By Jeff Little
Where were you in '62? More importantly, where were you in 1973, the
year millions flocked to theaters to see American Graffiti?
No matter where you were when you first saw filmmaker George Lucas'
homage to his own youth is inconsequential.
Of more importance is where
you were "mentally" before and after seeing the film that asked in its
tagline, "Where were you in '62."
Focusing on a group of teenagers enjoying their last night of summer in
a small California town in 1962, Lucas not only captured the flavor of
his youth, but also its sights, sounds and emotions.
By employing the
proper mix of cars, clothes and slang, Lucas painted an authentic
picture of life in the early 60's and created an incredible film by
adding an unexpected character: the music.
Totally accurate, American Graffiti's soundtrack proved to be the
biggest hit of the film.
Playing nearly non-stop on car radios
throughout the film (and DJ'ed by the immortal Wolfman Jack), all of the
music reflected what most kids were listening to in 1962.
Adding more to
the realism was Lucas' choice of the one song recorded after '62 (The
Beach Boys' 1964 hit, All Summer Long), which played during the film's
closing segment and told us all what happened to the characters years
after the story.
Utilizing the acting abilities of Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Charles
Martin Smith and Paul Le Mat for the primary characters, George Lucas
artistically crafted a film that not only netted an incredible profit,
but also went on to spearhead one of the greatest nostalgia crazes of
all time.
But audiences were lucky to ever see American Graffiti.
Studio honchos "just didn't get it" and considered not releasing the
film at first look. Fortunately, a friend of Lucas' named Francis Ford
Coppola (The Godfather) was present at one of the advanced screenings.
Irate at the cool reception of the studio execs, Coppola told them he
felt the film was a "masterpiece" and offered to buy it from them on the
spot and release it himself.
Bowing to the opinion of Coppola, Universal
Studios released the 28-year-old Lucas' picture and American Graffiti
went on to become a sensation.
In addition to becoming a box office smash, American Graffiti's
soundtrack recording sold millions and George Lucas became one of the
most famous names in the history of film with his Star Wars series.
He
also compiled several impressive writing credits which include Raiders
of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
But the
American Graffiti phenomenon was not limited to just films and
film-related products.
Following the success of American Graffiti, the world developed an avid
interest in almost anything relating to the 50's or 60's.
Interest
boomed in the cars, the clothes, the music and even the lifestyles.
Due to the huge number of fans the nostalgia craze brought with it,
ABC-TV later decided to begin airing a program they had initially passed
on.
The program involved life in the fifties, featured American Graffiti
star Ron Howard and first aired in 1974. -
It was called
Happy Days.
Re-kindling an interest in the past, George Lucas paved the way for his
future. He is still considered one of the world's greatest living
filmmakers.
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