The 1978 musical film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John that is set in the 1950s is Grease. The film follows greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson as their summer romance continues into their senior year at Rydell High.
Although Grease was released in 1978, its story begins during the summer of 1958 and continues through the following school year. That setting lets the film play with the imagery of 1950s teenage culture: leather jackets, greaser gangs, drive-ins, school dances, hot rods, and early rock-and-roll style. The bright, exaggerated look also reflects how the 1970s remembered the previous decade.
Grease was adapted from the 1971 stage musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Its soundtrack produced major hits including “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “You’re the One That I Want.” The movie became the highest-grossing film of 1978 and was later selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.