"Is Grease accurate for the 1950s?"
This video answers that question, with a brief introduction to the real-life 1950s-era youth subcultures that were satirized in producer Alan Carr's 1978 film adaptation of Jim Jacobs' and Warren Casey's 1971 stage play.
Fifties-era "bopping" or fighting youth gangs of New York and Chicago (the original setting of the stage version of Grease), Philadelphia's iconic TV teen dance show American Bandstand, Southern California hot rod and custom car culture, and youth athletics are introduced to viewers in a historical fashion, through vintage news items and photos.
A look at the evolution of Grease itself, from a darkly humorous adult musical comedy debuting at a small local Chicago community theater, to the "cleaned-up" Broadway sensation, to the family-friendly mainstream film phenomenon, is also presented through news articles and photographs.
Photos from the various stage incarnations predating the film are also included.
The video is intended as a companion piece to an extensive 70 page blog, written as a free ebook, for educational purposes, the link of which is below:
www.rockinswing.com/post/the-...
For those who wish to support the research work, and get a non-profit tax deduction for it, the Patreon link is:
/ atomicyouth1950s
Time stamps are provided below, so that specific chapters and subjects can be accessed easily by viewers.
__________________________
0:00:00 Disclaimer.
0:00:50 Opening.
0:01:55 The T-Birds Are Supposed To Be A 1950s Youth Gang, and a look at the real-life street gangs of the 1950s.
0:08:46 The T-Birds Dance On National Bandstand and a look at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
0:11:26 Danny Zuko’s ineptitude at sports and a look at the relationship between 1950s youth gangs and teen athletics.
0:13:09 Greased Lightning and a look at 1950s hot rod and custom culture.
__________________________
Bibliography:
Background on Grease:
“Grease: Book, Music, and Lyrics” by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
“Grease: The Director’s Notebook” by Randal Kleiser.
“Grease, Tell Me More, Tell Me More: Stories from the Broadway Phenomenon That Started It All” edited by Tom Moore, Adrienne Barbeau and Ken Waissman.
1970's Fifties Nostalgia Fad:
"The Wacky Revival of The 1950's" Life magazine, June 16, 1972.
"Rock 'N' Roll Dances of the 1950s" by Lisa Jo Sagolla (pages 100-111.)
Alvin Palmer murder trial:
"The People v. Rybka" law.justia.com/cases/illinois...
"Chicago: A Biography" by Dominic A. Pacyga (pages 305-307.)
Farragut Career Academy high school yearbook 1955.
Chicago Daily Tribune "15 Held For Teen Murder," dated March 15, 1957.
1957 Chicago Youth Rally:
Casper Tribune Herald dated May 1, 1957.
Life magazine dated May 20, 1957.
Mendell Catholic High School Yearbook 1957.
3rd Annual Chicago Youth Rally Souvenir Program.
Background on 1950s New York youth gangs:
“Reaching The Fighting Gang” by The New York City Youth Board.
“Street Gangs: Yesterday and Today” by James Haskins.
"Conversations With The Capeman" by Richard Jacoby.
New York magazine, November 10, 1997, “The Murders And The Musical” by Mike McAlary.
“They Talked To A Stranger” by Len O’Connor.
“Brooklyn Street Fighter: Growing Up, East New York, Surviving The War Zone” by Richard G. Quarantello
“All The Way Down: The Violent Underworld Of Street Gangs” by Vincent Riccio and Bill Slocum
“Sins of Their Fathers” by Marjorie Rittwagen.
“The Shook Up Generation” by Harrison Salisbury.
"Vampires, Dragons, and Egyptian Kings: Youth Gangs In Postwar New York" by Eric C. Schneider.
"Brooklyn Rumble: Mau Maus, Sand Street Angels, and The End of An Era" by David Van Pelt.
“Island In The City: Puerto Ricans In New York” by Dan Wakefield.
"The Violent Gang" by Lewis Yablonsky.
Correspondence with Ed Bielcik on personal recollections with The Sinners and Lower East Side youth gangs.
Michael Farmer, michaelfarmer.org/a-chalice-fo...
Theresa Gee shooting, United States ex Rel. Cruz v. LaVallee, casetext.com/case/united-stat...
Background on 1950s San Francisco youth gang culture:
“The People v. Ranson” law.justia.com/cases/californ...
Parole record of Robert Ranson, courtesy of The California Archive.
Look magazine, January 27, 1953, “Teen-Age Killers” by Dan Fowler.
News articles, dated March 31, 1952 San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner.
Interviews with Phil Ward (witness at the Ranson shooting), and William Miller, Ben Choate, Gary Jensen, Mark Zannini, and Patrick Coonen.
Background on hot rod and custom culture:
"The Rock & Roll Generation Teen Life In The 50's" by Time-Life (pages 140-143.)
“Middletown Pacemakers: The Story Of An Ohio Hot Rod Club” by Ron Robertson.
“1959 Car Club Murder” kustomrama.com/wiki/The_1959_...