Olivia Newton-John’s infamous Grease outfit sells for $405,700

Olivia Newton-John's tight black trousers and leather jacket from the movie Grease sold for $405,700 (about €363,290) at a Beverly Hills auction on Saturday, more than double the expected price, the auctioneers said.

The outfit that marked the transition of Newton-John's character in the 1978 musical from demure high schooler to sexy Sandy was among 500 items for sale to help raise money for the performer's cancer treatment centre in Australia.

The infamous pants worn by Newton-John for the You're the One That I Want duet with John Travolta were so tight that she had to be sewn into them to film the scene, and were sold with a broken zipper. The buyers for the trousers and jacket were not revealed.

The auction raised $2.4 million in total, with many items related to Grease going for many times over estimates, Julien’s Auctions said.

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A Grease poster signed by Newton-John, Travolta and other cast members sold for $64,000, compared with an estimate of $1,000. The pink lace gown Newton-John wore to the movie premiere in Los Angeles went for $18,750. A custom Pink Ladies jacket given to Newton-John by the cast and crew fetched $50,000, 25 times its original estimate.

The British-born, Australian-raised 71-year-old singer and actor said earlier this year that she was battling breast cancer for a third time since first being diagnosed in 1992.

After her first bout with cancer, she helped set up the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, which aims to support the mind as well as the body.

All of the proceeds from the Grease jacket and trousers will benefit the centre, as will a portion of all the other items sold on Saturday. – Reuters