Stanley Kauffmann, who liked it, complained in the New Republic that Lucas had made a film more fascinating to the generation now between thirty and forty than it could be for other generations, older or younger. Pivoting around Mel's bright Drive-In, and Wolfman Jack's non-stop Rock 'n' Roll disc-jockey show, the boys cruise the town's colourful streets in their beautiful cars, as an elusive blonde vision in a white 1956 Ford Thunderbird contributes to the excitement of this very special night. [29] Fields worked on the first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on What's Up, Doc? They include. [15] 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. The studio eventually proposed a flat deal that offered every music publisher the same amount of money. “American Graffiti” acts almost as a milestone to show us how far (and in many cases how tragically) we have come. [16] Filming began on June 26, 1972. Thompson, Margo; Summary "The first appearances of graffiti 'tags' (signatures) on New York City subway trains in the early 1970s were discarded as incidents of vandalism or the rough, violent cries of the ignorant and impoverished. Further nominations at the 46th Academy Awards include Best Director (George Lucas), Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published (Lucas, Willard Huyck, and Gloria Katz), Best Supporting Actress (Candy Clark) and Best Film Editing (Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas). 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. [5] Universal refused these offers and told Lucas they planned to have William Hornbeck re-edit the film. 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. [18] Bob Balaban turned down Terry out of fear of becoming typecast, a decision he later regretted. [4], Director David Fincher credited American Graffiti as a visual influence for Fight Club (1999). [46] 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. Over the course of one long and hot September night, the long-time companions on the brink of adulthood will take their first steps into the real life; experience the powerful feelings of desire, disappointment, and love--and, ultimately--see the world in a different light. Curt and Steve are to travel "Back East" the following morning to start college. Young George Lucas' influential hallmark film American Graffiti (1973) recreates the feel, landscape, and sounds of early 60s, small-town America - an historical time period (of JFK's Presidency and the New Frontier before the jarring assassination of late 1963 and the rest of an unpredictable era) that has since been irretrievably lost. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma. The incredible soundtrack brings you the most memorable rock 'n' roll hits of the era. November 19, 2019. American Graffiti co-writers, Gloria Katz & George Lucas. [45] 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". Drawing upon his large collection of vintage records, Lucas wrote each scene with a particular song in mind as its musical backdrop. Retired 2006. Laurie grips Steve tightly and begs him not to leave her. American Graffiti premiered on August 2, 1973, at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and was released on August 11, 1973, in the United States. "I used the absence of music, and sound effects, to create the drama," Lucas later explained.[30]. A group of friends spend one last night as summer vacation ends, each of them dealing with some sort of dilemma - whether major, like doubts about leaving home for college, or minor, like getting a date with a cute girl. American Graffiti is pure magic. 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti, Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen, AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition), Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, "American Graffiti (1973) – Financial Information", "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress", Cindy Williams on working with George Lucas on "American Graffiti" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG-YouTube, American Graffiti Filming Locations (June – August 1972), Richards, Mark. [12], Lucas spent the rest of 1971 and early 1972 trying to raise financing for the American Graffiti script. En route, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird. Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Quinlan, Debralee Scott and Joe Spano also appear in the film. 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. [42] Aside from the four minutes originally deleted from Lucas' original cut retained, the only major change in the DVD version is the main title sequence, particularly the sky background to Mel's Drive-In, which was redone by ILM. [63] The film's box-office success made George Lucas an instant millionaire. [10] 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,[10] investing an additional $500,000 (equivalent to $2.9 million in 2019)[33] in marketing and promotion. American Graffiti was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, but lost to The Sting. The movie follows around a group of teenagers just out of high school, cruising the streets enjoying their last precious moments of summer freedom. During one … [5] The film was released in the United States on August 11, 1973[1] to sleeper hit reception. Another night, Le Mat threw Richard Dreyfuss into a swimming pool, gashing Dreyfuss' forehead on the day before he was due to have his close-ups filmed. It is the sequel to the 1973 film American Graffiti. [22], However, various studio employees who had seen the film began talking it up, and its reputation grew through word of mouth. [21] After CinemaScope proved to be too expensive,[16] Lucas decided American Graffiti should have a documentary-like feel, so he shot the film using Techniscope cameras. Comparatively, contemporary Graffiti art is fairly narrow in its identification, centering on the concept of tagging and emphasizing a text-based aesthetic. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Lucas, Katz, and Huyck worked on the third draft together, specifically on the scenes featuring Steve and Laurie. Before he was a director, Lucas spent his nights drag racing through the streets of Northern California, and his nostalgia for his youth is on display in every frame of this film. That night, Curt searches relentlessly for a spellbinding woman in a white T-Bird while Steve tries to patch things up with his girlfriend after suggesting they date other people while he's away. [16], Over 100 unknown actors auditioned for Curt Henderson before Richard Dreyfuss was cast; George Lucas was impressed with Dreyfuss' thoughtful analysis of the role,[6] and as a result, offered the actor his choice of Curt or Terry "The Toad" Fields. | 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 $4.7 million in 2019) it had cost to make it. American Graffiti Movie Rating PG, 1 hr 50 min Movie More Info. 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. Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto. 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. Lucas held firm—his was a story about West Coast teenagers in the early 1960s. Curt drives to the radio station to ask disc jockey "Wolfman Jack" to read a message for her on the air. American Graffiti depicts multiple characters going through a coming of age, such as the decisions to attend college or reside in a small town. Just search for “American Graffiti liquor store.” Meanwhile, it’s a shame this video doesn’t have the whole thing including the bum and the robber. [24] In addition, two camera operators were nearly killed when filming the climactic race scene on Frates Road outside Petaluma. Picker decided to give Lucas $10,000 to develop Graffiti as a screenplay. Curt replies that they probably will not because he is leaving town. [22] 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures made similar offers to the studio. An on-screen epilogue reveals that John was killed by a drunk driver in 1964, Terry was reported missing in action near An Lộc in 1965, Steve is an insurance agent in Modesto and Curt is a writer in Canada. [21] 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. All home video releases also included these scenes. [67] Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman conducted the "rear axle" experiment on the January 11, 2004, episode of MythBusters.[68]. Because of this, Pauline Kael later accused Lucas of chauvinism. John inadvertently picks up Carol, an annoying, precocious 12-year-old who manipulates him into driving her around all night. [17], Production proceeded with virtually no input or interference from Universal since American Graffiti was a low-budget film, and executive Ned Tanen had only modest expectations of its commercial success. [28] Murch suggested making Wolfman Jack's radio show the "backbone" of the film. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of American Graffiti; In this rollocking, fun ride, Star Wars scribe, George Lucas explores the teenagers of the early sixties. Steve's girlfriend, Laurie, is upset at Steve's leaving and gradually … "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. [52] 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.[53]. Through a series of vignettes, the film tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of a night. American Graffiti takes place in Modesto, California, in the early ' 60s, the twilight of American innocence, before drugs, Vietnam, assassination and political protest. [22], The financial success of Graffiti also gave Lucas opportunities to establish more elaborate development for Lucasfilm, Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light & Magic. The early 1960s 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 mid-1960s, beginning with the January 1964 arrival of The Beatles and the following British Invasion, which Don McLean's "American Pie" and the early 1970s revival of 1950s acts and oldies paralleled during the conception and filming. "[51] 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. [14], 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. Steve suggests to Laurie that they see other people while he is away to "strengthen" their relationship. 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 … 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. As John takes the lead, Bob's tire blows out, causing him to lose control. American Graffiti - Race Horse Profile RACING.COM. [32] George Lucas had to be realistic about the complexities of copyright clearances, though, and suggested a number of alternative tracks. The 1973 film American Graffiti is George Lucas's love letter to the 1950s and his home town of Modesto, California. [16], In addition to Petaluma, other locations included Mel's Drive-In in San Francisco, Sonoma, Richmond, Novato, and the Buchanan Field Airport in Concord. Terry and John cruise the strip. [56] Additional nominations include Cindy Williams for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role,[57] Lucas for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film,[58] and Lucas, Huyck, and Katz for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.[34]. Street art, meanwhile, … In 1995, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. This would allow the studio to advertise American Graffiti as "from the man who gave you The Godfather (1972)". [34], 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. 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. "[31], The choice of music was crucial to the mood of each scene—it is diegetic music that the characters themselves can hear and therefore becomes an integral part of the action. Restored and remastered, supervised by George Lucas himself, the film is encoded in 1080p/VC-1 and mixed in 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. Huyck and Katz found the ending depressing and were incredulous that Lucas planned to include only the male characters. [2] Produced on a $777,000 budget,[1] it has become one of the most profitable films ever. 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 The 1973 box office and critical smash American Graffiti epitomized the 1950s nostalgia craze, established the device of interweaving multiple stories, inspired such … [34], Universal reissued Graffiti on May 26, 1978 with Dolby sound[37][38] and earned an additional $63 million (equivalent to $247 million in 2019),[33] which brought the total revenue for the two releases to $118 million (equivalent to $463 million in 2019). However, Universal did object to the film's title, not knowing what "American Graffiti" meant;[17] Lucas was dismayed when some executives assumed he was making an Italian movie about feet. [8], 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. Based on 52 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of the critics enjoyed the film with an average score of 8.51/10. 'Diegetic Music, Non-Diegetic Music, and “Source Scoring”' in, "Domestic Grosses Adjusted For Inflation", "American Graffiti / More American Graffiti (Drive-In Double Feature) (1979)", "American Graffiti (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] (1973)", "What the Steamship and the Landline Can Tell Us About the Decline of the Private Car", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "The 31st Annual Golden Globe Awards (1974)", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "1970s – DGA Award Winners for: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film", "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)", "The Evolution of the Summer Blockbuster", The Art of Teen Films-American Graffiti (posted by The Royal Ocean Film Society on YouTube), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Graffiti&oldid=1019451629, American coming-of-age comedy-drama films, Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners, United States National Film Registry films, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 April 2021, at 12:13. The wheels give Toad a new sense of confidence, which he uses to try and impress Debbie Dunham, a more experienced girl generally out of his league. Start studying american graffiti. Lucas was nominated for Best Director and Richard Dreyfuss was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. 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). Features the coming of age of four teenagers on their last summer night before college. [36] Based on the success of the 1978 reissue, Universal began production for the sequel More American Graffiti (1979). ["Do You Wanna Dance?" The yellow airspeeder that Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi use to pursue bounty hunter Zam Wesell is based on John Milner's yellow deuce coupe,[66] while Dex's Diner is reminiscent of Mel's Drive-In. [21] A key member of the production had also been arrested for growing marijuana,[14] 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. KIP PULLMAN'S AMERICAN GRAFFITI BLOG is the best and most successful web tribute to the 1973 film classic, AMERICAN GRAFFITI. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, THX was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. 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. [22] The studio dropped the TV movie idea and began arranging for a limited release in selected theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Curt, Steve, and Laurie attend the back-to-high-school sock hop. 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. Two cameras were used simultaneously in scenes involving conversations between actors in different cars, which resulted in significant production time savings. “American Graffiti” has a secure place in film history as the movie that made “Star Wars” possible. Two friends recently out of high school, Curt and Steve, are celebrating the final night in their hometown of Modesto, California, before leaving for college, although Curt is having second thoughts. [24] One actor set fire to Lucas' motel room. Created / Published c1973. Foaled 09/10/1998. "I wanted something that was more like the way I grew up. Sturhahn, Larry (March 1974). [23], More problems ensued during filming; Paul Le Mat was sent to the hospital after an allergic reaction to walnuts. AMERICAN GRAFFITI is a coming-of-age dramedy set in Modesto, Calif. Steven and Curt (Richard Dreyfus) are leaving for college.Over the course of a long last night, Steven and Laurie (Cindy Williams) resolve to date others, while Curt chases a mysterious blond woman (Suzanne Sommers) in a T-bird.Meanwhile, Steven's friend Toad takes Steven's car and romances the somewhat dim Debbie. United Artists also passed on Star Wars, which Lucas shelved for the time being. 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. As a result, the film's structure became increasingly loose and no longer adhered to Lucas's original "ABCD" presentation. Curt becomes desperate to find her; one of his friends tells him "The Blonde" is the wife of a local jeweler, but Curt does not believe it. ... Summary Details Given the popularity of the film's cars with customizers and hot rodders in the years since its release, their fate immediately after the film is ironic. "[13] Walter's script also had Steve and Laurie going to Nevada to get married without their parents' permission. On their last evening of summer vacation in 1962, high school graduates and friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet two other friends, John Milner, the drag-racing king, and Terry "The Toad" Fields, in the parking lot of Mel's Drive-In in Modesto, California. [11] The cost of licensing the 75 songs Lucas wanted was one factor in United Artists' ultimate decision to reject the script; the studio also felt it was too experimental—"a musical montage with no characters". [62] Alongside other films from the New Hollywood era, American Graffiti is often cited for helping give birth to the summer blockbuster. 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