American Graffiti (1973)

Director:

George Lucas

Writers:

George Lucas (written by) and
Gloria Katz (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 August 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

...is back! [1978 Re-release]

Plot:

A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.

Plot Keywords:

Night | College | School | Car | Cruising

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Curt
Ron Howard	...	Steve (as Ronny Howard)
Paul Le Mat	...	John
Charles Martin Smith	...	Terry (as Charlie Martin Smith)
Cindy Williams	...	Laurie
Candy Clark	...	Debbie
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Carol
Wolfman Jack	...	Disc Jockey
Bo Hopkins	...	Joe
Manuel Padilla Jr.	...	Carlos
Beau Gentry	...	Ants
Harrison Ford	...	Bob Falfa
Jim Bohan	...	Holstein
Jana Bellan	...	Budda
Deby Celiz	...	Wendy
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Bobbie
Terence McGovern	...	Mr. Wolfe (as Terry McGovern)
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Peg (as Kathy Quinlan)
Tim Crowley	...	Eddie
Scott Beach	...	Mr. Gordon
John Brent	...	Car Salesman
Gordon Analla	...	Bozo
John Bracci	...	Station Attendant
Jody Carlson	...	Girl in Studebaker
Del Close	...	Man at Bar
Chuck Dorsett	...	Man at Accident (as Charles Dorsett)
Stephen Knox	...	Kid at Accident
Joe Miksak	...	Man at Liquor Store
George Meyer	...	Bum at Liquor Store
James Cranna	...	Thief
Johnny Weissmuller Jr.	...	Badass #1
William Niven	...	Clerk at Liquor Store
Al Nalbandian	...	Hank
Bob Pasaak	...	Dale
Chris Pray	...	Al
Susan Richardson	...	Judy
Fred Ross	...	Ferber
Jan Dunn	...	Old Woman
Charlie Murphy	...	Old Man
Ed Greenberg	...	Kip
Lisa Herman	...	Girl in Dodge
Mark Anger	...	Mr. Kroot (as Irving Israel)
Kay Lenz	...	Jane (as Kay Ann Kemper)
Caprice Schmidt	...	Announcer at Dance
Joe Spano	...	Vic
Debralee Scott	...	Falfa's Girl
Ron Vincent	...	Jeff
Donna Wehr	...	Carhop
Cam Whitman	...	Balloon Girl
Jan Wilson	...	Girl at Dance
Suzanne Somers	...	Blonde in T-Bird
Warren Knight	...	Herby and the Heartbeats (as Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids)
Sam McFadin	...	Herby and the Heartbeats (as Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids)
Kris Moe	...	Herby and the Heartbeats (as Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids)
Linn Phillips III	...	Herby and the Heartbeats (as Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids)
George Robinson	...	Herby and the Heartbeats (as Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Linda Christensen	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
George Lucas

Writing credits
George Lucas		(written by) and
Gloria Katz		(written by) &
Willard Huyck		(written by)

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	producer
Gary Kurtz	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Jan D'Alquen		(director of photography)
Ron Eveslage		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Verna Fields
Marcia Lucas
George Lucas		(uncredited)

Casting by
Mike Fenton
Fred Roos

Art Direction by
Dennis Lynton Clark		(as Dennis Clark)

Set Decoration by
Douglas Freeman

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Makeup Department
Bette Iverson	....	key hair stylist (as Betty Iverson)
Gerry Leetch	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Jim Hogan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ned Kopp	....	first assistant director
Charles Myers	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Doug von Koss	....	property master (as Douglas Von Koss)

Sound Department
Walter Murch	....	sound montage
Walter Murch	....	sound re-recordist
James Nelson	....	sound editor
Art Rochester	....	production sound (as Arthur Rochester)
Michael Evje	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Maley	....	gaffer
Ken Phelps	....	key grip
John Bonfield	....	electrician (uncredited)
Tony Coangelo	....	grip (uncredited)
Lawrence Gruenberg	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Ryan	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Kim Fowley	....	music producer
Kim Fowley	....	music recordist
Karin Green	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Henry Travers	....	transportation supervisor

Other crew
Toni Basil	....	choreographer
Jim Bloom	....	production associate
Christina Crowley	....	script supervisor
Nancy Giebink	....	production associate
Gino Havens	....	dialogue coach
Al Locatelli	....	design consultant
Beverly Walker	....	assistant to producer
Haskell Wexler	....	visual consultant
Dan Hess II	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Oscar Hammerstein II	....	courtesy: use of the song Some Enchanted Evening
Richard Rodgers	....	courtesy: use of the song Some Enchanted Evening

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal® An MCA Company)
• Lucasfilm (as A Lucasfilm Ltd / Coppola Co. Production)
• The Coppola Company (as A Lucasfilm Ltd / Coppola Co. Production)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1974) (Japan) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• CIC Victor Video (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (1990) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (2011) (Australia) (theatrical) (New 35mm Print)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (Universal's 100th Anniversary)

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location equipment by (as Cinemobile)
• Film Production Services  location equipment by (as Film Producers Service)
• Radio Advertisers Bureau  commercials selected from
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min | 112 min (re-release) (1978)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | USA:PG (certificate #23582) | Brazil:14 | UK:PG (tv rating) | Peru:14 | Japan:PG12 (2010) | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Denmark:15 (video rating) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) (2000) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Filming was beset by a series of misfortunes and disasters. The day before filming was due to start a key member of the crew was arrested for growing marijuana. On the first night of shooting it took so long to get the cameras mounted onto the cars that filming didn't get started until 2 a.m., putting the crew half a night behind schedule before they'd even started. Most of the outdoor footage was to be shot in San Rafael. After the first night of shooting the city revoked the crew's filming permit due to complaints from a bar owner that their blocking off of the main street was costing him business. Filming proceeded in San Rafael for three more nights, then moved to Petaluma, 20 miles away. On the second night of shooting a fire in a nearby restaurant brought fire trucks into the area, their sirens and the resulting traffic jam preventing any filming. During the filming of Milner's deuce coupe, assistant cameraman Barney Colangelo slipped off the trailer of the camera truck and was run over, suffering minor injuries. Paul Le Mat also ended up being rushed to hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to the walnuts in the Waldorf salad he had at dinner. Another night LeMat threw Richard Dreyfuss into a swimming pool, gashing his forehead on the day before he was due to have his close-ups filmed. Dreyfuss also had wardrobe complaints - he refused to wear the loud Bermuda shorts and shirt Lucas had chosen for his character. During the filming of the drag race between Milner (LeMat) and Falfa (Harrison Ford), the car's axle broke and was replaced. On the second try, the replacement axle broke. On the next try the car failed to veer off the road as planned, narrowly missing two cameramen lying on the road.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Terry is trying to buy liquor, the sign on the door of the liquor store, although apparently appropriate to the period ("Winston" ad), says "Push" on the "Pull" side of the door.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Terry Fields:Hey, what do you say, Curt? Last night in town... you guys gonna have a little bash before you leave?
Steve Bolander:The Moose have been looking for you all day.
[hands a check to Curt]
Steve Bolander:They got worried... thought you were trying to avoid them or something.
Terry Fields:What is it? What do ya got?
Curt Henderson:Oh, great.
Terry Fields:That's $2,000 man! Two thousand dollars!
Steve Bolander:Mr. Jennings gave it to me to give to you. He says he's sorry it's so late, but it's the first scholarship the Moose Lodge has given out. And he, uh, says they're all very proud of you back at the lodge.
Curt Henderson:Cute. Why don't you hold it for me for awhile?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Steve Martin/Kinky Friedman (#2.5)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight

A Great Film, That Inspired Many Others!

Probably the single greatest teen movie ever made!

George Lucas' wonderful coming of age film that takes place one late summer night, is one that inspired several other films, including "Dazed and Confused", and "Can't Hardly Wait".

Fine performances, superb directing, and wonderful writing make this one a winner that has endured over the years, and has solidified it's position as one of the greatest films of all times! "American Graffiti" is a film that can be funny without being stupid, and touching without being maudlin.

This is a movie that should be seen at least once by everybody, it was a great film in 1973, and is even better today! A very intelligent and believable film that only seems to get better with repeated viewings, and after seeing it for the first time, you will want to see it again.

"American Graffiti" is a wonderful film that has stood the test of time, and will stand the test of even more time! Thirty years from now, people will still be looking back on this and remembering how much of a superb film it was, and how many fine films it inspired!!!

***** Five Out of five stars! (Outstanding!)