It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Grease 2 (1982) – Musical #781

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
Patricia Birch

Starring:
Maxwell Caulfield, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lorna Luft, Adrian Zmed, Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Tab Hunter, Connie Stevens, Didi Conn, Dody Goodman, Maureen Teefy, Allison Price, Pamela Adlon, Peter Frechette, Christopher McDonald, Leif Green, Dick Patterson, Matt Lattanzi

Plot:
It’s the first day of the 1961 fall term at Rydell High School. The tough crowd at the high school are the leather jacket wearing T-Birds and the pink satin jacket-wearing Pink Ladies. Pink Lady Stephanie (Pfeiffer) has grown tired of her T-Bird boyfriend Johnny (Zmed). Their group rules say that only T-Birds can date Pink Ladies, and while Stephanie has broken up with Johnny, she still wants a tough guy. Also on the first day of school, exchange student and cousin of Sandy (from the previous Grease) Michael Carrington (Caulfield) arrives and is immediately smitten with Stephanie. The problem is Stephanie won’t look at him if he’s not a leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding “cool rider.”

Trivia:
• A follow up to GREASE (1978), set three years after that story. Maxwell Caulfield is supposed to be the cousin of Sandy, played by Olivia Newton John.
• The USC Trojan Marching Band performs as the Rydell High School Marching Band
• Eve Arden’s final feature film, though she continued to act on television until 1987
• Directorial debut and only feature film of Patricia Birch.
• Twin sisters Jean Sagal and Liz Sagal auditioned and hired separately.
• Singer Debbie Harry was considered for the role of Stephanie, but she declined saying she was too old for the role.
• Adrian Zmed played Danny Zuko in “Grease” on Broadway.

Highlights:
• The major dance numbers, like “Back to School Again” and “Score Tonight”
• Tab Hunter gets to sing

Notable Songs:
• “Back to School Again” performed by the cast and chorus
• “Score Tonight” performed by Adrian Zmed, Lorna Luft and the cast
• “Cool Rider” performed by Michelle Pfiefer
• “Who’s that Guy” performed by the cast
• “Charades” performed by Maxwell Caulfield
• “(Love Will) Turn Back the Hands of Time” performed by Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfieffer
• “Girl for All Seasons” performed by Lorna Luft, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alison Price and Maureen Teefy

My review:
People are quite divided on Grease 2 — it seems you either love it or you hate it.

I grew up watching the original GREASE (1978), because it seemed to be on TV all the time in the 1990s when I was a kid, but until writing this review, I’d never seen the sequel, GREASE 2 (1982).

I’ll admit, the film is wild. Suggestive songs, ridiculous expectations of motorcycle skills your significant lover should have, a silly plot line. The songs aren’t the best and are a bit too long but dare I say …

I really enjoyed myself watching this for the first time.

Set in 1961, the plot revolves around the school “gangs,” the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies, and their gang rules say that they can only date each other. But on the first day of school, Pink Lady Stephanie (Pfeiffer) as grown tired of her T-Bird boyfriend, Johnny (Zmed). English exchange student Michael Carrington (Caulfield) arrives on the first day of school, and is the cousin of Sandy, from the first film. Michael is smitten with Stephanie, who makes it clear that she only wants a bad boy who rides a motorcycle. Amidst Michael learning how to ride a motorcycle to impress Stephanie, students are practicing for a talent show, Michael is helping the T-Birds write papers for class, the T-Birds are trying to “get lucky” with unsuspecting girls.

The whole thing is ridiculous. But I will admit, there are massive, impressive dance numbers that were lots of fun, choreographed by the director, Patricia Birch. I didn’t love all of the songs. In particular I thought “Reproduction” and “Do it For Our Country” that I thought were specially bad.

It’s great fun to see classic Hollywood stars in the film as well, including Eve Arden (in her last theatrically released feature film), Tab Hunter (who I wish got a better song), Connie Stevens and Sid Caesar.

Still early in her career, it’s obvious while watching that Michelle Pfeiffer would be destined for bigger things. Not only is she stunning, but she has a cool vibe and the charisma.

But for me, probably the reason I so enjoyed this was Maxwell Caulfield, who is so darn cute in this. I know he later said this film stalled his career for 10 years, but I really enjoyed him in this, especially when he got to sing. I’ll also admit, I liked him better when he was clean cut and not the motorcycle baddie. As an aside—as a “Dynasty”/”Colbys” fan, I loved that Caulfield’s last name was Carrington, since he played a Colby (related to the Carringtons), in the 1980s nighttime soap opera, “The Colby’s” (or “Dynasty II” as it was originally called).

I did also enjoy Adrian Zmed, who played Johnny the T-Bird. While he’s supposed to be a tough guy, I felt his humor was reminiscent of Harvey Lembeck’s crew in the American International Pictures beach party movies. Johnny and his team are so stupid, that they really can’t be too threatening.

Before reviewing GREASE 2, I stopped and wondered if I should review GREASE (1978) first. I decided, “Nah.” Truly, the films are quite different, though they do both have the same message of “Change everything about yourself for your crush.”

If I had to pick, I may even like GREASE 2 better than its predecessor. Or maybe I’m blinded by how cute Maxwell Caulfield is.

Maxwell Caulfield playing ‘Michael’ on the set of “Grease 2” in Norwalk, California, December 1981. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

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