast
Leads
*
Maxwell Caulfield
Maxwell Caulfield (né Maxwell P.J. Newby; born 23 November 1959) is a British-American film, stage, and television actor and singer. He has appeared in ''Grease 2'' (1982), '' Electric Dreams'' (1984), '' The Boys Next Door'' (1985), ''The Su ...
as Michael Carrington, an English
exchange student
A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions.
A student exchange program may involve international travel, but do ...
and
Sandy Olsson's cousin.
*
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...
as Stephanie Zinone, the leader of the Pink Ladies.
The T-Birds
*
Adrian Zmed
Adrian George Zmed (born March 14, 1954) is an American actor, singer and television personality, noted for the roles of Johnny Nogerelli in ''Grease 2'' and Officer Vince Romano in the '' T.J. Hooker'' television series.
Early life
Zmed was bo ...
as Johnny Nogerelli, the leader of The T-Birds
*
Christopher McDonald
Christopher McDonald (born February 15, 1955) is an American film, television, theatre and voice actor.
McDonald is best known for playing the villainous professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 comedy ''Happy Gilmore''. Other notable ...
as Goose McKenzie
*
Peter Frechette as Louis DiMucci
*
Leif Green as Davey Jaworski
The Pink Ladies
*
Maureen Teefy
Maureen Jane Teefy is an American actress. She is best known for her appearances in the films '' Fame'' (1980), ''Grease 2'' (1982), '' Supergirl'' (1984), and '' Startime'' (1992).
Her last film appearances to date were in 1997 film '' Men S ...
as Sharon Cooper
*
Lorna Luft
Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American actress, author, and singer. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sidney Luft and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli.
Early life
Luft was born on November 21, 1952, at Saint John's Health Cent ...
as Paulette Rebchuck
* Alison Price as Rhonda Ritter
*
Pamela Segall
Pamela Fionna Adlon (; ; born July 9, 1966) is an American actress. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series ''King of the Hill'' (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in ''Jungl ...
as Dolores Rebchuck
Reprising roles from '' Grease''
*
Didi Conn as Frenchy
*
Eve Arden
Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades.
Beginning her film career in 1929 ...
as Principal McGee (Arden's final theatrical role)
*
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...
as Coach Vince Calhoun
*
Dody Goodman as Secretary Blanche Hodel
*
Eddie Deezen as Eugene Felsnick
*
Dennis C. Stewart as Leo Balmudo (Craterface), leader of the Cycle Lords (appeared as the gang leader of the Scorpions in the previous film)
* Dick Patterson as Mr. Spears (appeared as Mr. Rudie in the previous film)
Supporting cast
*
Tab Hunter as Mr. Stuart
*
Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...
as Miss Yvette Mason
*
Jean and
Liz Sagal
Elizabeth Sagal (born October 9, 1961) is an American actress, screenwriter and film editor. Sagal is part of a family of entertainment industry professionals. She is the daughter of director Boris Sagal and the stepdaughter of Marge Champion. ...
as the Sorority / Cheerleader Twins
*
Matt Lattanzi
Matthew Vincent Lattanzi (born February 1, 1959) is an American former actor and dancer. He is most commonly recognized as the first husband of singer and actress Dame Olivia Newton-John, and for his acting in films such as ''My Tutor'' and the s ...
as Brad, one of the Prep-Tones
*
Donna King as Girl Greaser (lead dancer)
*
Lucinda Dickey as Girl Greaser
*
Ivy Austin as Girl Greaser 'Francine'
*
Andy Tennant
Andrew Wellman Tennant (born June 15, 1955) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, actor, and dancer.
Early life
Tennant was born June 15, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois and was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago ...
as Boy Greaser 'Artie' (Arnold in ''Grease'')
* Bernard Hiller as Boy Greaser
*
Tom Villard
Thomas Louis Villard (November 19, 1953 – November 14, 1994) was an American actor. He is known for his leading role in the 1980s series ''We Got It Made'', as well as roles in feature films ''Grease 2'', '' One Crazy Summer'', ''Heartbreak R ...
as Boy Greaser 'Willie' (performs "Cry" at the talent show)
* Vernon Scott as Henry Dickey, one of the Prep-Tones
*
Tom Willett
Thomas "Tom" Willett (born 1938) is an American television and film actor, record producer, singer-songwriter, and YouTuber. Called the "modern-day silent screen star", Willett is best known for playing non-speaking roles, such as the character ...
as bowling alley manager (uncredited)
*
Janet Jones as the girl who missed her last two periods (uncredited)
* William N. Clark as Cycle Salvage Yard Manager (uncredited) – also was a cameraman
* Aurelio Padrón as Boy Greaser
* John Robert Garrett as Boy Greaser (Bubba in ''Grease'')
* Helena Andreyko as Girl Greaser (Trix in ''Grease'')
* Dennis Daniels as Boy Greaser (Bart in ''Grease'')
* Vicki Hunter as Girl Greaser
* Sandra Gray as Girl Greaser (Big G. in ''Grease'')
*
John Allee as student with basketball (Calhoun: "We'll put high-heels on your sneakers and we'll make you a center!")
* Michael David Eilert as Boy Greaser (uncredited)
Production
Development
''Grease'' co-producer
Allan Carr had a deal with
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
to be paid $5 million to produce a sequel, with production beginning within three years of the original film. Carr decided to hire
Patricia Birch as director for the sequel, as she had previously served as the choreographer for the stage and film versions of ''Grease''. Birch was initially hesitant to accept after learning that neither composers
Jim Jacobs and
Warren Casey
Warren Casey (April 20, 1935 – November 8, 1988) was an American theater composer, lyricist, writer, and actor. He was the writer and composer, with Jim Jacobs, of the stage musical '' Grease''.
Career
Warren Casey was born on April 20, 1935, ...
nor
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
and
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...
would be involved in the film.
Bronte Woodard Bronte may refer to:
People
;Surname
* Brontë family, an English literary family that included:
** Anne Brontë (1820-1849), novelist and poet
** Branwell Brontë (1817-1848), painter and poet
** Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), novelist and poet
* ...
, the writer who adapted the original stage material for the original film, had died in 1980, and Canadian comic
Ken Finkleman (who was also writing and directing ''
Airplane II'' at the same time) was tasked with penning a new script mostly from scratch. The total budget for the production was $11.2 million, almost double the budget of the original.
''Grease 2'' was intended to be the second film (and first sequel) in a proposed ''Grease'' franchise of four films and a television series. (The third and fourth films were to take place in the 1960s and during the
counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...
era.) However, the projects were scrapped due to the underwhelming box office performance of ''Grease 2''.
[''Grease 2'' Trivia](_blank)
at the Internet Movie Database Maxwell Caulfield
Maxwell Caulfield (né Maxwell P.J. Newby; born 23 November 1959) is a British-American film, stage, and television actor and singer. He has appeared in ''Grease 2'' (1982), '' Electric Dreams'' (1984), '' The Boys Next Door'' (1985), ''The Su ...
was unhappy with the film's "drab" title, and unsuccessfully lobbied to change it to ''Son of Grease''.
Casting
Birch proposed an idea to feature Travolta and Newton-John reprising their characters as a now married couple running a gas station near the end of the film, with Travolta to sing a new number "Gas Pump Jockey;"
[7 'Grease' Facts You May Not Have Known]
/ref> this did not come to fruition. Paramount tried to get Jeff Conaway and Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series '' The West Wing'' ...
from the first film to do cameos but this did not happen (Channing, by then 37 years old, had left Hollywood for a time in the early 1980s to focus on her stage career). Early plans for ''Grease 2'' had Conaway and Channing's characters, Kenickie and Rizzo, as main characters while they attended summer school.[
Timothy Hutton was announced as the male lead, but ]Maxwell Caulfield
Maxwell Caulfield (né Maxwell P.J. Newby; born 23 November 1959) is a British-American film, stage, and television actor and singer. He has appeared in ''Grease 2'' (1982), '' Electric Dreams'' (1984), '' The Boys Next Door'' (1985), ''The Su ...
was cast after impressing producers off-Broadway in ''Entertaining Mister Sloane''. Caulfield had already made his Broadway debut with roles in '' The Elephant Man'' and '' Entertaining Mr. Sloane''. Having seen his performances, Allan Carr offered Caulfield the role of Michael over thousands of applicants. Unlike co-star Pfeiffer, Caulfield's career following ''Grease 2'' was damaged by the film's failure. He has been quoted as saying: "Before ''Grease 2'' came out, I was being hailed as the next Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
or John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
. However, when ''Grease 2'' flopped, nobody would touch me. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown in my face. It took me 10 years to get over ''Grease 2''."
With only a few television roles and small film appearances, Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s ...
, then aged 23, was a relatively unknown actress when she attended the casting call audition for the role of Stephanie. Other actresses considered for the part included Lisa Hartman
Lisa Hartman Black is an American actress and singer.
Career
After some minor television appearances, Hartman starred on the short-lived '' Bewitched'' spin-off, '' Tabitha'' during 1977–78. She subsequently appeared frequently on television ...
, Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American former actress. She is known for such film roles as Angel in '' Little Darlings'', Polly in '' Only When I Laugh'', and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom '' Empty Nest''. She won two Em ...
, Andrea McArdle, and singer Pat Benatar
Patricia Mae Giraldo ('' née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum al ...
. Pfeiffer was a wild card choice, but according to Birch, she won the part because she "has a quirky quality you don't expect." She later commented on being cast:
That was really weird for me. I'd been taking singing lessons and I had taken dance, because I loved to dance, but I had never considered myself a professional at all. I went on this audition as a fluke, and somehow, through the process of going back and dancing, and then going back and singing, I ended up getting the part. I went crazy with that movie. I came to New York and the paparazzi were waiting at the hotel. I know the producers put them up to it. I am basically very private, and I'm really nervous about doing publicity. Every time I set up an interview, I say, "That's it, this is my last one. I'll do this because I committed to doing it, but I'm never doing another one." It was insane.
Lorna Luft
Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American actress, author, and singer. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sidney Luft and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli.
Early life
Luft was born on November 21, 1952, at Saint John's Health Cent ...
was the last star cast. The part played by Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...
was originally meant for Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...
but she was unable to appear because her schedule as Skippy peanut butter spokeswoman did not allow her time to film the scene.
Adrian Zmed
Adrian George Zmed (born March 14, 1954) is an American actor, singer and television personality, noted for the roles of Johnny Nogerelli in ''Grease 2'' and Officer Vince Romano in the '' T.J. Hooker'' television series.
Early life
Zmed was bo ...
had previously played the role of Danny Zuko in the stage version of '' Grease'', a role he would later reprise in the 1990s.
Filming
Scenes at Rydell High School were filmed at Excelsior High School, a recently closed high school in Norwalk, California. Filming took place throughout a 58-day shooting schedule during the autumn of 1981. According to director Birch, the script was still incomplete when filming commenced. Sequences that were filmed but cut during post-production include scenes in which Frenchy helps Michael become a motorcycle rider, and a sequence at the end of the film showing Michael and Stephanie flying off into the sky on a motorcycle.
In the film, after Stephanie wins the contest, it goes on to show the stakeout in the final scene. Originally, there were a few minutes dedicated to a scene in which Michael (believed to be dead in his alter ego, by Stephanie) comes out on stage as Stephanie is exiting the stage, unbeknownst to her that he is the cool rider and he is alive. He attempts to ask her what's wrong and she storms past him and runs off crying, then it cuts to the stakeout. There was a scene within the "Who's that Guy?" number in which Goose accidentally smashes Rhonda's nose at the Bowl-A-Rama door. None of these scenes have been shown since the film's release.
Music
# "Back to School Again" – Cast and The Four Tops
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
(verses by the Pink Ladies are absent from the soundtrack)
# "Score Tonight" – T-Birds, Pink Ladies, Cast
# "Brad" – Noreen and Doreen
# "Cool Rider" – Stephanie
# "Reproduction" – Mr. Stuart and Students
# "Who's That Guy?" – Michael, T-Birds, Pink Ladies, Cycle Lords, and Cast
# "Do It for Our Country" – Louis and Sharon (Sharon's part is absent from the soundtrack)
# "Prowlin'" – Johnny and T-Birds
# "Charades" – Michael
# "Girl for All Seasons" – Sharon, Paulette, Rhonda, and Stephanie
# "(Love Will) Turn Back the Hands of Time" – Stephanie and Michael
# "Rock-a-Hula Luau (Summer Is Coming)" – Cast
# "We'll Be Together" – Michael, Stephanie, Johnny, Paulette, and Cast
Featured as background music at Rydell Sport Field:
# "Moon River" (The Spirit of Troy- University of Southern California Marching Band)
Featured as background music at the bowling alley:
# "Our Day Will Come" – Ruby & The Romantics
Ruby & the Romantics were an Akron, Ohio-based American R&B group in the 1960s, comprising Ruby Nash, George Lee, Ronald Mosely, Leroy Fann and Ed Roberts.
The group had several pop and R&B hit records, topping the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...
(''Grease 2'' takes place in 1961–62 and "Our Day Will Come" did not come out until 1963)
# "Rebel Walk" – Duane Eddy (this was the B-side of his biggest hit "Because They're Young
''Because They're Young'' is a 1960 American drama film directed by Paul Wendkos and starring Dick Clark as Neil Hendry, an American high-school teacher who tries to make a difference in the lives of his students. The film co-stars Tuesday Weld, ...
")
Featured at the beginning:
# "Alma Mater" – Instrumental (this song was played at the beginning when Principal McGee and Blanche put up the 1961 Rydell flag)
Release
Box office
The sequel took in just over $15 million after coming at fifth on opening weekend behind '' E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial'', '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', ''Rocky III
''Rocky III'' is a 1982 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to '' Rocky II'' (1979) and is the third installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. Along with Stallone reprising the title r ...
'', and ''Poltergeist
In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional desc ...
''.
Critical response
, on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, the film had an approval rating of 35% based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 4.3/10. The site's consensus read: "''Grease 2'' is undeniably stocked with solid songs and well-choreographed dance sequences, but there's no getting around the fact that it's a blatant retread of its far more entertaining predecessor." , on Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
it had a score of 52% based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Janet Maslin
Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' condemned the film as "dizzy and slight, with an even more negligible plot than its predecessor had. This time the story can't even masquerade as an excuse for stringing the songs together. Songs? What songs? The numbers in ''Grease 2'' are so hopelessly insubstantial that the cast is forced to burst into melody about pastimes like bowling."[Maslin, Janet]
Movie Review: Grease 2 (1982): More Grease
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 11 June 1982.
'' Variety'' commended the staging of the musical numbers, writing that Patricia Birch has come up with some unusual settings (a bowling alley, a bomb shelter) for some of the scenes, and employs some sharp montage to give most of the songs and dances a fair amount of punch."
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...
'' gave the film 2 stars out of 4, saying: "This movie just recycles '' Grease'', without the stars, without the energy, without the freshness and without the grease."
Pfeiffer received positive notices for her first major role. ''The New York Times'' review cited her performance as the "one improvement" on the original film: "Miss Pfeiffer is as gorgeous as any cover girl, and she has a sullen quality that's more fitting to a ''Grease'' character than Miss Newton-John's sunniness was." '' Variety'' wrote that she was "all anyone could ask for in the looks department, and she fills Olivia Newton-John's shoes and tight pants very well." Pfeiffer told the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' three years later:
Barry Diller of Paramount said that the film "on no level is as good as the first. The quality isn't there."
Jim Jacobs described it at the time as "awful ... the pits." In an interview 27 years later, Jacobs noted that ''Grease 2'' "still brings a brief frown to his face."
During his appearance on ''Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
'' to promote the film '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'', British actor Andrew Garfield
Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. '' Tim ...
cited the film as one of his five favorite musicals, calling it "great".
Accolades
Pfeiffer was nominated for a 1983 Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
in the category of Best Young Motion Picture Actress.
The film was nominated for a Stinkers Bad Movie Awards for Worst Picture. Later on, the Stinkers would unveil their picks for the 100 worst films of the 20th century with their "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list. ''Grease 2'' ranked in the listed bottom 20 at #13.
The film was given a special screening at the 2021 online TCM Festival.
Remakes
The film's screenplay was adapted in the Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
(South India) feature film ''Premaloka
''Premaloka'' in Kannada (), ''Paruva Ragam'' in Tamil (), is a 1987 bilingual romantic musical film, written and directed by V. Ravichandran in his directorial debut based on the 1982 movie ''Grease 2''. He additionally served as the lead act ...
'', starring Ravichandran and Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, film producer and entrepreneur. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and v ...
, released in 1987, which went on to become a blockbuster.
Plans for a third film
In 2003, Olivia Newton-John confirmed that a second sequel was being developed. "They're writing it, and we'll see what happens. If the script looks good, I'll do it. But I haven't seen the script, and it has to be cleverly done." Newton-John died in 2022 before any such script was completed.
In 2008, it was reported that Paramount was planning a new sequel to ''Grease'' that would debut straight to DVD. However, the project never came to fruition.
In 2019, it was announced that a prequel to the original film entitled ''Summer Lovin with John August attached to write the screenplay was in the works at Paramount.
Stage musical
The film was later adapted into a musical, ''Cool Rider'', with the script re-written and modified for the stage.
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Grease
1982 films
1982 directorial debut films
1982 romantic comedy films
1980s high school films
1980s musical comedy films
1980s romantic musical films
1980s teen comedy films
1980s teen romance films
American high school films
American musical comedy films
American rock musicals
American romantic comedy films
American romantic musical films
American sequel films
American teen comedy films
American teen musical films
American teen romance films
1980s English-language films
Films produced by Allan Carr
Films produced by Robert Stigwood
Films set in 1961
Films set in 1962
Films set in California
Films shot in Los Angeles County, California
Films with screenplays by Ken Finkleman
Grease (musical)
Paramount Pictures films
1980s American films
1980s dance films