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Motion Pictures Making American Graffiti

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, May 18, 2017.

  1. FritzTownFord
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,020

    FritzTownFord
    Member

    Old enough to have lived it too. The "scene" in San Antonio was the old Austin Highway down to Broadway (at least the north side scene). Us northside suburban teens cruised from the Frontier Drive-in south to circle through the Big Orange, then on to circle through the Bun-N-Barrel. Back and forth with "no particular place to go" as Chuck Barry might say. If we were feeling brave, we might go on down Broadway to the Princess where the eastside guys would cruise and some (what we thought) bad southside dudes would join in. Looking back, it was a very innocent time. A few stupid slap fights, a few "loose" girls to hang with, and frequent, short street races. Most of the cars were stockish muscle cars. Like most places the real hot rods were few and rough. And like most cities there were some truly serious built race cars and a handfull of show quality rods. AG got it right from my experience.
    The comment above about "college or draft" is probably lost on younger guys, but it was a bleak set of options for poor boys and "average" kids. (save the patriot shit, history tells the story). The third option for some was to get married and have a baby asap.
    Finally, I agree that the movie probably did more to restart to hot rod movement than any other social statement of the time. Great post!
     
  2. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,289

    jnaki

    Hello,

    Where were you in ‘62? We weren’t in the mid-valley of California cruising around and trying to do hot rod stuff. We were right in the middle of the hot rod central of Long Beach, Bixby Knolls in So Cal. How could you not hang out at the hot spots in that area? We all grew up within mile or two from Lions Dragstrip, the hot rod shops, the cruising grounds, the street drags at Cherry Ave, the beach, and the local high school. So, what was it that made this time period fun?

    We were teenagers with only fun on our minds…the Southeast Asia battles were still a few years down the line, college was for some and not for others, jobs were plentiful if you wanted them, housing was extremely inexpensive and hot rods were on almost every street in the area. But, one thing was that in a few years, most of us would start to concentrate on our “pre-adult” lives, whether it was college or getting a job and marriage.

    Jnaki

    Where were those characters? There weren’t any cowboy hats, but, plenty of madras shirts and desert boots. They had on different clothes, talked differently, and drove just as nice if not nicer hot rods all over So Cal. Our own version of American Graffiti many years earlier.

    But, as we all got older, those things kind of faded away with the responsibilities of “adulthood” looming. So, the next generation of hot rodders came on the scene, doing what we did, and looking at the older guys fading into their lives. Those teenagers just kept the stream of fun going on for the next set of high school hot rodders. The cars got a little fancier, faster, and the fun still persisted.

    Where did those fun loving teenagers from 1962 go? In our area, a lot of them moved away for college, some got married, a few joined the military and became notable, and some opened up successful businesses that lasted into the next generations. But, being in any part of So Cal allowed for a bunch of new things to do and still have fun. The beach, the mountains, the desert, rock music, motorcycles, etc. all played a part in dragging people away from the teenage, hot rod scene.

    Bixby Knolls tried for many years to keep the 60’s alive with their annual street festival showcasing hot rods and cackle cars. It was an all-day event that closed the major streets in the cruising grounds. It lasted into the night with the cackle sounds of the old Lions Dragstrip right in front of the roped off area. Shooting flames and all…







    The Bixby Knolls events are no longer around. But, today, the city of Escondido in North San Diego County has taken over the weekly events related to hot rods, cruising, and flame throwing, dragsters.
    upload_2017-5-25_4-43-26.png
     
  3. El Caballo
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 6,282

    El Caballo
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Where were you in '62?
    ...
    Swimming around under my dad's belt buckle.
     
    mgtstumpy, Sancho and belair like this.
  4. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Kind of hard to tell for sure due to the 8mm graininess, but it sure looks like the car to me. Very cool!!!
     
  5. Where was I in '62?

    In 8th grade building my first Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild entry.
    My 1962.jpg
     
  6. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Yep, getting married in the late sixties and having kids put my hot rodding career on hold. Did the boat and family things. After the kids got out of college I went to a national car event and said why not build an old car? My first attempt was a 37 Chevy coupe. AG was not a myth it was the real deal. Too bad so many never got to experience it. Still wish we had 60's drive in restaurants, diners and ice cream stands to cruise to. To me the sixties was truly the hay day of hot rodding. Cruising, street racing and looking for hyde what could have been better?

    Gary
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2017
    olscrounger, tfeverfred and jnaki like this.
  7. tofords
    Joined: May 26, 2009
    Posts: 1,156

    tofords
    Member

    Found these's last year while looking thru some old papers. Frank IMG_4537.JPG IMG_4541.jpg
     
  8. No Ron Howard, Richard Dryfus, or Cindy Williams but still some great autographs
    I have collected over the years on my DVD case.
    American Grafitti box cover.jpg
     
  9. I saw the movie when I was in high school and thought it was the greatest. I have a copy on DVD which I pull out from time to time.

    The summer after graduation the city was showing movies at a reduced price for us JD's. Something to keep us out of trouble I guess. So a AG poster was hung up in the stairwell to advertise the same. It didn't last long, it now resides in jack and deuces garage.
     
    mad mikey likes this.
  10. Nice! I have Paul, Sandy and Bo Hopkins.
     
    lothiandon1940 and Bowtie Coupe like this.
  11. Met Candy at LARS last week!:cool: I'm the one in the hat!:p
    IMG_0878.JPG
     
  12. She is a real nice lady.:D
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  13. wvenfield
    Joined: Nov 23, 2006
    Posts: 5,580

    wvenfield
    Member

    I was at an event and Paul Le mat was there. He's signing autographs listening to people tell stories for the 400th time when one guy says "I sure wish you would make another movie like A.G."

    Without missing a beat in a dry matter of fact way without looking up he says "Yeah, me too".
     
  14. Does Disney own AG now? I wouldn't mind seeing an AG animated series done in "Clone Wars" style.
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  15. Wouldn't be surprised. They own everything else (that Amazon doesn't own that is).
     
    dana barlow and stray bomb too like this.
  16. JimSibley
    Joined: Jan 21, 2004
    Posts: 3,848

    JimSibley
    Member

    I loved watching that. Thanks
     
  17. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Watched AG last night. My wife asked if I was reliving my youth and I replied yep I sure am. I'd do anything to be able to cruise like we used to and the way AG depicts it. It sure was a great time to be involved in hot rodding and lots more fun then lawn chair events.

    Gary
     
  18. AG is one of my favorite movies - said NO person - ever! Yeah, right. Who wouldn't like to go back to those days? Days pretty-much before VietNam, before Watergate, before many adult commitments. . . . Wouldn't it be nice?
     
  19. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    If you look back in history, there was a lot of crap going on during the time the film depicts. Back then, as it is today, "cruising" and or hanging out with friends was an escape. Even if it was for just one night.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2017
    mad mikey and raceron1120 like this.
  20. low budget
    Joined: Nov 15, 2006
    Posts: 5,566

    low budget
    Member
    from Central Ky

    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  21. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    ^^^Even if it may tuck and roll interior LowBudget, that call is no Darryll Starbird Superfleck Moonbird.
     
  22. gnichols
    Joined: Mar 6, 2008
    Posts: 11,344

    gnichols
    Member
    from Tampa, FL

    ^^ just a prop car for stills? Gary
     
  23. Toad should stand in front of the quarter panel prism sticker. That's classic K-Mart rash.
     
    mad mikey and lothiandon1940 like this.
  24. low budget
    Joined: Nov 15, 2006
    Posts: 5,566

    low budget
    Member
    from Central Ky

    Always liked those little stickers if they were stuck in a discreet place, This pic is reversed, Its suppose to say CUBIK for what ever reason??? That is actually the passenger side.
     
    lurker mick and chevy57dude like this.
  25. Ah yes, the trippy 70's.
    [​IMG]
     
    catdad49 and lothiandon1940 like this.
  26. murpa
    Joined: Aug 25, 2009
    Posts: 108

    murpa
    Member
    from .

    My Mom took me and two of my friends to see American Graffiti in 1973 i was 12 years old. It was all over after that i was "HOOKED" And i recently Picked up a 32 5 window and yes! it is going to be another clone. I was also lucky enough to have a Dad that owned a body shop and he was all ways very supportive of anything i was building.
     
  27. I appreciate your research on Faros and A.G Movie --- I am trying to understand the history of that groups as well as the group recently joined Pharoahs ( OA spelling) --- both out of Modesto .The Pharoahs started in 1948.. I'm trying to find of the two during the 1960-62 era had any interaction, or were they two that had nothing to do with each other etc
     
  28. * I want to ask you more about area clubs Modesto in that era of 1948-1962 Can you contact me so we can write directly [email protected]
     
  29. fullhouse296
    Joined: Jan 30, 2009
    Posts: 404

    fullhouse296
    Member
    from Australia

    New Zealand had Queen st in Auckland .see Marray Cammicks Photo speil , "Cruisin Queen st" Fords and mopars on one side ,chevs and the rest ,on the other .Cindys 62 Pontiac,"Shifty seven"Allen Shadwicks wheelstanding Jeep ,shortys jailbar and my 60 dodge pioneer .


    a good sat nite might see 39 |40 pre 65 cars and rods .
     
  30. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,073

    spanners
    Member

    Newcastle, NSW, Australia, used to have Hunter Street, named for obvious reasons. It's now a shitty pedestrian mall. Google 'Bob Hudson's Newcastle Song' for an idea of how it used to be.
     

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