LOS ANGELES – Olivia Newton-John’s outfit from the final scene of the movie Grease has sold at auction for more than $400,000. Julien’s Auctions held its highly anticipated event Property from the Collection of Olivia Newton-John on Saturday, Nov. 2, in front of a packed audience of collectors, bidders and fans of the four-time Grammy award-winning singer and pop culture icon. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.
The top moment of the event was the headline-making sale of two of the most iconic items worn by one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and Hollywood film star, in her star-making role as Sandy, in the blockbuster musical film – Grease (Paramount, 1978). In the film’s finale number of You’re the One That I Want,” Sandy (Newton-John) surprises Danny (John Travolta) with her transformation as a demure cheerleader to a sexy greaser girl wearing a black leather jacket and pair of figure-hugging black shiny high waisted pants that were so tight that Newton-John had to be sewn into them. The jacket sold for an astounding $243,200 and the pants selling for $162,500 for a combined total of $405,700. All of the proceeds from the jacket and pants will benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center with a portion of all of the items sold benefiting the Center as well.
A one-sheet advance Grease film poster signed by Newton-John, John Travolta as well as other cast members, the director Randal Kleiser and producer/songwriter John Farrar that sold for a stunning $64,000; a custom “Pink Ladies” jacket presented to Newton-John by the cast and crew of Grease (estimate: $2,000-$4,000) that sold for $50,000; a fourth-draft script for Grease, dated June 9, 1977 with handwritten notes and front cover signed by Newton-John and John Travolta that sold for $35,200; handwritten lyrics for the song You’re the One That I Want, written by John Farrar, signed by Newton-John, John Travolta and Farrar and Newton-John’s personal Grease memorabilia collection both sold for $12,500 each; her custom made 1950s inspired petal pink lace gown worn to the movie’s premiere at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles that sold for $18,750 (estimate: $3,000-$5,000); and her tan leather dance shoes worn by the star while rehearsing the dance numbers for Grease that sold for $11,250.
Other auction highlights included: a Physical ensemble consisting of a white ribbed velvet and gold lamé long top and a pair of short shorts worn by the singer on the Oct. 2, 1981 episode of The Merv Griffin Show (NBC, 1962-1986) sold for an incredible $31,250; handwritten lyrics to Hopelessly Devoted to You, written and donated by John Farrar that sold for an astounding $28,125; a custom-made embellished black minidress designed by Fleur Thiemeyer, the designer behind Newton-John’s image in the 1970s and 1980s, and worn by the singer during her 1982 Physical Tour that sold for $28,125; a 1983 American Music Award presented to Newton-John for Favorite Female Vocalist Pop that sold for $22,400; Ken Done’s Sydney Sunday, oil on canvas painting that sold for $44,800; and a custom-made embellished white chiffon gown worn by Newton-John while performing a medley of songs with Andy Gibb and ABBA on her television special Olivia (ABC, 1978) that sold for $21,875.
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