American Graffiti is my all time favorite movie. I lived it. Class of 1962 in the San Francisco Bay Area. George Lucas captured our youth. Cars, girls, crusing; booze; and the music; Wolfman Jack on our car radios picked up late at night on a make-out hill. Loved it.
one of the greatest teen movies ever, really fun and well shot and acted. The line "I lost my wife too, but her name wasn't Idy and it wasn't in a flood" just great
Hysterical!! Thought I was the only one who heard it! Anytime someone says to me they lost their I.D. or wallet or something, I drop that line😂hardly anyone gets it🤷
Growing up in my teen years at that time in California, Lucas was spot on with the characters and experiences of the era. The cruising, the girls, the burger joint (the original McDonald's for us --- and not the Downey one), the street toughs, no guns --- just fist beatdowns, flat feet (cops) getting in the way, the souped up hot rods, neon everywhere and most importantly the great music. Everything was boss.
@@liltree8382 Not like the 1950s. Every liquor store, movie theater, restaurant, bar, car dealer and especially the McDonald's were awash with neon lights of vivid color and design. The circuit breakers in those lights weren't silent as now. They actually buzzed very loud. Sounded like a hive of large bees had been disturbed and were buzzing over your head in front of the theater's box office. The posters of current and coming attractions were framed in neon. Inside the theater the snack bar was festooned with buzzing neon. Wonderful to be very young then.
I grew up in the 80s so the Brat Pack movies were my favorite, but I appreciate this movie and it’s importance. I also had the double album soundtrack.
I grew up in Modesto, I was 16 in 1973. I could hardly believe that Hollywood had made a movie about my little backwater town in the conservative, hot, dry Central Valley. But cruising the main drag (McHenry Ave.) was still the biggest thing going in Modesto in the 1970s, so we all related to American Graffiti. We watched the movie over and over. It boosted the esteem of all of us who lived there.
It's one of my favorite movies of all time, so I watch at least 4-5 times every year on DVD. I saw when it was released in 1973 and I still think it is a masterpiece
Love America Graffiti. Saw it when it was first released in theaters. It was at the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, California. I was 11 years old at the time. What I love most about it is that one scene was filmed in my home town of Pinole, California. It was the scene at the miniature golf course. It’s the scene with Richard Dreyfuss and the Pharaohs (including Bo Hopkins). Richard Dreyfuss talks to the owners while the Pharaohs go to the arcade room, break in to the pinball machines, and steal the money. George Lucas is pictured in that arcade room at 2:54 in this video. I played many a round of miniature golf there in my youth, as well as a few pinball games in that arcade room. Sadly the Pinole Miniature Golf course was torn down in the 1990’s.
Sadly most of the great places from our youth are long gone. All we have left are our fading memories. On the bright side most of our bad memories of youth have been forgotten and buried. Leaving only the good times mostly repainted by our nostalgia to be brighter and shinier than they actually were.
Thank you, I was wracking my brain trying to determine the filming site for this scene; it's not on any of the "AG filming sites" lists floating around the interwebs.
'American Graffiti' was rereleased in theaters with extra, previously cut scenes in 1978. That's where I jumped into its fandom, at age 15, after four years of 'Happy Days' and Elvis movies on TV and Oldies record shows on AM radio programming. Plus, I loved the '50s cars which were still on the road as daily drivers in the 1970s.
One of my favorite movies. Probably saw it 50 times in the Theatres, and enjoyed it every time. Loved the soundtrack, it was a big part of the movie. Great writing, performances, it had it all. Thanks for posting this video.
I grew up in Southern California as a teenager in Newport Beach. What a time to be young. I saw American Graffiti when it came out. At that time I owned an Edsel. What made it fun pulling into the parking lot at the movie theater was seeing a number of other cars from that era - Hudsons, Studebakers, the usual Fords, Chevrolets Dodges and a few Plymouths. Pretty fun.
I was 6 years old in 1962. I do remember all the cool looking cars back then. Both American and European throughout the 60's. Including many from the 50's.
Still one of my all time favorite movies. I grew up in the 1960's and 1970's so I just missed bein a teenager in 1962 to have the memories Lucas did, but I was nostalgic for the era, and the characters were so relatable. I love the cars and the music. It is a unique film in that the music is in effect the sound effects, and the sound effects became the sound track. This film has such a different feel to it. I would love to do another version only revolving around 1982. The thing is, it would cost at least 50 million just for music licensing. Lucas and I even share some same experiences, such as both of us almost being killed in a car crash at a young age. He is the reason I am a filmmaker today.
Great movie! Definitely affected my life. I loved the 58 Impala Steve and Toad drove so much I had to have one for myself. Found one in early 74. Painted and fixed it up like the movie car. Drove it through high school and beyond. It was my first car. Have since rebuilt it again. I take it to car shows when it's nice out. Mainly it just lives in my garage nowadays . Thanks for the great life-changing movie George!
I truly loved American Graffiti at the time of it's release. I was 13 and it was a huge coming of age film for me. I find it odd that you barely brushed by Harrison Ford's very accomplished and very huge body of work.
I liked this movie very much. Nothing happened to "AMERICAN GRAFFITI". I recently got a Blu-ray DVD copy of it on Amazon and it is beautiful. My goodness Ron Howard was so young and cute in this film. He always stood for what an American teenage boy was back-in-the-day. And today Ron Howard is my favorite director.
My favorite movie! We all went and saw it when it was released, and were blown away to think how much the world had changed in just 11 years, we’re old enough to remember 1962 as well. I’m not talking about technological change, but loss of innocence, optimism and the rise of cynicism.
Do you feel the change mostly occurred in America? A whole lot of history occurred in those eleven years from 62 until the release of the movie. Some would say a lot of bad if you were to think upon the negativity of that era. But there were bright spots as well. It all depends on who is looking back at it all. It is much easier if you lived through it. There is no one who did not live through it who would have any understanding about it, They can only read about it in books, at the hands of someone who agreed or did not agree with it's significance. Were the ones who missed this era lucky they did so, or were they unlucky that they missed an important part of American history? Or what happened globally as well. And remember, what kids are seeing today is not really far off from 1962! Russia is still a threatening presence as was the early 60's.
@@tomodonovan5931 Yes, duh, of course there was a lot of negativity in those intervening years, that's what the whole movie is about! That's what the ending is about. Get it? It has nothing to do with "being lucky you lived through certain times". Go watch "True Heart Susie", which is from 1919, and it's the same exact story. I'm not going to waste my time answering every single one of these questions, most of them completely idiotic, I wouldn't even know where to start. What, do you have a problem with "American Graffiti", or the times, or what exactly are you babbling about?
@@TTM9691 How would you know about being lucky living through certain times? Did you get a draft notice during the 60's? And what is wrong with James Blair answering my 2 mostly idiotic questions? Did you really feel it was necessary to intervene? What exactly is your problem? You think James Blair is incapable of answering a question on TH-cam? He is probably mature enough to realize that a question asked is not a so called idiotic one. American Graffiti is not a negative movie. It's friends spending a day together before two go off to college. The ending has a sad footnote reflecting what happened to the other two who were not college bound. Blair talks about lost innocence, hope, and trust in government. I merely asked about the positive events that balance out the purpose of life. That's not so difficult to comprehend is it? You never did have to waste your time. Simply because no one asked you to do so. You don't have to start anything. Just stop, and let James Blair answer the questions. If he chooses not to, no problem with me. I respect his choice. But respect is something you know little about since you like to butt into someone else's business. In short, you have to let others speak for themselves. From his original comment, he's fully capable of doing so w/o your harsh input. You're a step short from having anger problems. Your comment to me says it all.
@@tomodonovan5931 Tommy, can you hear me? Tommy? Tommy? (get it?!) (no?) (you were around in '69, right old timer?) (but seriously Tom, don't cop an attitude with me just because the point of the movie seems to go sailing over your head.) As far as being lucky to live through certain times, which is it, tedious boomer? Pissing your pants over your draft notice or we never had it so good? What a dingus.
I always did admire this movie after I first heard about it and saw it in the late 90’s(?) on cable. It also makes me sad to see it knowing that if Lucas made more movies like this, he would’ve grown a bit more in terms of being diverse in the types of movies he’s known for. Also I love the comedic fake-outs in this video like when I was expecting you to say Harrison Ford went on to be in Indiana Jones but instead said Seven Days and Seven Nights.
My parents grew up around that area, and I still have family there. I visited them recently, and the whole area was getting a car show together to cruise up and down the road in their refurbished cars. The dealership my cousin works at had the cars from the movie on display too (not the ACTUAL cars used, but the same kinds)
Even 'down under ' here in New Zealand, Graffiti was a cult hot rodders movie. We all watched it over and over, and 50 years later, I still enjoy a watch every couple of years. The cars may have been different, but the themes very much portrayed my youth in our different part of the world. Great work George and friends. I still have 2 copies of the soundtrack on vinyl, must have somehow bought it twice, or maybe brought someone else's home from a party.
When we go camping at Bodega Bay where The Birds was filmed, we detour through Petaluma and check out some of the areas used in filming. The drag race at the end was filmed on rural Old Adobe Road East of Petaluma near Frates Road. That same road is now full of buildings, schools, condos, and apartment houses and a few farms still. There is still a large oak tree visible in the film in the distance that still sits atop the hill. Downtown Petaluma hasn't changed a whole lot in 50 years. I love the sound track and can still hear Wolfman Jack in the 60's late at night on XERB Radio.
It could almost be a documentary for what it was like for most youth. The resistants from the studios just shows how vary far it is from LA to Modesto or the rest of the US for that matter
Amazing how long ago the movie was made. Watching it now still seems like seeing it for the first time. And oh yeah trying to do the follow ups was a blow. The movie takes you back to things you might have known. A true movie of the times, in vary rare company.
it was essentially "Dazed and Confused" for the 50's/early 60's. they make good companion pieces to each other. you throw in "SLC Punk" and you got a good triple feature. "American Grafiti"(60's),"Dazed and Confused"(70's) and "SLC Punk"(80's).
one of my all time favorite films. I showed it to my daughter & son recently and they loved it. I also think More American Graffiti is worth a watch, especially the John Milner and Terry the Toad plot-lines. (although it does take half the film to really start to get it's flow.)
I was 20 years old when this movie came out so it resonated a lot with me and my friends. I grew up in Huntington Beach Ca, and there we would go up and down the streets and walk along the pier. When we went to Merced, which was near Modesto we would go out with them to cruise the strip.
Saw it about 15 times. Decided it was doing all kinds of things on an allegorical level, and wrote a paper on it. In July, '74 I took a vacation in Marin County and managed to buttonhole Lucas at his nascent house/office in San Anselmo. He was kind enough and unguarded enough at that time to speak for a few minutes with some lunatic who'd wandered in off the street (a different time then, to be sure). I asked him if he'd intended all the symbolism I was seeing (e.g., the "canal" represented Vietnam). It was pretty much a "no" to all, except for Curt being in Canada to avoid the draft, which I guess at the time was obvious enough to everyone. Oh well -- great art is said to lend itself to multiple interpretations depending on the perspective of the interpreter. I had just finished reading the Best and Brightest, and had Vietnam on the mind. Still my favorite movie.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time! Is the 3 hour plus version of this film available anywhere? I'd love to see that complete work in all its glory! I think this classic film inspired shows like Happy Days and movies like Grease! The Mel's diner scene was filmed on Van Ness St in SF CA, but sadly, it's no longer there! Later you all!
This is my favorite movie of all time! I graduated high school in '62 so it is very poignant for me, especially with the music! One thing though...the scene where Ron Howard escorts Cindy Williams into the school gym where they are mad at each other, the band is playing "Louie, Louie". This is 1962, Louie Louie didn't come out until April 1963.
Wrong, you're thinking of "Animal House". The band in "American Graffiti" is playing "At The Hop" by Danny & The Juniors. In "Animal House" they're playing the Kingsmen's 1963 recording of "Louie Louie", even though the movie takes place in fall of '62.
THE 1O BEST TEEN MOVIES FOR GUYS OF ALL TIME. American Graffiti. The Breakfast Club. Can't Hardly Wait. Dazed and Confused. Empire Records. Ferris Buellers Day Off. The Girl Next Door. Heaven Help Us. John Tucker Must Die. License To Drive. My Bodyguard. Not Another Teen Movie. The Outsiders. Private Resort. Real Genius. Some Kind Of Wonderful. Ten Things I Hate About You. Vision Quest. Weird Science. Zapped.
I have always loved that movie as it portrayed life as it was when I was growing up.I graduated high school in 1962 in a small town in the central valley of California (Dos Palos). I was a high prefomance car guy but my first car was a Triumph TR3. I had a friend that I had auto shop with that had a 29 A 3 window coupe yellow of course but it had a hopped up Ford flathead V8 in it. I down loaded the movie to my computer a number of years ago and watch it from time to time. Ah the memories!
Saw this in the theatre as a teenager. Thought it was ok as it went along, but then when the Booker T song came on as they headed out for the big drag race, the hair stood up on my arms. Perfect tension building moment. Suddenly, I was rooting for Milner because it looked like he was going to be taken down. That was the moment when I became an American Graffiti fan for life. So many emotions packed in that one scene.
I just re-watched AG recently, and it occurred to me that, near the beginning of the film, Howard says to Dreyfus "You can't stay 17 forever," and then for the next decade or so, Howard played Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. Basically trying to stay a teenager forever. I never noticed the irony in that before.
Hang outs. Something the youth of today are missing out on. Sitting at home in their gaming chairs talking over a microphone. I'm a kid of the 80's and 90's and those were great times of hanging out. now the kids today IF they hang out, they are all on their phones and sitting in silence. so sad.
You did a great job; I already feel like I know every single thing about this fantastic movie, and yet you taught me a thing or two so.....I'm happy I clicked on it!
In 1962 i was 10 years old and in my small country town in North Queensland Australia at the time we did the cruising, girls, burgers and drag races therefore we related fully to the films theme.
Met Cindy Williams, Candy Clark and Paul LeMat at Hot August Nights one year. The ladies were just as sweet as could be. Cindy kept calling me and my best friend Joe, boys. Treasured memories. LeMat was very nice too, but was still hung over and apologized for his red eyes! One of my favorite nostalgia films ever!
Wrong about happy days. Ron Howard was actually cast based on a "love american style" episode called "Love and the Happy Days", which greatly preceded the actual series and only got greenlighted after AG had much success.
I watched that movie one more time, many years ago. The one thing that really bugs me was cutting out the final part of the final scene where the camera was looking down at a drive-in movie theater as the plane was flying away. That's where I watched the movie originally, but George Lucas, or whomever decided to cut that part out. I was so disappointed that it was missing
Saw this in 73, went home and asked my Dad about the song " I only have eyes for you ".... been requesting and dancing to this song ever since. First fell in love with Kathleen Quinlan's sexy eyes !! Great movie, greater times growing up through the 70s & 80s....Up in smoke, Animal House, Rocky Horror, Caddyshack, The Groove Tube, Flesh Gordon, mostly at the drive - in ! Yep...we had a GREAT time growing up !!!
THANKS for this!!! A damn fine film cinematographically, writing, and ground breaking doc style. 5-stars for a car dork extraordinaire for sure. Got no use for sci-fi Star Wars shit. Never seen it!
Dazed and confused has a lot in common with this film as they both took place in one night. I would also throw Superbad in there as high school coming of age movies that take place in one night.
Love this movie... Grew up in the 1960s, but drove a 1957 Chevy ( now I drive a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad) and the music, which makes the movie.. We drove the "Strip" in HS just like in the movie, but in Wisconsin in the late 1960s,...
One of my all time favourite movies! Love it more than Star Wars tbh! Would have loved to have known how much it cost to make compared to the 601 million it made at the box office.
There are a whole bunch of connection's to the mentioned American International Pictures, Ron Howard and Coppola got their first direction gigs with it, and Toni Basil did choreography for beach party movies, while Cindy Williams and others got acting gigs with that studio.
American Graffiti was the first movie that had multiple sub plots going on at once which all came together at the end. It's a classic and nothing bad happened . You're taking a great movie and trying to find something wrong with it. As you say at the end, it was the movie studios that wrote the film off. And it ended up being the box office smash it was. Your rambling on about Howard The Duck was the downside of the whole story that most of us were already fimilar with. Why compare it to American Graffiti?
I never noticed that basically the whole cast had really successful careers. Harrison Ford in 6 days, 7 nights dwarfs all of them though. 🤣 I just subscribed btw.
I love this channel and appreciate the effort you guys put into your work. However, the audio on this video is terrible and it makes it almost unwatchable. The vast majority of your videos are on point but this one, and a handful of others are let down by the same audio issues. Just FYI 👍🏻
After the release of this movie, "Happy Days" premiered on TV in early 1974 and later that year was the release of the movie "Lords of Flatbush". I remember at that time there was a little bit of interest in 1950's nostalgia.
An interesting little film from Lucas. I think having his mentor(Francis Ford Coppola), his old producer(Gary Kurtz) and even his first wife(Marcia) on hand - helped in the development of this film. I think what is perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is the cast - lots of famous faces(Ford, Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams) all before they hit the big time. They also have real chemistry in the film. I think Lucas got a drama coach to deal with the actors - whatever, it seems to have worked. The movie owes a lot to Fellini's "I, Vitelloni"(which Lucas admits he was influenced by) as a coming of age tale. It's interesting how it later on inspired things like "Happy Days" on TV and also the film "Diner". Unfortunately and perhaps showing Lucas' future bad judgement, there was a disastrous sequel made just after the success of "Star Wars"(More American Graffiti). The less said about that, the better. I think even Lucas admitted that it was a failure as a film(much like he did with "Howard the Duck"). It's just a shame that Lucas took off in a different direction, as I think with the first two films that he made(THX and American Graffiti) - he was a much more interesting director, who sort of never got to fulfil his potential.
Mak Phillips was not only the daughter of M&Ps Papa John but Mama Michelle. The "Pilot: Ron Howard was in wasn't a "Pilot" perse but an episode of "Love American Style". It aired before AG was released and it was probably AG that led to Happy Days being produced from the LAS episodes plotline. Also, Ron Howard was an established star at the time he filmed AG.
The Last Picture Show (1971) was one of the first - if not THE first - Hollywood film with a soundtrack of pre-existing songs. Lucas borrowed and inflated the concept. Ever since, almost any film that takes place in the 1950s / 60s / 70s is guaranteed to be slathered in rock-and-roll tunes. Goes to show the power of music in memory.
American Graffiti is my all time favorite movie. I lived it. Class of 1962 in the San Francisco Bay Area. George Lucas captured our youth.
Cars, girls, crusing; booze; and the music; Wolfman Jack on our car radios picked up late at night on a make-out hill. Loved it.
one of the greatest teen movies ever, really fun and well shot and acted. The line "I lost my wife too, but her name wasn't Idy and it wasn't in a flood" just great
Hysterical!! Thought I was the only one who heard it! Anytime someone says to me they lost their I.D. or wallet or something, I drop that line😂hardly anyone gets it🤷
Milner's '32 Coupe and Falfa's '55 Chevy are still two of the coolest movie cars ever.
The Two lane blacktop/ Falfas 55 is an iconic car so many clones of this car !
Agreed!
Um. Excuse me…. Vanishing Point anyone? Two Lane Blacktop?! Hello!?
@sublimegman oh yes, Vanishing point
The ' 55 to me is way cooler than the' 32.
Growing up in my teen years at that time in California, Lucas was spot on with the characters and experiences of the era. The cruising, the girls, the burger joint (the original McDonald's for us --- and not the Downey one), the street toughs, no guns --- just fist beatdowns, flat feet (cops) getting in the way, the souped up hot rods, neon everywhere and most importantly the great music. Everything was boss.
Isn’t Neon still everywhere during the nights
@@liltree8382 Not like the 1950s. Every liquor store, movie theater, restaurant, bar, car dealer and especially the McDonald's were awash with neon lights of vivid color and design. The circuit breakers in those lights weren't silent as now. They actually buzzed very loud. Sounded like a hive of large bees had been disturbed and were buzzing over your head in front of the theater's box office. The posters of current and coming attractions were framed in neon. Inside the theater the snack bar was festooned with buzzing neon. Wonderful to be very young then.
A really great time capsule film with fantastic performances from Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford.
I am so glad that "American Graffiti" was made!! I believe that it is the best coming of age movie ever made!!
I grew up in the 80s so the Brat Pack movies were my favorite, but I appreciate this movie and it’s importance. I also had the double album soundtrack.
A classic. Even if George Lucas never made Star Wars, he would be revered just for this movie alone.
I grew up in Modesto, I was 16 in 1973. I could hardly believe that Hollywood had made a movie about my little backwater town in the conservative, hot, dry Central Valley. But cruising the main drag (McHenry Ave.) was still the biggest thing going in Modesto in the 1970s, so we all related to American Graffiti. We watched the movie over and over. It boosted the esteem of all of us who lived there.
It's one of my favorite movies of all time, so I watch at least 4-5 times every year on DVD. I saw when it was released in 1973 and I still think it is a masterpiece
I like when the liquor store robber tosses the booze to Toad.
Love America Graffiti. Saw it when it was first released in theaters. It was at the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, California. I was 11 years old at the time.
What I love most about it is that one scene was filmed in my home town of Pinole, California. It was the scene at the miniature golf course. It’s the scene with Richard Dreyfuss and the Pharaohs (including Bo Hopkins). Richard Dreyfuss talks to the owners while the Pharaohs go to the arcade room, break in to the pinball machines, and steal the money. George Lucas is pictured in that arcade room at 2:54 in this video. I played many a round of miniature golf there in my youth, as well as a few pinball games in that arcade room. Sadly the Pinole Miniature Golf course was torn down in the 1990’s.
Sadly most of the great places from our youth are long gone. All we have left are our fading memories. On the bright side most of our bad memories of youth have been forgotten and buried. Leaving only the good times mostly repainted by our nostalgia to be brighter and shinier than they actually were.
Thank you, I was wracking my brain trying to determine the filming site for this scene; it's not on any of the "AG filming sites" lists floating around the interwebs.
'American Graffiti' was rereleased in theaters with extra, previously cut scenes in 1978. That's where I jumped into its fandom, at age 15, after four years of 'Happy Days' and Elvis movies on TV and Oldies record shows on AM radio programming. Plus, I loved the '50s cars which were still on the road as daily drivers in the 1970s.
One of my favorite movies. Probably saw it 50 times in the Theatres, and enjoyed it every time. Loved the soundtrack, it was a big part of the movie. Great writing, performances, it had it all. Thanks for posting this video.
I grew up in Southern California as a teenager in Newport Beach. What a time to be young.
I saw American Graffiti when it came out. At that time I owned an Edsel. What made it fun pulling into the parking lot at the movie theater was seeing a number of other cars from that era - Hudsons, Studebakers, the usual Fords, Chevrolets Dodges and a few Plymouths. Pretty fun.
movie time with unintentional car-meet :D Groovy!!!!
This is a neat coming of age nostalgia trip, and it's interesting watching an early George Lucas movie that ISN'T Star Wars.
Howard the Duck!
I always wondered why he didn't make more movies outside of Star Wars.
@@mobspeak Well that one was from 1986, post-Star Wars. And he only produced it. Same with the Ewoks movies. But yeah, Howard the Duck was great!
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I still love it to this day 🏁 🏁 🇺🇸
I was 6 years old in 1962. I do remember all the cool looking cars back then. Both American and European throughout the 60's. Including many from the 50's.
Still one of my all time favorite movies. I grew up in the 1960's and 1970's so I just missed bein a teenager in 1962 to have the memories Lucas did, but I was nostalgic for the era, and the characters were so relatable. I love the cars and the music. It is a unique film in that the music is in effect the sound effects, and the sound effects became the sound track. This film has such a different feel to it. I would love to do another version only revolving around 1982. The thing is, it would cost at least 50 million just for music licensing. Lucas and I even share some same experiences, such as both of us almost being killed in a car crash at a young age. He is the reason I am a filmmaker today.
One of my favorite movies of all time! Came around in my life at the right time !!
Great movie! Definitely affected my life.
I loved the 58 Impala Steve and Toad drove so much I had to have one for myself. Found one in early 74. Painted
and fixed it up like the movie car. Drove it through high school and beyond. It was my first car. Have since rebuilt it again. I take it to car shows when it's nice out. Mainly it just lives in my garage nowadays . Thanks for the great life-changing movie
George!
I can never get enough this movie it is perfect in so many ways and crafted in a great storytelling technique
I truly loved American Graffiti at the time of it's release. I was 13 and it was a huge coming of age film for me. I find it odd that you barely brushed by Harrison Ford's very accomplished and very huge body of work.
I think he did that because we all know Harrison Ford's work so well.
I liked this movie very much. Nothing happened to "AMERICAN GRAFFITI". I recently got a Blu-ray DVD copy of it on Amazon and it is beautiful. My goodness Ron Howard was so young and cute in this film. He always stood for what an American teenage boy was back-in-the-day. And today Ron Howard is my favorite director.
Got the blu ray , got the 2 disc cd soundtrack too,. One my absolutely favourite albums that soundtrack
My favorite movie! We all went and saw it when it was released, and were blown away to think how much the world had changed in just 11 years, we’re old enough to remember 1962 as well. I’m not talking about technological change, but loss of innocence, optimism and the rise of cynicism.
Beautifully said.
Do you feel the change mostly occurred in America? A whole lot of history occurred in those
eleven years from 62 until the release of the movie. Some would say a lot of bad if you were to
think upon the negativity of that era. But there were bright spots as well. It all depends on who
is looking back at it all. It is much easier if you lived through it. There is no one who did not live
through it who would have any understanding about it, They can only read about it in books, at
the hands of someone who agreed or did not agree with it's significance. Were the ones who
missed this era lucky they did so, or were they unlucky that they missed an important part of
American history? Or what happened globally as well. And remember, what kids are seeing
today is not really far off from 1962! Russia is still a threatening presence as was the early 60's.
@@tomodonovan5931 Yes, duh, of course there was a lot of negativity in those intervening years, that's what the whole movie is about! That's what the ending is about. Get it? It has nothing to do with "being lucky you lived through certain times". Go watch "True Heart Susie", which is from 1919, and it's the same exact story. I'm not going to waste my time answering every single one of these questions, most of them completely idiotic, I wouldn't even know where to start. What, do you have a problem with "American Graffiti", or the times, or what exactly are you babbling about?
@@TTM9691 How would you know about being lucky living through
certain times? Did you get a draft notice during the 60's? And what is
wrong with James Blair answering my 2 mostly idiotic questions? Did
you really feel it was necessary to intervene? What exactly is your
problem? You think James Blair is incapable of answering a question on
TH-cam? He is probably mature enough to realize that a question asked
is not a so called idiotic one. American Graffiti is not a negative movie.
It's friends spending a day together before two go off to college. The ending
has a sad footnote reflecting what happened to the other two who were not
college bound. Blair talks about lost innocence, hope, and trust in government.
I merely asked about the positive events that balance out the purpose of life.
That's not so difficult to comprehend is it? You never did have to waste your
time. Simply because no one asked you to do so. You don't have to start
anything. Just stop, and let James Blair answer the questions. If he chooses
not to, no problem with me. I respect his choice. But respect is something you
know little about since you like to butt into someone else's business. In short,
you have to let others speak for themselves. From his original comment, he's
fully capable of doing so w/o your harsh input. You're a step short from having
anger problems. Your comment to me says it all.
@@tomodonovan5931 Tommy, can you hear me? Tommy? Tommy? (get it?!) (no?) (you were around in '69, right old timer?) (but seriously Tom, don't cop an attitude with me just because the point of the movie seems to go sailing over your head.) As far as being lucky to live through certain times, which is it, tedious boomer? Pissing your pants over your draft notice or we never had it so good? What a dingus.
I remember seeing this in the theatre and thinking it would be so so but was blown away , I loved it .
Still lost and in a funk after the Beatles broke up, I was surprised at how the 50's soundtrack really ROCKED!
I always did admire this movie after I first heard about it and saw it in the late 90’s(?) on cable. It also makes me sad to see it knowing that if Lucas made more movies like this, he would’ve grown a bit more in terms of being diverse in the types of movies he’s known for.
Also I love the comedic fake-outs in this video like when I was expecting you to say Harrison Ford went on to be in Indiana Jones but instead said Seven Days and Seven Nights.
My parents grew up around that area, and I still have family there. I visited them recently, and the whole area was getting a car show together to cruise up and down the road in their refurbished cars. The dealership my cousin works at had the cars from the movie on display too (not the ACTUAL cars used, but the same kinds)
I wonder how much $ those actual cars would bring.
One of the greatest films ever....a classic.
Even 'down under ' here in New Zealand, Graffiti was a cult hot rodders movie. We all watched it over and over, and 50 years later, I still enjoy a watch every couple of years. The cars may have been different, but the themes very much portrayed my youth in our different part of the world. Great work George and friends. I still have 2 copies of the soundtrack on vinyl, must have somehow bought it twice, or maybe brought someone else's home from a party.
When we go camping at Bodega Bay where The Birds was filmed, we detour through Petaluma and check out some of the areas used in filming. The drag race at the end was filmed on rural Old Adobe Road East of Petaluma near Frates Road. That same road is now full of buildings, schools, condos, and apartment houses and a few farms still. There is still a large oak tree visible in the film in the distance that still sits atop the hill. Downtown Petaluma hasn't changed a whole lot in 50 years. I love the sound track and can still hear Wolfman Jack in the 60's late at night on XERB Radio.
Saw American graffiti 74/75. When I was 16. The film and the music 🎶, totally blew me away, still a favourite
It could almost be a documentary for what it was like for most youth. The resistants from the studios just shows how vary far it is from LA to Modesto or the rest of the US for that matter
Amazing how long ago the movie was made. Watching it now still seems like seeing it for the first time. And oh yeah trying to do the follow ups was a blow. The movie takes you back to things you might have known. A true movie of the times, in vary rare company.
A blow? You mean failures?
this movie sparked my love & appreciation for the music & culture of the 50's & 60's !!
I've seen more times than I can remember. I put it on my list of the best movies ever produced.
I'd like to see a three hour "Director's cut" version
it was essentially "Dazed and Confused" for the 50's/early 60's. they make good companion pieces to each other. you throw in "SLC Punk" and you got a good triple feature. "American Grafiti"(60's),"Dazed and Confused"(70's) and "SLC Punk"(80's).
Do you think spinal tap can also go on the list too? But that would’ve been mid 80s right??
Great triple feature, should be a box set!
I think he’s talking about nostalgia-infused looks back at American youth culture.
@@plissken94th57 Detroit Rock City would be a better thematic fit I'd say, the heroes of Spinal Tap weren't teens
@@nitedreamer23 you nailed it, that's exactly what I was going for by grouping those films together.
One of my favorite movies growing up in high school.
The Old Harper scene is probably my favorite sequence in the movie.
That was so funny! “I lost my Id in a flood.”
The Simpons did a parody of it when Homer wanted illegal fireworks 😃
One of my favorite movies of all time. I wanted to grow up to be John Milner when I was a kid.. sooo bad.
one of my all time favorite films.
I showed it to my daughter & son recently and they loved it.
I also think More American Graffiti is worth a watch, especially the John Milner and Terry the Toad plot-lines. (although it does take half the film to really start to get it's flow.)
I agree.
My grandpa planted trees for the Vietnam scene and had second cousins pretend die in the film.
I was 20 years old when this movie came out so it resonated a lot with me and my friends. I grew up in Huntington Beach Ca, and there we would go up and down the streets and walk along the pier. When we went to Merced, which was near Modesto we would go out with them to cruise the strip.
I say this is Lucas' masterpiece, as much as I love Star Wars, I really want Lucas to do something like this.
My dad loves this movie. And my anthropology professor in college claims this film was based on his youth growing up with George lucas.
And the Departed was based off my father Frank.
@@Mayor_Of_Eureka17 do u know who my da is 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@Mayor_Of_Eureka17 lol.
@@Mayor_Of_Eureka17 that hard r in the first minute of the film, oof
He identifies as such. I smell bullshit.
One of my favorite movies!!!! 👍👍👍
Gone but not forgotten !
Cindy Williams
Suzanne Somers
Bo Hopkins
Love this film ,watched it hundreds of times,the 55 Chevy was the 2 lane black top car l believe ,a real masterpiece!!!
Got to see this at the drive in a couple years back, absolutely incredible experience
Very cool!
Gosh, I remember when it came out. LOVE it !
Saw it about 15 times. Decided it was doing all kinds of things on an allegorical level, and wrote a paper on it. In July, '74 I took a vacation in Marin County and managed to buttonhole Lucas at his nascent house/office in San Anselmo. He was kind enough and unguarded enough at that time to speak for a few minutes with some lunatic who'd wandered in off the street (a different time then, to be sure). I asked him if he'd intended all the symbolism I was seeing (e.g., the "canal" represented Vietnam). It was pretty much a "no" to all, except for Curt being in Canada to avoid the draft, which I guess at the time was obvious enough to everyone. Oh well -- great art is said to lend itself to multiple interpretations depending on the perspective of the interpreter. I had just finished reading the Best and Brightest, and had Vietnam on the mind. Still my favorite movie.
I was on Paradise Rd yesterday. 😊😊😊
Oh yes I remember Harrison Ford. That 6 days 7 nights is a classic. He even crashes a plane twice in it.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time! Is the 3 hour plus version of this film available anywhere? I'd love to see that complete work in all its glory! I think this classic film inspired shows like Happy Days and movies like Grease! The Mel's diner scene was filmed on Van Ness St in SF CA, but sadly, it's no longer there! Later you all!
This is my favorite movie of all time! I graduated high school in '62 so it is very poignant for me, especially with the music! One thing though...the scene where Ron Howard escorts Cindy Williams into the school gym where they are mad at each other, the band is playing "Louie, Louie". This is 1962, Louie Louie didn't come out until April 1963.
Wrong, you're thinking of "Animal House". The band in "American Graffiti" is playing "At The Hop" by Danny & The Juniors. In "Animal House" they're playing the Kingsmen's 1963 recording of "Louie Louie", even though the movie takes place in fall of '62.
The Pilot for Happy Days was from an episode of the popular 60s sitcom "Love American Style". It was entitled "Love and The Happy Days".
THE 1O BEST TEEN MOVIES
FOR GUYS OF ALL TIME.
American Graffiti.
The Breakfast Club.
Can't Hardly Wait.
Dazed and Confused.
Empire Records.
Ferris Buellers Day Off.
The Girl Next Door.
Heaven Help Us.
John Tucker Must Die.
License To Drive.
My Bodyguard.
Not Another Teen Movie.
The Outsiders.
Private Resort.
Real Genius.
Some Kind Of Wonderful.
Ten Things I Hate About You.
Vision Quest.
Weird Science.
Zapped.
One of the best movies ever!💛
This is an excellent movie and shows that George Lucas can develop characters when he puts forth the effort.
This movie seemed to usher in the "back to the 50's" wave that lasted a long time.
I have always loved that movie as it portrayed life as it was when I was growing up.I graduated high school in 1962 in a small town in the central valley of California (Dos Palos). I was a high prefomance car guy but my first car was a Triumph TR3. I had a friend that I had auto shop with that had a 29 A 3 window coupe yellow of course but it had a hopped up Ford flathead V8 in it. I down loaded the movie to my computer a number of years ago and watch it from time to time. Ah the memories!
15:19 i'm so happy things worked out for Harrison Ford. He seems like a pretty cool guy.
That was hilarious!
Ford quit acting after this movie
I was 13 years young when in 1973 I seen this movie on the big screen it's been with me to this day it feels like it was yesterday
Saw "American Graffiti" back in the day-Thought it was fantastic.
Saw this in the theatre as a teenager. Thought it was ok as it went along, but then when the Booker T song came on as they headed out for the big drag race, the hair stood up on my arms. Perfect tension building moment. Suddenly, I was rooting for Milner because it looked like he was going to be taken down. That was the moment when I became an American Graffiti fan for life. So many emotions packed in that one scene.
I still drive by that area where they filmed the drag race on Old Adobe Road near Frates Road East of Petaluma. The area built up a lot in 50 years.
Startling to think this is a movie written and filmed about a time period just a decade before. The 1960s was such a time of radical change.
I just re-watched AG recently, and it occurred to me that, near the beginning of the film, Howard says to Dreyfus "You can't stay 17 forever," and then for the next decade or so, Howard played Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. Basically trying to stay a teenager forever. I never noticed the irony in that before.
I'd say however George Lucas did it American Graffiti was perhaps the best movie of the era. RIP Wolfman Jack.
Was the audio for this also recorded in 1973? Turn the volume up, man.
Haha! Experiencing unnecessary daytime background noise*
I love this movie just for the nostalgia and the plot
Hang outs. Something the youth of today are missing out on. Sitting at home in their gaming chairs talking over a microphone. I'm a kid of the 80's and 90's and those were great times of hanging out. now the kids today IF they hang out, they are all on their phones and sitting in silence. so sad.
You did a great job; I already feel like I know every single thing about this fantastic movie, and yet you taught me a thing or two so.....I'm happy I clicked on it!
It was the most influential movie of my younger years. I played the Album of the songs all the time.
In 1962 i was 10 years old and in my small country town in North Queensland Australia at the time we did the cruising, girls, burgers and drag races therefore we related fully to the films theme.
American Graffiti is an all time favorites along with Dazed and Confused (my graduation year was also 76).
Met Cindy Williams, Candy Clark and Paul LeMat at Hot August Nights one year. The ladies were just as sweet as could be. Cindy kept calling me and my best friend Joe, boys. Treasured memories. LeMat was very nice too, but was still hung over and apologized for his red eyes! One of my favorite nostalgia films ever!
I like "The Sting", but this was the movie of the year. thanks for all the hotel stories, that was fun.
Wrong about happy days.
Ron Howard was actually cast based on a "love american style" episode called "Love and the Happy Days", which greatly preceded the actual series and only got greenlighted after AG had much success.
Correct. But one might be able to say that AMERICAN GRAFFITI is the father and LOVE AMERICAN STYLE is the mother of HAPPY DAYS.
Oh great, now I have the Love American Style theme stuck in my head.
@@bjornskivids
Love American Style.
Symbol of the red, white and blue.
Love American Style.
That's me and you.
Wish they woulda dedicated a couple minutes to More American Graffiti
I watched that movie one more time, many years ago. The one thing that really bugs me was cutting out the final part of the final scene where the camera was looking down at a drive-in movie theater as the plane was flying away. That's where I watched the movie originally, but George Lucas, or whomever decided to cut that part out. I was so disappointed that it was missing
One of my favorite movies!
Saw this in 73, went home and asked my Dad about the song " I only have eyes for you ".... been requesting and dancing to this song ever since. First fell in love with Kathleen Quinlan's sexy eyes !! Great movie, greater times growing up through the 70s & 80s....Up in smoke, Animal House, Rocky Horror, Caddyshack, The Groove Tube, Flesh Gordon, mostly at the drive - in ! Yep...we had a GREAT time growing up !!!
THANKS for this!!! A damn fine film cinematographically, writing, and ground breaking doc style.
5-stars for a car dork extraordinaire for sure. Got no use for sci-fi Star Wars shit. Never seen it!
Dazed and confused has a lot in common with this film as they both took place in one night. I would also throw Superbad in there as high school coming of age movies that take place in one night.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Love this movie... Grew up in the 1960s, but drove a 1957 Chevy ( now I drive a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad) and the music, which makes the movie.. We drove the "Strip" in HS just like in the movie, but in Wisconsin in the late 1960s,...
This was very well done. Thanks.
One of my all time favourite movies! Love it more than Star Wars tbh! Would have loved to have known how much it cost to make compared to the 601 million it made at the box office.
It was clearly stated that the budget was $750,000 - mostly for music rights.
There are a whole bunch of connection's to the mentioned American International Pictures, Ron Howard and Coppola got their first direction gigs with it, and Toni Basil did choreography for beach party movies, while Cindy Williams and others got acting gigs with that studio.
Loved "American Graffiti."
American Graffiti was the first movie that had multiple sub plots going on at once which all came together at the end. It's a classic and nothing bad happened . You're taking a great movie and trying to find something wrong with it. As you say at the end, it was the movie studios that wrote the film off. And it ended up being the box office smash it was. Your rambling on about Howard The Duck was the downside of the whole story that most of us were already fimilar with. Why compare it to American Graffiti?
I never noticed that basically the whole cast had really successful careers. Harrison Ford in 6 days, 7 nights dwarfs all of them though. 🤣 I just subscribed btw.
Candy Clark was brilliant in this playing the so-easily impressed blonde.
I love this channel and appreciate the effort you guys put into your work. However, the audio on this video is terrible and it makes it almost unwatchable. The vast majority of your videos are on point but this one, and a handful of others are let down by the same audio issues. Just FYI 👍🏻
I thought the same too like it was super muffled
Watch this channel all the time but this one I can't hear.Was looking forward to hear about one of my favorite movies.Please fix the sound,Thanks!
After the release of this movie, "Happy Days" premiered on TV in early 1974 and later that year was the release of the movie "Lords of Flatbush". I remember at that time there was a little bit of interest in 1950's nostalgia.
My favorite movie of all time I love it
I got a Vespa over there,....Girl;Well thats almost a motorcycle.
I saw it first day out!.. it really was a lot like the cruising scene, i could tell this would be iconic.
An interesting little film from Lucas. I think having his mentor(Francis Ford Coppola), his old producer(Gary Kurtz) and even his first wife(Marcia) on hand - helped in the development of this film. I think what is perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is the cast - lots of famous faces(Ford, Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams) all before they hit the big time. They also have real chemistry in the film. I think Lucas got a drama coach to deal with the actors - whatever, it seems to have worked.
The movie owes a lot to Fellini's "I, Vitelloni"(which Lucas admits he was influenced by) as a coming of age tale. It's interesting how it later on inspired things like "Happy Days" on TV and also the film "Diner".
Unfortunately and perhaps showing Lucas' future bad judgement, there was a disastrous sequel made just after the success of "Star Wars"(More American Graffiti). The less said about that, the better. I think even Lucas admitted that it was a failure as a film(much like he did with "Howard the Duck").
It's just a shame that Lucas took off in a different direction, as I think with the first two films that he made(THX and American Graffiti) - he was a much more interesting director, who sort of never got to fulfil his potential.
One of my favorite lines in the movie. By Toad. After he gets drunk and beat up. “I’ll die soon and it will be all over”. Also
“Ain’t he neat”.
Coming into Marquette Michigan!
Talk about atmosphere..Flawless..
Mak Phillips was not only the daughter of M&Ps Papa John but Mama Michelle.
The "Pilot: Ron Howard was in wasn't a "Pilot" perse but an episode of "Love American Style".
It aired before AG was released and it was probably AG that led to Happy Days being produced from the LAS episodes plotline. Also, Ron Howard was an established star at the time he filmed AG.
Michelle Phillips is not Mackenzie's mother.
The Last Picture Show (1971) was one of the first - if not THE first - Hollywood film with a soundtrack of pre-existing songs. Lucas borrowed and inflated the concept.
Ever since, almost any film that takes place in the 1950s / 60s / 70s is guaranteed to be slathered in rock-and-roll tunes.
Goes to show the power of music in memory.
Uh, "Easy Rider" used that Found Music thing in 1969.