The iconic ‘Grease’ scene that gave John Travolta “heart palpitations”
Of all the iconic scenes from 1978’s Grease, one stands head and shoulders above the rest. So far, Sandy Olssen – played by Olivia Newton-John – has been the embodiment of class and good manners. Everything from her prim dresses to her mousy demeanour has stood in stark contrast to Danny Zuko’s leather-clad bad-boy appeal. After trying his best to live up to her wholesome standards, Danny finds himself witnessing an incredible transformation. Dressed in tight black leather, her hair falling in ringlets around her made-up face, Sandy is a changed woman. This being a musical, it isn’t long before the band strikes up, and the pair are chasing each other across the carnival grounds singing ‘You’re The One That I Want’.
The moment is burned into the annals of cinematic history. Travolta and Newton-John’s brilliantly hammy performance perfectly encapsulated the joys of young love. It’s not surprising that so many young viewers found themselves with new on-screen crushes after watching the film for the first time. Travolta was especially taken with Newton-John’s come-hither dancing, revealing that the frenzied scene gave him “heart palpitations.”
Prior to landing a role in Grease, Oliva Newton-John was focused on her career as a country singer. She had no intentions of packing it in for the sake of a brief stint in Hollywood, especially after her experience on the set of the ill-fated 1971 science-fiction film Toomorrow. After bumping into producer Allen Carr, however, Newton-John decided that she wanted to do a screen test for the role of Sandy. It was a roaring success and the rest, as they say, is history.
In a joint interview for The Sunday Post, Newton-John and Travolta once shared their fondest memories of working on Grease, paying particular attention to that iconic cinematic moment when Sandy dresses as a greaser for the first time. Her outfit, designed by costume consultant Albert Wolsky – who had to literally sew the actress into her body-hugging trousers – kicked off a whole new fashion trend. Travolta himself called his co-star’s transformation “too good to believe.”
Recalling her arrival on-set to shoot the scene, he said: “With the Marilyn Monroe hairdo, holding a cigarette, and in those sky-high heels. It was so perfect. And I knew the audience would have the same reaction I had – a heart palpitation!”
In recent years, that scene has caused much backlash, with many viewing Sandy’s decision to alter her entire personality for Danny as innately anti-feminist. In her memoir Don’t Stop Believin, Newton-John disagreed – arguing that the costume made her feel empowered rather than objectified. “Later, people would say it was a terrible message to give to young girls, as we told them to sex it up to get their man. But it was about choice. Empowerment comes from calling your shots and being who you want to be.”
Love it or hate it, Grease remains one of the most celebrated film musicals of all time. You can revisit ‘You’re The One That I Want’ below.
