Motion Pictures Making American Graffiti

It would be fine with me if heaven turns out to be that I get permanently plopped into the AG movie. I grin so hard every time I watch it that it almost hurts.
BTW, a bit of trivia. In the early 70s when the movie was shot, it was hard to find enough extras with hair short enough to be period correct for 1962. Apparently the casting folks went to nearby Hamilton Air Force Base (Novato, CA) to find some military guys.

 

Sir Richard Attenborough had the same problem in Holland in the late 70's during the filming of A Bridge Too Far......even the Dutch army personnel recruited as extras refused to have their long hair cut.....

 

Like many others, there is a really good chance if AG & that Coupe never came to be I wouldn't own the hot rod I do now, nor would I even be replying to this thread... I discovered that movie when I was a teenager while discovering others like Bullitt, Gone in 60 Seconds, 2 Lane Black top etc. etc & would have to ride to this hole in the wall convenience store to rent it (they had all kinds of old titles), now I have my own dvd & my 3 year old daughter likes to watch it with me, every time she see's Milner's Coupe she says "that's like your Snoopy Car Poppa" Sometimes people rip on the cars from the movie (especially the coupe & merc) because they were "movie cars" or not "correct" blah blah blah... whatever, this movie & the cars in it had a profound impact on where we are today, if I was to only own one movie - this is it.

 

You would think the movie may be available at your local retailer, NOT! but you can find any Star Wars movie anywhere ?

 

.............That's 'cause the rest of the world, other than us car guys, just don't get it.

 

Best movie ever.I saw it when I was 10 years old when my family was up skiing in Breckenridge,CO and it was the only movie that someone of my age could see at their local theater.I went back several times and I knew that when I grew up that I would own all of those cars.A year or so later,I saw LeMat in Aloha,Bobby and Rose and my car life was set.

 

Just a funny tidbit: If you have the Play Book and the Music Score Album you can read the Play Book and play the Album and except for one or two songs they match pretty good...

 

I saw the movie the first Saturday it was availiable around here..Place was packed and by a lot of people younger than me, some older..I just turned twenty three..They sold out so I bought tickets for the last show of the night..After the show I ran into a guy I knew and he had been there all day for all five showings!

 

I posted this on another thread previously, but here is a page from Lucas's autobiography
"A Life" which speaks of his interaction with the Faros or (Pharoahs)

 

Thanks for bring this back as those were the days of my youth for sure. I drove a red 57 Chev 2 dr hard top and wanted a 32 deuce hot rod so bad. Took lot's of years but have 3 now.

 

Our Mel's in northern New Jersey was Don's in Livingston. I was there one evening in my Milner-like 34 coupe when a friend came over and asked me to take his visiting cousin for a ride. Visiting cousin turned out to be a 14 year-old girl. I don't remember how long I was stuck with her.

 

I was 11 years old when American Graffiti came out. I definitely was into cars since I was born, but not exposed to the movie at that time. I do remember seeing an issue of MAD Magazine with an AG spoof --> "American Confetti", but I didn't really get it at that age. I don't think I actually sat down and watched the movie until my late 20's. I do have it on DVD and might have to watch it here soon.

 

That movie is one of my favorites for all of the obvious reasons, but I also feel a personal connection to it as well. Most of the movie was filmed in Petaluma CA. My Grandma lived in Petaluma from 1963 to 1970, my family lived only 2 hours south of there and we would visit there several time a year. My aunt and uncle were high school sweethearts and graduated from Petaluma High School in 1965. The drag race scene was filmed where the local kids actually raced at the time on Frates Rd, just south of town. The lot where the police car stunt was filmed is two doors down from the location of the toy store where Grandma used to take us. Grandpa used to take me to Gillardi's Liquor and Sporting Goods ( where Toad scores the Old Harper), I have both a fishing license and hunting license that were issued to Grandpa there in 1966. And when I first saw the movie at the Century 21 Theater in San Jose, Milner's coupe was parked in the lobby.

I saw both American Graffiti and Vanishing Point (re-released) in the theaters at about the same time. As a 12 year old car nut, both films had a profound affect on me and played a big part in shaping my life.

 

I have a little trivia bit to add. There is a "hidden" car that appears in the film. As Milner pulls up next to the '60 Cadillac at the stop light, a flash of yellow can be seen crossing the intersection in front of them. If you use the pause function on a DVD, then move through that part frame by frame, a most bitchin' '57 Chevy two door wagon will be revealed. Yellow, no front bumper, chrome reverse wheel with blackwall tires, cool as hell. That is the only place that car appears in the film.

 

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I grew up in Los Gatos CA, near San Jose. The little downtown area there was a hot cruising spot. At that time (late '70s, early '80s), all I could afford to drive were beat up VWs, but it was still super fun. Los Gatos was one of the first communities in the country to pass a "no cruising ordinance", around '82 or '83. Other places in the area soon followed with similar ordinances. Killed a lot of good, clean fun for a lot of young people.

With the demise of cruising, a lot of kids ended up turning to more nefarious forms of amusement.

 

All most all us older car guy's feel a connection to AG, these guys acknowledge that it could have been Anytown USA.
Remember back then there was no social media like today, so everyone went uptown on the weekends to socialize.

FYI the second guy from the left in the video was the actual Faros President in 62. All of these guy's, as did most of the outlaw Faros went on to be productive successful members of society... school teachers, engineers and various tradesman.

 

Thanks for this thread. Reminded me to
look for the DVD at the used book store and found one in mint condition. Watching it right in now in the man cave having some beers. In surround man....cheers!

 

I didn't get to see it in the theater, but watched it several times on TV. Only got to see Hollywood Knights once on TV. Like most, I fell in love with the coupe, but also liked the 55 Chevy. Never did understand way at the end though they did the deal telling how everybody turned out in later years, and killing Milner off. I guess at the time Lucas didn't plan on a sequel or two, so killing off a main character wasn't a big deal. It would have been cool to have had a 10 and 20 year later version, just to show how everybody and everything changed.....can you imagine a AG with a bald Ron Howard?

 

Thanks for the great video! On a different note, was the airport shown in the last scene actually part of Modesto?

 

boolya--- hence CROWER cams oscar grind cam they made for me...

 

As always. Excellent thread Jive.

 

My favorite movie. Watched it last weekend.

 

I have a still in the box 1/8 scale Milner coupe signed by Paul when he was at the Leadsled Nats in Lancaster,Ohio a few years ago. Candy Clark was there the same year, talked to her for a few minutes, she was great!

 

There was a sequel made to A G. Title was More A G.It told what happened between the end of the original and the time Milner is killed. Also shows how Toad escaped in Viet Nam! All the characters appeared with the exception of Richard Dreyfuss who
Played Curt. The movie did not get much play.


Sent from my QMV7A using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

No......not Modesto Airport. Filmed at Buchannan Air Field Concord Ca

 

I saw that movie 11 times in a row at the local theater.

 

Thanks JB....most excellent

 

I sawAG the first time in th fall of '73 when I was grade twelve. Th girlfriend didn't get it but I sure did. In my neighbourhood when I was in elementary school there was a modest car scene the best car being an Austin with the engine behind the firewall. Kind of a street legal gasser owned by a Japanese guy I think. He later bought a Hemi Challenger. My very first memory is of my dad's '57 yellow and white Meteor and those turbine wheel covers. So when I went to see AG I was in heaven. So it a few month sure later when on a school exchange trip back east. Again, only a couple of us got it. Good on so many levels and I watch it a couple of times a year. Couldn't really afford the cool cars growing up bu now I have a few retirement projects which includes an original Henry '32 5W coupe. I think I'm going to watch AG again hi sorry long weekend!

 

GOOD ANSWER williebill!!

 

I was fortunate enough to have been born in Petaluma Ca. I first saw this film when I was probably 5-6 years old, it was often the 8 O'Clock movie on KICU channel 6. My parents had plenty of commentary, and in one scene of the HS dance they actually appear. They were seniors at the time it was filmed and were invited to be extras. It was kind of a big deal in town, and people would come out at night and just watch the filming. It's funny that of all the actors in the movie Ron Howard was the only one that was actually big time when the movie was made.