Olivia gets too hearty a welcome
A crowd presses against police banners at the opening of the movie “Grease Thursday at the State-Lake.
OLIVIA Newton-Jobs found the crush of Chicago fans at the downtown opening of “Grease” a little too real Thursday night.
The fragile singer complained that the mob injured her ribs and said, was the most frightening experience of her life,” according to a companion.
The crowd descended on her as she emerged from a car in front of the State Lake Theater, 130 N. State St. where “Grease” opened. She stars in the film with John Travolta.
She was expected to remain in the theater to view the movie star complained of pains in her side and was taken back to her downtown hotel a few minutes after the film started.
“PEOPLE mobbed the car as as we pulled up and started hanging on the car and knocking on the windows.” said Margie Korshak, owner of a Chicago public relations firm, who was with Newton-John. “Truthfully, at that point we should have just driven away and not tried to get out of the car.”
There was such a crush of people pushing and shoving. Somebody tore the sleeve of her dress, and somebody stepped on my foot”
A few minutes after the movie began, Newton-John and her escort returned to her hotel.
Korshak said a doctor saw Newton-John in her hotel and said she could have suffered a bruised rib during the shoving, but that a clear diagnosis would have to be made later,
By Joseph Sjostrom