American Graffiti

[germdoc]

I finally got around to watching all of American Graffiti. I've seen bits and pieces over the years but never the whole thing.

It is, of course, a blast. In my opinion the cars outshined some of the acting. And the music was awesome.

Hard to believe it came out in '73 (35 years ago!) when there was already nostalgia for the late 50's/early 60's. The movie started or boosted the careers of George Lucas, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Charles Martin Smith (popular character actor), Bo Hopkins (played Buford Pusser in Walking Tall 2), MacKenzie Phillips, and of course Suzanne Somers as the blonde in the T-Bird. Hard to believe most of these actors now almost qualify for Social Security. Interestingly, Richard Dreyfuss was 26 when he was in the movie cast as a brand-new high school graduate, Ron Howard was 19, Paul LeMat was 26, Cindy Williams was 26. (Couldn't they find any teenagers who could act?)

You have to wonder why some actors like Cindy Williams and Harrison Ford got famous and Candy Clark (Toad's "date" with the very high blonde hair) and Paul LeMat (John the drag racer) didn't. And you know, I really miss Wolfman Jack. That guy was a lot of fun.

Favorite quote, from John (listening to Beach Boys on the radio): "You know, rock'n'roll really went downhill after Buddy Holly died."

The Dreyfuss and Howard characters really hit home for me--I could've been either of them. The main thing we did on weekends was drive around in my friend's Firebird, listen to rock music, drink beer, and hope to meet cute chicks on Brainerd Road in Chattanooga. The incident with the chain around the cop car axle reminded me of the silly pranks I had to play to keep from getting beaten up by "gang" members--i.e., toughs in leather jackets. Unlike Curt (Dreyfuss), I wasn't ambivalent about leaving home for college--I couldn't wait to get out of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, off to the big city (Atlanta). And never went back. Like Ron Howard's character, I had one of those sad conversations with my girlfriend when I left--we tried to keep dating for a few months, but it fell by the wayside.

Anyway, it was a very entertaining movie. I have to think that that period before JFK's assassination was the last innocent period in America. The final shots of the movie, with the quotes about what happened to each character, really brought us down to earth. And depressed the heck out of me.

The movie makes me wish I had been in high school in the late 50's/early 60's, of course then I'd be even older than I am now, but let's just say the late 50's seemed a lot more fun than the late 70's.

Or put another way, Disco sucks a lot more than Elvis and Buddy Holly and Bill Haley.

[cabinetman]

That is a great movie, a classic, one of my favorites. I guess times did change by the time you got into high school. But, like those trends of the era, I remember sock hops and pep rallies in the gymnasium. Adding to your list...Jerry Lee Lewis.

Those times were also when you had to fight, or you'd be picked on forever. My high school must have been different. Yeah, there were those pseudo "tough guys" in leather jackets that got used to bullying people around. What surprised them is when you didn't do any talking and just laid one on them. Besides, it's too hard to fight with a leather jacket on.
.

[DUD]

I was early 60's, I graduated in 1962. I had a '57 Ford Sunliner and loading chicks in the

car was a lot of fun. Still Dreamin, Bill

[L. D. Jeffries]

Yeah a great movie. Brings back a lot of youthful memories. Every year the American Classic Car outfit ( I think that's their name) holds a meet in Glens Falls, NY. If you want to see some GREAT cars go there. For a couple of days a steady stream of cars parading down the main street. Just don't expect to find a motel room for 30 miles around that weekend!

[Whaler]

That was a great movie. We watched it again just a few nights ago and it was as good as the first time. I also have the soundtrack and sometimes pop it in just for some great music.

[Pappy]

Most interesting car to me was the black '55 that Harrison Ford drove. It was put together from the remainders of 2 that were used in a B movie called "Two Lane Blacktop" about 2 cousins that raced their way across the country. One car was a prop for close up shots. The studio commissioned a young engine builder named Keith Black to build the motor for the one used in the race scenes. Apparently he didn't understand it was supposed to LOOK fast and, the Wednesday night before the studio got it, the car shut down everything it ran on Van Nuys (SP?) Blvd. The race engine survived the movie to be in the car for "Graffiti" and, yes, the actual car was destroyed in the final scene.