History Trivia / Grease

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Most of the characters are based on teens whom lyricist and book writer Jim Jacobs knew in his own his own 1950s high school years. The characters of Doody and Roger are [[DecompositeCharacter both based]] on different aspects of [[AuthorAvatar Jacobs himself.]]

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Sandy's film-only surname of "Olsson" (an AdaptationalNameChange from the stage version's "Dumbrowski") is the original surname of Creator/AnnMargaret – who, appropriately, co-starred in the film version of ''Theatre/ByeByeBirdie'' with Bobby Rydell, the namesake of the ''Grease'' high school.

* DawsonCasting: Most blatantly with Music/OliviaNewtonJohn (Sandy) and Creator/StockardChanning (Rizzo). By the time the film came out, Channing was 34 (and actually old enough to have been in high school in 1959) and Newton-John was pushing 30. At least those two have fairly youthful faces -- Annette Charles (Cha-Cha), with her chiseled facial features, looks to be in her ''late'' thirties (or even early forties) and is in no way credible as a high school student (she was 29 when the film came out).

* CutSong: The Broadway production itself cut or altered musical numbers for timing purposes. Most of the below examples were reinstated for [[http://www.atcweb.org/bxo/grease.php# the 2011 ''Original Grease'' production]] in Chicago:

* OneForTheMoneyOneForTheArt: Apparently Randal Kleiser signed on to direct because he needed the money to finance a screen adaptation of ''Literature/TheBlueLagoon''.

* MoneyDearBoy: Apparently Randal Kleiser signed on to direct because he needed the money to finance a screen adaptation of ''Literature/TheBlueLagoon''.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The original, theatrical edition has never received an official home video release. VHS and laserdisc releases before 1998 boasted PanAndScan pictures, while the widescreen VHS/laserdisc/DVD/Blu-Ray/digital copy versions from 1998-2017 boast updated Paramount logos and a remixed soundtrack (sourced from the 20th-anniversary theatrical re-release). Mostly rescued from limbo as the 2018 40th anniversary edition features an improved master of the movie with the classic Paramount logo and restored original 1978 audio track. Although, this version still features some differences. For example, the blurred-out Coca-Cola signs at the Frosty Palace became legible, '50s-looking Pepsi ads, and the scene in "Greased Lightning" where Danny is bringing down the souped-up engine for the dream car still has the 1998 sound effects sans the piano.[[labelnote:*]]If one listens closely though, they can still hear the original sound effects in the background, which was not the case for the 1998 version.[[/labelnote]]

* {{Blooper}}: In the 2016 version, "We Go Together" was, as it always is, the show's closing number. The carnival took place inside the school's gym, but "We Go Together" was to finish at the town square on the Warner Bros. studio lot. The entirety of the cast ran out of the gym, and hopped on to separate carts that are used to take people on tours of the lot. The main cast, with Aaron Tveit driving, hopped into the first cart. The carts had to navigate around a tight right-hand turn on their way to the square. Tveit successfully navigated the turn with no issue. The cart behind him however, with Wendell Pierce and Eve Plumb (yes, [[Series/TheBradyBunch Jan Brady]] herself) on board, took the turn too tightly. The right rear wheel clipped the curb, and for a millisecond, the right side tires were off the ground. Luckily, the cart landed on all four wheels with no issue. If an accident had occurred, it would've greatly overshadowed a production that got great reviews and ratings.
* DawsonCasting: The youngest major character is Creator/JordanFisher (then 21) as Doody. Most egregiously the main cast included 32-year-old Aaron Tveit as Danny, and 30-year-old Kether Donohue (Jan) and Music/CarlyRaeJepsen (Frenchy). Also included 27-year-old Julianne Hough as Sandy and Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo, 26-year-old Carlos Vega as Kenickie, and 22-year-old Creator/KekePalmer as Marty.

* DawsonCasting: The youngest major character is Jordan Fisher (then 21) as Doody. Most egregiously the main cast included 32-year-old Aaron Tveit as Danny, and 30-year-old Kether Donohue (Jan) and Carly Rae Jepsen (Frenchy). Also included 27-year-old Julianne Hough as Sandy and Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo, 26-year-old Carlos Vega as Kenickie, and 22-year-old Creator/KekePalmer as Marty.

* {{Jossed}}: Creator Jim Jacobs said that whoever thought of the fan theory that the whole movie is Sandy's DyingDream after drowning on the beach must have been "on acid" and that Sandy was very much alive.

** Didi Conn, who played Frenchy, was a big fan of 50s teen idol Frankie Avalon and didn't know that he was cast to sing "Beauty School Dropout" to her. Her barely contained shock and surprise are visible throughout the scene, adding to the "dream come true" vibe of the dream sequence.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The original, theatrical edition has never received an official home video release. VHS and laserdisc releases before 1998 boasted PanAndScan pictures, while the widescreen VHS/laserdisc/DVD/Blu-Ray/digital copy versions from 1998-2017 boast updated Paramount logos and a remixed soundtrack (sourced from the 20th-anniversary theatrical re-release). Mostly rescued from limbo as the 2018 40th anniversary edition features an improved master of the movie with the classic Paramount logo and restored original 1978 audio track. Although, this version still features some differences. For example, the blurred-out Coca-Cola signs at the Frosty Palace became legible, 50s-looking Pepsi ads, and the scene in "Greased Lightning" where Danny is bringing down the souped-up engine for the dream car still has the 1998 sound effects sans the piano.[[labelnote:*]]If one listens closely though, they can still hear the original sound effects in the background, which was not the case for the 1998 version.[[/labelnote]]

** Creator/HenryWinkler turned down the role of Danny Zucko, as he didn't want to be typecast in [[Series/HappyDays Fonzie]]-type roles.

* HypotethicalCasting:

** "How Big I'm Gonna Be" was a song cut before rehearsals of the Kingston Mines production began. It explored a greaser's idea of success in life, and became Danny's solo in the American Theater Company's 2011 stage remake of the original Grease. The song is used as a response to Sandy's challenge that Danny do something with his life.

* CompletelyDifferentTitle: In Spanish, the title translated to ''Grasa'', or "fat". The film was released as ''Vaselina'' in Mexico and ''Brillantina'' in Italy, Spain and Latin America.
* CutSong: Several musical numbers from the stage version were not used in the film, including "Freddy, My Love", "Those Magic Changes", and "It's Raining on Prom Night." They appear as jukebox tunes, or band numbers at the high school dance.
* DawsonCasting: Most blatantly with Music/OliviaNewtonJohn (Sandy) and Creator/StockardChanning (Rizzo). By the time the film came out, Channing was 34 (and actually old enough to have been in high school in 1959) and Newton-John was pushing 30. At least those two have fairly youthful faces -- Annette Charles (Cha-Cha), with her chiselled facial features, looks to be in her ''late'' thirties (or even early forties), and is in no way credible as a high school student (she was 29 when the film came out).

** Creator/JohnTravolta insisted that he have "blue black hair like Music/ElvisPresley and Creator/RockHudson in the movies" because "it's surreal and it's very 1950s."
** Jamie Donnelly had prematurely grey hair, which she dyed black to play Jan. Her hair grew really quickly, so her roots had to be coloured in daily with a black crayon.

** Didi Conn, who played Frenchy, was a big fan of 50s teen idol Frankie Avalon, and didn't know that he was cast to sing "Beauty School Dropout" to her. Her barely contained shock and surprise are visible throughout the scene, adding to the "dream come true" vibe of the dream sequence.

* FriendshipOnTheSet: Creator/JohnTravolta and Music/OliviaNewtonJohn became close friends and remained so until the latter's death in 2022.
* {{Jossed}}: Creator Jim Jacobs said that whoever thought of the fan theory that the whole movie is Sandy's DyingDream after drowning in the beach must have been "on acid" and that Sandy was very much alive.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The original, theatrical edition has never received an official home video release. VHS and laserdisc releases before 1998 boasted PanAndScan picture, while the widescreen VHS/laserdisc/DVD/Blu-Ray/digital copy versions from 1998-2017 boast updated Paramount logos and a remixed soundtrack (sourced from the 20th anniversary theatrical re-release). Mostly rescued from limbo as the 2018 40th anniversary edition features an improved master of the movie with the classic Paramount logo and restored original 1978 audio track. Although, this version still features some differences. For example, the blurred-out Coca-Cola signs at the Frosty Palace became legible, 50s-looking Pepsi ads, and the scene in "Greased Lightning" where Danny is bringing down the souped-up engine for the dream car still has the 1998 sound effects sans the piano.[[labelnote:*]]If one listens closely though, they can still hear the original sound effects in the background, which was not the case for the 1998 version.[[/labelnote]]

* RealLifeRelative: Ellen Travolta, who portrayed a dinner waitress, is the older sister of Creator/JohnTravolta.

** According to Didi Conn, Rizzo was initially supposed to throw her milkshake at Frenchy, not Kenickie, which would lead to Frenchy taking off her bandana revealing her pink hair. But Creator/StockardChanning threw it at Creator/JeffConaway because she was a bit miffed at him at the time, reportedly because some of Rizzo's hickeys had become real and very visible. She kept throwing it at him in subsequent takes, which stuck for the final scene.

** Originally Sandy was not supposed to participate in the dance contest at all; Sandy was supposed to be sidetracked and subdued by Sonny before the contest even starts; allowing Chacha to jump in and take her place, and win the contest. But Music/OliviaNewtonJohn was anxious to do some dancing in the movie; even though she was not a professionally trained dancer like Travolta. So she convinced Randall Kleiser to let her dance with Danny in the contest for a few minutes; and then for Sonny to jump in and subdue her a few minutes later.
** "Greased Lightning" was originally Kenickie's big number. When Creator/JohnTravolta announced that he was taking it from Conaway/Kenickie for the movie version, everyone in the cast, including choreographer Patricia Birch, and Jeff Conaway, who complained vehemently about losing the number even years later in interviews, was very against Travolta taking it and complained about this to the producers. But Travolta had the clout to steal the number, so he did.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Steven Krantz and Creator/RalphBakshi originally had the rights to the film adaptation to Grease, and had wanted to do it as an animated musical. When Krantz and Bakshi's partnership fell through, Robert Stigwood acquired the film rights.
** Creator/HenryWinkler turned down the role of Danny Zucko, as he didn't want to be typecast in [[Series/HappyDays Fonzie]]-type roles.
** Creator/CarrieFisher was considered for Rizzo.
** Music/ElvisPresley turned down the role of The Guardian Angel in the "Beauty School Drop-Out" scene. When Allan Carr first bought the film rights to Grease, he envisioned Elvis as Danny and Ann-Margret as Sandy.
** Allan Carr wanted Creator/AndyWarhol to play the art teacher. One unnamed studio executive said he would not have "that man" in the movie, which Carr interpreted as the executive having a personal vendetta against the legendary artist.

* WordOfGod: Creator Jim Jacobs said that whoever thought of the fan theory that the whole movie is Sandy's DyingDream after drowning in the beach must have been "on acid" and that Sandy was very much alive.

* FriendshipOnTheSet: Creator/JohnTravolta and Music/OliviaNewtonJohn became close friends and still are to this day.