American Graffiti
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''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard,
Paul Le Mat 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 - ...
, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack.
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
and Bo Hopkins also appear. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and early
rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
cultures popular among Lucas' age group at that time. Through a series of vignettes, it tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures throughout a night. While Lucas was working on his first film, '' THX 1138'', Coppola asked him to write a coming-of-age film. The genesis of ''American Graffiti'' took place in Modesto in the early 1960s, during Lucas's teenage years. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors but found favor at
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming began in
San Rafael, California San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city in and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of th ...
, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma, California. The film is the first movie to be produced by his Lucasfilm production banner. ''American Graffiti'' premiered on August 2, 1973, at the
Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...
in Switzerland, and was released on August 11, 1973, in the United States. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for five
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, including Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget (equivalent to about $ in dollars), it has become one of the most profitable films ever. Since its release, ''American Graffiti'' has earned an estimated return well over $200 million in box-office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
.


Plot

On their last evening of summer vacation in 1962, high school graduates Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet their friends, confident
drag-racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
king John Milner and unpopular but well-meaning Terry "The Toad" Fields, at Mel's Drive-In in Modesto, California. Set to travel " Back East" with Steve in the morning to start college, Curt has second thoughts about leaving. Laurie, Steve's girlfriend and Curt's sister, is hurt when Steve suggests they see other people while he is away to "strengthen" their relationship. En route to the high school sock hop, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird who mouths "I love you", leading him to desperately search for her throughout the night. Leaving the dance, he is coerced into joining a group of greasers called "the Pharaohs" in stealing coins from arcade machines and hooking a chain to a police car, ripping out its back axle. During a tense ride, the Pharaoh leader tells Curt that the blonde is a prostitute, which he does not believe. Allowed to take care of Steve's car while he is at college, Terry cruises around the strip and picks up the rebellious Debbie. Telling her he is known as "Terry the Tiger", he spends the night trying to impress her, lying about the car and purchasing alcohol with no ID. The car is stolen while they share a romantic interlude and later, after the alcohol has made Terry violently sick, he attempts to steal it back. The thieves beat him up until John intervenes, and Terry eventually admits the truth to Debbie and reveals he rides a Vespa scooter; she suggests it is "almost a motorcycle" and says she had fun, agreeing to meet up with him again. Seeking cruising company, John inadvertently picks up Carol, a precocious 12 year-old who manipulates him into driving her around all night. He lies to suspicious friends that she is a cousin he is stuck babysitting, and they have a series of petty arguments until another car's occupants harass her as she attempts to walk home alone, and John decides to protect her. The racer, Bob Falfa, wants to compete for John's drag-racing crown. During his night of challenging anyone he comes across, Bob picks up an emotional Laurie after a long-brewing argument with Steve. Leaving the Pharaohs, Curt drives to the radio station to ask the omnipresent disc jockey " Wolfman Jack" to read a message on the air for the blonde. A station employee tells him the Wolfman does not work there and the shows are taped, claiming the Wolfman "is everywhere". He says the Wolfman would advise Curt to "get your ass in gear" and see the world but promises to have the Wolfman air the request. As Curt leaves, he realizes the employee is the Wolfman, who reads the message to the blonde asking her to call Curt at the Mel's Drive-In payphone. After taking Carol home, John is goaded by Bob into drag racing along Paradise Road outside the city with a crowd of spectators. Terry starts the race and John takes the lead but Bob's tire blows out, causing his car to swerve into a ditch and roll over before bursting into flames. Steve rushes to the wreck as Laurie and Bob crawl out before the car explodes. While John helps his rival to safety, Laurie begs Steve not to leave her and he assures her that he will stay with her in Modesto. An exhausted Curt is awakened by the payphone and finally speaks to the mysterious blonde, who hints at the possibility of meeting that night but Curt replies that he is leaving town. In the morning at the airfield, he says goodbye to his parents and friends; after takeoff, he sees the white Thunderbird driving along the road below, and gazes thoughtfully into the sky. A postscript reveals the friends' fates, in 1964, John was killed by a drunk driver; in 1965, Terry was reported
missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty (person), casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoner of war, prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been ...
near An Lộc, South Vietnam; Steve is an insurance agent in Modesto and Curt is a writer living in Canada.


Cast


Main credits


Notable ensemble


Development


Inspiration

During the production of '' THX 1138'' (1971), producer
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
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.Baxter, pp. 70, 104, 148, 254 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 John 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. Terry 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).Baxter, pp. 106–118 After the financial failure of ''THX 1138'', Lucas wanted the film to act as a release for a world-weary audience:Sturhahn, Larry (March 1974). "The Filming of ''American Graffiti''". ''Filmmakers Newsletter''.


United Artists

After Warner Bros. abandoned Lucas's early version of ''
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American psychological epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkn ...
'' (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.(DVD) ''The Making of American Graffiti''. Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 1998. Lucas and his colleague 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. Along with '' Easy Rider'' (1969), ''American Graffiti'' was one of the first films to eschew a traditional
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
and successfully rely instead on synchronizing a series of popular hit songs with individual scenes. ''THX 1138'' was released in March 1971,Hearn, pp. 10–11, 42–47 and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct '' Lady Ice'', '' Tommy'', or ''
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
''. 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 Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...
(as yet untitled) which later became the basis for his ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, ''THX'' was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. There, Lucas met David Picker, then president of United Artists, who was intrigued by ''American Graffiti'' and Lucas's space opera. Picker decided to give Lucas $10,000 (equivalent to about $ in dollars) 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. 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. Lucas was dismayed when he returned to America in June 1971 and read Walter's script, which was written in the style and tone of an exploitation film, similar to 1967's '' Hot Rods to Hell''. "It was overtly sexual and very fantasy-like, with playing chicken and things that kids didn't really do," Lucas explained. "I wanted something that was more like the way I grew up." Walter's script also had Steve and Laurie going to Nevada to get married without their parents' permission. Walter rewrote the screenplay, but Lucas nevertheless fired him due to their creative differences. After paying Walter, Lucas had exhausted his development fund from United Artists. He began writing a script, completing his first draft in just three weeks. Drawing upon his large collection of vintage records, Lucas wrote each scene with a particular song in mind as its musical backdrop.Hearn, pp. 52–53 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". United Artists also passed on ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'', which Lucas shelved for the time being.


Universal Pictures

Lucas spent the rest of 1971 and early 1972 trying to raise financing for the ''American Graffiti'' script.Hearn, pp. 54–55 During this time,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
,
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
, and
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
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. 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.Baxter, pp. 120–123 Lucas and Kurtz eventually found favor at
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
, 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. 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 ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...
''". The proposition also gave Universal first-look deals on Lucas's 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. Production proceeded with virtually no input or interference from Universal since ''American Graffiti'' was a
low-budget film A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a film, motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studios, major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream ci ...
, and executive Ned Tanen had only modest expectations of its commercial success. However, Universal did object to the film's title, not knowing what "American Graffiti" meant; Lucas was dismayed when some executives assumed he was making an Italian movie about feet. The studio, therefore, submitted a long list of over 60 alternative titles, with their favorite being ''Another Slow Night in Modesto'' and Coppola's ''Rock Around the Block''. They pushed hard to get Lucas to adopt any of the titles, but he was displeased with all the alternatives and persuaded Tanen to keep ''American Graffiti''.Hearn, pp. 58–60


Production


Casting

The film's lengthy casting process was overseen by Fred Roos, who worked with producer Francis Ford Coppola on ''The Godfather''. Because ''American Graffitis 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 The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
. Among the actors was Mark Hamill, the future Luke Skywalker in Lucas's ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Over 100 unknown actors auditioned for Curt Henderson before Richard Dreyfuss was cast; George Lucas was impressed with Dreyfuss's thoughtful analysis of the role, and as a result, offered the actor his choice of Curt or Terry "The Toad" Fields. 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.Hearn, pp. 56–57 Howard would later appear in the very similar role of Richie Cunningham on the ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
'' 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. 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.Baxter, pp. 124–128 For Bob Falfa, Roos cast
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
, 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 lest he be offered other movie or TV roles set in the "present day" of the 1970s. The character has a flattop in the script, but a compromise was eventually reached whereby Ford wore a Stetson to cover his hair. Producer Coppola encouraged Lucas to cast Wolfman Jack as himself in a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
. "George Lucas and I went through thousands of Wolfman Jack phone calls that were taped with the public," Jack reflected. "The telephone calls eard on the broadcastsin the motion picture and on the soundtrack were actual calls with real people."


Filming

Although ''American Graffiti'' is set in 1962 Modesto, Lucas believed the city had changed too much in ten years and initially chose San Rafael as the primary shooting location. Filming began on June 26, 1972. However, Lucas soon became frustrated at the length of time it was taking to fix camera mounts to the cars. A key member of the production had also been arrested for growing marijuana,Pollock, pp. 105–111 and in addition to already running behind the
shooting schedule A shooting schedule is a project plan of each day's shooting for a film production. It is normally created and managed by the assistant director, who reports to the production manager managing the production schedule and production board. Both ...
, 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. 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 A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...
producer Sam Katzman ('' Rock Around the Clock'', '' Your Cheatin' Heart'', and the aforementioned '' Hot Rods to Hell'') in attempting to save money and authenticated low-budget filming methods. In addition to Petaluma, other locations included Mel's Drive-In in San Francisco, Sonoma, Richmond, Novato, and the Buchanan Field Airport in Concord. The freshman hop dance was filmed in the Gus Gymnasium, previously known as the Boys Gym, at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. More problems ensued during filming; Paul Le Mat was sent to the hospital after an allergic reaction to walnuts. Le Mat, Harrison Ford, and Bo Hopkins were claimed to be drunk most nights and every weekend, and had conducted climbing competitions to the top of the local
Holiday Inn Holiday Inn by IHG is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division ...
sign.Baxter, p. 129. One actor set fire to Lucas's motel room. Another night, Le Mat threw Richard Dreyfuss into a swimming pool, gashing Dreyfuss's forehead on the day before he was due to have his close-ups filmed. Dreyfuss also complained over the wardrobe that Lucas had chosen for the character. Ford was kicked out of his motel room at the Holiday Inn. In addition, two camera operators were nearly killed when filming the climactic race scene on Frates Road outside Petaluma.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
ended August 4, 1972. The final scenes in the film, shot at Buchanan Field, feature a Douglas DC-7C airliner of Magic Carpet Airlines, which had previously been leased from owner Club America Incorporated by the rock band
Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in Flint, Michigan, in 1969 by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved pea ...
from March 1971 to June 1971.American Graffiti Filming Locations (June – August 1972)


Cinematography

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 CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...
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. Adding to the documentary feel was Lucas's openness for the cast to
improvise Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...
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".Hearn, pp. 61–63


Editing

Lucas had wanted his then wife, Marcia, to edit ''American Graffiti'', but Universal executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields, who had just finished editing
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
'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's 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. 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 Sound design is the art and practice of creating auditory elements of media. It involves specifying, acquiring and creating audio using production techniques and equipment or software. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking ...
purposes.Hearn, pp. 64–66 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."Baxter, pp. 129–135.


Soundtrack

The choice of music was crucial to the mood of each scene; it is
diegetic music Diegetic music, also called source music, is music that is part of the fictional world portrayed in a piece of narrative media (such as a film, show, play, or video game) and is thus knowingly performed and/or heard by the characters. This is in ...
that the characters themselves can hear and therefore becomes an integral part of the action. George Lucas had to be realistic about the complexities of copyright clearances, though, and suggested a number of alternative tracks. Universal wanted Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz to hire an orchestra for sound-alikes. The studio eventually proposed a flat deal that offered every music publisher the same amount of money. This was acceptable to most of the companies representing Lucas's first choices, but not to RCA—with the consequence that
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
is conspicuously absent from the soundtrack. Clearing the music licensing rights had cost approximately $90,000, and as a result, no money was left for a traditional
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
. "I used the absence of music, and sound effects, to create the drama," Lucas later explained. When it came to the ending credits, only the song's title, artist, and the record label was listed. However, the names of the composers and lyricists, as well as the publishing company and the copyright year, were completely left out. This resulted in several of the songwriters filing lawsuits against MCA for leaving their names out of the credits. A settlement was reached in which MCA paid the damages to the songwriters, as well as to the publishing companies. A soundtrack album for the film, '' 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti'', was issued by
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
. The album contains all the songs used in the film (with the exception of "Gee" by the Crows, which was subsequently included on a second soundtrack album), presented in the order in which they appeared in the film.


Release

Despite unanimous praise at a January 1973
test screening A test screening, or test audience, is a preview screening of a film or television series before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complet ...
attended by Universal executive Ned Tanen, the studio told Lucas they wanted to re-edit his original cut of ''American Graffiti''.Hearn, pp. 67–69 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 $ in ) that 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 ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...
'' won the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...
in March 1973, Universal relented and agreed to cut only three scenes (amounting to a few minutes) from Lucas's cut. These include 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". The studio initially thought that the film was only fit for release as a television movie. 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 __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
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 $ in ) in marketing and promotion. 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 $ in ) to produce and market, but yielded worldwide box office gross revenues of more than $55 million (equivalent to $ in ). It had only modest success outside the United States and Canada, but became a
cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...
in France. Universal reissued ''Graffiti'' on May 26, 1978, with Dolby sound and earned an additional $63 million (equivalent to $ in ), which brought the total revenue for the two releases to $118 million (equivalent to $ in ). The reissue included stereophonic sound and a couple of minutes the studio had removed from Lucas's original cut. All
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
releases also included these scenes. Also, the date of John Milner's death was changed from June 1964 to December 1964 to fit the narrative structure of the upcoming sequel, ''More American Graffiti''. At the end of its theatrical run, ''American Graffiti'' had one of the greatest profit-to-cost ratios of a motion picture ever. Producer Francis Ford Coppola regretted having not financed the film himself. Lucas recalled, "He would have made $30 million (equivalent to $ in ) on the deal. He never got over it and he still kicks himself."Pollock, pp. 120–128 It was the 13th-highest-grossing film of all time in 1977 and, adjusted for inflation, is currently the 43rd highest. By the 1990s, ''American Graffiti'' had earned more than $200 million (equivalent to $ in ) 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 (equivalent to $ in ). Universal Studios first released the film on DVD in September 1998, and once more as a
double feature The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...
with '' More American Graffiti'' (1979) in January 2004. The 1978 version of the film was used, with an additional digital change to the sky in the opening title sequence. Additionally, the 1998 DVD and VHS releases were both THX certified as well. Universal released the film on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
with a new digitally remastered picture supervised by George Lucas on May 31, 2011. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, a 4K restoration of the film updated with a brand new 5.1 sound mix was re-released domestically on August 27 and 30 before a
Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...
release on November 7, 2023.


Reception

''American Graffiti'' received widespread critical acclaim.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
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".
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...
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 Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' 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". Charles Champlin of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' called it a "masterfully executed and profoundly affecting movie". Jay Cocks of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' 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 ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' 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. Dave Kehr, writing in the ''
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...
'', called the film a brilliant work of popular art that redefined nostalgia as a marketable commodity, while establishing a new narrative style. Based on reviews collected by
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, of the critics enjoyed the film with an average score of . 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."
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
calculated a score of 97 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim".


Themes

''American Graffiti'' depicts multiple characters going through a
coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
, 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 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 Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, and
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
), and mid-1960s, beginning with the January 1964 arrival of
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and the following
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
, which Don McLean's " American Pie" and the early 1970s revival of 1950s acts and oldies paralleled during the conception and filming. The setting is two months before the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
, and before the outbreak of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the John F. 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.


Accolades

The film is recognized by
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
in these lists: * 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – #77 * 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #43 * 2007: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – #62


Legacy

Internet reviewer MaryAnn Johanson acknowledged that ''American Graffiti'' rekindled public and entertainment interest in the 1950s and early 1960s, and influenced other films such as ''
The Lords of Flatbush ''The Lords of Flatbush'' (stylized on-screen as ''The Lord's of Flatbush'') is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Perry King, Paul Mace, Henry Winkler, and Su ...
'' (1974) and '' Cooley High'' (1975) and the TV series ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
''. Alongside other films from the
New Hollywood The New Hollywood, Hollywood Renaissance, American New Wave, or New American Cinema (not to be confused with the New American Cinema of the 1960s that was part of Experimental film, avant-garde underground film, underground cinema), was a movemen ...
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 ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' (1977).Hearn, pp. 70–75 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 1978 reissue, Universal began production for the sequel '' More American Graffiti'' (1979). Lucas and writers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz later collaborated on ''Howard the Duck'' (1986) and '' Radioland Murders'' (1994). They were both released by Universal Pictures, for which Lucas acted as executive producer. ''Radioland Murders'' features characters intended to be Curt and Laurie Henderson's parents, Roger and Penny Henderson.Hearn, pp. 79–86, 122 In 1995, ''American Graffiti'' was deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the United States
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
and selected for preservation in the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
. In 1997 the city of Modesto, California (where the film largely takes place), honored Lucas with a statue dedication of ''American Graffiti'' at George Lucas Plaza. Furthermore, the city has an annual classic car festival in honor of its graffiti culture heritage. Director David Fincher credited ''American Graffiti'' as a visual influence for '' Fight Club'' (1999). Lucas's '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (2002) features references to the film. The yellow airspeeder that Anakin Skywalker and
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
use to pursue 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 ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television series created by Peter Rees (producer), Peter Rees and produced by Beyond International in Australia. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast in ...
''. 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 surprising. All were offered for sale in San Francisco newspaper ads; only the '58 Impala (driven by Ron Howard) attracted a buyer, selling for only a few hundred dollars. The yellow deuce coupe and the Pharaohs' red Mercury went unsold, despite the coupe being priced as low as $1500.''Rod and Custom'' Magazine, 12/91, pp. 11–12. The registration plate on Milner's yellow deuce coupe is THX 138 on a yellow, California license plate, slightly altered, reflecting Lucas's earlier science-fiction film (''THX 1138'').


See also

* 1960s in the United States *
List of American films of 1973 This is a list of American films released in 1973 in film, 1973. Box office The highest-grossing American films released in 1973, by domestic box office gross revenue as estimated by ''The Numbers (website), The Numbers'', are as follows: ...
* Modesto American Graffiti Festival * '' Grease'' * ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
'' *
United States in the 1950s United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* *
''American Graffiti'' at AllMovie
* * * *


The City of Petaluma's salute to ''American Graffiti''
* * {{Authority control 1973 films 1973 comedy-drama films 1970s American films 1970s coming-of-age comedy-drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s high school films 1970s teen comedy-drama films American auto racing films American coming-of-age comedy-drama films American high school films American teen comedy-drama films American Zoetrope films Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners English-language comedy-drama films Films directed by George Lucas Films produced by Francis Ford Coppola Films produced by Gary Kurtz Films set in 1962 Films set in California Films shot in San Francisco Films with screenplays by George Lucas Films with screenplays by Gloria Katz Films with screenplays by Willard Huyck Greasers (subculture) Kustom Kulture Lucasfilm films Petaluma, California Semi-autobiographical films United States National Film Registry films Universal Pictures films