Corvette Summer (1978)

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

Hal Barwood (written by) &
Matthew Robbins (written by)

Release Date:

2 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

And he thought fast cars were a thrill...

Plot:

Ken is a high school student who dreams of driving Corvettes. His passion leads him to a perfect job as a Corvette mechanic...

Plot Keywords:

Car | Corvette | Love | High School | Prostitute

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Mark Hamill	...	Kenneth W. Dantley Jr.
Annie Potts	...	Vanessa
Eugene Roche	...	Ed McGrath
William Bryant	...	Plain Clothes Police Lecturer
Richard McKenzie	...	Principal Bacon
Kim Milford	...	Wayne Lowry
Philip Bruns	...	Gil
Danny Bonaduce	...	Kootz
Albert Insinnia	...	Ricci
Jane A. Johnston	...	Mrs. Dantley
Stanley Kamel	...	Las Vegas Con Man
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Older John - Rosalind's Admirer (as Cliff Pellow)
Jason Ronard	...	Wayne's Chain-Wielding Henchman
Brion James	...	Wayne's Car Wash Henchman
Morgan Upton	...	New Owner of Vanessa's Van

Also Known As:

Stingray (USA) (working title)
The Hot One

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:108 min (video)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Auto Shop, Burbank High School - 902 N. Third Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Originally entitled "Stingray" until another movie with the same title was released first, probably to cash in on the advanced hype of Mark Hamill's first post-Star Wars (1977) movie role. Both flopped.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: At the gas station in Las Vegas we see a 1978 vintage RTD (Los Angeles) city bus pass in the background. And during two other chase scenes two other RTD buses can be seen along the city street.

Quotes:

Ed McGrath: I've been around automobiles all my life. They're mechanical devices. They always let ya down. Ya buy 'em, ya drive 'em, ya break 'em, ya fix 'em, ya sell 'em. Goods in the market place. Don't get too attached to this car.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (#6.13)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Night

A Lost Drive-In Classic

"Corvette Summer" might not be a perfect film, but it's a breezy, occasionally funny sleeper...the type of movie that used to pack them in at drive-ins all the time. Today, there's the added value of seeing Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill and Annie "Designing Women" Potts in very early roles before they became big stars. There's even an appearance by Danny (Partridge) Bonaduce. Good summertime entertainment!