Used Cars (1980)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis (written by) &
Bob Gale (written by)

Release Date:

11 July 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Estimated Laugh Count: 287 City, 410 Highway. Use these numbers only for comparison. Your actual laughs may vary depending on how you feel about used car salesmen, nude women, spectacular car stunts, and the President of the United States.

Plot:

When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Salesman | Used Car Lot | Used Car Salesman | Bar

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Rudolph 'Rudy' Russo
Jack Warden	...	Roy L. Fuchs / Luke Fuchs
Gerrit Graham	...	Jeff
Frank McRae	...	Jim, the Mechanic
Deborah Harmon	...	Barbara Jane Fuchs
Joe Flaherty	...	Sam Slaton (as Joseph P. Flaherty)
David L. Lander	...	Freddie Paris
Michael McKean	...	Eddie Winslow
Michael Talbott	...	Mickey
Harry Northup	...	Carmine
Alfonso Arau	...	Manuel
Al Lewis	...	Judge H. H. Harrison
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Mr. Chartner
Andrew Duncan	...	Charlie
Dub Taylor	...	Tucker

Runtime:

113 min | Canada:103 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Berge Ford - 310 E Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The used car lot set was built across an actual major Highway in Arizona which made filming very tough.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Luke Fuch's last ride in the Chevy, he tears the shoulder of the driver's Castrol jacket, exposing a patch for his brother's used car lot, which later falls out of his hand as he dies on the floor of his dealership. When the driver hops out of the '57 and makes his escape, though, his Castrol jacket's shoulder is intact and un-ripped.

Quotes:

[First lines]
Rudy: Oww, fuck!

Movie Connections:

References Ben-Hur (1959)

Soundtrack:

USED CARS

simply put. funniest movie ever...bar none.

first of all when this movie came out, in 1980, (when first i saw it) was way before cell phones, personal computers, and the saturation of mtv, which all have jaded our youth of today. this was a comedy years ahead of it's time..that said. kurt russell's character assassination of a used car salesman is a direct hit. gerrit graham's performance is extremely brilliant as a superstitious-gambling fanatic, really the whole cast is incredibly funny. but it's the dual performance of jack warden playing twin bothers, with good and evil inclinations, that probably should of won him a golden globe (on that performance alone) he's that good...simply put, this movie is laughs,laughs, split your pants laughs, and more laughs. a must watch comedy. and after you've seen it you'll want to add it to your movie library. but if you somehow don't find this movie funny, then maybe you need to check your sense of humor at the door...