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105-542: American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas , produced by Francis Ford Coppola , written by Willard Huyck , Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss , Ron Howard , Paul Le Mat , Charles Martin Smith , Candy Clark , Mackenzie Phillips , Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack . Harrison Ford and Bo Hopkins also appear. Set in Modesto, California , in 1962,

210-419: A 4K restoration of the film updated with a brand new 5.1 sound mix was re-released domestically on August 27 and 30 before a Ultra HD Blu-ray release on November 7, 2023. American Graffiti received widespread critical acclaim. Roger Ebert gave the film a full four stars and praised it for being "not only a great movie, but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate

315-419: A cameo appearance . "George Lucas and I went through thousands of Wolfman Jack phone calls that were taped with the public," Jack reflected. "The telephone calls [heard on the broadcasts] in the motion picture and on the soundtrack were actual calls with real people." Although American Graffiti is set in 1962 Modesto, Lucas believed the city had changed too much in ten years and initially chose San Rafael as

420-519: A documentary -like feel, so he shot the film using Techniscope cameras. He believed that Techniscope, an inexpensive way of shooting on 35 mm film and using only half of the film's frame, would give a perfect widescreen format resembling 16 mm . Adding to the documentary feel was Lucas's openness for the cast to improvise scenes. He also used goofs for the final cut, notably Charles Martin Smith's arriving on his scooter to meet Steve outside Mel's Drive-In. Jan D'Alquen and Ron Eveslage were hired as

525-488: A double feature with More American Graffiti (1979) in January 2004. The 1978 version of the film was used, with an additional digital change to the sky in the opening title sequence. Additionally, the 1998 DVD and VHS releases were both THX certified as well. Universal released the film on Blu-ray with a new digitally remastered picture supervised by George Lucas on May 31, 2011. In celebration of its 50th anniversary,

630-407: A "masterfully executed and profoundly affecting movie." Jay Cocks of Time magazine wrote that American Graffiti "reveals a new and welcome depth of feeling. Few films have shown quite so well the eagerness, the sadness, the ambitions and small defeats of a generation of young Americans." Pauline Kael of The New Yorker was less enthused, writing that the film "fails to be anything more than

735-402: A Teenage Girl (2015), Mistress America (2015), The Edge of Seventeen (2016), Lady Bird (2017), Sweet 20 (2017), Aftersun (2022) and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023). Wolfman Jack Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938 – July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack , was an American disc jockey active for over three decades. Famous for

840-585: A Vespa scooter; she suggests it is "almost a motorcycle" and says she had fun with him, agreeing to meet up with him again. In an attempt to get cruising company for the evening, John inadvertently picks up Carol, a precocious 12-year-old who manipulates him into driving her around all night. He lies to suspicious friends that she's a cousin and he's stuck with babysitting duty, and they have a series of petty arguments until another car's occupants verbally harass her as she attempts to walk home alone, and John then decides to protect her. Meanwhile, skilled racer Bob Falfa

945-480: A chain to a police car, ripping out its back axle. During a tense ride, the Pharaoh leader tells Curt that "The Blonde" is a prostitute, which he does not believe. With Steve allowing Terry to take care of his car while he's studying at college, Terry uses it to cruise around the strip and pick up the rebellious Debbie. Telling her he is known as "Terry The Tiger", he spends the night trying to impress her, lying about

1050-439: A decade after his death and remain available to local stations, through Talent Farm as of mid-2020. In 2024, as part of a oldies format marking its 85th anniversary, XEPRS began to carry the remastered recordings. In his early days, Wolfman Jack made sporadic public appearances, usually as a master of ceremonies for rock bands at Los Angeles clubs. At each appearance, he looked a little different because he had not decided what

1155-491: A few minutes) from Lucas's cut. These include an encounter between Toad and a fast-talking car salesman, an argument between Steve and his former teacher Mr. Kroot at the sock hop, and an effort by Bob Falfa to serenade Laurie with " Some Enchanted Evening ". The studio initially thought that the film was only fit for release as a television movie . Various studio employees who had seen the film began talking it up, and its reputation grew through word of mouth . The studio dropped

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1260-557: A film where, essentially, we can get rid of some of those frustrations, the feeling that everything seems futile. After Warner Bros. abandoned Lucas's early version of Apocalypse Now (during the post-production of THX 1138 ), the filmmaker decided to continue developing Another Quiet Night in Modesto , eventually changing its title to American Graffiti . To co-write a 15-page film treatment , Lucas hired Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz , who also added semiautobiographical material to

1365-491: A group of recent high school grads' last days of innocence." Metacritic calculated a score of 97 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". American Graffiti depicts multiple characters going through a coming of age , such as the decisions to attend college or reside in a small town. The 1962 setting represents nearing an end of an era in American society and pop culture. The early 1960s musical backdrop also links between

1470-410: A made-for-TV movie Deadman's Curve based on the musical careers of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean . Smith appeared in several television shows as Wolfman Jack, including The Odd Couple , What's Happening!! , Vega$ , Hollywood Squares , Married... with Children (his final public performance), Emergency! , The New Adventures of Wonder Woman , and Galactica 1980 . He

1575-650: A montage of skits by the comedy troupe The Committee . Wolfman Jack started his recording career in Minneapolis while working at KUXL Radio in 1965 with George Garrett, who helped record the album Boogie with the Wolfman by Wolfman Jack and the Wolfpack on the Bread Label. He was also responsible for engineering, producing, and assembling the band. Wolfman Jack also released Wolfman Jack (1972) and Through

1680-566: A pill called Florex, which was supposed to enhance one's sex drive, was sold. "Some zing for your ling nuts ", the Wolfman would say. XERB was the original call sign for the border blaster station in Rosarito Beach , Mexico, which was branded as The Mighty 1090 in Hollywood , California . The station boasted "50,000 watts of Boss Soul Power". That station continues to broadcast under the call sign XEPRS-AM. XERB also had an office in

1785-689: A quick pace. Lucas mimicked the filmmaking style of B-movie producer Sam Katzman ( Rock Around the Clock , Your Cheatin' Heart , and the aforementioned Hot Rods to Hell ) in attempting to save money and authenticated low-budget filming methods. In addition to Petaluma, other locations included Mel's Drive-In in San Francisco, Sonoma , Richmond , Novato , and the Buchanan Field Airport in Concord . The freshman hop dance

1890-523: A replacement. Because of new laws passed in the UK in 1967 ( Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 ), the sales operation needed to be situated outside of the UK. For a time, Don Kelley, Wolfman Jack's business partner and personal manager, acted as the West Coast agent for the planned new Radio Caroline, but the deal eventually fell apart. As a part of this process, Wolfman Jack was set to deliver

1995-537: A screenplay. Lucas planned to spend another five weeks in Europe and hoped that Huyck and Katz would agree to finish the screenplay by the time he returned, but they were about to start on their own film, Messiah of Evil , so Lucas hired Richard Walter , a colleague from the USC School of Cinematic Arts for the job. Walter was flattered, but initially tried to sell Lucas on a different screenplay called Barry and

2100-530: A script, completing his first draft in just three weeks. Drawing upon his large collection of vintage records, Lucas wrote each scene with a particular song in mind as its musical backdrop. The cost of licensing the 75 songs Lucas wanted was one factor in United Artists' ultimate decision to reject the script; the studio also felt it was too experimental—"a musical montage with no characters". United Artists also passed on Star Wars , which Lucas shelved for

2205-588: A second day. Petaluma , a similarly small town about 20 miles (32 km) north of San Rafael, was more cooperative, and American Graffiti moved there without the loss of a single day of shooting. Lucas convinced the San Rafael City Council to allow two further nights of filming for general cruising shots, which he used to evoke as much of the intended location as possible in the finished film. Shooting in Petaluma began June 28 and proceeded at

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2310-534: A sock (hop) full of memories." Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote, " American Graffiti is such a funny, accurate movie, so controlled and efficient in its narrative, that it stands to be overpraised to the point where seeing it will be an anticlimax." A.D. Murphy from Variety felt American Graffiti was a vivid "recall of teenage attitudes and morals, told with outstanding empathy and compassion through an exceptionally talented cast of unknown actors". Charles Champlin of The New York Times called it

2415-497: A swimming pool, gashing Dreyfuss's forehead on the day before he was due to have his close-ups filmed. Dreyfuss also complained over the wardrobe that Lucas had chosen for the character. Ford was kicked out of his motel room at the Holiday Inn. In addition, two camera operators were nearly killed when filming the climactic race scene on Frates Road outside Petaluma. Principal photography ended August 4, 1972. The final scenes in

2520-515: A title card detailing the fate of the characters, including the death of Milner and the disappearance of Toad in Vietnam. Huyck and Katz found the ending depressing and were incredulous that Lucas planned to include only the male characters. Lucas argued that mentioning the girls meant adding another title card, which he felt would prolong the ending. Because of this, Pauline Kael later accused Lucas of chauvinism . Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz took

2625-404: A warm, nice, draggy comedy, because there's nothing to back up the style. The images aren't as visually striking as they would be if only there were a mind behind them; the movie has no resonance except from the jukebox sound and the eerie, nocturnal jukebox look." She also noted with disdain that the epilogue did not bother to mention the fates of any of the women characters. Dave Kehr , writing in

2730-492: Is an important characteristic of the genre, which relies on dialogue and emotional responses, rather than action. The story is sometimes told in the form of a flashback. Historically, coming-of-age films usually centred on young boys, although coming-of-age films focusing on girls have become more common in the early 21st century, such as The Poker House (2008), Winter's Bone (2010), Hick (2011), Girlhood (2014), Mustang (2015), Inside Out (2015), The Diary of

2835-464: Is an insurance agent in Modesto; and Curt is a writer living in Canada. During the production of THX 1138 (1971), producer Francis Ford Coppola challenged co-writer/director George Lucas to write a script that would appeal to mainstream audiences. Lucas embraced the idea, using his early 1960s teenage experiences cruising in Modesto, California. "Cruising was gone, and I felt compelled to document

2940-486: Is conspicuously absent from the soundtrack. Clearing the music licensing rights had cost approximately $ 90,000, and as a result, no money was left for a traditional film score . "I used the absence of music, and sound effects, to create the drama," Lucas later explained. A soundtrack album for the film, 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti , was issued by MCA Records . The album contains all

3045-492: Is currently the 43rd highest. By the 1990s, American Graffiti had earned more than $ 200 million (equivalent to $ 466 million in 2023) in box-office gross and home video sales. In December 1997, Variety reported that the film had earned an additional $ 55.13 million in rental revenue (equivalent to $ 105 million in 2023). Universal Studios first released the film on DVD in September 1998, and once more as

3150-457: Is leaving town. Later at the airfield, he says goodbye to his parents and friends before boarding the plane. After takeoff, he looks down at the ground from the window and sees the white Thunderbird driving along the road below. Curt thoughtfully gazes into the sky. A postscript reveals the fates of the four main characters: In 1964, John was killed by a drunk driver; in 1965, Terry was reported missing in action near An Lộc , South Vietnam; Steve

3255-467: Is modeled after Lucas's personality during USC, while John is based on Lucas's teenaged street-racing and junior-college years, and hot rod enthusiasts he had known from the Kustom Kulture in Modesto. Terry represents Lucas's nerd years as a freshman in high school, specifically his "bad luck" with dating. The filmmaker was also inspired by Federico Fellini 's I Vitelloni (1953). After

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3360-464: Is searching out John to challenge him to the defining race for John's drag-racing crown. During his night of goading anyone he comes across for a challenge, he picks up an emotional Laurie after the argument with Steve that was brewing all night. After leaving the Pharaohs, Curt drives to the radio station to ask the omnipotent disc jockey " Wolfman Jack " to read a message out on air for the blonde in

3465-733: Is the first movie to be produced by his Lucasfilm production banner. American Graffiti premiered on August 2, 1973, at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, and was released on August 11, 1973, in the United States. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture . Produced on a $ 777,000 budget (equivalent to approximately $ 5,332,993 in 2023 dollars), it has become one of

3570-486: The Chicago Reader , called the film a brilliant work of popular art that redefined nostalgia as a marketable commodity, while establishing a new narrative style. Based on 62 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes , 95% of the critics enjoyed the film with an average score of 8.6/10. The consensus reads: "One of the most influential of all teen films, American Graffiti is a funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at

3675-582: The Cuban Missile Crisis , and before the outbreak of the Vietnam War and the John F. Kennedy assassination and before the peak years of the counterculture movement . American Graffiti evokes mankind's relationship with machines, notably the elaborate number of hot rods —having been called a "classic-car flick", representative of the motor car's importance to American culture at the time it

3780-582: The Park Slope section. His parents divorced while he was a child. To help keep him out of trouble, his father bought him a large Trans-Oceanic radio, and Smith became an avid fan of R&B music and the disc jockeys who played it, including Douglas "Jocko" Henderson of Philadelphia; New York's "Dr. Jive" ( Tommy Smalls ); the "Moon Dog" from Cleveland, Alan Freed ; and Nashville's " John R. " Richbourg, who later became his mentor. After selling encyclopedias and Fuller brushes door-to-door, Smith attended

3885-404: The "backbone" of the film. "The Wolfman was an ethereal presence in the lives of young people," said producer Gary Kurtz, "and it was that quality we wanted and obtained in the picture." The choice of music was crucial to the mood of each scene; it is diegetic music that the characters themselves can hear and therefore becomes an integral part of the action. George Lucas had to be realistic about

3990-486: The 1980s, he did a brief stint at XEROK 80 , another border-blaster station that was leased by Dallas investors Robert Hanna, Grady Sanders, and John Ryman. He also hosted a TV show at Little Darlin's Rock n' Roll Palace, which was eventually renamed Wolfman Jack's Rock'n'Roll Palace. Ryman then moved Smith to Scott Ginsburg -owned Y95 in Dallas, Texas. Recordings of Wolfman Jack's old shows were reintroduced to syndication

4095-654: The Ages (1973) on the Wooden Nickel label. In 1973, he appeared as himself in George Lucas 's second feature film American Graffiti . Lucas gave him a fraction of a "point", the division of the profits from a film, and the extreme financial success of American Graffiti provided him with a regular income for life. He also appeared in the film's 1979 sequel More American Graffiti , though only through voice-overs. In 1978, he appeared as Bob "The Jackal" Smith in

4200-469: The Continental Kids . Wolfman Jack was regularly parodied on The Hilarious House of Frightenstein as "The Wolfman," an actual werewolf disc jockey with a look inspired by the original The Wolf Man movies. A few years earlier, Todd Rundgren recorded the tribute "Wolfman Jack" on the album Something/Anything? ; the single version of the track includes a shouted talk-over introduction by

4305-737: The National Academy of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. After graduating from NAB in 1960, Smith began working as "Daddy Jules" at WYOU in Newport News, Virginia . When the station format changed to " beautiful music ", he became known as "Roger Gordon and Music in Good Taste". In 1962, Smith moved to country music station KCIJ/1050 in Shreveport, Louisiana , as the station manager and morning disc jockey, "Big Smith with

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4410-630: The Persuasions , a story of East Coast teenagers in the late 1950s. Lucas held firm—his was a story about West Coast teenagers in the early 1960s. Walter was paid the $ 10,000, and he began to expand the Lucas/Huyck/Katz treatment into a screenplay. Lucas was dismayed when he returned to America in June 1971 and read Walter's script, which was written in the style and tone of an exploitation film , similar to 1967's Hot Rods to Hell . "It

4515-554: The Prowl", and thousands of small, tombstone-shaped paperweights were distributed that said, "Cousin Brucie is going to be buried by Wolfman Jack". After less than a year, WNBC hired Cousin Brucie, and Wolfman Jack went back to California to concentrate on his syndicated radio show, which was carried on KRLA -Pasadena (Los Angeles) from 1984 to 1987. He moved to Belvidere, North Carolina , in 1989, to be closer to his extended family. In

4620-527: The Records". He married Lucy "Lou" Lamb in 1961, and they had two children. Cleveland's Alan Freed had originally called himself the "Moon Dog" after New York City street musician Moondog . Freed both adopted this name and used a recorded howl to give his early broadcasts a unique character. Smith's adaptation of the Moondog theme was to call himself Wolfman Jack and add his own sound effects. The character

4725-472: The Soviet Union. At XERF, Smith developed his signature style (with phrases such as, "Who's this on the Wolfman telephone?") and widespread fame. The border stations made money by renting time to Pentecostal preachers and psychics, and by taking 50% of the profit from anything sold by mail order. The Wolfman did pitches for dog food, weight-loss pills, weight-gain pills, rose bushes, and baby chicks. Even

4830-579: The TV movie idea and began arranging for a limited release in selected theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Universal presidents Sidney Sheinberg and Lew Wasserman heard about the praise the film had been garnering in LA and New York, and the marketing department amped up its promotion strategy for it, investing an additional $ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 3.4 million in 2023) in marketing and promotion. The film

4935-466: The TV series Happy Days . Alongside other films from the New Hollywood era, American Graffiti is often cited for helping give birth to the summer blockbuster . The film's box-office success made George Lucas an instant millionaire. He gave an amount of the film's profits to Haskell Wexler for his visual consulting help during filming, and to Wolfman Jack for "inspiration". Lucas's net worth

5040-721: The TV special Garfield in Paradise in 1986. Jim Morrison 's lyrics for "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)" were influenced by Wolfman Jack's broadcasting. He is mentioned on Sugarloaf 's 1974 hit single " Don't Call Us, We'll Call You " and on the Grateful Dead song "Ramble On Rose". He furnished his voice in The Guess Who 's top-10 hit single " Clap for the Wolfman ". In 1976, he furnished his voice on "Did You Boogie (With Your Baby)" by Flash Cadillac &

5145-488: The White Thunderbird. He encounters an employee who tells him the Wolfman does not work there and that the shows are pre-taped for replay, claiming the Wolfman "is everywhere". He says the Wolfman would advise Curt to "get your ass in gear" and see the world, but promises to have the Wolfman air the request. As Curt leaves, he notices the employee talking into the microphone and realizes he is the Wolfman, who reads

5250-465: The Wolfman should look like. Early pictures show him with a goatee, but sometimes he combed his straight hair forward and added dark makeup to look somewhat "ethnic." Other times he had a big afro wig and large sunglasses. The ambiguity of his race contributed to the controversy of his program. His audience finally got a good look at him when he appeared in the 1969 film A Session with the Committee ,

5355-459: The Wolfman, but on the album version, Rundgren performs that part himself. Canadian band The Stampeders also released a cover of " Hit the Road Jack " in 1975 featuring Wolfman Jack. From 1975 to 1980, Wolfman Jack hosted Halloween Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm , which transforms itself into Knott's Scary Farm each year for Halloween. It was the most successful special event of any theme park in

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5460-509: The actors was Mark Hamill , the future Luke Skywalker in Lucas's Star Wars trilogy. Over 100 unknown actors auditioned for Curt Henderson before Richard Dreyfuss was cast; George Lucas was impressed with Dreyfuss's thoughtful analysis of the role, and as a result, offered the actor his choice of Curt or Terry "The Toad" Fields. Roos, a former casting director on The Andy Griffith Show , suggested Ron Howard for Steve Bolander; Howard accepted

5565-473: The alternatives and persuaded Tanen to keep American Graffiti . The film's lengthy casting process was overseen by Fred Roos , who worked with producer Francis Ford Coppola on The Godfather . Because American Graffiti' s main cast was for younger actors, the casting call and notices went through numerous high-school drama groups and community theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area . Among

5670-422: The car being his and purchasing alcohol with no ID. While he and Debbie leave Steve's car in a rural spot to share a romantic interlude, thieves steal the car. Later, after the alcohol has made Terry violently sick, he finds Steve's car and attempts to steal it back. The car thieves appear and beat him up until John intervenes. Terry eventually admits to Debbie that he's been lying about the car all along and he rides

5775-434: The cinematographers, but filming with Techniscope cameras brought lighting problems. As a result, Lucas commissioned help from friend Haskell Wexler , who was credited as the "visual consultant". Lucas had wanted his then wife, Marcia , to edit American Graffiti , but Universal executive Ned Tanen insisted on hiring Verna Fields , who had just finished editing Steven Spielberg 's The Sugarland Express . Fields worked on

5880-426: The complexities of copyright clearances, though, and suggested a number of alternative tracks. Universal wanted Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz to hire an orchestra for sound-alikes . The studio eventually proposed a flat deal that offered every music publisher the same amount of money. This was acceptable to most of the companies representing Lucas's first choices, but not to RCA —with the consequence that Elvis Presley

5985-548: The country, and often sold out. In 2012, the estate of Wolfman Jack released a hip-hop single featuring Wolfman Jack clips as the vocals. In 2016, clips from the Wolfman Jack Radio Program were used in the Rob Zombie film 31 . When the one surviving ship in what had originally been a pirate radio network of Radio Caroline North and Radio Caroline South sank in 1980, a search began to find

6090-463: The early 1960s, during Lucas's teenage years. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors but found favor at Universal Pictures after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming began in San Rafael, California , but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. As a result, production was moved to Petaluma, California . The film

6195-415: The early years of rock 'n' roll in the mid- to late 1950s (i.e., Bill Haley & His Comets , Elvis Presley , and Buddy Holly ), and mid-1960s, beginning with the January 1964 arrival of The Beatles and the following British Invasion , which Don McLean 's " American Pie " and the early 1970s revival of 1950s acts and oldies paralleled during the conception and filming. The setting is two months before

6300-447: The end of its theatrical run, American Graffiti had one of the greatest profit-to-cost ratios of a motion picture ever. Producer Francis Ford Coppola regretted having not financed the film himself. Lucas recalled, "He would have made $ 30 million (equivalent to $ 206 million in 2023) on the deal. He never got over it and he still kicks himself." It was the 13th-highest-grossing film of all time in 1977 and, adjusted for inflation,

6405-516: The film down to a more manageable two hours, many scenes had to be cut, shortened, or combined. As a result, the film's structure became increasingly loose and no longer adhered to Lucas's original "ABCD" presentation. Lucas completed his final cut of American Graffiti , which ran 112 minutes, in December 1972. Walter Murch assisted Lucas in post-production for audio mixing and sound design purposes. Murch suggested making Wolfman Jack's radio show

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6510-410: The film is a study of the cruising and early rock 'n' roll cultures popular among Lucas's age group at that time. Through a series of vignettes , it tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures throughout a single night. While Lucas was working on his first film, THX 1138 , Coppola asked him to write a coming-of-age film. The genesis of American Graffiti took place in Modesto in

6615-516: The film" from the studio and reimburse it for the $ 775,000 (equivalent to $ 5.6 million in 2023) it had cost to make it. 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures made similar offers to the studio. Universal refused these offers and told Lucas they planned to have William Hornbeck re-edit the film. When Coppola's The Godfather won the Academy Award for Best Picture in March 1973, Universal relented and agreed to cut only three scenes (amounting to

6720-466: The film's title, not knowing what "American Graffiti" meant; Lucas was dismayed when some executives assumed he was making an Italian movie about feet. The studio, therefore, submitted a long list of over 60 alternative titles, with their favorite being Another Slow Night in Modesto and Coppola's Rock Around the Block . They pushed hard to get Lucas to adopt any of the titles, but he was displeased with all

6825-767: The film, shot at Buchanan Field, feature a Douglas DC-7 C airliner of Magic Carpet Airlines, which had previously been leased from owner Club America Incorporated by the rock band Grand Funk Railroad from March 1971 to June 1971. Lucas considered covering duties as the sole cinematographer, but dropped the idea. Instead, he elected to shoot American Graffiti using two cinematographers (as he had done in THX 1138 ) and no formal director of photography. Two cameras were used simultaneously in scenes involving conversations between actors in different cars, which resulted in significant production time savings. After CinemaScope proved to be too expensive, Lucas decided American Graffiti should have

6930-417: The financial failure of THX 1138 , Lucas wanted the film to act as a release for a world-weary audience: [ THX ] was about real things that were going on and the problems we're faced with. I realized after making THX that those problems are so real that most of us have to face those things every day, so we're in a constant state of frustration. That just makes us more depressed than we were before. So I made

7035-422: The first rough cut of the film before she left to resume work on What's Up, Doc? . After Fields's departure, Lucas struggled with editing the film's story structure. He had originally written the script so that the four (Curt, Steve, John, and Toad) storylines were always presented in the same sequence (an "ABCD" plot structure). The first cut of American Graffiti was three and a half hours long, and to whittle

7140-510: The former is usually a wider genre. The Bildungsroman (from the German words Bildung , "education", alternatively "forming" and Roman , "novel") is further characterized by a number of formal, topical, and thematic features. It focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age ), in which character change is important. The genre evolved from folk tales of young children exploring

7245-606: The gravelly voice which he credited for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes on the table for years for Wolfman and Wolfwoman. A couple of shots of whiskey helps it. I've got that nice raspy sound." Smith was born in Brooklyn , New York City , on January 21, 1938, the younger of two children of Anson Weston Smith, an Episcopal Sunday school teacher, writer, editor, and executive vice president of Financial World , and his wife, Rosamond Small. He lived on 12th Street and 4th Avenue and went to Manual Training High School in

7350-512: The idea for a space opera (as yet untitled) which later became the basis for his Star Wars franchise. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival , THX was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. There, Lucas met David Picker , then president of United Artists , who was intrigued by American Graffiti and Lucas's space opera. Picker decided to give Lucas $ 10,000 (equivalent to approximately $ 75,234 in 2023 dollars) to develop Graffiti as

7455-453: The message for the blonde asking her to call Curt on the payphone at Mel's Drive-In. After taking Carol home, John is found by Bob Falfa, who successfully goads him into the definitive race along Paradise Road outside the city, with spectators appearing to watch. As Terry starts the drag race, John takes the lead, but Bob's tire blows out, causing his car to swerve into a ditch and roll over before bursting into flames. Steve, aware that Laurie

7560-509: The more popular, 'Hit the road, Jack.'" In 1963, Smith took his act to the border when Inter-American Radio Advertising's Ramon Bosquez hired him and sent him to the studio and transmitter site of XERF-AM at Ciudad Acuña in Mexico, a station across the U.S.-Mexico border from Del Rio, Texas , whose high-powered border blaster signal could be picked up across much of the United States. In an interview with writer Tom Miller , Smith described

7665-484: The morning shows on the new station. To that end, he recorded a number of programs that never aired, because the station did not come on air according to schedule. (It eventually returned in 1983 from a new ship, which remained at sea until 1990.) Today, those tapes are traded among collectors of his work. On July 1, 1995, Smith died from a heart attack at his house in Belvidere, North Carolina , shortly after finishing

7770-596: The most profitable films ever. Since its initial release, American Graffiti has earned an estimated return well over $ 200 million in box-office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . On their last evening of summer vacation in 1962, high school graduates Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet two other friends, confident drag-racing king John Milner and unpopular but well-meaning Terry "The Toad" Fields in

7875-422: The movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant". Gene Siskel awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that although the film suffered from an "overkill" of nostalgia, particularly with regards to a soundtrack so overstuffed that it amounted to "one of those golden-oldie TV blurbs," it was still "well-made, does achieve moments of genuine emotion, and does provide

7980-463: The night. Curt, Steve, and Laurie attend the high school sock hop . En route, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white Ford Thunderbird next to them, who mouths "I love you" before turning right. The interaction causes Curt to desperately search for her throughout the night. After leaving the hop, he is coerced into joining a group of greasers called "The Pharaohs", who force him to aid them in stealing coins from arcade machines and hooking

8085-651: The opening scene in which the Blonde Angel, Curt's image of the perfect woman, drives through an empty drive-in cinema in her Ford Thunderbird, her transparency revealing she does not exist. Universal initially projected a $ 600,000 budget but added an additional $ 175,000 once producer Francis Ford Coppola signed on. This would allow the studio to advertise American Graffiti as "from the man who gave you The Godfather ". The proposition also gave Universal first-look deals on Lucas's next two planned projects, Star Wars and Radioland Murders . As he continued to work on

8190-451: The parking lot of Mel's Drive-In in Modesto, California . Steve and Curt are to travel " Back East " in the morning and start college but the latter has second thoughts about leaving. Laurie, Steve's girlfriend and Curt's sister, arrive moments later, and Steve suggests to her that they see other people while he is away at college to "strengthen" their relationship. Though not openly upset at first, it affects her interactions with him through

8295-473: The primary shooting location. Filming began on June 26, 1972. However, Lucas soon became frustrated at the length of time it was taking to fix camera mounts to the cars. A key member of the production had also been arrested for growing marijuana, and in addition to already running behind the shooting schedule , the San Rafael City Council immediately became concerned about the disruption that filming caused for local businesses, so withdrew permission to shoot beyond

8400-509: The radio, taking away 80% of XERB's revenue. Smith then moved to station KDAY 1580 in Los Angeles, which could only pay him a fraction of his former XERB income. Smith capitalized on his fame, though, by editing his old XERB tapes and selling them to radio stations everywhere, becoming one of the first rock-and-roll syndicated programs (as the tapes began to age, they were eventually marketed to oldies stations). He also appeared on Armed Forces Radio from 1970 to 1986. At his peak, Wolfman Jack

8505-574: The reach of the XERF signal: "We had the most powerful signal in North America. Birds dropped dead when they flew too close to the tower. A car driving from New York to L.A. would never lose the station." Many of the Mexican border stations broadcast at 150,000 watts, three times the U.S. limit, meaning that their signals were picked up all over North America, and at night as far away as Europe and

8610-576: The rear of a small strip mall on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, California just 10 minutes from the Tijuana – San Diego border crossing. The Wolfman was rumored to actually broadcast from this location during the early to mid-1960s. Smith left Mexico after eight months and moved to Minneapolis to run station KUXL . Although Smith was managing a Minneapolis radio station, he was still broadcasting as Wolfman Jack on XERF via taped shows that he sent to

8715-516: The role to break out of the mold of his career as a child actor. Howard would later appear in the very similar role of Richie Cunningham on the Happy Days sitcom. Bob Balaban turned down Terry out of fear of becoming typecast, a decision he later regretted. Charles Martin Smith, who, in his first year as a professional actor, had already appeared in two feature films, including 20th Century Fox's The Culpepper Cattle Co. and four TV episodes,

8820-423: The script to American International Pictures , who expressed interest, but ultimately believed American Graffiti was not violent or sexual enough for the studio's standards. Lucas and Kurtz eventually found favor at Universal Pictures , who allowed Lucas total artistic control and the right of final cut privilege on the condition that he make American Graffiti on a strict low budget. This forced Lucas to drop

8925-487: The script, Lucas encountered difficulties on the Steve and Laurie storyline. Lucas, Katz, and Huyck worked on the third draft together, specifically on the scenes featuring Steve and Laurie. Production proceeded with virtually no input or interference from Universal since American Graffiti was a low-budget film , and executive Ned Tanen had only modest expectations of its commercial success. However, Universal did object to

9030-515: The self-growth of an artist. In film, coming-of-age is a genre of teen films. Coming-of-age films focus on the psychological and moral growth or transition of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. A variant in the 2020s is the "delayed-coming-of-age film, a kind of story that acknowledges the deferred nature of 21st-century adulthood", in which young adults may still be exploring short-term relationships, living situations, and jobs even into their late 20s and early 30s. Personal growth and change

9135-514: The songs used in the film (with the exception of "Gee" by the Crows, which was subsequently included on a second soundtrack album), presented in the order in which they appeared in the film. Despite unanimous praise at a January 1973 test screening attended by Universal executive Ned Tanen, the studio told Lucas they wanted to re-edit his original cut of American Graffiti . Producer Coppola sided with Lucas against Tanen and Universal, offering to "buy

9240-612: The station. Missing the excitement, however, Wolfman returned to border radio to run XERB, and opened an office on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in January 1966. He recorded his shows in Los Angeles and shipped his tapes across the border into Mexico, where they would then be beamed across the U.S. In 1971, the Mexican government, under pressure from the Roman Catholic church, banned the Pentecostal preachers from

9345-490: The story. Lucas and his colleague Gary Kurtz began pitching the American Graffiti treatment to various Hollywood studios and production companies in an attempt to secure the financing needed to expand it into a screenplay, but they were unsuccessful. The potential financiers were concerned that music licensing costs would cause the film to go way over budget. Along with Easy Rider (1969), American Graffiti

9450-552: The time being. Lucas spent the rest of 1971 and early 1972 trying to raise financing for the American Graffiti script. During this time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Paramount Pictures , 20th Century Fox , and Columbia Pictures all turned down the opportunity to co-finance and distribute the film. Lucas, Huyck and Katz rewrote the second draft together, which, in addition to Modesto, was also set in Mill Valley and Los Angeles . Lucas also intended to end American Graffiti showing

9555-438: The total revenue for the two releases to $ 118 million (equivalent to $ 551 million in 2023). The reissue included stereophonic sound and a couple of minutes the studio had removed from Lucas's original cut. All home video releases also included these scenes. Also, the date of John Milner's death was changed from June 1964 to December 1964 to fit the narrative structure of the upcoming sequel, More American Graffiti . At

9660-564: The whole experience and what my generation used as a way of meeting girls," Lucas explained. As he developed the story in his mind, Lucas included his fascination with Wolfman Jack. Lucas had considered doing a documentary about the Wolfman when he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts , but he ultimately dropped the idea. Adding in semiautobiographical connotations, Lucas set the story in his hometown of 1962 Modesto. The characters Curt Henderson, John Milner, and Terry "The Toad" Fields also represent different stages from his younger life. Curt

9765-624: The world to find their fortune. Although the Bildungsroman arose in Germany, it has had extensive influence first in Europe and later throughout the world. Thomas Carlyle had translated Goethe's Wilhelm Meister novels into English, and after their publication in 1824/1825, many British authors wrote novels inspired by it. Many variations of the Bildungsroman exist, such as the Künstlerroman ("artist novel"), which focuses on

9870-425: Was Bob's passenger, rushes to the wreck as she and Bob crawl out and stagger away before the car explodes. While John helps his rival to safety, Laurie begs Steve not to leave her, and he assures her that he will stay with her in Modesto. Exhausted, Curt is awakened by the payphone. He finally speaks to the blonde, who does not reveal her identity but hints at the possibility of meeting that night. Curt replies that he

9975-427: Was based in part on the manner and style of bluesman Howlin' Wolf . At KCIJ, he first began to develop his famous alter ego, Wolfman Jack. According to author Philip A. Lieberman, Smith's "Wolfman" persona "derived from Smith's love of horror films and his shenanigans as a 'wolfman' with his two young nephews. The 'Jack' nickname was taken from the 'hipster' lingo of the 1950s, as in 'Take a page from my book, Jack', or

10080-440: Was eventually cast in the role. Although Cindy Williams was cast as Laurie Henderson and enjoyed working with both Lucas and Howard, the actress hoped she would get the part of Debbie Dunham, which ended up going to Candy Clark. Mackenzie Phillips , who portrays Carol, was only 12, and under California law, producer Gary Kurtz had to become her legal guardian for the duration of filming. For Bob Falfa, Roos cast Harrison Ford , who

10185-615: Was filmed in the Gus Gymnasium, previously known as the Boys Gym, at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley . More problems ensued during filming; Paul Le Mat was sent to the hospital after an allergic reaction to walnuts. Le Mat, Harrison Ford, and Bo Hopkins were claimed to be drunk most nights and every weekend, and had conducted climbing competitions to the top of the local Holiday Inn sign. One actor set fire to Lucas's motel room. Another night, Le Mat threw Richard Dreyfuss into

10290-819: Was heard on more than 2,000 radio stations in 53 countries. He was heard as far afield as the Wild Coast, Transkei , on Capital Radio 604 based there. In a deal promoted by Don Kelley, the Wolfman was paid handsomely to join WNBC in New York in August 1973, the same month that American Graffiti premiered, and the station did a huge advertising campaign in local newspapers predicting the Wolfman would propel their ratings over those of their main competitor, WABC 's Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow). The advertisements proclaimed, "Cousin Brucie's Days Are Numbered / Wolfman Jack Is on

10395-485: Was made. Another theme is teenagers' obsession with radio, especially with the inclusion of Wolfman Jack and his mysterious and mythological faceless (to most) voice. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Internet reviewer MaryAnn Johanson acknowledged that American Graffiti rekindled public and entertainment interest in the 1950s and early 1960s, and influenced other films such as The Lords of Flatbush (1974) and Cooley High (1975) and

10500-423: Was now $ 4 million, and he set aside a $ 300,000 independent fund for his long-cherished space opera project, which would eventually become the basis for Star Wars (1977). Coming-of-age story The plot points of coming-of-age stories are usually emotional changes within the character(s) in question. In literary criticism , coming-of-age novels and Bildungsroman are sometimes interchangeable, but

10605-448: Was one of the first films to eschew a traditional film score and successfully rely instead on synchronizing a series of popular hit songs with individual scenes. THX 1138 was released in March 1971, and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct Lady Ice , Tommy , or Hair . He turned down those offers, determined to pursue his own projects despite his urgent desire to find another film to direct. During this time, Lucas conceived

10710-489: Was overtly sexual and very fantasy-like, with playing chicken and things that kids didn't really do," Lucas explained. "I wanted something that was more like the way I grew up." Walter's script also had Steve and Laurie going to Nevada to get married without their parents' permission. Walter rewrote the screenplay, but Lucas nevertheless fired him due to their creative differences. After paying Walter, Lucas had exhausted his development fund from United Artists. He began writing

10815-631: Was released in the United States on August 11, 1973 to sleeper hit reception. The film had cost only $ 1.27 million (equivalent to $ 9.3 million in 2023) to produce and market, but yielded worldwide box office gross revenues of more than $ 55 million (equivalent to $ 377 million in 2023). It had only modest success outside the United States and Canada, but became a cult film in France. Universal reissued Graffiti on May 26, 1978, with Dolby sound and earned an additional $ 63 million (equivalent to $ 294 million in 2023), which brought

10920-471: Was the regular announcer and occasional host for The Midnight Special on NBC from 1973 to 1981. He was the host of his variety series The Wolfman Jack Show , which was produced in Canada by CBC Television in 1976 and syndicated to stations in the U.S. In 1984, Wolfman Jack starred as himself on the short-lived ABC animated series Wolf Rock TV . He also voiced the chief of the Rama Lama tribe on

11025-413: Was then concentrating on a carpentry career. Ford agreed to take the role on the condition that he would not have to cut his hair lest he be offered other movie or TV roles set in the "present day" of the 1970s. The character has a flattop in the script, but a compromise was eventually reached whereby Ford wore a Stetson to cover his hair. Producer Coppola encouraged Lucas to cast Wolfman Jack as himself in

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