American Graffiti (1973)

A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.

Director:

George Lucas

Writers:

George Lucas, Gloria Katz

Stars:

Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Curt
Ron Howard	...	Steve (as Ronny Howard)
Paul Le Mat	...	John
Charles Martin Smith	...	Terry (as Charlie Martin Smith)
Cindy Williams	...	Laurie
Candy Clark	...	Debbie
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Carol
Wolfman Jack	...	Disc Jockey
Bo Hopkins	...	Joe
Manuel Padilla Jr.	...	Carlos
Beau Gentry	...	Ants
Harrison Ford	...	Bob Falfa
Jim Bohan	...	Holstein
Jana Bellan	...	Budda
Deby Celiz	...	Wendy

Storyline

It's the proverbial end of the summer 1962 in a small southern California town. It's the evening before best friends and recent high school graduates, Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander, are scheduled to leave town to head to college back east. Curt, who received a lucrative local scholarship, is seen as the promise that their class holds. But Curt is having second thoughts about leaving what Steve basically sees as their dead end town. Curt's beliefs are strengthened when he spots an unknown beautiful blonde in a T-bird who mouths the words "I love you" to him. As Curt tries to find that blonde while trying to get away from a local gang who have him somewhat hostage, Curt may come to a decision about his immediate future. Outgoing class president Steve, on the other hand, wants to leave, despite meaning that he will leave girlfriend, head cheerleader and Curt's sister, Laurie Henderson, behind. Steve and Laurie spend the evening "negotiating" the state of their relationship. Meanwhile...

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Plot Keywords:

rock 'n' roll | car | california | street racing | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

...is back! [1978 Re-release]

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

As Milner starts cruising, the 1961 Del Shannon song Runaway is playing on the radio. This was the first hit song to feature a synthesizer. The next hit with a synth was Telstar by the Tornadoes, which was released the same year as the setting of the movie. Telstar was inspired by the telstar satellite, which was the first communications satellite launched and the first to carry a live TV broadcast. While most likely unintentional, the fact that Runaway was in the film but not Telstar supports the movie's theme, which draws a division between the familiar past and the unknown but enticing future.

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Goofs

In the beginning, Falfa's 55 has chrome wheels. But when he rolls the car, it has painted wheels.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Terry Fields: Hey, what do you say, Curt? Last night in town... you guys gonna have a little bash before you leave?
Steve Bolander: The Moose have been looking for you all day.
[hands a check to Curt]
Steve Bolander: They got worried... thought you were trying to avoid them or something.
Terry Fields: What is it? What do ya got?
Curt Henderson: Oh, great.
Terry Fields: That's $2,000 man! Two thousand dollars!
Steve Bolander: Mr. Jennings gave it to me to give to you. He says he's sorry it's so late, but it's the first scholarship the Moose Lodge has given out. And he, uh, says they're all ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

At the start of the closing credits, the character and actor names for the main characters randomly appear in time to the opening xylophone notes of the Beach Boys' All Summer Long, which continues to play over the credits.

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Alternate Versions

One version has appeared on television with several scenes cut, including the entire sock hop except for the Louie, Louie sequence (which, ironically, was added to the 1978 re-release).

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Connections

Referenced in Fred Roos and the Casting of 'The Outsiders' (2005)

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Soundtracks

The Great Pretender
Written by Buck Ram (uncredited)
The Platters
Courtesy of Mercury Records:

User Reviews

Breathtaking!

This is the ground-breaking work by George Lucas, loosely based on his friends and his experiences as a teenager living in the San Joaquin Valley at the beginning of the 1960s, a time of gentle naiveté and innocence. There are no words to describe the edgy sweetness and humor that permeates this ensemble story of friends and enemies, jocks, brains, and punks maneuvering through the stultifying heat of the last weekend of summer vacation, 1962.

American Graffiti is a comedy, a drama, a tragedy, a musical, and a reminder of what small-town America once was, a mere forty years ago. From its breezy humor to its excruciating last moments (I remember theater-goers stunned in their seats, sobbing after the credits were done), Lucas's first major hit hits home. American Graffiti is pure magic.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Graffiti

Filming Locations:

American Zoetrope Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$777,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$115,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$115,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Lucasfilm, The Coppola Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 112 min (re-release) (1978) 210 min (rough cut)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Dolby System®)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1