Used Cars (1980)

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.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Gerrit Graham

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Used car salesman Rudy Russo needs money to run for State Senate, so he approaches his boss Luke. Luke agrees to front him the $10,000 he needs, but then encounters an "accident" orchestrated by his brother Roy, who runs the car lot across the street. Roy is hoping to claim title to his brother's property because Roy's paying off the mayor to put the new interstate through the area. After Luke disappears, it's all out war between the competing car shops, and no nasty trick is off limits as Rudy and his gang fight to keep Roy from taking Luke's property. Then Luke's daughter shows up.

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Plot Keywords:

car | salesman | used car salesman | used car lot | fight | 

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Taglines:

Trust us.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Autohuijarit

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, A-Team

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min 103 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Roy Fuchs (Jack Warden) walks up to Rudy (Kurt Russell) and Jeff (Gerrit Graham) as they're finishing shoveling dirt over the spot where they buried Luke, Graham didn't have any lines and kept pestering Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for lines. Finally, he just decides to repeat whatever Russell said to Warden. Apparently Warden was unaware of what Graham was doing, thus his line "What're you? A fuckin' parrot?". It was Warden's genuine annoyance at Graham, which worked so well in the scene that it was included in the final cut.

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Goofs

At the moment when the car jumps over the train, the train doesn't appear to be moving, even though it was just prior to the jump.

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Quotes

Rudy: Charlie, I broke my back getting you this deal. You know that...
Charlie: Fifty bucks never killed anybody.
Rudy: [pressing] You're not going to find another deal like this anywhere in town.
Charlie: Fifty bucks never killed anybody.
Rudy: [pleading] We shook hands on this... a deal's a deal.
Charlie: Fifty bucks never...
Rudy: [throws up his hands in mock disgust] Okay Charlie, you got it, you win - I'll see what I can do... But I'm telling ya, my boss sees these figures, he's going to have a stroke.
[exits]
Charlie: [scoffs] What's he trying to pull?...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in HBO First Look: 'What Lies Beneath': Constructing the Perfect Thriller (2000)

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Soundtracks

"The Stripper"
(uncredited)
Music by David Rose

User Reviews

you get a lot of millage out of this baby

Kurt Russell is Rudy Russo a slimy, dishonest used car salesman working for Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden) who yearns to be in Congress, where the real payola is. When Luke dies from one of the schemes of his evil brother, Roy (Jack Warden again pulling double duty, who owns his own used car lot across the street) to get Luke's car lot, as his is going to be bulldozed to make room for a new offramp. It's up to Rudy to hide Luke's death from both Roy and Luke's daughter, Barbara (Deborah Harmon), whom Rudy is falling for despite himself. This movie is one of Robert Zemeckis's best films (right up there with the first "Back to the Future"), but whereas that's more or less a kid's fantasy, however great it might be. This is a true blue adult comedy that wears it's R rating on it's sleeve. And is all the more hilarious for it. Filled with a great many quotable lines, memorable scenes, and wonderfully zany characters, it's no wonder that I love it so much.

My Grade: B+

DVD Extras: Commentary by Robert Zemeckis, Kurt Russell, and Bob Gale; Outtakes; TV spot; 8 Radio spots; Advertising Gallery; filmagraphies; and Trailers for "So I Married an Axe Murderer", "Multiplicity" and "Groundhog Day"

Eye Candy: Deborah Harmon and Cheryl Rixon each get topless