MovieChat Forums > Grease (1978) Discussion > Why did they cast a bunch of 30 year old...

Why did they cast a bunch of 30 year old Italian and Jewish actors from NYC?


This movie is supposed to be set in a high school in a lily white waspy suburb of Los Angels during the 1950's. Why did they cast a dozen 30 year old Italian and Jewish actors from NYC to play high schoolers from California???

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Teen Movies of the 50's usually had actors from 25 to 35 in roles of boys and girls of 15 to 19.
Look at THE BLOB, Steve Mc Queen looks older in teen clothes it's amazing!
GREASE is not a parody but an homage to this kind of pulp representation of American society.

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Yeah, what a travesty.
No wonder the movie was a box-office flop and faded into obscurity!
Oh, wait...

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