The surprising connection between ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Grease’
If you are a child of the 1970s, then you know all about the power of Star Wars. Even if you were born in the following decades, the power of the saga will, almost certainly, have some bearing on your cinematic experiences.
When this interplanetary, Empire-bashing, lightsaber-swinging cultural behemoth first debuted in 1977, it is not hyperbole to say that it changed the world. Not just the world of cinema, but the world at large. It’s still one of the biggest things in all of culture, while the original entry remains an icon of the 1970s.
Just over a year to the day that Star Wars came out, audiences were packing into cinemas once again to watch a very different movie. With John Travolta as the leader of the oldest gang of teenagers you ever did see and Olivia Newton-John as his whiter-than-white, weirdly Australian love interest, Grease also took over the cultural conversation in a big way. The songs, the car chase, the morally dubious ending, it hasn’t left quite the same mark as Star Wars, but it’s still a cherished classic all these years.
Everyone knows that George Lucas directed the film that would later be retitled A New Hope, but the director of Grease isn’t a household name. Randal Kleiser had never made a feature film before this all-singing, all-hair-combing, hip-thrusting affair. In a conversation with Bustle, he revealed how it connects to the galaxy far, far away.
Kleiser and Lucas go way back. They were roommates in college and, as budding young filmmakers with not much, helped each other get started on their respective career journeys. “I was an actor on his very first film, and he shot some of my stuff,” he recalled. “Carrie Fisher was being considered [for Sandy]. George… was mixing the tracks for Star Wars, so I went over to see him and look at some of the footage. I couldn’t tell if she was good for a musical, because all I saw was her hair.”
The former Princess of Alderaan (too soon?) was one of many names in the running to play the angelic Sandy Olsson. Elvis Presley’s old flame, Ann-Margret, was put forward, as was squeaky-clean pop star Marie Osmond. She was happy with how Sandy was portrayed for most of the runtime, but rejected the gig when she saw all the black leather. Fisher was ultimately overlooked because neither Fleischer nor producer Allan Carr (not that one) was confident she could sing. Obviously, being the daughter of Debbie Reynolds counts for nothing.
As soon as Newton-John waltzed in for her audition, looking like the epitome of the ‘All-American girl’ (even if she didn’t sound like one), Fisher never stood a chance. She was born to play Sandy and did an absolutely incredible job. It’s impossible to think of anyone else staring into that swimming pool while belting out “Hopelessly Devoted to You”.
As for Fisher, she didn’t do too badly for herself either. Another two ‘Star Wars’ movies were on the immediate horizon, and the role would keep her in the public imagination for the rest of her life. At least we all agree that both of these ladies did the right thing by not starring in Grease 2.
