GEORGE LUCAS
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
USA, 1973. Universal Pictures, Lucasfilm, The Coppola Company. Screenplay by George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck. Cinematography by Jan D’Alquen, Ron Eveslage. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Music by Kim Fowley, Karin Green. Production Design by Dennis Lynton Clark. Costume Design by Aggie Guerard Rodgers. Film Editing by Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas. Academy Awards 1973. Golden Globe Awards 1973. New York Film Critics Awards 1973.
This nostalgic look back at the glory days of carhops and jukeboxes was the basis for a whole retro wave in the seventies, even inspiring the television show Happy Days. It takes place on the night before four high school graduates are going to leave for college, and in celebration they spend their time tearing up their town and having as much fun as possible. Interspersed with the action, or propelling it, are the sounds of famed DJ Wolfman Jack, whose radio broadcasts make for a tune-filled soundtrack. It launched the careers of its stars, including Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss, gave Harrison Ford and Suzanne Somers their first notable moments on screen and garnered critical raves for a delightful Candy Clark. George Lucas directs with flair, and the success of this film made his little space opera project possible four years later.
