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The Last American Hero (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
27 July 1973 (USA) moreTagline:
It took him 20 years to find out who he was and 2 laps to let the world know.User Comments:
This film reveals how bad the Hollywood action movie has become 30 years later. moreCast
(Credited cast)| Jeff Bridges | ... | Elroy Jackson Jr. / Junior Jackson | |
| Valerie Perrine | ... | Marge Dennison, Morley's Secretary | |
| Geraldine Fitzgerald | ... | Mrs. Jackson | |
| Ned Beatty | ... | Hackel, Derby Promoter | |
| Gary Busey | ... | Wayne Jackson | |
| Art Lund | ... | Elroy Jackson Sr. | |
| Ed Lauter | ... | Burton Colt | |
| William Smith | ... | Kyle Kingman, Driver (as William Smith II) | |
| Gregory Walcott | ... | Cleve Morley | |
| Tom Ligon | ... | Lamar, Good Ole' Boy | |
| Ernie F. Orsatti | ... | Davie Baer, Driver (as Ernie Orsatti) | |
| Erica Hagen | ... | Trina Kingman | |
| James Murphy | ... | Spud | |
| Lane Smith | ... | Rick Penny, Driver | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Bob Cole | ... | Marshall Collins | |
| Louis Compton | ... | Track Announcer (Martinsville) | |
| Bill Connell | |||
| Bridget Furr Jones | ... | Baby girl with Junior Jackson at speedway | |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
95 min | 91 min (FMC Library Print)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Junior Johnson is credited with inventing the "bootleg turn", in which a driver escapes a pursuer by sharply putting his speeding car into a 180-degree turn on the highway, then speeding off in the opposite direction before his pursuer can turn around. In the movie this is used to great effect twice on the same police officer: when he first encounters the officer he does a 180 and the chase begins and then uses the "bootleg turn" once more effectively causing the officer to embank his car on the road. moreSoundtrack:
I Got A Name moreFAQ
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Last American Hero (1973)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| 67 mustang | laakkc |
| Director's Cameo | stephen-bowie-1 |
| Jim Croce song 'I Got A Name' | cryptical70 |
| Great Movie | bencaudill06 |
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I watched this movie today on AMC and loved it. I don't know how well the film was received upon release, but in light of the current Hollywood narrative for action movies, Last American Hero deserves appreciation. It should definitely be considered an American classic.
The movie is a docu-drama based on the few years in the life of Junior Johnson, a famous stock car racer. A young Jeff Bridges brings the main character to life with a great performance, inspired and entertaining. The supporting cast is also excellent with Gary Busey as the brother and Valerie Perrine as the love interest.
All the elements of a great movie that time forgot: thrilling racing scenes, three-dimensional characters, humor, a complicated plot, and so on.. It's a shame that action movies today don't sacrifice some of the explosions, blood, and high-tech props for the type of entertainment and engrossment that Last American Hero delivers.