Olivia Newton-John Was The Best Thing About Grease

 

I have a confession to make. Although I have been aware of its existence since its cinematic release in 1978, I had never seen Grease in its entirety until tonight. 

Oh, I knew the story centered around Danny and Sandy as played by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. I knew Jeff Conaway was also in the movie who I remember as Bobby Wheeler in the hit TV series Taxi. I also knew Frankie Avalon was in it as well. When I would go bowling in Times Square, Grease was always running on one of the big screens and it always seemed to play his scene. But I had never viewed the movie from beginning to end.

Which brings me to another confession. Had it not been for Olivia Newton-John's death earlier this month, I wouldn't have gone to see it. But The Brattle Theatre was paying tribute to her and I figured the time had come.

Now here comes the third confession. I didn't like it all that much. Let me put it this way. The musical numbers were much better than the story and the dialogue. But the music was at its best was when ONJ sang whether on her own with "Hopelessly Devoted to You" or with Travolta with whom she had an undeniable chemistry most notably with "Tell Me More" and "You're The One That I Want". Yet I cannot help but think I would probably like the much maligned Xanadu better. 

I have to admit that in watching her scenes I had to remind myself that she was dead because she was so alive in the film. I needed no such reminder with Jeff Conaway who died at 60, but has now been gone for over a decade. The best thing I can say about Grease is that it will keep Olivia Newton-John forever young. R.I.P.