The Last American Hero (1973)

Director:

Lamont Johnson

Writers:

Tom Wolfe (articles)
William Roberts (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

27 July 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

It took him 20 years to find out who he was and 2 laps to let the world know.

Plot Keywords:

Derby | Court | Mechanic | Sheriff | 1970s

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Elroy Jackson Jr.
Valerie Perrine	...	Marge
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Mrs. Jackson
Ned Beatty	...	Hackel
Gary Busey	...	Wayne Jackson
Art Lund	...	Elroy Jackson Sr.
Ed Lauter	...	Burton Colt
William Smith	...	Kyle Kingman (as William Smith II)
Gregory Walcott	...	Cleve Morley
Tom Ligon	...	Lamar
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Davie Baer (as Ernie Orsatti)
Erica Hagen	...	Trina Kingman
Jimmy Murphy	...	Spud (as James Murphy)
Lane Smith	...	Rick Penny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Garland Atkins	...	TV Reporter (uncredited)
John Samuel Brawley	...	Joe Casper (uncredited)
Bob Cole	...	Marshall Collins (uncredited)
Louis Compton	...	Track Announcer - Martinsville (uncredited)
Bill Connell	...	Tiny (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	...	ATF Agent (uncredited)
Paul Holman	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Lamont Johnson	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Bridget Furr Jones	...	Baby Girl with Junior Jackson at Speedway (uncredited)
Leslie McConnell	...	Merle (uncredited)
Laurens Moore	...	Wendel Terman (uncredited)
Mike Muscat	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Lamont Johnson

Writing credits
Tom Wolfe		(articles)
William Roberts		(written by)
Bill Kerby		additional writer (uncredited)

Produced by
John Cutts	....	producer
William Roberts	....	producer
Joe Wizan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Charles Fox

Cinematography by
George Silano

Film Editing by
Robbe Roberts
Tom Rolf

Casting by
Marion Dougherty
Joyce Selznick

Art Direction by
Lawrence G. Paull		(as Larry Paull)

Set Decoration by
James L. Berkey		(as James Berkey)

Makeup Department
John Alese	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Colleen Callaghan	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Colleen Callaghan	....	key hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
John W. Rogers	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frederic W. Brost	....	assistant director (as Fred Brost)
Barry Stern	....	assistant director
Jerry Grandey	....	assistant director trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Russell Goble	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound mixer
Don J. Bassman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Don Bassman)
Gene Ashbrook	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jerry Whittington	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Everett Creach	....	stunt coordinator
Ted Duncan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Greg Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Brooker	....	key grip (as Art Brooker)
George Holmes	....	gaffer
Louis Goldman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ronald M. Lautore	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Steve Pellant	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Don Shapiro	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alan Levine	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Tom Rolf	....	supervising editor

Transportation Department
James Thornsberry	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Junior Johnson	....	consultant
Junior Johnson	....	technical advisor
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor
Tom Miller	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Jerry Whittington	....	location projectionist: dailies (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rojo Productions
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV)
• Key Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (For CBS Fox Video)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• HanseSound (2011) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Hard Driver" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

95 min | 91 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Concord, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Rojo Productions

Trivia:

The movie depicts Junior's father as being arrested for producing moonshine. In reality, it was Junior himself that was arrested and sentenced. In 1956, federal tax agents found Johnson working at his father's moonshine still in Wilkes County; they arrested him. Many local residents believed the raid was done in revenge for the agent's inability to catch Johnson delivering moonshine on local highways; this is depicted in the movie when we see the local law enforcement busting up his father's still. Junior Johnson was convicted of moon-shining and was sent to prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. He served 11 months of a two-year sentence.

Quotes:

Burton Colt:You know, in today's world, you gotta obey rules and regulations. Now as far as the terms of your employment...
Elroy Jackson Jr.:[grabs his first-place trophy from Colt] I reckon this gives me a pretty fat hand, Colt, against you or anybody else I wanna race for.
Burton Colt:You don't have a hand. You have a bad history, boy. If you're my driver, I sign the checks, I run the show, you drive. That's how the big boys play this game. Now are you in or out?
Elroy Jackson Jr.:Well I got another game for you. It goes something like this: my crew, sixty percent of the prize money. Now you'll say forty, I'll say fifty. Yes or no?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.202" (2011)

Soundtrack:

I Got A Name

This film reveals how bad the Hollywood action movie has become 30 years later.

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.