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american graffiti question

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by magoo, May 24, 2012.

  1. magoo
    Joined: Jun 6, 2002
    Posts: 213

    magoo
    Member

    does anyone know what (if any) specific weekend or month in 1962 american graffiti was set in?
     
  2. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    All they say is that is was the end of Summer, so it would be August/September period. Here is what Wikipedia says:

    In the late summer of 1962, recent high school graduates and longtime friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet John Milner and Terry "The Toad" Fields at the local Mel's Drive-In parking lot. Despite receiving a $2,000 scholarship, Curt is undecided if he wants to leave the next morning with Steve to go to the Northeastern United States to begin college. Steve lets Toad borrow his 1958 Chevy Impala for the evening and while he will be away at college. Steve's girlfiend Laurie, who is also Curt's younger sister, is unsure of Steve leaving, to which he suggests they see other people while he is away to "strengthen" their relationship.
    Curt, Steve and Laurie go to the local sock hop, while Toad and Milner begin cruising. En route to the hop, Curt sees a beautiful blonde girl in a white 1956 Ford Thunderbird. She mouths "I love you" before disappearing down the street. After leaving the hop, Curt is desperate to find the mysterious blonde, but is coerced by a group of greasers ("The Pharaohs") through an initiation rite that involves hooking a chain to a police car and successfully ripping out its back axle. Curt is told rumors that The Blonde is either a trophy wife or prostitute, which he immediately refuses to accept.

    Don
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2012
  3. Swifster
    Joined: Dec 16, 2006
    Posts: 1,455

    Swifster
    Member

    So based on this, maybe a week or two before Labor Day...
     
  4. 4dFord/SC
    Joined: Sep 12, 2004
    Posts: 837

    4dFord/SC
    Member

    I'd say that's about right. The Northeastern college I attended (in ME) requires entering freshmen to arrive during the 3d week of August.
     

  5. but wasn't there a high school dance scene? high school runs from september to june.
     
  6. RatRoy
    Joined: Jul 9, 2008
    Posts: 376

    RatRoy
    Member

    We are "way" over thinking this, just sit back and enjoy the movie.:D
     
  7. 345winder
    Joined: Oct 27, 2010
    Posts: 1,059

    345winder
    BANNED

    i always thought the movie took place in early september because of that,
     
  8. NortonG
    Joined: Dec 26, 2003
    Posts: 2,117

    NortonG
    Member Emeritus

    My highschool had a day for the new freshmen coming it and it had a party after...
     
  9. Jimv
    Joined: Dec 5, 2001
    Posts: 2,924

    Jimv
    Member

    I agree!! Maybe we should switch over to "Star Trek"!!lololol
    JimV
    PS You think "trekkies" read these & make fun of us?
     
  10. monc440
    Joined: Feb 1, 2011
    Posts: 270

    monc440
    Member

    Yep in the movie it was called the "Freshman Hop" and when they intro Steve and Lori at the hop he is the "last years class prez". So it was either the week before school starting or the first week of school. Thats what my pops said anyway.
     
  11. Bigchuck
    Joined: Oct 23, 2007
    Posts: 1,159

    Bigchuck
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    The reason for wanting to know this is?
     
  12. redsdad
    Joined: Oct 5, 2009
    Posts: 252

    redsdad
    Member

    50th anniversary! 1962 - 2012

    So, what are you planning?
     
  13. Merlin
    Joined: Apr 9, 2005
    Posts: 2,545

    Merlin
    Member
    from Inman, SC

    Damn Jim I'm a doctor not a movie trivia nut............:D
     
  14. wsdad
    Joined: Dec 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,259

    wsdad
    Member


    Deep down inside, we're all the same.


    Trekkies: Drive girls away by obsessing over details that don't matter to the general public. Try to lure younger kids into their cult. Dress up in Star Trek costumes and go to conventions. Argue over "canon" on internet forums. Canon: the body of rules, principles, or standards accepted as axiomatic and universally binding in a field of study or art.


    American Graffities: Drive non-Graffities away by obsessing over details that don't matter to the general gear head. Try to lure fellow beer drinkers into their cult. Dress their cars up to look like those in the movie and then take them to car shows. Argue over "canon" on internet forums.


    HAMBies: Drive women and ricers away by obsessing over details that don't matter to the general public. Try to lure younger guys into their cult. Only use parts on their cars from a particular era and then they take them to car shows and Sonic drive ins. Argue over "canon" on internet forums.

    Elvis fans: Drive men their families away by obsessing over details that don't matter to the general public. Suffer in private silence but are ecstatic when they find another of their cult to show their shrine to. Day dream about being Mrs. Presley and secretly wear Elvis underwear which is only rarely seen by Elvis impersonators. Argue over "canon" on internet forums.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2012
  15. jazzfidelity
    Joined: Sep 19, 2011
    Posts: 371

    jazzfidelity
    Member

    does seem to take place at the end of summer since Curt is leaving to college back east the next morning, but then a school dance during the summer also seems odd.. maybe it was more common back then..
     
  16. Orlando1701
    Joined: May 2, 2012
    Posts: 128

    Orlando1701
    Member

    That's how I feel, most excellent movie.
     
  17. Swifster
    Joined: Dec 16, 2006
    Posts: 1,455

    Swifster
    Member

    Well, I think some colleges start the first or second week of September. I'll buy the freshmen dance...
     
  18. chaos10meter
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    chaos10meter
    Member
    from PA.

    I don't remember man , I was stoned.
    What movie ?
    I'm hungry.
     
  19. ottos
    Joined: Jan 25, 2011
    Posts: 278

    ottos
    Member

    steve did comment that he gratuated last semester to the guy at the HOP, who said you are out of here dont come back . So id say September as well. Kinda weird time set...id agree who cares about the month watch and enjoy the flick...
     
  20. Steve1118
    Joined: Nov 18, 2009
    Posts: 38

    Steve1118
    Member

    "Do you know Gil Gonzalez? Well, that's his car, and you're sitting on it."
     
  21. actually....more like "...that's his car you gotcher butt parked on".

    and since Kay Lenz was buggin' her teacher whom she was having an affair with..I'd say school was in full session..it wasn't just freshman orientation week.
    But really..who cares?
     
  22. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

  23. Jimv
    Joined: Dec 5, 2001
    Posts: 2,924

    Jimv
    Member

    Are we talking "original" American graffiti or ""Next generation"?And "Curt or Steve"?? lolololol
    JimV
     
  24. Probably mid to late may to eartly to mid june. It was about the time that graduation happened and th kids had to deal with being grownups all at once.
     
  25. Belchfire8
    Joined: Sep 18, 2005
    Posts: 1,540

    Belchfire8
    Member

    But why would the guys be going off to college in June? Usually you have to work all that summer before going off to college.
     
  26. jcmarz
    Joined: Jan 10, 2010
    Posts: 4,631

    jcmarz
    Member
    from Chino, Ca

    This is dumb.
     
  27. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    End of summer and just before school was to start. The freshman hop was a way to introduce the new highschoolers to thier future classmates. The four main charecters had finished school and were facing thier futures.

    File this under "shit that won't mean anything in 1 minute".
     
  28. What time period week or decade was Joanie Loves Chachie set in. Oh never mind, Next Generation's on.
     
  29. firingorder1
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 2,147

    firingorder1
    Member

    It was set on July 17-18 1962 between the hours of 8a.m. of the 17 and 3:25 a.m. of the 18th. This I know because I was so obsessed with the movie I called the producer to find out. I have all the details including the tire pressures for all the cars used in the cruising scenes.
     
  30. Chrisbcritter
    Joined: Sep 11, 2011
    Posts: 1,970

    Chrisbcritter
    Member

    Seriously I think it was either Saturday, Sept. 1st into Sunday, Sept. 2nd (Labor Day weekend) or the weekend after, Sept. 8-9 right at the start of the school year.

    For that matter, the kids wouldn't have been listening to Wolfman Jack on XERB until 1965... where were you in '62, Wolfman? KCIJ in Shreveport.

    So who would they have been listening to in Modesto?
     

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