Richard Dreyfuss American Graffiti #1 (the beginning)

American Graffiti is a 1973 period coming of age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, and written by Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford. Set in 1962 Modesto, California, American Graffiti tells of the exploits and adventures of a group of teenagers during a night of cruising around town and listening to pirate radio personality Wolfman Jack.

Development of the film started shortly after the release of Lucas's THX 1138 in 1971, at the same time as Lucas was developing an "untitled science fiction space opera", later to become the basis for Star Wars. The film was initially funded by United Artists, but after creative differences arose with the studio, Lucas decided to work with Universal Pictures instead. Filming started at San Rafael, California, but the production was kicked out of the town and most of the film was shot in Petaluma, California. Although Universal interfered little with production, it did object to the film's title of American Graffiti, recommending Lucas change it to Another Slow Night in Modesto.

The editing of American Graffiti was strenuous: the first cut was roughly 210 minutes long, and the final cut was released at 112 minutes. To this day the location of the other 100 minutes of footage remains unknown. The film received positive reviews and was a unanimous box office success (recouping 92 times its budget with its North American financial take). The film was nominated for five different categories at the 46th Academy Awards, and in 1995, American Graffiti was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and was added to the National Film Registry for preservation.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Richard
• Dreyfuss
• American
• Graffiti

[714a13x909]

@dodiho1965

everytime i watch films like these, i wonder how great it would of been to grow up in the 50s & 60s.

[deckard43]

I was a senior in 1962 and I must tell you it was a great time, especially for cars and girls

[TippetyWhip]

@714a13x909 "would HAVE been..."

[27jengirl]

my dad told my Harrison Ford is in this

[deckard43]

It was pretty cool, of course you do not realize it at the time

[busyguy1994]

@deckard43 I wanna live in that generation lol :)

[mattyhitch1980]

@donniedarkodevotte  no probs :]

[donniedarkodevotte]

@mattyhitch1980

I'll trade your 2011 England for my 2011 America!

[CandyHam]

hey richarddreyfussfan:

put

yt:stretch=16:9

in the video's tags so that it will display in the correct widescreen format! Because right now it looks squished.

[thecubanism]

Hey man I grew up in the fifties, born in 42, saw the rise of it all, Bill Haley, Elvis, I remember an enterprising movie theatre owner called Bell who owned the Palace, a run down flea pit in Leyland, Lancashire, he ordered, direct from London, Rock around the clock, man he made a fortune, I remember being so excited by Haley's music I actually whooped in the cinema, people didn't do that in fifties Britain but that was the start of the teenage revolution and the hares still running.

[mattyhitch1980]

if wish i lived in 1950's america but i have to live in 2011 england!

[CRX1100]

gotta love those cars. the 50's. good detroit cars.