Grease turns 47. Learn the interesting facts and controversies surrounding the unforgettable musical.

The iconic film Grease hit theaters on a Friday, 47 years ago. It was on June 16, 1978, that the film adaptation of the famous musical debuted on the big screen.

Establishing itself as one of the most successful musical debuts in film history, Grease won the hearts of audiences in its time and has remained an undisputed classic ever since.

The film was recognized with an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Hopelessly Devoted to You," although it ultimately lost the award. That year, the winning song was "Last Dance," from the film It's Friday, performed by Donna Summer. This choice has been debated over time, as many film buffs believe Grease deserved to take home the statuette.

It was almost an animated production, but the producers decided on a live-action version with animated opening credits.

What does "Grease" mean? The original name of the film, translated from English, Literally means "grease", but refers to the youth of the 1950s known as "greasers" for their "greased back" hairstyles. In Mexico, the feature film was called Vaselina , but in other Latin American countries, such as Chile and Colombia, it was called Brillantina.

Sandy was originally written as an American teenager, but the character was rewritten as Australian after Olivia Newton-John was cast.

One of the most iconic songs in the play was almost cut. Director Randal Kleiser didn't like the number "You're The One That I Want" , but due to the success the Bee Gees were having, Saturday Night Fever (released in 1977), reconsidered it .

The role of the guardian angel was offered to Elvis Presley , but it ultimately went to Frankie Avalon . Several fainting spells occurred during the filming of the musical numbers, due to the fact that the movie was shot in the middle of summer in California. Added to this is the type of costumes the characters wore and the choreography. Olivia Newton-John 's pants zipper broke during the recording of the final number "You're The One That I Want" , as her pants were extremely close and tight.

MC