Did anyone else have a problem with this? In that final scene where she is dressed in leather clothes, she doesn’t look good at all. I would prefer the Rizzo girl, then.
So would I. I’d prefer Marty to Sandy too. But I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as a “problem”.
Even as a grade-schooler (I was in 5th), I wanted to be Rizzo instead of Sandy. Now, obvious moral issues aside, I’m also female, so make since of that if you will.
Besides, despite the ending, she was still to squeaky (read: annoying) clean for me. I’m thinking that Frenchie or Jan would be more fun and interesting. 
And yes, I saw this at least 26 times within the first year. Why do you ask?
Leather? I thought she was wearing spandex.
I liked Rizzo better, too*, but I thought they all had horrible taste in guys. Maybe if the “high school boys” didn’t all look like they were 30 and act like they were 12 it would have been a little different, but anyway, ick.
*Stockard Channing is excellent in everything I’ve ever seen her in.
Marty. Rizzo was too…calculating and Sandy was too skinny in addition to being “good.” Marty looked like she’d be a “fun date.” 
What was up with Vince Fontaine trying to put aspirin in her Coke at the dance? Is that some sort of birth control attempt?
When I was a teen in the 1960s, there were several rumors: that aspirin in Coke would get you high (or would serve as an aphrodisiac, or would make you lose consciousness). Also, as you’ve mentioned, the mixture was thought to be a contraceptive if used as a douche.
I knew Fontaine was trying to get lucky with Marty, but I didn’t understand the aspirin in the Coke reference. Thanks.
So, do we assume all the girls except Rizzo were virgins?
Not necessarily virgins, but Rizzo was the only one sexually active with a member of the T-Birds.
Although, now that I think about it, Marty did make a reference to her last name to Vic.
*Vince: Hi, I’m Vince Fontaine, I’m judging the dance contest.
Marty: I don’t think I’m entered.
Vince: A knockout like you? What’s your name?
Marty: Marty.
Vince: Marty what?
Marty: Maraschino. You know, as in cherry. *
Rizzo was definitely not a virgin. Marty had a lot of pen pals, but she complained about her boyfriend’s “hands” and Frenchie “supposedly” got her nickname from the way she smoked, while Jan was too immature. Marty, Jan and Frenchie were freaked out when the boys showed up at the sleepover, but Rizzo was the only one to “shinny down the drainpipe.” (Oh! I just got that double entendre! :smack: )
Considering this was set in the 50s, I think it’s safe to say Marty and Frenchie may have done a bit of parking, and Sandy didn’t even want the kissing to get too intense with Danny on the beach, but Rizzo seemed like a lonely girl looking for love. I thought Channing’s song about The Worst Thing I Could Ever Do was very poignant.
In the play, as opposed to the movie, it’s more obvious that Marty may have been sexually active. The stage directions note that she has a large stack of pictures of her boyfriends, and she sings “Freddy, My Love” about the lavish gifts her current lover - a marine - has sent her, including a kimono she wears at the sleepover. The song specifically mentions that Freddy has sent Marty “lacy lingerie”, which she hopes to wear for him when he returns stateside. She’s also indicated to be making out with Sonny during a couple of scenes (While Frenchie is making out with Doody), and ends up with him at the end.
Jan is the only one in the stage version who is most definitely a virgin (besides Sandy.) She and Roger (the Burger Palace Boy replaced by “Potzie” in the movie) have a very sickly sweet duet called “Mooning”, that’s as innocent as innocent can be.
I think they tried to make it all a bit more ambiguous for the movie.
I’d pick Marty too, or Cha Cha. As goos as Stockard Channing is, Rizzo never seemed realistic to me. Checking IMDB, I am amazed that Marty was played by Dinah Manoff, who was on Soap and Empty Nest.
goos = good
You’re talking about Olivia Newton-John, I take?
Yes, she’s a bit skinny but I think she’s a beautiful woman. I did prefer her hair and clothes before she turned slutty to win over her loser boyfriend.
I saw a play once as a teenager at a dinner theater. I don’t remember much of it, and some of it might have sailed right over my head.
Not only too thin but her clothes in that final scene fit really weird. The waist to her spandex pants was way too high, while her top was really tiny. Since she had such spindly arms and legs the pants made her ass look big (only in comparison to the rest of her). I guess it was the 80s pretending to be the 50s, but that final outfit was atrocious.
She also had to be sewn into it, due to a zipper malfunction and the fact that they shot the final scene in one afternoon.
Feh, I thought they were all totally hot. But if I had to choose, I’d take Rizzo, Stockard Channing was just so ripe back then.
It does in fact make her the most interesting character in the entire piece, and yet is kind of an undeveloped aside.
I have never known anybody to prefer spandex Sandy over sweater Sandy. Furthermore, it’s not clear why somebody has to change, and even if it’s necessary why it has to be her.