Trivia - Grease 2

Who could forget Michelle Pfeiffer straddling a ladder and belting out that unforgettable anthem: “I want a cool rider, a cool, cool, cool, cool rider… I want a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R!”

As a diehard fan of the original “Grease”, I was beyond excited when the sequel rolled into theaters in the summer of 1982. But while “Grease” set the box office on fire, “Grease 2”… well, let’s just say it sputtered. Critics dismissed it, and audiences didn’t exactly race to the theaters—its $15 million gross was a far cry from the original’s $100+ million haul.

But here’s the twist: decades later, “Grease 2” is a full-blown cult classic! Fans can’t get enough of its campy charm, catchy songs, and wildly fun performances. The film launched the career of then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer, introduced us to hunky Maxwell Caulfield, and gave Lorna Luft (daughter of Judy Garland!) her big-screen debut as the fierce and flirty Pink Lady, Paulette. Plus, Didi Conn returned as Frenchie, linking the sequel to its beloved predecessor.

To celebrate my brand-new two-part podcast interview with Lorna Luft (Episodes 119 & 120 of “Hollywood Obsessed”), I’ve created a totally tubular Trivia Challenge dedicated to all things “Grease 2”!

Think you know this underdog musical inside and out? Prove it! This nostalgic, laugh-out-loud quiz will test your memory, spark some surprises, and have you humming “Reproduction” before you know it.

So grab your Pink Lady jacket, rev your T-Bird engines, and let’s relive the “flop” that roared back as a fan favorite!

Ready, set… TRIVIA TIME!

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Grease co-producer Allan Carr had a deal with Paramount Pictures to be paid $5 million to produce a sequel, with production beginning within three years of the original film. Carr decided to hire Patricia Birch as director for the sequel, as she had previously served as the choreographer for the stage and film versions of "Grease".

Maxwell Caulfield was cast after impressing producers off-Broadway in "Entertaining Mr. Sloane". Having seen his performances, Allan Carr offered Caulfield the role of Michael over thousands of applicants.

With only a few television roles and small film appearances, Michelle Pfeiffer, then aged 23, was a relatively unknown actress when she attended the casting call audition for the role of Stephanie.

Lorna Luft who played “Pink Lady” Paulette is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sydney Luft. She is also the half sister of Liza Minnelli.

Scenes at Rydell High School were filmed at Excelsior High School, a recently closed high school in Norwalk, California.

Filming took place throughout a 58-day shooting schedule during the autumn of 1981.

According to director Pat Birch, the script was still incomplete when filming commenced.

Patricia Birch was the dance choreographer for the original “Grease” (1978) having also choreographed the source stage musical. Publicity for this sequel stated that it was the first time a female choreographer had become a film director. This movie was her directorial debut, and her only theatrical film directing credit.

"Grease 2" was intended to be the second film (and first sequel) in a proposed Grease franchise of four films and a television series. (The third and fourth films were to take place in the 1960s and during the counterculture era.) However, the projects were scrapped due to the underwhelming box office performance of "Grease 2".

Maxwell Caulfield plays Michael Carrington, a British exchange student and Sandy Olsson's  (Olivia Newton-John’s character from “Grease”) cousin.

This was the film debut of Michelle Pfeiffer who plays Stephanie Zinone, the leader of the Pink Ladies.

Maxwell Caulfield was unhappy with the film's "drab" title, and unsuccessfully lobbied to change it to "Son of Grease."

Actor Andrew Garfield listed "Grease 2" as his third favorite movie musical in an interview for Rotten Tomatoes for his own movie musical, "Tick, Tick... Boom!"

Characters and actors who reprised their roles from “Grease” (1978) included Didi Conn as Frenchy, Eve Arden as Principal McGee, Dody Goodman as Blanche Hodel, the principal's assistant, Sid Caesar as Coach Calhoun, and Eddie Deezen as Eugene Felnic. Dick Patterson, who played Mr. Rudie in the original, plays Mr Spears. Dennis Stewart, who played Scorpions member Leo in the original, plays Balmudo.

Two new teacher characters were played by 1950s and 1960s movie idols Tab Hunter and Connie Stevens.

The part played by Connie Stevens was originally meant for Annette Funicello but she was unable to appear because her schedule as Skippy peanut butter spokeswoman did not allow her time to film the scene.

This was the film debut of Lorna Luft who plays Pink Lady Paulette. 

Michelle Pfeiffer did her own singing in the film.

Adrian Zmed had previously played the role of Danny Zuko in the stage version of "Grease," a role he would later reprise in the 1990s

Director Patricia Birch's daughter Alison Price plays Pink Lady Rhonda Ritter.

The original theatrical trailer features a drastically different version of "Back to School Again," which was recorded prior to the involvement of The Four Tops.

Lorna Luft had her hair bleached platinum for her role as Marilyn Monroe-"wannabe" Paulette: the next day, her hair broke off leaving Luft with a head of hair about one inch in length. As a result Luft filmed her scenes wearing a platinum wig.

Maxwell Caulfield plays Michael Carrington in this movie; he would then go onto play Miles Colby in “Dynasty” which featured the Carrington family.

Grease producer Allan Carr also produced "Grease 2," and had a hand in casting Lorna Luft as Paulette in Grease 2. He would go on to put together and produce the infamous 1989 Oscar show which had Rob Lowe dancing around with Snow White singing "Proud Mary". Allan Carr had asked his Grease cast member Lorna to appear in that number with Lowe, but she said no.

Lorna Luft's character Paulette takes Marilyn Monroe as her role model. Luft's father Sidney Luft would recall Monroe being a regular visitor at his and Judy Garland's Holmby Hills home: "She'd sit by the fire, not talking much, a quiet presence...She'd chat with Judy and play with the children", Lorna having a younger brother Joey Luft. Promoting ''Grease 2'', Lorna would say of having as a preteen met Monroe: "I remember very little about her", adding: "Paulette is emulating Marilyn Monroe; it's not an impersonation. You don't have to know that much about Marilyn Monroe for that."

Before she appeared on "The Facts of Life" Pamela Adlon made her acting debut as Dolores Rebchuck in the film Grease 2.

Actor Matt Lattanzi who Brad in “Grease 2” had a bit part in “Xanadu”(1980), where he met “Grease” (1978) star Dame Olivia Newton-John. Whilst this film was being made, he was Newton-John's boyfriend. On “Xanadu” (1980), the two formed a romance which led to marriage.

Cast members of the sex comedy film “Where The Boys Are” Lorna Luft, who played Carole, and Christopher McDonald, who portrayed Tony, both previously had recently co-starred in “Grease 2,” which was also produced by Alan Carr.

This was Eve Arden's final theatrically-released feature film.

To facilitate being cast as Paulette in “Grease 2”, Lorna Luft ate nothing but watermelon three times a day, losing twenty-two pounds in four weeks.

Grease 2” was the final cinematic credit for make-up artist Charles H. Schram, whose first movie assignment had been the iconic Judy Garland vehicle ''Andy Hardy Meets Debutante''.  Schram, who had also worked on the Garland film ''The Wizard of Oz'' had "worked with" Garland one last time in the summer of 1969, when he had prepared Garland's body for her funeral.

The sequel took in just over $15 million after coming at fifth on opening weekend behind "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," "Rocky III," and "Poltergeist."

Lorna Luft was disappointed that Paramount Studios refused to let the Pink Ladies keep their pink leather jackets after filming ended. In 2019, while playing a Christmas concert in Durham, North Carolina, Luft was gifted with her Pink Lady jacket from ''Grease 2'' by a woman who had purchased it at a studio auction.

Pfeiffer was nominated for a 1983 Young Artist Award in the category of Best Young Motion Picture Actress.

The film was later adapted into a musical, "Cool Rider", with the script re-written and modified for the stage.

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Some facts are taken from IMDB & Wikipedia.

Don’t miss my captivating two-part interview with the fabulous Lorna Luft on the latest episodes of the Hollywood Obsessed podcast! Packed with exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes revelations, it’s a conversation you won’t hear anywhere else.

Click the links below to listen now and get inspired!

Episode 119 - HERE

Episode 120 - HERE