Grease 2 Movie Secrets

Here are a few rare known facts, tidbits and behind the scenes movie secrets from the production of Grease 2.

Movie Secrets: Grease 2 Filming Locations

  • Grease 2 was filmed almost entirely, on location in Norwalk, California.
  • The main location of film production was Excelsior High School: The Real Rydell. The school’s Administrative Offices were used for all the production offices during filming.
  • The interiors of the Bowl-a-Rama were shot inside Hawthorne Bowl, while the exteriors were shot at the Norwalk Ice Rink. Both are now gone.
  • Per friend of the site Jerry M: Hawthorne Bowl, where the interior bowling alley scenes were filmed, is now occupied by the Hawthorne School District. The building’s address used to be 141st Street and Hawthorne Blvd, but was converted in the 60s. The new address is 14120 Hawthorne Blvd.
  • The park scenes were filmed locally in California at El Dorado Park. This park spans over 400 acres. Its property includes a nature reserve, a golf course, an archery range, places to fish, duck ponds and various locations for sports.
  • During the filming of the movie, certain cast members did some wild things, such as, streaking across the closed campus.
  • The diner scene was filmed at the Cadillac Jack’s Cafe in Sun Valley, Ca.
  • Excelsior High School - The Real Rydell
  • Excelsior High School, Norwalk, CA
  • Excelsior High Podium
    Excelsior High
  • The Real Rydell: Excelsior High School Lockers
    The Lockers
  • The Real Rydell: Excelsior High School Tour - Railing
  • Excelsior High Alleyway where Michael is chased by the T-Birds
  • Excelsior Staircase where Stephanie waits for Michael the night of the Rydell Talent Show
  • Chain fence perspective of the field where The Cycle Lords ambush the T-Birds while training with Coach Calhoun
  • The backstage exit stairway where Stephanie sings Cool Rider to Michael
  • The Reproduction Classroom at Excelsior High: The Real Rydell

Movie Secrets: Cast Tidbits

  • In between takes, Michelle Pfeiffer spent much of her spare time on set knitting.
  • Maxwell Caulfield celebrated his 22nd birthday during the filming of the movie. Michelle Pfeiffer helped him cut his birthday cake.
  • Matt Lattanzi was one of the finalists up for the role of Davey Jaworski. Matt was ultimately cast as one of the Preptones, Brad.
  • Christopher McDonald auditioned for the role of Johnny Nogerelli five times. He won the roll of Goose McKenzie, Johnny’s sidekick.
  • According to Adrian Zmed, the producers of Grease 2 wanted a “rock star” to fill the role of the leader of the T-Birds, Johnny Nogerelli. Johnny’s last name is spelled Nogerilli in the original script.
  • In the Widescreen edition of Grease 2, during the luau scene, if you look closely prior to nightfall, the camera shows all the kids dancing around the pool and you can see Michael sitting on the side of the pool, eating cotton candy.
  • Since Pamela Seagall Adlon was a minor during the filming of Grease 2, she could only work limited hours. After filming all day. the cast would be bussed up to a recording studio in Burbank to record the songs for Grease 2. Pamela couldn’t be there, so Leif Green was her stand in and can be heard as Pamela’s vocal replacement during Score Tonight‘s “you bowl me over” lyric.
  • At the end of the opening Back to School Again sequence, the fella carrying the giant bass, actor Michael DiMente, walks past the T-Birds and says “excuse me” but his mouth isn’t moving, turns out his voice was over dubbed into the scene after it was shot.
  • Before filming began, the cast were put through wardrobe tryouts to get into character.
  • Annette Funicello was originally cast as the female teacher opposite Tab Hunter.

Grease Connections

  • According to Director/Choreographer Pat Birch, an early idea for an alternate ending, of Grease 2, had Michael and Stephanie riding off on Michael’s bike only to run out of gas and they would have had to stop for gas at Danny & Sandy’s service station and would have been a cameo for John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Sadly this didn’t make it past the concept stage.
  • According to the Grease II script Kenickie was originally supposed to be in the film as the manager at the famous Bowl-a-Rama.
  • In the actual movie, the Bowling Alley Manager is played by actor Tom Willett who later went onto co-star in the TV Series Dear John starring Judd Hirsch.
  • In the original movie script, draft dated October 13, 1981, as Michael first meets the T-Birds, the locker he tries to open would have had Danny & Sandy carved into the door. When opened, the locker would have played music, namely, “You’re The One That I Want” as well as have pictures of Danny and Sandy.

Grease 2 Production Facts

  • Maxwell Caulfield’s hairdresser had also been Elvis Presley’s hairdresser on prior films in the 60s.
  • Michael’s bike in the film was a Honda 305 Scrambler. The bike was built from the ground up. In fact, since the bike was over 20 years old, special parts had to be ordered straight from the Honda Motor Co in order to complete the build.
  • Southern California Motorcycle Dismantlers now located in Fontana, CA, were responsible for building the motorcycles used in the film. The bikes are still intact and viewable onsite at the SCMD shop!
  • Brunswick supplied all the bowling equipment for the film. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies’ balls were specially created for the movie. The outside casing of the balls were made of plastic but the insides were styrofoam and weighed only 2 lbs. so the cast could dance with them in the Score Tonight sequence!  (Thanks Mike!)
  • Stunts Unlimited did all the stunts for Grease 2, including Maxwell’s stunt double, Gary Davis. Gary and Michelle filmed extra scenes out in Griffith Park, Ca. These scenes include the famous wheelie when the Lone Biker takes Stephanie Zinone for a sunset ride.
  • The junkyard owner was played by the production camera operator.

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