Seventies classic Grease has been named as Britain’s favourite big screen musical, according to new research released today carried out by Showcase Cinemas.
The 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John took over a quarter (26%) of the vote, beating Julie Andrews’ smash-hits The Sound of Music (21%) and Mary Poppins (20%) which rounded off the top three.
Disney’s The Lion King just missed out on a spot at the top table with 19% of the votes.
The survey was carried out ahead of the release of the latest film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical West Side Story, which lands at cinemas on December 10th.
The classic Bernstein and Sondheim musical hit Broadway back in 1957 and was an immediate success. The plot follows the conflict between New York City street gangs the Jets and the Sharks, drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The latest adaptation sees Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg take the director’s seat.
Mark Barlow, UK General Manager for Showcase Cinemas, said: “Musicals on the big screen have delivered so many iconic movie moments throughout the years, from dance scenes to soundtracks, it is near impossible to nominate a favourite.
“However, Grease became an instant phenomenon on release and has continued to capture the public’s hearts in the decades that followed, so it’s hard to argue with the nation’s choice here.
“Not only do musicals provide us with fantastic musical moments, but they also tell us stories in a unique way. We can’t wait to see people sit back and enjoy West Side Story when it lands on the big screen at Showcase.”