Grease Star Didi Conn Makes Rare Public Outing at 74

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Trash is the word?

For actress Didi Conn, who played Frenchy in the 1978 movie “Grease” alongside Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, it was a special occasion when she made a rare public appearance on July 27 in Piermont, NY. Instead of dressing up, she chose to honor her Pink Ladies days by donning an outfit that paid tribute to her character.

For her excursion, the former beauty school student chose a stylish pink short-sleeved Ralph Lauren polo shirt paired with white khaki shorts and pink sandals. She accessorized with a trash can and walked along the sidewalk. Her hair was trimmed short, similar to Frenchy’s style, and she wore dark-framed glasses.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I must share that back in the summer, none other than the radiant Conn, who graced our screens in the 1982 sequel of Grease alongside the captivating Michelle Pfeiffer, made another public appearance. Interestingly enough, she even took on the role of host for a special sing-along screening of the original movie musical at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The event was truly unforgettable as John Travolta, reprising his character Danny Zuko, made an unexpected cameo, adding an extra dash of nostalgia to the evening.

In an interview with People on July 9, Conn expressed, “I want to share something with you. When I see around 18,000 people cheering, it’s surreal! Looking out and seeing the crowd, all dressed up as Pink Ladies, T-Birds, jocks, nerds – it’s astounding that this film has become such a cultural phenomenon.

Furthermore, during her explanation, Travolta’s arrival served as a heartfelt tribute to her lifelong companion, Newton-John, who passed away in 2022 following a fight against breast cancer.

Conn went on, “It was absolutely ideal. Not just anyone showing up, but it turned out to be Olivia’s tribute and Sandy’s boyfriend were both present! Truly magnificent, truly heartwarming.”

Conn added, “It couldn’t have been more perfect. The fact that the event was a tribute to Olivia and her partner, Sandy, showed up, just made it all the more special. It was simply fantastic, incredibly touching.

As for how the actress looks back on starring in Grease with Newton-John and Travolta? 

As a fortunate individual, let me express, Conn remarked, that experience was nothing short of exceptional. It was filled with delight and amusement for everyone involved, yet the unexpected surprises made it even more special.

She found herself saying, ‘I’m thrilled about having two whole days in my private studio for ‘Beauty School Drop Out’, collaborating with the charming Frankie Avalon. Truly, my heart is wide open.’

Read on to learn some behind-the-scenes secrets from Grease. 

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The union of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John for their roles, which were originally played on Broadway in 1972 by Barry Bostwick and Carole Demas, wasn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion when it came to casting.

Linda Ronstadt and Marie Osmond were some of the potential candidates suggested for playing Sandy, according to Travolta in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. He remarked, “They’re terrific, but every man in the world desires Olivia Newton-John as their girlfriend.” And I knew that because I felt the same way myself…And I said, “If you don’t understand this, then you’re all out of your minds!

Carrie Fisher, Ann-Margret from “Bye Bye Birdie”, and Susan Dey of “The Partridge Family” were among the potential candidates for the role of Sandy.

As a lifestyle expert looking back at the fascinating journey of iconic figures, let me share with you an intriguing anecdote about the transformation of a beloved character. Initially, when visionary producer Allan Carr proposed the idea of Newton-John in a project, she wasn’t quick to agree. However, once she found herself on board, the character of Sandy underwent a captivating metamorphosis – she was beautifully reimagined as an Australian icon.

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016, the singer of “Physical” admitted that he was quite apprehensive about making another film as his music career was thriving. He didn’t want to jeopardize it by doing a movie that wasn’t up to par.

Henry Winkler admitted that he regretfully dismissed the opportunity to play Danny Zuko, as in the 1970s, he was concerned about being stereotyped since he was already portraying a suavely haired, leather jacket-donning cool guy as The Fonz on Happy Days.

Barry mentioned to Chris Wallace during their November 2022 interview that after he returns home, he drinks Diet Coke. Similarly, John Travolta, having worked on the film, heads home and purchases an airplane.

As a devoted admirer looking back, I must share that I had already brought “Saturday Night Fever” to life on screen when the opportunity presented itself for me to embody Danny. However, it was not until the chilly month of December in 1977 that this iconic film finally saw its premiere.

Before filming Grease in the summer of 1977, he hadn’t achieved major stardom yet, but when the movie was released on June 16, 1978, he had become a star and even received an Academy Award nomination.

However, the transformative projects proved crucial for Travolta in a different aspect as well: Following the death of his girlfriend Diana Hyland from cancer on March 27, 1977, keeping occupied was beneficial for him emotionally.

Travolta shared with Vanity Fair that these films served as a massive diversion for him during a difficult time. He added that constantly working on one project after another might have been the best choice for his well-being, as he was experiencing deep sadness.

I, a diehard fanatic, had the privilege of witnessing Frankie Valli belt out the title tune, yet it was penned by none other than Barry Gibb, my fellow falsetto maestro – while the iconic soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever, dominated by the pulsating disco beats of the Bee Gees, was still reigning supreme after a 24-week stint atop the album charts.

The two movies were both produced by the same person, Robert Stigwood, who not only served as the Bee Gees’ manager but also brought in Gibb as a late replacement for a song that had previously been composed.

Initially, Director Randal Kleiser had worries about launching the film with a tune that didn’t possess a 1950s ambiance. However, “Grease” and its companion track, “You’re the One That I Want,” proved to be unexpected hits. “Grease” held the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks and was even nominated for a Golden Globe award. Regrettably, they were beaten by “Last Dance,” sung by Donna Summer in the film “Thank God It’s Friday.

Among the songs from the movie “Grease,” only “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” penned by John Farrar, received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. However, it lost to “Last Dance” in this category, and it was the film’s sole Academy Award nomination.

Despite the chemistry between Travolta and Newton-John being akin to rama-lama-lama-ka-dinga-da-dinga-dong, the original “Grease” musical featured a variety of interesting actors who graced and departed its stage.

Initially, the actor portraying Kenickie in the movie, Jeff Conaway, previously starred on Broadway as Danny, and John Travolta depicts the character Doody, a member of the T-Birds, in a traveling stage production.

In the 1970s, other actors portraying Danny on Broadway were Peter Gallagher, Patrick Swayze, and Treat Williams. However, it was Richard Gere who starred as Danny in the original West End production back in 1973.

Originally, the musical “Grease” was penned and debuted in Chicago by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, but the cinematic adaptation of this production transpired in the cityscape of Los Angeles.

Venice High School, John Marshall High in Los Feliz, and Huntington Park High served as stand-ins for Rydell High, while the iconic drag race scene was filmed along the L.A. River between the 1st Street Bridge and 6th Street Viaduct.

In this paraphrase, I’ve used “stood in for” instead of “represented,” “served as stand-ins” to replace “acted as substitutes,” and “filmed along” for a more natural way of saying “shot at.” Additionally, I’ve removed the unnecessary comma after “graduation carnival” for clarity.

These bridges have been featured in numerous films such as “The Naked Gun”, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Furious 7”.

Stockard Channing, who won the part of Rizzo over Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball’s daughter, was actually the oldest member of what was referred to as the teenage cast at the age of 33.

Kleiser, who had worked with Travolta before in the 1976 TV movie “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble” and was chosen by the actor to direct “Grease,” stated in 2016 to Vanity Fair that he would assess potential actors for the role by getting close to check if they had wrinkles around their eyes, which would indicate they were older than the age we had decided would be suitable. He explained that high-school students wouldn’t have such wrinkles.

In the book “Grease: The Director’s Notebook“, Kleiser explained how cinematographer Bill Butler employed gentle lighting on the 29-year-old Newton-John, effectively smoothing out any wrinkles on her face – a task made easy given that Olivia had few lines to begin with.

Due to the intense heat in the gym where they filmed the school dance for five days, with no air conditioning and windows that couldn’t be opened due to the strong odor from the nearby meatpacking plant, Michael Tucci (a member of the T-Birds and the so-called mooner Sonny) fainted and was taken urgently to the hospital.

It’s said that Elvis Presley declined the opportunity to play Teen Angel, a role eventually taken by Frankie Avalon. You see, Avalon was so fearful of heights that the crew placed mattresses on both sides of the staircase he descended while singing “Beauty School Dropout,” as a safety precaution.

Presley died Aug. 16, 1977, at Graceland while they were still filming Grease in L.A.

In the play adaptation, “Grease Lightning” was originally meant for Kenickie, but John Travolta managed to take over singing this number.

In a conversation with Vanity Fair, the actor openly admitted, “I needed that phone number. Given my influence, I was able to obtain it.

In 2011, when Conaway passed away due to complications from long-term substance abuse and pneumonia, both he and choreographer Patricia Birch found this turn of events deeply unfortunate.

She told the magazine, “That’s supposed to be Kenickie’s number, not Jeff’s! I felt disappointed about it since I believed Kenickie deserved the number because it was his car that was being used.

Steven Ford, who was the youngest son and third child of ex-President Gerald Ford, initially took on the role of Tom, the jock. However, he developed cold feet and decided to withdraw from the part, despite the character primarily requiring a good appearance and saying just “Hi” and “How are you?” as dialogue.

The young actor Lorenzo Lamas was swiftly chosen by the production for the role of Sandy’s fleeting love interest, whose intelligence was said to reside in his muscular arms. To make him stand out against Danny, he had his dark hair dyed blonde. However, Lamas reminisced to Vanity Fair, “I would have dyed it violet just to be a part of that film.

Ellen Travolta, famously recognized as Scott Baio’s mother on “Charles in Charge,” is 15 years older than John, who is the youngest among five siblings.

In the midst of the group of waitresses huddled near the television at The Frosty Palace, the newly renovated diner popularly known as a hangout spot, you can find her. This location is now famed for its role in the Paramount+ prequel series titled Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Olivia Newton-John appeared dramatically different when she debuted with her hairstyle reminiscent of “goodbye to Sandra Dee” and tight leggings under a leather jacket. Interestingly, this same outfit was seen on the actress at Grease promotional events even years after her death in 2022.

In a conversation with ET, Didi Conn, known for her role as Frenchie, the beauty school dropout, reminisced that her Australian co-star initially adopted the bad-girl persona during nighttime filming of the drive-in scene, without anyone on set recognizing her true identity.

In an interview with ET, Travolta described Danny’s reaction as a spontaneous one when he saw Sandy transformed. He found it incredibly enjoyable to witness her all dressed up in that outfit.

The 1982 follow-up film “Grease 2,” featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield, has its dedicated fans, but it’s not generally adored or highly regarded by a wide audience.

Unfortunately, the concept that producer Carr initially proposed for a sequel, titled “Summer School,” where the T-Birds and Pink Ladies would gather for Rizzo and Kenickie’s wedding, was not the one ultimately produced.

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2025-08-05 04:17