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

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:

College | Night | School | Car | Summer

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)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Argentina) (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)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (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)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
• SP Films (2013) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (Universal's 100th Anniversary)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD)

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:

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 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | USA:PG (certificate #23582) | Brazil:14 | UK:PG (tv rating) | Peru:14 | Japan:PG12 (2010) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

American Zoetrope Studios, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The scene in which Steve assures Laurie he is staying in town and not going with Curt was shot in one take. Ron Howard and Cindy Williams had already been released from shooting and were in their street clothes when they were told to put their costumes back on so they could shoot that scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning, Falfa's 55 has chrome wheels. But when he rolls the car, it has painted wheels.

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:

References THX 1138 (1971)

Soundtrack:

At the Hop

Seems almost an accidental classic

I don't know if George Lucas really knew what he had in this picture--surely the script seemed funny enough, and the thought of the cars and the period music was enticing--but did he really know these "unknown" actors who bring these characters to life? It seems almost a fluke, shot in 29 days and on a tight budget, but "American Graffiti" is a four-star classic. It is perhaps pure nostalgia, mixing pathos and humor, sadness and craziness, hope and reflection, in quiet little bursts of excitement. After cruising with Milner all night, teenage Carol hates to say goodbye but does, waving from her porch with the light on; Toad survives one bad accident after another, but his real moment is in hearing praise from his date (fantastic, husky-voiced Candy Clark, dolled up like a speeding Sandra Dee) just before she says good night; after chasing his dream date all night, Kurt (Richard Dreyfuss, green and anxious, and appealingly bemused) finally gets to talk to the stunning blonde wonder on the telephone, where she whispers a wrenching goodbye. The whole movie is steeped in reflection. It has great, great humor, yet it leaves one with a bittersweet melancholia. For yesterday is in the past, with our music, our memories, and our hesitant farewells.