American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Quinlan, Debralee Scott, and Joe Spano also appear in the film. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and early rock 'n' roll cultures popular among Lucas's age group at the time. Through a series of vignettes, the film tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of a single night.
Introduction
American Graffiti
American Graffiti | Introduction
Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith and Cindy Williams, to name a few. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack are some of them George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Quinlan, Debralee Scott, and Joe Spano. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack.
where was the movie american graffiti filmed at
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Petaluma, "Mel's Drive-In" in San Francisco, Sonoma, Richmond, Novato, and the "Buchanan Field Airport" in Concord were some of the locations.
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when was it screened?
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1973
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who were the actors in this film?
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American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Quinlan, Debralee Scott, and Joe Spano also appear in the film. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and early rock 'n' roll cultures popular among Lucas's age group at the time. Through a series of vignettes, the film tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of a single night.
American Graffiti | Introduction
More American Graffiti is a 1979 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Bill L. Norton. It is the sequel to the 1973 film "American Graffiti". Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows where they end up a few years later. Most of the main cast members from the first film returned for the sequel, including Candy Clark, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Bo Hopkins, and Harrison Ford. Richard Dreyfuss was the only principal cast member from the original film not to appear in the sequel.
More American Graffiti | Introduction
It was the final live-action theatrical film in which Ron Howard would play a credited, named character.
More American Graffiti | Introduction
The film was released in the United States on August 11, 1973 to sleeper hit reception. The film had cost only $1.27 million (equivalent to $ million in ) to produce and market, but yielded worldwide box office gross revenues of more than $55 million (equivalent to $ million in ). It had only modest success outside the United States, but became a cult film in France.
American Graffiti | Release
This would allow the studio to advertise "American Graffiti" as "From the Man Who Gave You "The Godfather"." Production proceeded with virtually no input or interference from Universal. The film was released in the United States on August 1, 1973 to sleeper hit reception. The film cost only $1.27 million to produce and market, but yielded worldwide box office gross revenues of more than $55 million. It had only modest success outside the United States, but became a cult film in France. Universal reissued "Graffiti" in 1978 and earned an additional $63 million, which brought the total revenue for the two releases to $118 million.
Gary Kurtz | "American Graffiti"
The film's lengthy casting process was overseen by Fred Roos, who worked with producer Francis Ford Coppola on "The Godfather". Because "American Graffiti"'s main cast was for younger actors, the casting call and notices went through numerous high-school drama groups and community theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among the actors was Mark Hamill, the future Luke Skywalker in Lucas' "Star Wars" trilogy. Over 100 unknown actors auditioned for Curt Henderson before Richard Dreyfuss was cast; George Lucas was impressed with Dreyfuss' thoughtful analysis of the role, and as a result, offered the actor his choice of Curt or Terry "The Toad" Fields.
American Graffiti | Casting
Each of more than 40 scenes in the film had a continuously playing background song that had been popular around 1962, when the film's story was set. Michael Sragow has characterized the effect as "using rock 'n roll as a Greek chorus with a beat". Fields then left "American Graffiti". It took another six months of editing to create a shorter, 110-minute version of the film, but upon its release in 1973 "American Graffiti" was extremely successful both with critics and at the box office. Shortly after its release, Roger Greenspun described the film and its editing: ""American Graffiti" exists not so much in its individual stories as in its orchestration of many stories, its sense of time and place.
Verna Fields | George Lucas and "American Graffiti"
Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage are American cinematographers best known for their work with film director George Lucas on the sleeper hit film, 1973's "American Graffiti". "American Graffiti" is a nostalgic portrait of teenage life in 1962 which spawned numerous imitations such as the TV series, "Happy Days", and films like "The Lords of Flatbush". The budget of "American Graffiti" was a mere $750,000 dollars, on a tight 28-day shooting schedule. Nonetheless, the film went on to gross more than $55 million, making it a blockbuster of its day. "American Graffiti" was shot entirely on location in small Northern California towns between the cruising hours of 9:00 p.m., when it was just dark enough, and 5:00 a.m., before the sun would come up.
Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage | Introduction
The film American Graffiti was one of the suggestions. Tagasauris found nearly two dozen unkeyworded photos taken on the film's set. ""Computers couldn’t ID humans in the photo but humans couldn’t know the context.""
Tagasauris | Introduction
"More American Graffiti" opened on August 3, 1979. The Numbers cites the gross at $8.1 million, and Box Office Mojo at $15 million. Despite its minor box office success, its gross was nowhere near as high as that of "American Graffiti", even though Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Harrison Ford were bigger stars (due to their major roles in the TV hits "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley" and the film "Star Wars") in 1979 than they had been in 1973.
More American Graffiti | Box office
The genesis of "American Graffiti" was in Lucas' own teenaged years in early 1960s Modesto. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors, but found favor at Universal Pictures after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming was initially set to take place in San Rafael, California, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma.
American Graffiti | Introduction
The movie was written and directed by Bill L. Norton who was picked by Lucas as being suitable due to his California upbringing and experience with comedy. Lucas was involved in the production by acting as the executive producer, editing both Norton's screenplay and the finished motion picture, and even manning a camera for sequences set in the Vietnam War.
More American Graffiti | Production
Despite unanimous praise at a January 1973 test screening attended by Universal executive Ned Tanen, the studio told Lucas they wanted to re-edit his original cut of "American Graffiti". Producer Coppola sided with Lucas against Tanen and Universal, offering to "buy the film" from the studio and reimburse it for the $775,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) it had cost to make it. 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures made similar offers to the studio. Universal refused these offers and told Lucas they planned to have William Hornbeck re-edit the film. When Coppola's "The Godfather" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in March 1973, Universal relented and agreed to cut only three scenes (about four minutes) from Lucas' cut—an encounter between Toad and a fast-talking car salesman, an argument between Steve and his former teacher Mr.
American Graffiti | Release
As a result, the film's structure became increasingly loose and no longer adhered to Lucas's original "ABCD" presentation. Lucas completed his final cut of "American Graffiti", which ran 112 minutes, in December 1972. Walter Murch assisted Lucas in post-production for audio mixing and sound design purposes. Murch suggested making Wolfman Jack's radio show the "backbone" of the film. "The Wolfman was an ethereal presence in the lives of young people," said producer Gary Kurtz, "and it was that quality we wanted and obtained in the picture."
American Graffiti | Editing
One character burns his draft card, showing a younger audience what so many Americans had done on the television news ten years before the movie's release. Other characters are shown frantically disposing of their marijuana before a traffic stop as a police officer pulls them over, and another scene shows the police brutality during an anti-Vietnam protest. The fates of the main characters listed at the end of "American Graffiti" are updated at the end of this sequel. Wolfman Jack briefly reprised his role, but in voice only. The drag racing scenes were filmed at the Fremont Raceway, later Baylands Raceway Park (now the site of automobile dealerships), in Fremont, California.
More American Graffiti | Plot
"American Graffiti" depicts multiple characters going through a coming of age, such as the decisions to attend college or reside in a small town. The 1962, setting represents nearing an end of an era in American society and pop culture. The musical backdrop also links between the early years of rock 'n' roll in the mid- to late 1950s (i.e., Bill Haley & His Comets, Elvis Presley, and Buddy Holly) and the early 1960s British Invasion, which Don McLean's "American Pie" and the 1972 revival of 1950s acts and oldies paralleled during the conception and filming. The setting is also before the outbreaks of the Vietnam War and the John F.
American Graffiti | Themes
Lucas spent the rest of 1971 and early 1972 trying to raise financing for the "American Graffiti" script. During this time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Pictures all turned down the opportunity to co-finance and distribute the film. Lucas, Huyck and Katz rewrote the second draft together, which, in addition to Modesto, was also set in Mill Valley and Los Angeles. Lucas also intended to end "American Graffiti" showing a title card detailing the fate of the characters, including the death of Milner and the disappearance of Toad in Vietnam. Huyck and Katz found the ending depressing and were incredulous that Lucas planned to include only the male characters.
American Graffiti | Universal Pictures
Although Cindy Williams was cast as Laurie Henderson and enjoyed working with both Lucas and Howard, the actress hoped she would get the part of Debbie Dunham, which ended up going to Candy Clark. Mackenzie Phillips, who portrays Carol, was only 12, and under California law, producer Gary Kurtz had to become her legal guardian for the duration of filming. For Bob Falfa, Roos cast Harrison Ford, who was then concentrating on a carpentry career. Ford agreed to take the role on the condition that he would not have to cut his hair. The character has a flattop in the script, but a compromise was eventually reached whereby Ford wore a Stetson to cover his hair.
American Graffiti | Casting
The film, set over the course of four consecutive New Year's Eves from 1964 to 1967, depicts scenes from each of these years, intertwined with one another as though events happen simultaneously. The audience is protected from confusion by the use of a distinct cinematic style for each section. For example, the 1966 sequences echo the movie of Woodstock using split screens and multiple angles of the same event simultaneously on screen, the 1965 sequences (set in Vietnam) shot hand-held on grainy super 16 mm film designed to resemble war reporters' footage. The film attempts to memorialize the 1960s with sequences that recreate the sense and style of those days with references to Haight-Ashbury, the , the beginnings of the modern woman's liberation movement and the accompanying social revolt.
More American Graffiti | Plot
At the end of its theatrical run, "American Graffiti" had one of the best cost-to-profit ratios of any motion picture ever. It was the thirteenth-highest-grossing film of all time in 1977, and, adjusted for inflation, is currently the forty-third highest. By the 1990s, "American Graffiti" had earned more than $200 million in box office gross and home video sales. In December 1997, "Variety" reported that the film had earned an additional $55.13 million in rental revenue.
Gary Kurtz | "American Graffiti"
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
American Graffiti | Accolades
Producer Coppola encouraged Lucas to cast Wolfman Jack as himself in a cameo appearance. "George Lucas and I went through thousands of Wolfman Jack phone calls that were taped with the public," Jack reflected. "The telephone calls [heard on the broadcasts] in the motion picture and on the soundtrack were actual calls with real people."
American Graffiti | Casting
"American Graffiti" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, but lost to "The Sting". Further nominations at the 46th Academy Awards included Best Director (George Lucas), Best Original Screenplay (Lucas, Willard Huyck, and Gloria Katz), Best Supporting Actress (Candy Clark) and Best Film Editing (Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas). The film won Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) at the 31st Golden Globe Awards, while Paul Le Mat won Most Promising Newcomer. Lucas was nominated for Best Director and Richard Dreyfuss was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. More nominations included Cindy Williams by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Lucas for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, and Lucas, Huyck, and Katz by the Writers Guild of America for Best Original Comedy.
American Graffiti | Accolades
Scott Beach (January 13, 1931 – February 13, 1996) was an American character actor, writer and DJ, best known for his performance in the 1960s-themed 1973 film "American Graffiti".
Scott Beach | Introduction
Charles Champlin of "The New York Times" called it a "masterfully executed and profoundly affecting movie." Jay Cocks of "Time" magazine wrote that "American Graffiti" "reveals a new and welcome depth of feeling. Few films have shown quite so well the eagerness, the sadness, the ambitions and small defeats of a generation of young Americans." Pauline Kael of "The New Yorker" was less enthused, writing that the film "fails to be anything more than a warm, nice, draggy comedy, because there's nothing to back up the style. The images aren't as visually striking as they would be if only there were a mind behind them; the movie has no resonance except from the jukebox sound and the eerie, nocturnal jukebox look." She also noted with disdain that the epilogue did not bother to mention the fates of any of the women characters.
American Graffiti | Critical reception
The film also featured a 24-track soundtrack featuring music from the movie along with voice-over tracks of Wolfman Jack. The soundtrack is out of print and has never been released on CD. A fictional band named Electric Haze featuring Doug Sahm appears in the film, most notably performing the Bo Diddley song "I'm a Man". An earlier album, also titled "More American Graffiti", was an official album sequel to the first soundtrack to "American Graffiti". The album (MCA 8007) was released in 1975, four years before the film sequel of the same name was released. While only one of the songs in this album was actually used in the 1973 motion picture, this collection was compiled and approved by George Lucas for commercial release.
More American Graffiti | Soundtrack
Gary Kurtz and George Lucas' first collaboration was on the 1973 film "American Graffiti". Lucas and producer Kurtz initially took the script to American International Pictures, which expressed interest but ultimately deemed "American Graffiti" not violent or sexual enough by the studio's standards. The pair eventually found favor at Universal Pictures, who allowed Lucas total artistic control and the right of final cut privilege on the condition that he and Kurtz make "American Graffiti" on a strict, low budget. Universal initially projected a $600,000 budget, but added an additional $175,000 once producer Francis Ford Coppola signed on to co-produce with Kurtz.
Gary Kurtz | "American Graffiti"
It was released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1979 or 1980. It was released on DVD in September 2003 and once more as a double feature with "American Graffiti" (1973) in January 2004. It was released on Digital in 2011. It was released on Blu-ray for Europe in May 2012 and for North America in June 2018.
More American Graffiti | Home media
Gene Siskel awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that although the film suffered from an "overkill" of nostalgia, particularly with regards to a soundtrack so overstuffed that it amounted to "one of those golden-oldie TV blurbs," it was still "well-made, does achieve moments of genuine emotion, and does provide a sock (hop) full of memories." Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" wrote, ""American Graffiti" is such a funny, accurate movie, so controlled and efficient in its narrative, that it stands to be overpraised to the point where seeing it will be an anticlimax." A.D. Murphy from "Variety" felt "American Graffiti" was a vivid "recall of teenage attitudes and morals, told with outstanding empathy and compassion through an exceptionally talented cast of unknown actors".
American Graffiti | Critical reception
Adding in semiautobiographical connotations, Lucas set the story in his hometown of 1962 Modesto. The characters Curt Henderson, John Milner, and Terry "The Toad" Fields also represent different stages from his younger life. Curt is modeled after Lucas's personality during USC, while Milner is based on Lucas's teenaged street-racing and junior-college years, and hot rod enthusiasts he had known from the Kustom Kulture in Modesto. Toad represents Lucas's nerd years as a freshman in high school, specifically his "bad luck" with dating. The filmmaker was also inspired by Federico Fellini's "I Vitelloni" (1953). After the financial failure of "THX 1138", Lucas wanted the film to act as a release for a world-weary audience:
American Graffiti | Inspiration
Although "American Graffiti" is set in 1962 Modesto, Lucas believed the city had changed too much in 10 years and initially chose San Rafael as the primary shooting location. Filming began on June 26, 1972. However, Lucas soon became frustrated at the time it was taking to fix camera mounts to the cars. A key member of the production had also been arrested for growing marijuana, and in addition to already running behind the shooting schedule, the San Rafael City Council immediately became concerned about the disruption that filming caused for local businesses, so withdrew permission to shoot beyond a second day.
American Graffiti | Filming
The financial success of "Graffiti" also gave Lucas opportunities to establish more elaborate development for Lucasfilm, Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light & Magic. Based on the success of the 1977 reissue, Universal began production for the sequel "More American Graffiti" (1979). Lucas and writers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz later collaborated on "Radioland Murders" (1994), also released by Universal Pictures, for which Lucas acted as executive producer. The film features characters intended to be Curt and Laurie Henderson's parents, Roger and Penny Henderson. In 1995, "American Graffiti" was deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
American Graffiti | Legacy
Lucas held firm—his was a story about West Coast teenagers in the early 1960s. Walter was paid the $10,000, and he began to expand the Lucas/Huyck/Katz treatment into a screenplay.
American Graffiti | United Artists
George Lucas has been credited for perfecting the genre by writing and directing "American Graffiti" (1973).
Teen film | <a href="George%20Lucas">George Lucas</a>
Along with "Easy Rider" (1969), "American Graffiti" was one of the first films to eschew a traditional film score and successfully rely instead on synchronizing a series of popular hit songs with individual scenes. "THX 1138" was released in March 1971, and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct "Lady Ice", "Tommy", or "Hair". He turned down those offers, determined to pursue his own projects despite his urgent desire to find another film to direct. During this time, Lucas conceived the idea for a space opera (as yet untitled) which later became the basis for his "Star Wars" franchise. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, "THX" was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition.
American Graffiti | United Artists
Italian Graffiti () is a 1973 Italian criminal comedy film written and directed by Alfio Caltabiano and starring Pino Colizzi and Ornella Muti.
Italian Graffiti | Introduction
"American Graffiti" received widespread critical acclaim. Based on 49 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of the critics enjoyed the film with an average score of 8.43/10. The consensus reads: "One of the most influential of all teen films, "American Graffiti" is a funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at a group of recent high school grads' last days of innocence". Roger Ebert gave the film a full four stars and praised it for being "not only a great movie, but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant".
American Graffiti | Critical reception
Kroot at the sock hop, and an effort by Bob Falfa to serenade Laurie with "Some Enchanted Evening"—but decided that the film was fit for release only as a television movie. However, various studio employees who had seen the film began talking it up, and its reputation grew through word of mouth. The studio dropped the TV movie idea and began arranging for a limited release in selected theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Universal presidents Sidney Sheinberg and Lew Wasserman heard about the praise the film had been garnering in LA and New York, and the marketing department amped up its promotion strategy for it, investing an additional $500,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) in marketing and promotion.
American Graffiti | Release
Although it is full of the material of fashionable nostalgia, it never exploits nostalgia. In its feeling for movement and music and the vitality of the night—and even in its vision in white—it is oddly closer to some early Fellini than to the recent American past of, say, "The Last Picture Show" or "Summer of '42"." Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas were nominated for an Academy Award for Film Editing in 1974 for their work on "American Graffiti"; while the film won no Academy Awards, Marcia Lucas, Murch, and Fields all won Academy Awards for later work.
Verna Fields | George Lucas and "American Graffiti"
The American is a 2010 American action thriller film directed by Anton Corbijn and starring George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Irina Björklund, and Paolo Bonacelli. Based on the novel "A Very Private Gentleman" by Martin Booth, it was loosely adapted to screenplay by Rowan Joffé. The film was released on September 1, 2010.
The American (2010 film) | Introduction
Universal initially projected a $600,000 budget, but added an additional $175,000 once producer Francis Ford Coppola signed on. This would allow the studio to advertise American Graffiti as "from the man who gave you "The Godfather" (1972)". The proposition also gave Universal first-look deals on Lucas' next two planned projects, "Star Wars" and "Radioland Murders". As he continued to work on the script, Lucas encountered difficulties on the Steve and Laurie storyline. Lucas, Katz, and Huyck worked on the third draft together, specifically on the scenes featuring Steve and Laurie.
American Graffiti | Universal Pictures
without a dramatic glue to hold the disparate story elements together, "Graffiti" is too disorganized for its own good, and the cross-cutting between different film styles only accentuates the problem." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and called it "one long confusing movie" that is "really too ambitious for its own good." On "Sneak Previews", Roger Ebert said he thought it was a "much better film" than Siskel did, that he "had no trouble following it" and that "it's a film worth seeing." Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" was also positive, writing that "the protagonists are affecting as before and 'More American Graffiti' is an uncommonly evocative trip back to our common past—a stirring reminder in both style and substance of what we've been through." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" wrote "All this fussy, arbitrary switching of scenes, years and aspect ratios may wow them back in film school, but the complicated framework reveals nothing but one inconsequential or misleading vignette after another.
More American Graffiti | Critical reception
In 1967, Fields had hired George Lucas to help edit "Journey to the Pacific" (1968), which was a documentary film written and directed by Gary Goldsmith for the USIA. She had also hired Marcia Griffin for the job, and introduced Griffin and George Lucas; the couple subsequently married. In 1972, Lucas was directing "American Graffiti". While Lucas had intended that his wife would edit the film, Universal asked him to add Verna Fields to the editing team. Over the first ten weeks of post-production, George and Marcia Lucas, along with Fields and Walter Murch (as sound editor), pieced together the original, 165-minute version of the film.
Verna Fields | George Lucas and "American Graffiti"
Widely considered to be an inferior rip-off of "American Graffiti", today the film is primarily notable for the début performances of many well-known actors.
The Hollywood Knights | Legacy
Dave Kehr, writing in the "Chicago Reader", called the film a brilliant work of popular art that redefined nostalgia as a marketable commodity, while establishing a new narrative style.
American Graffiti | Critical reception
Smith was discovered by a talent agent while acting in a school play, "Man of La Mancha". After a few years of working in film and television, he landed the role of Terry "The Toad" Fields in George Lucas's 1973 film "American Graffiti", a role he reprised in the film's 1979 sequel, "More American Graffiti". In 1973, he and "American Graffiti" co-star Cindy Williams appeared together in an episode of "Love, American Style" titled "Love and the Time Machine". In 1974 he starred with Ron Howard again in "The Spikes Gang", filmed in Spain, along with Lee Marvin and Gary Grimes; and in 1978 he earned a starring role in "Cotton Candy", directed by Howard.
Charles Martin Smith | Acting background
During the production of "THX 1138" (1971), producer Francis Ford Coppola challenged co-writer/director George Lucas to write a script that would appeal to mainstream audiences. Lucas embraced the idea, using his early 1960s teenage experiences cruising in Modesto, California. "Cruising was gone, and I felt compelled to document the whole experience and what my generation used as a way of meeting girls," Lucas explained. As he developed the story in his mind, Lucas included his fascination with Wolfman Jack. Lucas had considered doing a documentary about the Wolfman when he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, but he ultimately dropped the idea.
American Graffiti | Inspiration
The film received negative reviews from critics, in contrast to the critical acclaim received by its predecessor. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 20% of critics were positive based on 10 reviews. Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" called it "grotesquely misconceived, so much so that it nearly eradicates fond memories of the original ... The times — the story is scattered like buckshot from 1964 to 1967 — have grown dangerous, but these people haven't awakened at all. They're still the same fun-loving rock-and-rollers, and there's nothing they can't trivialize. So here is a comic look at campus rioting. Here are the beach party aspects of the Vietnam War." Dale Pollock of "Variety" stated in his review that ""More American Graffiti" may be one of the most innovative and ambitious films of the last five years, but by no means is it one of the most successful ...
More American Graffiti | Critical reception
When the studio didn't like the film, I wasn't surprised. But George just said to me, I was stupid and knew nothing. Because I was just a Valley Girl. He was the intellectual." When principal photography had wrapped on "American Graffiti" (1973), George had wanted Marcia to edit the film, but Universal Pictures executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields, who had just finished editing Steven Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express" (1974). However, Fields worked on the first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on "What's Up, Doc?" (1972). For the next six months, Marcia edited "American Graffiti" alongside her husband and sound editor Walter Murch to its contractual runtime of 110 minutes.
Marcia Lucas | Feature film editing
Internet reviewer MaryAnn Johanson acknowledged that "American Graffiti" rekindled public and entertainment interest in the 1950s and 1960s, and influenced other films such as "The Lords of Flatbush" (1974) and "Cooley High" (1975) and the TV series "Happy Days". Alongside other films from the New Hollywood era, "American Graffiti" is often cited for helping give birth to the summer blockbuster. The film's box-office success made George Lucas an instant millionaire. He gave an amount of the film's profits to Haskell Wexler for his visual consulting help during filming, and to Wolfman Jack for "inspiration". Lucas's net worth was now $4 million, and he set aside a $300,000 independent fund for his long-cherished space opera project, which would eventually become the basis for "Star Wars" (1977).
American Graffiti | Legacy
There, Lucas met David Picker, then president of United Artists, who was intrigued by "American Graffiti" and Lucas' space opera. Picker decided to give Lucas $10,000 to develop "Graffiti" as a screenplay. Lucas planned to spend another five weeks in Europe and hoped that Huyck and Katz would agree to finish the screenplay by the time he returned, but they were about to start on their own film, "Messiah of Evil", so Lucas hired Richard Walter, a colleague from the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the job. Walter was flattered, but initially tried to sell Lucas on a different screenplay called "Barry and the Persuasions", a story of East Coast teenagers in the late 1950s.
American Graffiti | United Artists
Lucas had wanted his wife, Marcia, to edit "American Graffiti", but Universal executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields, who had just finished editing Steven Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express". Fields worked on the first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on "What's Up, Doc?" After Fields' departure, Lucas struggled with editing the film's story structure. He had originally written the script so that the four (Curt, Steve, John, and Toad) storylines were always presented in the same sequence (an "ABCD" plot structure). The first cut of "American Graffiti" was three and a half hours long, and to whittle the film down to a more manageable two hours, many scenes had to be cut, shortened, or combined.
American Graffiti | Editing
Lucas argued that mentioning the girls meant adding another title card, which he felt would prolong the ending. Because of this, Pauline Kael later accused Lucas of chauvinism. Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz took the script to American International Pictures, who expressed interest, but ultimately believed "American Graffiti" was not violent or sexual enough for the studio's standards. Lucas and Kurtz eventually found favor at Universal Pictures, who allowed Lucas total artistic control and the right of final cut privilege on the condition that he make "American Graffiti" on a strict low budget. This forced Lucas to drop the opening scene in which the Blonde Angel, Curt's image of the perfect woman, drives through an empty drive-in cinema in her Ford Thunderbird, her transparency revealing she does not exist.
American Graffiti | Universal Pictures
Graffiti () is a 2006 Russian comedy film directed by .
Graffiti (film) | Introduction
Krishna Shah's self-created parallel to George Lucas (whom Shah never knew) would again come to the foreground in his 1985 "American Drive-In". The film, a critical and box office washout, was Shah's final movie as director. Veteran critic Leonard Klady of The Los Angeles Times offered that "American Drive-In" "(is) the destitute man's "American Graffiti"." He continued by saying, "(the film) is such a desperate stab at entertainment that if one were stranded on a desert island surrounded by sharks with only "this" movie to watch, you'd opt for water skiing." A review on Letterboxd had similar perspectives, noting that "American Drive-In" "(is) a rip-off, clearly trying to be "American Graffiti"," and later calling the film "the must avoid movie of 1985."
Krishna Shah | American Drive-In
The guy's got a slightly brutish outlook on the world; the girl knows how to twist her hair and cry a lot." Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the film "plays like a rehash of several dozen movies that you've sat through before, restlessly. You wince to see the waste of two attractive performers and a fair amount of competent craftsmanship on material so lacking in originality, aptness of thought or simple interest." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" called it "an inarticulate film about inarticulate characters." The "Time Out" review made some comparisons between "Aloha" and the critically acclaimed 1973 film "American Graffiti", which also starred Le Mat, though the review goes on to say "…with little characterisation or depth, the plot doesn't finally add up to much more than a coda to "Graffiti"."
Aloha, Bobby and Rose | Critical response
Petaluma, a similarly small town about north of San Rafael, was more cooperative, and "American Graffiti" moved there without the loss of a single day of shooting. Lucas convinced the San Rafael City Council to allow two further nights of filming for general cruising shots, which he used to evoke as much of the intended location as possible in the finished film. Shooting in Petaluma began June 28 and proceeded at a quick pace. Lucas mimicked the filmmaking style of B-movie producer Sam Katzman ("Rock Around the Clock" and "Your Cheatin' Heart") in attempting to save money and authenticated low-budget filming methods.
American Graffiti | Filming
Adding to the documentary feel was Lucas's openness for the cast to improvise scenes. He also used goofs for the final cut, notably Charles Martin Smith's arriving on his scooter to meet Steve outside Mel's Drive-In. Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage were hired as the cinematographers, but filming with Techniscope cameras brought lighting problems. As a result, Lucas commissioned help from friend Haskell Wexler, who was credited as the "visual consultant".
American Graffiti | Cinematography
Graffiti Bridge is a 1990 American rock musical drama film written, directed by, and starring Prince in his fourth and final film role. It is a standalone sequel to his 1984 film "Purple Rain". Like its predecessor, it was accompanied by a soundtrack album of the same name.
Graffiti Bridge (film) | Introduction
Also in 1972, George Lucas asked to view the pilot to determine if Ron Howard would be suitable to play a teenager in "American Graffiti," then in pre-production. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. With the movie's success generating a renewed interest in the 1950s era (although, the film was set in 1962), TV show creator Garry Marshall and ABC recast the unsold pilot to turn "Happy Days" into a series. According to Marshall in an interview, executive producer Tom Miller said while developing the sitcom, "If we do a TV series that takes place in another era, and when it goes into reruns, then it won't look old." This made sense to Marshall while on the set of the show.
Happy Days | Production
Amira's father shows up at her door and angrily berates her and fires Veronica, although she says that her real employer is his wife. Keith catches Wallace and Piz, out for a night on the town, in a bar, discovering that they have high-quality fake IDs from Veronica, leading Keith to reprimand her. Veronica discovers the true vandal after tracking a piece of bait. The vandal's name is Derrick (Cole Williams), who vandalized after seeing Nasir distributing a piece of anti-American propaganda at a mall. Both owners want to meet Derrick before pressing charges. Keith sends Piz (Chris Lowell) and Wallace (Percy Daggs III) with clearly fake IDs into a bar as a test of his subordinates.
Un-American Graffiti | Plot synopsis
Lucas considered covering duties as the sole cinematographer, but dropped the idea. Instead, he elected to shoot "American Graffiti" using two cinematographers (as he had done in "THX 1138") and no formal director of photography. Two cameras were used simultaneously in scenes involving conversations between actors in different cars, which resulted in significant production time savings. After CinemaScope proved to be too expensive, Lucas decided "American Graffiti" should have a documentary-like feel, so he shot the film using Techniscope cameras. He believed that Techniscope, an inexpensive way of shooting on 35 mm film and using only half of the film's frame, would give a perfect widescreen format resembling 16 mm.
American Graffiti | Cinematography
I am an American is a public service announcement (PSA) 30-second film sponsored by the Ad Council, first aired in 2001 in a tribute to the September 11 attacks.
I Am an American (2001 film) | Introduction
Army to transport troops, especially during the Korean War. In 1972 George Lucas used Buchanan Field Airport for one of the last exterior scenes in the movie "American Graffiti". In the scene, Steven Bolander (Ron Howard) says goodbye to friend Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) before Curt leaves for college on the Douglas DC-7C in the background.
Buchanan Field Airport | History
No Questions Asked is a 1951 American crime film noir directed by Harold F. Kress and starring Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, George Murphy and Jean Hagen.
No Questions Asked (film) | Introduction
Howard after filming had begun. In 1997, this film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry.
Knute Rockne, All American | Introduction
The other four were "The Hired Hand", "Taking Off", "Silent Running", and "American Graffiti", directed by Peter Fonda, Miloš Forman, Douglas Trumbull, and George Lucas, respectively. Given this freedom, Hopper spent much of 1970 in Peru, bringing many of his actor and musician friends to Peru—including singer Kris Kristofferson and director Samuel Fuller—and shooting the film under the working title "Chinchero". With hours and hours of footage, Hopper holed up in his home editing studio in Taos, New Mexico, but failed to deliver a cut by the end of 1970. He was in a period of severe alcohol and drug abuse (as shown in an extremely rare and barely released documentary called "The American Dreamer", which was directed by Lawrence Schiller and L.M.
The Last Movie | Production
"Un-American Graffiti" was written by Robert Hull and directed by John T. Kretchmer, marking Hull's second and final writing credit (after "Show Me the Monkey") and Kretchmer's fourteenth and final directing credit for the series. "Un-American Graffiti" introduces a romantic storyline between Mac (Tina Majorino) and Max (Adam Rose). Max had appeared in two previous episodes—as a suspect in "Hi, Infidelity" and as the main client in "Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves". From the very beginning of his appearances, Max was planned to begin a romantic relationship with Mac. Rose was roommates with the other main love interest for her, Bronson Pope (Michael Mitchell).
Un-American Graffiti | Production
The All-American Boy is a 1973 American drama film written and directed by Charles Eastman. The film stars Jon Voight, E. J. Peaker, Nancie Phillips, Art Metrano, Kathy Mahoney, Carole Androsky and Jeanne Cooper. The film was released by Warner Bros. on October 24, 1973.
The All-American Boy (film) | Introduction
The Phony American () is a 1961 West German film. It stars William Bendix and Ron Randell.
The Phony American | Introduction
Americano is a 2005 American film. The film stars Joshua Jackson, Leonor Varela, Timm Sharp, Ruthanna Hopper, and Dennis Hopper. It was written and directed by Kevin Noland.
Americano (2005 film) | Introduction
Roos, a former casting director on "The Andy Griffith Show", suggested Ron Howard for Steve Bolander; Howard accepted the role to break out of the mold of his career as a child actor. Howard would later appear in the very similar role of Richie Cunningham on the "Happy Days" sitcom. Bob Balaban turned down Terry out of fear of becoming typecast, a decision he later regretted. Charles Martin Smith, who, in his first year as a professional actor, had already appeared in two feature films, including 20th Century Fox's "The Culpepper Cattle Co." and four TV episodes, was eventually cast in the role.
American Graffiti | Casting
In 1997 the city of Modesto, California, honored Lucas with a statue dedication of "American Graffiti" at George Lucas Plaza. Director David Fincher credited "American Graffiti" as a visual influence for "Fight Club" (1999). Lucas's "" (2002) features references to the film. The yellow airspeeder that Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi use to pursue the bounty hunter, Zam Wesell, is based on John Milner's yellow deuce coupe, while Dex's Diner is reminiscent of Mel's Drive-In. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman conducted the "rear axle" experiment on the January 11, 2004, episode of "MythBusters".
American Graffiti | Legacy
After Warner Bros. abandoned Lucas's early version of "Apocalypse Now" (during the post-production of "THX 1138"), the filmmaker decided to continue developing "Another Quiet Night in Modesto", eventually changing its title to "American Graffiti". To co-write a 15-page film treatment, Lucas hired Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who also added semiautobiographical material to the story. Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz began pitching the "American Graffiti" treatment to various Hollywood studios and production companies in an attempt to secure the financing needed to expand it into a screenplay, but they were unsuccessful. The potential financiers were concerned that music licensing costs would cause the film to go way over budget.
American Graffiti | United Artists
Answer This! is an American 2011 comedy film written and directed by Christopher Farah and starring Christopher Gorham, Arielle Kebbel, and Chris Parnell. The film was primarily filmed in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is set at the University of Michigan; it is the first film to have been filmed closely in cooperation with the University.
Answer This! | Introduction
Hollywood also paid attention, consulting writers such as PHASE 2 as it depicted the culture and gave it international exposure in movies such as "Beat Street" (Orion, 1984).
Graffiti | Spread of hip hop culture
The All American is a 1932 American pre-Code sports drama film directed by Russell Mack and written by Ferdinand Reyher and Frank Wead. The film stars Richard Arlen, Andy Devine and Gloria Stuart. It was given its premiere in Los Angeles on October 7, 1932, by Universal Pictures. Many noted real-life football players and a coach appeared uncredited in the film.
The All American (film) | Introduction
Released in 2003, the film starred Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Wentworth Miller and Gary Sinise.
The Human Stain | Introduction
The Young Americans is a 1993 crime drama that marked the feature film debut of British director Danny Cannon and his friend David Arnold, best known for composing scores for five of the James Bond films.
The Young Americans (film) | Introduction
(Contemporary posters from the film featured the faces of most major cast members, including Rooney, but did not show the face of Drake, and his name was in smaller type than those of the other main stars.)
Words and Music (1948 film) | Introduction
America America is a 1983 Indian Malayalam film, directed by I. V. Sasi. The film stars Mammootty, Lakshmi, Ratheesh and Balan K. Nair in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Shyam.
America America (1983 film) | Introduction
A list of American films released in 1961.
List of American films of 1961 | Introduction
Made in America is a 1993 American comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson, and featuring Nia Long, Jennifer Tilly and Will Smith. The film was directed by Richard Benjamin. It was shot in various locations in Oakland, California and at Oakland Technical High School. A notable song on the soundtrack is "Colors of Love," written by Carole Bayer Sager, James Ingram and Bruce Roberts, and produced by David Foster, which alludes to the story line.
Made in America (1993 film) | Introduction
Dorothy Stratten appears, uncredited and in a brief non-speaking role, in a Playboy bunny style outfit during a scene where Meat Loaf's character donates blood. The Del Rubio triplets can be seen performing "America the Beautiful" behind several posing bodybuilders. John Carradine was to have played "Uncle Sam" in this movie, but his scenes did not make the final cut. Director Neal Israel has a cameo as a protesting rabbi holding a picket sign reading "The President Is a Yutz" (Yiddish for "a stupid, clueless person").
Americathon | Cast
On their last evening of summer vacation in September 1962, recent high school graduates and longtime friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet two other friends, John Milner, the drag-racing king of the town, and Terry "The Toad" Fields, in the parking lot of the local Mel's Drive-In in Modesto, California. Curt and Steve are scheduled to travel "Back East" the following morning to start college. Despite receiving a $2,000 scholarship from the local Moose Lodge, Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto. Steve gives Terry his 1958 Chevrolet Impala to care for until he returns at Christmas. Steve's girlfriend, Laurie, who is also Curt's sister, arrives in her 1958 Ford Edsel.
American Graffiti | Plot
Paul Le Mat (born September 22, 1945) is an American actor. He first came to prominence with his role in "American Graffiti" (1973); his performance was met with critical acclaim and earned him the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor. Le Mat's breakout performance in "American Graffiti" landed him the lead role in box office hit "Aloha, Bobby and Rose" (1975). He also is known for his work in the Jonathan Demme films "Handle with Care" (1977) and "Melvin and Howard" (1980). He won another Golden Globe award for his performance in the TV film "The Burning Bed" (1984) and starred in the cult film "Puppet Master" (1989) which spawned a franchise.
Paul Le Mat | Introduction
Bomb the System is a drama film written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough, which was released to film festivals in 2002 and American theaters in 2005. It revolves around a group of graffiti artists living in New York City who decide to make a mark on the city, and stars Mark Webber, Gano Grills, Jaclyn DeSantis, Jade Yorker, Bönz Malone, Kumar Pallana and Joey SEMZ. "Bomb the System" was the first major fictional feature film about the subculture of graffiti art since "Wild Style" was released 1982. Several well-known graffiti artists participated in the making of the film including Lee Quiñones, Cope2 and Chino BYI.
Bomb the System | Introduction
Candace June Clark (born June 20, 1947) is an American actress and model. She is well known for her roles as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film "American Graffiti", for which she received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Mary Lou in the 1976 film "The Man Who Fell to Earth".
Candy Clark | Introduction
Question 7 is a 1961 American-West German film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Michael Gwynn, Margaret Jahnen and Christian de Bresson. It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Film. It was also entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.
Question 7 | Introduction
In This Corner is a 1948 American sports drama film directed by Charles Reisner and starring Scott Brady, Anabel Shaw and James Millican.
In This Corner (1948 film) | Introduction
Kennedy assassination and before the peak years of the counterculture movement. "American Graffiti" evokes mankind's relationship with machines, notably the elaborate number of hot rods—having been called a "classic-car flick", representative of the motor car's importance to American culture at the time it was made. Another theme is teenagers' obsession with radio, especially with the inclusion of Wolfman Jack and his mysterious and mythological faceless (to most) voice.
American Graffiti | Themes
The largely unknown cast performs with beguiling authenticity, and there are many incidental observations that transcend facile nostalgia." Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" called it "an assemblage of ingredients previously identified as crowd-pleasers" with "little life of its own—almost nothing of that feeling, which for all its craft 'American Graffiti' certainly had, that its creators were looking back at someplace they'd been." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" wrote that the film started out as "a pungent and authentic story," but once it turns dark "takes a rather precipitous header, going the way of gratuitously violent exploitation. The change in direction is extremely unattractive and ill-advised, and it may ruin the film's initially strong chances of popularity." Leonard Maltin gave the film a *1/2 score, and said that it was a "blubbery account of high school romance in 1948 rural Georgia...[and that it] can't overcome cliched premise." Steven Scheuer said that it was "an uneven but perceptive film" and that, in the lead roles, Vincent played his role "with strength and charm" while Goodfellow was "touching as the acquiescent town tramp."
Buster and Billie | Critical reception
Problems with financing and distribution kept the film from being released until 1983. The film was well received by audiences, but met with primarily negative criticism.
Americana (film) | Introduction
American Made is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Doug Liman, written by Gary Spinelli, and starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Alejandro Edda, Mauricio Mejía, Caleb Landry Jones, and Jesse Plemons. It is inspired by the life of Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot who flew missions for the CIA, and became a drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel in the 1980s. In order to avoid jail time, Seal became an informant for the DEA. The film was first released in Taiwan on August 18, 2017, and then in the United States on September 29, 2017.
American Made (film) | Introduction
66 Scenes from America () is a 1982 Danish documentary film directed by Jørgen Leth. It presents a variety of short scenes with no connecting narrative. People are shown engaged in ordinary activities with minimal direction. Leth described it as containing "large and small things, events, people, thoughts and feelings". The original plan for the film was to include 40 different scenes, but once filming began it was expanded to 66. The film's best-known scene shows artist Andy Warhol eating a Whopper hamburger from the fast food restaurant chain Burger King. The scene is the longest in the film, in part because Warhol did not realize he was expected to say his name immediately after he finished eating, and Leth did not edit out the awkward pause that resulted.
66 Scenes from America | Introduction
The New York City Breakers, who were fresh off of their success from the movie "Beat Street", made a showcase appearance. The episode also features television and film actress, Debi Mazar and actor/director Vincent Gallo (who identified as "Prince Vince") as dancers on the show.
Graffiti Rock | Introduction
The first official poster was released on June 17, 2010. The first trailer was attached to "Robin Hood" and the second official trailer on June 19, 2010, and was attached to "Jonah Hex", "Grown Ups", "Inception" and "The Other Guys".
The American (2010 film) | Marketing
The film marked the final screen appearance of actor Jack Haley.
New York, New York (1977 film) | Introduction
American Gothic is a 1988 slasher film directed by John Hough and starring Rod Steiger, Yvonne De Carlo and Michael J. Pollard.
American Gothic (1988 film) | Introduction
Veronica tracks down the family of the car that was used in the paintball incident and finds that it is under the control of a group of young people. Keith's underlings state that the bars are actually good at keeping out minors. Veronica reviews security cameras at the restaurant and tracks a person down to be a Jewish man with whom the restaurant owner's daughter has been having an affair. An employee named Nasir (Haaz Sleiman) has taken explicit photos of the two, and Amira's father will disown her if the father finds out. Veronica goes to a photo-developing store and retrieves the photos, but one is stuck in the printer and Nasir gets it.
Un-American Graffiti | Plot synopsis