American Graffiti - Francis Ford Coppola & George Lucas - Lot 458

American Graffiti - Francis Ford Coppola & George Lucas (His second film, which would go on to be a huge success) The film's budget was approximately $777,000. It grossed $115 million in the United States, including $21.3 million in its first year of release (1974). The film drew 1,248,919 admissions in France. In 1973, for his second film, George Lucas turned to the largely autobiographical comedy-drama *American Graffiti*, in which he portrays American youth in the early 1960s. Having lived through that era, the film perfectly reflects his vision: cruising through town in cars, street races, the emergence of alternative rock ’n’ roll, Wolfman Jack’s radio show… On the surface a sketch comedy, *American Graffiti* is, paradoxically, a rather sad film, expressing nostalgia for a bygone golden age that still resonates with today’s audience. It depicts an America confident in itself and its “carefree youth” before the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the years of the counterculture. Shortly before this, Lucas had directed *THX 1138*, depicting not the golden age we had left behind, but a terrifying world we were heading toward. A reference to this is actually present in the film, on the license plate of John Milner’s car: “THX 138.” The soundtrack uses the radio as a central theme, playing American hits of the era along with commentary from the host, Wolfman Jack, who plays himself in the film. The film was a huge hit in the United States and served as the basis for the hit television series *Happy Days*. Both the film’s and the series’ opening credits are set to the same song: Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock.” A whole collection of American cars from the 1950s and 1960s had to be sourced to recreate the right atmosphere. To keep an eye on their cars, some anxious owners stayed on set during the nighttime filming. The main character, Curt Henderson, drives a Citroën 2CV, which is an anachronism for the year 1962, when the film’s action takes place.8 In fact, the 2CV used is a 1967 model; equipped with front doors that open the right way, a third side window on the rear quarter panels (above the rear wheels), and a three-slat grille; this version would not be produced until after September 1965. The film was shot in Techniscope because CinemaScope was too expensive. Techniscope uses 35 mm film but half the height of a standard CinemaScope frame. It provides a panoramic effect similar to CinemaScope but with lower quality, giving the film the documentary-style look that Lucas wanted. The use of Techniscope caused lighting problems during night shoots. The characters are inspired by the director’s past, the person he was as a child, and his friends. In this film, Harrison Ford appears in the role of Bob Falfa. After playing numerous small roles in films and television series, Ford had become a carpenter to support his family (he had two sons). He met George Lucas—who was still unknown at the time—while working on building storage units in the director’s home. Lucas offered him the role of Falfa in *American Graffiti*. For the part, he was supposed to cut his hair in the style popular among young people at the time, which he refused to do. He then suggested to Lucas that his character wear a Stetson to hide his hairstyle. And so began the actor’s film career. Following the success of *Star Wars* at the box office, *American Graffiti* was re-released in theaters with three new scenes: Terry pulls up to the entrance of a garage in Steve’s car, where a salesman insists on buying it from him; While the kids are dancing to “Louie Louie” at the dance, Steve and Laurie continue to waltz. The principal catches them and scolds them for being unruly. Steve replies, “Hey, Kroot! Go to hell!”; While driving his Chevrolet with Laurie as a passenger, Bob Falfa sings a tune from the 1958 film *South Pacific* in broken French. The film would have a sequel, *American Graffiti, the Sequel* (*More American Graffiti*), directed by Bill L. Norton in 1979. / The film’s budget was approximately $777,000. It grossed $115 million in the United States, including $21.3 million in its first year of release (1974). The film drew 1,248,919 admissions in France. In 1973, for his second film, George Lucas turned to the largely autobiographical comedy-drama *American Graffiti*, in which he depicted American youth in the early 1960s. Having lived through that era, the film perfectly reflects his vision: drag races through the city, car racing, and the emergence of rock 'n' roll