"[17], 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. The setting is two months before the Cuban Missile Crisis, and before the outbreak of the Vietnam War and the John F. Kennedy assassination[9] and before the peak years of the counterculture movement. : Terry Fields : Yeah, I'll die soon, then it'll all be over, John. John Milner's 1963 drag racing shot in super wide 2.35:1 and . [4], Director David Fincher credited American Graffiti as a visual influence for Fight Club (1999). "More American Graffiti" shows the core group of "American Graffiti" experiencing the cultural upheaval of the women's lib and anti-war movement. [21], 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's The Sugarland Express. [hands her the ticket Holstein just issued him]. : [6] Howard would later appear in the very similar role of Richie Cunningham on the Happy Days sitcom. Exhausted, Curt is awakened by the pay phone. Bob Falfa John Milner Yeah, I think so. and it ignores the women characters. 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. John Milner Bob Falfa 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". [17], The film's lengthy casting process was overseen by Fred Roos, who worked with producer Francis Ford Coppola on The Godfather. Danny ODonoghue [12] Clearing the music licensing rights had cost approximately $90,000,[31] and as a result, no money was left for a traditional film score. Carol American Graffiti Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. Allegedly Raced UGA Assistant Before Fatal Crash, 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. The yellow Deuce and the white T-bird went unsold, despite being priced as low as $3,000. Yeah, sure. : Debbie Dunham : Wow, you're just like the Lone Ranger. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma. John Milner [40] By the 1990s, American Graffiti had earned more than $200million (equivalent to $415million in 2021)[33] in box-office gross and home video sales. What happened, man? Directed by George Lucas, this 1973 classic is filled with cruising-for-a-bruising teens, young love, and all of the feels of the last summer before college. [16] Filming began on June 26, 1972. Since its initial release, American Graffiti has earned an estimated return well over $200million in box-office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. Curt Henderson What happened to John Milner in American Graffiti? "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. : American Graffiti (1973) Harrison Ford: Bob Falfa Showing all 11 items Jump to: Photos (6) Quotes (5) Photos Quotes Bob Falfa : Hey man, I'm sorry if I scared ya! Hey! What's a field car? Ford was kicked out of his motel room at the Holiday Inn. [51] Charles Champlin of The New York Times called it a "masterfully executed and profoundly affecting movie. 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. Shooting in Petaluma began June 28 and proceeded at a quick pace. [22] The studio dropped the TV movie idea and began arranging for a limited release in selected theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Laurie gets embroiled in Vietnam War protests with her draft-dodging brother, Andy. Regardless, Milner does his best to communicate with her. John Milner What was the T Bird in American Graffiti? The pickin's are really gettin' slim. During his night of goading anyone he comes across for a challenge, he picks up an emotional Laurie after the argument with Steve that was brewing all night. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. There is a beautiful melancholia lurking beneath the comedic surface. No sweat - my mother does it. [9] 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,[4] but they were unsuccessful. You've been number one as long as I can remember. John Milner John Milner : What the hell's goin' on here, Toad? John Milner John Milner Danny & the Juniors : | John Milner [14] The studio, therefore, submitted a long list of over 60 alternative titles, with their favorite being Another Slow Night in Modesto[17] and Coppola's Rock Around the Block. John Milner is the tritagonist of the film American Graffiti. : 4 Is American Graffiti based on a true story? [16] For Bob Falfa, Roos cast Harrison Ford, who was then concentrating on a carpentry career. Few films have shown quite so well the eagerness, the sadness, the ambitions and small defeats of a generation of young Americans. Carol John Milner File that under uh, C.S. The studio initially thought that the film was only fit for release as a television movie. Ford agreed to take the role on the condition that he would not have to cut his hair. [21], Petaluma, a similarly small town about 20 miles (32km) north of San Rafael, was more cooperative, and American Graffiti moved there without the loss of a single day of shooting. Hey, get down! [29] Fields worked on the first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on What's Up, Doc?. Set during a summer night in Modesto, 1962. Physical description : we know from the end of American Graffiti that Milner dies in a car crash . Very funny. Carol John Milner "I used the absence of music, and sound effects, to create the drama," Lucas later explained.[30]. Official Sites American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronny Howard), Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Wolfman Jack. That's pretty good! Boy, are you up a creek. Kennedy's death turned America into a counterculturebattleground, and George Lucastelegraphs a breezy time period for America's youth that would soon disappear. They cruise the Modesto strip while listening to their favorite rock and roll songs, contemplating what lies ahead of them in their adulthood. [4] Lucas embraced the idea, using his early 1960s teenage experiences cruising in Modesto, California. American Graffiti Ending Explained: The Calm Before The Storm. : Walter was paid the $10,000, and he began to expand the Lucas/Huyck/Katz treatment into a screenplay. Teamed Up W/ Conor's Proper No. The character has a flattop in the script, but a compromise was eventually reached whereby Ford wore a Stetson to cover his hair. He turned down those offers, determined to pursue his own projects despite his urgent desire to find another film to direct. You gonna go after him? "You can't stay 17 forever. Station Attendant Dee Dee! [16] Instead, he elected to shoot American Graffiti using two cinematographers (as he had done in THX 1138) and no formal director of photography. He began writing a script, completing his first draft in just three weeks. John Milner She also noted with disdain that the epilogue did not bother to mention the fates of any of the women characters. I'm sorta' embarrassed to be this close to ya! : 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti, Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen, AFI's 100 Years100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition), Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, "American Graffiti (1973) Financial Information", "The Sting Wins Best Picture: 1974 Oscars", "Complete National Film Registry Listing", "Cindy Williams on working with George Lucas on "American Graffiti" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG-YouTube", American Graffiti Filming Locations (June August 1972), "Richards, Mark. Suzanne Somers "[13] Walter's script also had Steve and Laurie going to Nevada to get married without their parents' permission. Curt Henderson : American Graffiti evokes mankind's relationship with machines, notably the elaborate number of hot rodshaving been called a "classic-car flick", representative of the motor car's importance to American culture at the time it was made. John Milner I don't like that surfin' shit. Adding to the documentary feel was Lucas's openness for the cast to improvise scenes. [4] The characters Curt Henderson, John Milner, and Terry "The Toad" Fields also represent different stages from his younger life. 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,[73] while Dex's Diner is reminiscent of Mel's Drive-In. Man, I can't keep track of all you punks runnin' 'round here backwards. Probably a couple of weeks past their bedtime. Ok, so here's the deal. I feel the details of the characters' destinies, some more somber than others, adds to the poignancy of Lucas' tender nostalgia; he depicts a blissful time in the teenagers' lives that will never happen again, and knowing how they end up makes their final night together even more bittersweet. Carol Ah, you know, I remember about five years ago, take you a couple of hours and a tank full of gas just to make one circuit. Click here to add more. Height : Paul Le Mat is best known for playing the drag racing John Milner -- opposite Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss -- in the 1973 film "American Graffiti." I bet you got to sneak up on the pumps just to get a little air in your tires! : You can't be that old. One ten cent coke with ice. : WritersGloria Katz and Willard Huyck did not agree with the inclusion of this epilogue. : [16], Universal initially projected a $600,000 budget but added an additional $175,000 once producer Francis Ford Coppola signed on. Huyck and Katz also found the characters' futures depressing, but this only adds more pathos to the film. Chicken shit - that's what it is. Terry Fields Later at the airfield, he says goodbye to his parents and friends before boarding the plane. [12], Lucas spent the rest of 1971 and early 1972 trying to raise financing for the American Graffiti script. While looking out the window of his plane, Curt sees the white Thunderbird driving below. : : After eventually taking Carol home, John is found by Bob Falfa, successfully goading him into the definitive race along Paradise Road outside the city, the event gaining attention and causing numerous cars to tag along to watch. Terry 'The Toad' Fields : That's great, man, that's really great. Behind the scenes [11], 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. [44][45], American Graffiti received widespread critical acclaim. C.S.? "The telephone calls [heard on the broadcasts] in the motion picture and on the soundtrack were actual calls with real people. : What did Suzanne Somers Drive in American Graffiti? : Girl in Cadillac Yeah, she's goin' with me. With Steve allowing Terry to take care of his car while he's studying at college, Terry cruises around the strip and picks up rebellious Debbie.