A story of two men drag-racing across the U.S. in a primer grey '55 Chevy. Dennis Wilson is the mechanic, James Taylor is the driver.
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Title: Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
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1 win & 2 nominations.
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On the Road Again: Two-Lane Blacktop Revisited
(Video 2007)
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Biography
Directors:
Gabriel Cowan,
John Suits
Stars:
Monte Hellman,
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| James Taylor | ... | The Driver | |
| Warren Oates | ... | G.T.O | |
| Laurie Bird | ... | The Girl | |
| Dennis Wilson | ... | The Mechanic | |
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David Drake | ... | Needles Station Attendant |
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Richard Ruth | ... | Needles Station Mechanic |
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Rudy Wurlitzer | ... | Hot Rod Driver (as Rudolph Wurlitzer) |
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Jaclyn Hellman | ... | Driver's Girl |
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Bill Keller | ... | Texas Hitchhiker |
| Harry Dean Stanton | ... | Oklahoma Hitchhiker (as H.D. Stanton) | |
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Don Samuels | ... | Texas Policeman #1 |
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Charles Moore | ... | Texas Policeman #2 |
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Tom Green | ... | Boswell Attendant |
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W.H. Harrison | ... | Parts Store Owner |
| Alan Vint | ... | Man in Roadhouse | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
The Driver and The Mechanic are two car freaks driving a 1955 Chevy throughout the southwestern U.S. looking for other cars to race. They are totally dedicated to The Car and converse with each other only when necessary. At a gas station, The Driver and The Mechanic, along with a girl who has ingratiated herself into their world, meet G.T.O., a middle-aged man who fabricates stories about his exploits. It is decided to have a race to Washington, D.C., where the winner will get the loser's car. Along the way, the race and the highway metaphorically depict the lives of these contestants as they struggle to their destination. Written by Rick Gregory <rag.apa@email.apa.org>
Taglines:
You can never go fast enough...Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
28 October 1972 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
Fortare än döden See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$850,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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The Mechanic: East.
The Girl: That's cool. I never been East.
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(uncredited)
Music by Hal Mooney
[very brief opening cue]
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Laurie Bird and Monte Hellman became romantically involved during the making of the film. In 1974, Bird started a relationship with Art Garfunkel that lasted five years until she took her own life at the age of just 25. See more »Goofs
The cost/gallons numbers on the gas pumps change several times during the gas station race set-up scene. See more »Quotes
The Girl: Say, which way we going?The Mechanic: East.
The Girl: That's cool. I never been East.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The GTO ... 1970 Pontiac See more »Soundtracks
Taylor Made (Instrumental)(uncredited)
Music by Hal Mooney
[very brief opening cue]
See more »
Problems with music rights have kept this film from being seen much since its release, which is a real shame. Recently, the Roan Group released a laserdisc version (not sure if there is a VHS or DVD version), which I rented on a total whim. It turned out to be one of those rare treasures that not only lives up to its hype--it exceeds it. Anyone who wants to know why so many of today's films are sub-par would do themselves a favor by exploring this title. The problem with movies today is that everything is so formulaic, characters (if any are present) are forced to react in completely illogical ways just so the plot can hit prefabricated beats. "Two Lane Blacktop" follows the characters and lets the plot flow from the dynamics between them. Add to that some really unique characters and what you end up with is a movie that's always coming at you from the most unexpected angles, and not one second of it feels false or forced. The writing, directing and acting are dead-on, with Warren Oates a stand-out (his performance should be studied by anyone who wants to act), and James Taylor surprisingly intense and charismatic. It should be noted that this is not an action movie, so don't go into it looking for suspense or great racing scenes. Rather, you should sit back and let this movie work its almost invisible magic on you. And don't be surprised if you're still thinking about it days later.