posted 08-01-2013 11:41 PM                    

quote: The Digital Bits

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Where Were You In ’73?
Remembering “American Graffiti” On Its 40th Anniversary

By Michael Coate

“It’s designed primarily for fun, to be entertaining, a warm movie about what it’s like to be a teenager. But it’s also about the end of a political era, a sociological era and a rock era.” — George Lucas

The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective article to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of "American Graffiti," George Lucas’s classic 1973 film that nostalgically asked, “Where were you in ’62?” This article features a chronological list of the movie’s original theatrical engagements in the major cities of North America, plus a collection of historical information and quotes from critics. The article is also an attempt to clarify some misconceptions about the movie’s distribution and box-office performance.

THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTS

This list of original theatrical engagements of "American Graffiti" represents the movie’s openings in the top 100 or so markets in the United States and Canada.

The list highlights the fascinating and somewhat mysterious nature of pre-saturation era film distribution and exhibition. As you may observe, the openings were staggered and not booked according to any population ranking, nor was there any consistency in regard to which markets showed the movie as a single-theater exclusive (initially at least) and those that ran it with multiple city/region-wide theaters.

Duration figures have not been included, but it should be mentioned that many of these engagements played several months with some playing over a year! (The longest-running engagement is cited in the “Did You Know?” section of this article.) By the end of its release, after playing a few thousand engagements, "American Graffiti" was Universal Pictures’ second-most successful movie.

The intent of this work, aside from creating historical record and to provide some nostalgia for those readers who saw the movie in its original release, is to clarify the numerous erroneous accounts about the movie’s release (and box-office performance) in books, articles and popular online movie resources. Some sources claim the movie opened on August 2nd while others claim the 11th, yet no evidence could be found to substantiate such claims. An erroneous release date even appeared in a book published by the company that made the movie! The film’s correct August 1st release date is often cited, but usually without the necessary context to clarify the staggered nature of its distribution. Historians and journalists have also frequently misrepresented the film’s box-office performance, usually due to confusing its gross earnings with rental earnings (the percentage of the gross paid to the distributor). As for the theaters in which the film played, a Universal Pictures executive was quoted in a Lucas biography that the film opened in Los Angeles at a theater not cited in the list and that he thought the presentation on a large screen was so poor that he demanded it be moved to a different, smaller theater, yet no evidence could be found of such an occurrence.

Anyway, with those issues in mind, please enjoy this look back at the original release of "American Graffiti"....

1973-08-01 … Los Angeles, CA – Avco Center Triplex
1973-08-12 … New York, NY – Sutton
1973-08-15 … Denver, CO – Colorado 4-Plex
1973-08-15 … Denver, CO – North Valley
1973-08-15 … Denver (Englewood), CO – Cinderella City
1973-08-15 … Denver (Lakewood), CO – Westland
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Bloomfield Hills), MI – Showcase Twin
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Dearborn), MI – Westborn
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Farmington Hills), MI – Old Orchard Twin
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Madison Heights), MI – Abbey Triplex
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Mt. Clemens), MI – Parkway Twin
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Oak Park), MI – Towne Twin
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Taylor), MI – Southland Twin
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Warren), MI – Warren 4-Plex
1973-08-15 … Detroit (Westland), MI – Quo Vadis Entertainment Center
1973-08-15 … Indianapolis, IN – Eastwood
1973-08-15 … Indianapolis, IN – Lafayette Square
1973-08-15 … Lansing (Okemos), MI – Meridian 4-Plex
1973-08-15 … Las Vegas, NV – Fox Boulevard
1973-08-15 … Orange (Costa Mesa), CA – South Coast Plaza Twin
1973-08-15 … Orange (Santa Ana), CA – Harbor Blvd. Drive-In
1973-08-15 … San Diego, CA – Loma
1973-08-15 … San Francisco, CA – Cinema 21
1973-08-15 … Tucson, AZ – Buena Vista Twin
1973-08-15 … Tulsa, OK – Fontana 4-Plex
1973-08-16 … Omaha, NE – Six West 6-Plex
1973-08-16 … Omaha (Ralston), NE – Park 4-Plex
1973-08-17 … Atlanta, GA – Fine Art
1973-08-17 … Dallas, TX – Medallion
1973-08-17 … Houston, TX – Alabama
1973-08-17 … Lincoln, NE – Plaza 4-Plex
1973-08-17 … Louisville, KY – Penthouse
1973-08-22 … Buffalo (Amherst), NY – Boulevard Mall Twin
1973-08-22 … Buffalo (Cheektowaga), NY – Holiday 6-Plex
1973-08-22 … Honolulu, HI – Waikiki Twin
1973-08-22 … Milwaukee, WI – Northridge Triplex
1973-08-22 … Milwaukee (Greendale), WI – Southridge Triplex
1973-08-22 … Milwaukee (West Allis), WI – Westlane
1973-08-22 … Oklahoma City, OK – North Park 4-Plex
1973-08-22 … Sacramento, CA – Century 21
1973-08-22 … Salt Lake City (South Salt Lake), UT – Century 23
1973-08-22 … San Jose, CA – Century 22 Triplex
1973-08-24 … Chicago, IL – Ford City Twin
1973-08-24 … Chicago, IL – Marina Triplex
1973-08-24 … Chicago (Evanston), IL – Evanston
1973-08-24 … Chicago (Lombard), IL – Yorktown Twin
1973-08-24 … Chicago (Merrillville, IN), IL – Crossroads Twin
1973-08-24 … Chicago (Niles), IL – Golf Mill Triplex
1973-08-24 … Oakland, CA – Theatre 70
1973-08-24 … Oakland (Hayward), CA – Southland Twin
1973-08-24 … Portland, OR – Broadway
1973-08-24 … Seattle (Renton), WA – Renton Village Twin
1973-08-29 … Austin, TX – Fox Twin
1973-08-29 … Cincinnati, OH – Skywalk Twin
1973-08-29 … Des Moines, IA – Fleur 4-Plex
1973-08-29 … Des Moines (West Des Moines), IA – Sierra Triplex
1973-08-29 … Kansas City (Overland Park, KS), MO – Glenwood Twin
1973-08-29 … Kansas City (Raytown), MO – Brywood 5-Plex
1973-08-29 … Rochester (Greece), NY – Stoneridge Twin
1973-08-31 … Baltimore, MD – Senator
1973-08-31 … Baltimore (Randallstown), MD – Liberty Twin
1973-08-31 … Baltimore (Woodlawn), MD – Security Square Twin
1973-08-31 … Dayton (Trotwood), OH – Salem Mall Twin
1973-08-31 … San Antonio, TX – Fox Central Park Twin
1973-08-31 … Washington, DC – Embassy

1973-09-21 … Albuquerque, NM – Fox Winrock
1973-09-21 … Boston, MA – Cheri Triplex
1973-09-21 … Cleveland (Mayfield Heights), OH – Mayland Twin
1973-09-21 … Cleveland (Parma), OH – Parmatown Triplex
1973-09-21 … Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Twin
1973-09-21 … New Orleans, LA – Joy
1973-09-21 … Phoenix (Scottsdale), AZ – Kachina
1973-09-21 … St. Paul, MN – Norstar
1973-09-28 … Albany, NY – Hellman
1973-09-28 … Cedar Rapids, IA– Stage 4-Plex
1973-09-28 … Columbus, OH – Morse Road
1973-09-28 … El Paso, TX – Northgate
1973-09-28 … Grand Rapids, MI – Alpine Twin
1973-09-28 … Lubbock, TX – Fox Twin
1973-09-28 … Memphis, TN – Plaza Twin
1973-09-28 … Philadelphia, PA – SamEric
1973-09-28 … Stockton, CA – Sherwood Plaza
1973-09-28 … Syracuse (DeWitt), NY – Shoppingtown Twin
1973-09-28 … Tacoma (Lakewood), WA – Villa Plaza Twin
1973-09-28 … Toledo, OH – Showcase Triplex
1973-09-28 … Virginia Beach (Norfolk), VA – JANAF

1973-10-05 … Toronto, ON – Uptown 5-Plex
1973-10-05 … Vancouver, BC – Varsity
1973-10-12 … Edmonton, AB – Varscona
1973-10-12 … Montreal, QC – York
1973-10-17 … Pittsburgh, PA – Chatham
1973-10-19 … Baton Rouge, LA – University 4-Plex
1973-10-19 … Madison, WI – Strand
1973-10-19 … Nashville, TN – Green Hills
1973-10-19 … Providence (East Providence), RI – Four Seasons 4-Plex
1973-10-19 … Providence (Warwick), RI – Warwick Mall Twin
1973-10-19 … St. Louis (Maryland Heights), MO – Westport Twin
1973-10-19 … Spokane, WA – Dishman
1973-10-19 … Springfield, MA – Eastfield Mall
1973-10-19 … Springfield (West Springfield), MA – Paris
1973-10-19 … Worcester, MA – Lincoln Plaza
1973-10-19 … Youngstown, OH – Uptown
1973-10-26 … Calgary, AB – Towne
1973-10-26 … Charlotte, NC – Park Terrace
1973-10-26 … Corpus Christi, TX – Cine West Twin
1973-10-26 … Fort Worth, TX – Ridglea
1973-10-26 … Harrisburg, PA – Union Deposit Twin
1973-10-26 … Miami (Coral Gables), FL – Miracle
1973-10-26 … Miami (Fort Lauderdale), FL – Gateway
1973-10-26 … Miami (North Miami Beach), FL – 163rd Street
1973-10-26 … Ogden (South Ogden), UT – Wilshire
1973-10-26 … Raleigh, NC – State
1973-10-26 … St. Petersburg, FL – Crossroads
1973-10-26 … Tampa, FL – Floriland Twin
1973-10-26 … Tampa, FL – Twin Bays 4-Plex
1973-10-26 … Winnipeg, MB – Polo Park

1973-11-02 … Birmingham, AL – Village East Twin
1973-11-02 … Fresno, CA – Country Squire
1973-11-02 … Jacksonville, FL – Edgewood
1973-11-02 … Orlando, FL – Plaza Twin
1973-11-02 … Ottawa, ON – Elgin Twin
1973-11-02 … Reno, NV – Cinema
1973-11-02 … Richmond, VA – Westhampton
1973-11-09 … Billings, MT – Cine Triplex
1973-11-09 … Charleston, SC– Ultravision
1973-11-09 … Charleston, WV– Village
1973-11-09 … Colorado Springs, CO – Cooper Triplex
1973-11-09 … Durham, NC – Carolina
1973-11-09 … Lexington, KY – Turfland Mall
1973-11-09 … Mobile, AL – Village Triplex
1973-11-09 … Portland (Westbrook), ME – Cinema City 5-Plex
1973-11-09 … Springfield, MO – Tower
1973-11-16 … Fayetteville, NC – Miracle
1973-11-21 … Modesto, CA – Briggsmore
1973-11-21 … Winston-Salem, NC – Thruway

1973-12-21 … Bakersfield, CA – Valley Plaza
1973-12-21 … Hartford (East Hartford), CT – Showcase 4-Plex
1973-12-21 … Lakeland, FL – Imperial Mall Twin
1973-12-21 … New Haven (Orange), CT – Showcase 4-Plex
1973-12-21 … Wichita KS – Fox

1974-01-18 … Greensboro, NC – Terrace
1974-01-31 … Augusta, GA – National Hills

A SAMPLING OF MOVIE REVIEWER QUOTES

“Without exception, all players fit perfectly into the concept and execution, and all the young principals and featured players have a bright and lengthy future. And so does Lucas.” — A.D. Murphy, Variety

“Four stars. Highest rating! Warm, funny and poignant. It is a richly entertaining film guaranteed to please nearly everyone. By all means, go and enjoy it!” — Kathleen Carroll, New York Daily News

“The warmest, most human comedy in a long time…masterfully executed…profoundly affecting…sensationally funny.” — Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times

“['American Graffiti'] is without doubt the most tedious film I have ever seen. Whole new vistas of boredom wide-screen open to the imagination after this breakthrough. The excessive footage on the cars is wearisome in the extreme. Grand Prix it isn’t.” — Anitra Earle, San Francisco Chronicle

“A happy new movie…should brighten the lives of moviegoers…everything about 'American Graffiti' is so good!” — George Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Easily the best movie so far this year.” — Stephen Farber, The New York Times

“Superb!” — Jay Cocks, Time

“With 'American Graffiti,' his second feature film, 29-year-old George Lucas demonstrates that commerce can, on rare occasion, prove to be a comfortable bedfellow for art” — Susan Stark, Detroit Free Press

“'American Graffiti' is an instant classic, a rare work of genius, and a strong contender for the best picture of this or any other year award!!” — The Birmingham News

“['American Graffiti'] is surely the most accurate and poetic evocation of American life since The Last Picture Show. It reminds us what fun filmmaking even with a serious purpose can be.” — Charles Brock, (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union

“One of the top movies of 1973…funnier and more touching than Summer of ’42!” — Clyde Gilmour, Toronto Star

“The stars are nice clean-cut kids whose names probably will not be remembered.” — Fred Herman, The Modesto Bee

“A highly charged emotional experience. An absolute must for anyone who has nostalgia about growing up in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A breathless, cat’s meow of a movie with enough energy and talent to get the next man to the moon and back. Magnificently acted, edited, directed, photographed and scored.” — Rex Reed, syndicated columnist

“Brilliant, bittersweet memoir.” — Paul D. Zimmerman, Newsweek

“['American Graffiti' is] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie’s success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“For anyone who was growing up in the 1950s or as late as the assassination of President Kennedy which ended the era, 'American Graffiti' is an enthralling movie, a deeply affecting experience. It will mean less to older and younger audiences, but it remains a masterful work of film art which distills adolescence, small town life, and 1950s America into one group of teen-aged friends’ final night together.” — Robert Taylor Oakland Tribune

DID YOU KNOW?

Over the course of its original release, "American Graffiti" had become the second-most successful movie in the history of Universal Pictures and number eleven on the industry’s all-time list of box-office champs.

The most-successful North American theatrical engagement of "American Graffiti" was a 63-week run at the Varscona in Edmonton, Canada. The longest run in the United States was a 54-week run at the Colorado 4-Plex in Denver.

Instead of a formal premiere, an invitational preview of "American Graffiti" was held July 31, 1973, at the Directors Guild Theater in Los Angeles, before opening to the public August 1, 1973, at the Avco Center in Los Angeles.

George Lucas and his wife and parents attended the Modesto premiere at the Briggsmore Theater on November 21, 1973. Lucas was presented with a “Key to the City” by the mayor.

“Where were you in ’62?” and “It was the time of makin’ out and cruisin’; going steady and playin’ it cool. It was the time of your life… the time of American Graffiti” were slogans used on some of the film’s promotional material.

For many years, "American Graffiti" was the major studio movie with the highest profit-to-cost ratio.

"American Graffiti" was not a universally (no pun intended) liked title. Universal Pictures executive Ned Tanen’s title suggestion was "Another Slow Night in Modesto." Producer Coppola suggested "Rock Around the Block."

Richard Walter, a USC classmate of Lucas, wrote the early drafts of the screenplay. His drafts, however, were jettisoned and thus he was not given any on-screen credit.

Although set in the Central California city of Modesto, "American Graffiti" was filmed in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily in Marin and Sonoma counties.

R2-D2, the popular character from "Star Wars," was “created” during the post-production of "American Graffiti" when, as legend has it, sound designer and re-recording mixer Walter Murch asked a co-worker to retrieve “R2D2” (Reel Two, Dialogue Track Two).

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.… The success of "American Graffiti," arguably, kicked off a 50s & 60s nostalgia trend in movies and television ("Happy Days," "Cooley High," "The Lords of Flatbush," "Grease," "Animal House," etc.). Not long after "Graffiti" was released, Paramount rushed into production the "Happy Days" television series, which had been based upon an unsold pilot and 1972 episode of "Love, American Style." (Paramount had offered to acquire "Graffiti" during a period of time when it appeared Universal was uninterested in releasing the movie to theaters.) "Happy Days" premiered in January 1974 and, of course, starred "Graffiti"’s Ronny Howard, and, during its first couple of seasons used "Graffiti"’s opening titles song, "Rock Around the Clock," as its opening titles song.

A couple of filmmaker in-jokes include the license plate number on John Milner’s car (THX 138, a nod to Lucas’s first film "THX 1138") and "Dementia 13" (one of producer Francis Ford Coppola’s early films) listed on a movie theater marquee, despite having been released after the 1962 setting of "American Graffiti."

"American Graffiti" was filmed in Techniscope, a half-frame 35mm format comparable in quality to 16mm, and then blown-up to an anamorphic 35mm release print format. Hundreds of low-budget movies during the 1960s and 1970s employed the Techniscope format where the filmmakers desired widescreen imagery. In the 1980s Techniscope evolved into Super Techniscope, more commonly known as Super-35. (Lucas’s "THX 1138" was also filmed in Techniscope.)

For the 1978 re-release, given Lucas’s newfound clout due to the massive success of "Star Wars," two minutes of footage excised from the original release by order of the studio was reinstated into the film. As well, the date of John Milner’s death in the character bio text that ends the film was changed from June 1964 to December 1964 to justify the character’s appearance in the then-in-preparation sequel. The film was also re-mixed in Dolby Stereo. (This re-release version of the film was the basis for all home-video releases to follow.)

There was a one-hour radio program, "The Making of American Graffiti," prepared for the 1978 re-release. In 1998, an all-new 78-minute documentary, "The Making of American Graffiti," was produced by Laurent Bouzereau and included as a supplement on the Collector’s Edition DVD and Signature Collection LaserDisc, and subsequently included on the Blu-ray Disc issued in 2011.

"American Graffiti" was included in a Universal Studios classic film festival held in 1998 at the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California. "Graffiti" first-draft screenwriter Richard Walter hosted the screening. (Other films screened included "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Jaws," "Jurassic Park," and "Psycho.")

Awards… "American Graffiti" was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Picture, Director, Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Candy Clark), and Film Editing. Other awards included a Blue Ribbon (from Boxoffice Magazine), a Bronze Leopard from the Locarno Film Festival, a Scholastic Magazine “Bellringer” award for “Films of outstanding interest and merit for young people,” Top Feature Picture of the Year from Media Methods Magazine, top honors from the Cartagena Film Festival and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. The film’s screenplay was honored by the New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics, and Young New York Film Critics Association. The screenplay was nominated by the Writers Guild. In addition to the Oscar nomination, Lucas’s direction was nominated by the Golden Globes and Directors Guild. The film won a Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy Motion Picture. The film is #77 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years 100 Movies list from 1997; ten years later the AFI created a new list and moved Graffiti up to #62.

Approximately $80,000, about one-tenth of the budget, was spent on securing the rights to the 40+ songs that appeared in the movie.

In 1998, the opening shot of the movie was revised to incorporate a new, more colorful sunset. In 2011 for the Blu-ray, neon highlight was added to the opening credits.

Mort Drucker, of Mad Magazine fame, created the artwork used on the film’s promotional material.

There were numerous test screenings of "American Graffiti" in the months leading up to its release. The most significant (and legendary) screenings took place January 28, 1973, at the Northpoint in San Francisco, and May 15, 1973, at the Writers Guild in Beverly Hills.

In 1995, "American Graffiti" was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

"American Graffiti" was shot in 28 days between June 26 and August 4, 1972, but it would be a whole year before it would get released due to numerous test screenings, disagreements between the studio executives and the filmmakers over the film’s running time and use of songs, a Writers Guild strike, and the studio’s indecisiveness on how to handle its release.

In 1997, an "American Graffiti"-inspired sculpture was erected at George Lucas Plaza in downtown Modesto depicting a teenage boy and girl next to a ’57 Chevy.

On July 17, 1998, a 25th anniversary screening plus cast & crew reunion and Q&A was held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

"American Graffiti"’s network television broadcast premiere was February 18, 1979, on NBC. Its first home-video release was in 1979. Its first letterboxed release (on LaserDisc) was in 1996. A “Signature Collection” LaserDisc set was issued in 1998. The film was first issued on DVD in 1998 and on Blu-ray Disc in 2011.

George Lucas was the Grand Marshall of the 15th annual Modesto American Graffiti Car Show and Festival parade held June 7, 2013.

NUMBER$:
1 = Number of theaters showing the movie during opening weekend
1 = Number of sequels
2 = Rank among Universal’s top-grossing movies at close of original run
3 = Rank among top-grossing movies of 1973 (legacy)
10 = Rank among top-grossing movies of 1973 (calendar year)
11 = Rank on all-time list of top-grossing movies at close of original run
28 = Number of days of principal photography
44 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing movies (adjusted for inflation)
428 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing movies

$35,000 = Opening week box-office gross
$750,000 = Production cost
$3.9 million = Production cost (adjusted for inflation)
$8.6 million = Box-office rental of 1978 re-release
$10.3 million = Box-office rental through end of 1973 calendar year
$25.0 million = International box-office gross
$47.3 million = Box-office rental of original release
$55.9 million = Box-office rental of original + re-release
$115.0 million = Cumulative domestic box-office gross of original + re-release
$140.0 million = Cumulative worldwide box-office gross
$586.2 million = Cumulative all-time domestic box-office gross (adjusted for inflation)
$713.6 million = Cumulative all-time worldwide box-office gross (adjusted for inflation)

PRINCIPAL CAST & CREW:

Curt – Richard Dreyfuss
Steve – Ronny Howard
John – Paul Le Mat
Terry – Charlie Martin Smith
Debbie – Candy Clark
Carol – Mackenzie Phillips
Laurie – Cindy Williams
Disc Jockey – Wolfman Jack
Joe – Bo Hopkins
Bob Falfa – Harrison Ford
Carlos – Manuel Padilla, Jr.
Peg – Kathleen Quinlan
Blonde in T-Bird – Suzanne Somers
Herby and the Heartbeats – Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids

Director – George Lucas
Screenplay – George Lucas and Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck
Co-Producer – Gary Kurtz
Producer – Francis Ford Coppola
Casting – Fred Roos and Mike Fenton
Sound Montage and Re-Recording – Walter Murch
Film Editors – Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas
Visual Consultant – Haskell Wexler
Directors of Photography – Ron Eveslage, Jan D’Alquen
Art Director – Dennis Clark
Costume Designer – Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Distributor – Universal Pictures
Production Company – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Coppola Co.
Release Date – August 1, 1973
Running Time – 110 minutes (1973) / 112 minutes (1978 re-release)
Projection Format – Scope / Mono (1973), Dolby Stereo (1978 re-release)
MPAA Rating – PG

SOURCES/REFERENCES:
The information contained in this article was principally referenced from newspaper and film industry trade publication articles, film reviews and theater advertisements. Selected information was referenced from the books "George Lucas’s Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success" (Alex Ben Block, editor; George Lucas Books/HarperCollins; 2010), "George Lucas: A Biography" (John Baxter, HarperCollins, 1999), "George Lucas: Interviews" (Sally Kline, editor; University Press of Mississippi; 1999), "George Lucas: The Creative Impulse" (Charles Champlin, Abrams, 1992), "George Lucas: The Making of his Movies" (Chris Salewicz, Orion Media, 1998), "The Movie Business Book" (Jason E. Squire, editor; Fireside; 1988), "George Lucas" (James Clarke, Pocket Essentials, 2002), "Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas" (Dale Pollack, Harmony, 1983), "Star Wars: Year by Year A Visual Chronicle" (Dorling Kindersley/Lucasfilm; 2010), and the motion pictures "American Graffiti" (1973, Universal Pictures) and "The Making of American Graffiti" (1998, Universal Studios Home Video). Images copyright 1973 Universal Pictures.

SPECIAL THANKS:
Jerry Alexander, Jim Barg, Raymond Caple, Nick DiMaggio, Mike Durrett, Bill Gabel, Sheldon Hall, John Hazelton, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Gabriel Neeb, Tim O’Neill, Jim Perry, John Stewart, Vince Young, and to all of the librarians who helped with the research for this project.

IN MEMORIAM:
Verna Fields (editor), 1918-1982
Wolfman Jack (“Disc Jockey”), 1938-1995
Johnny Weissmuller Jr. (“Badass #1”), 1940-2006
Manuel Padilla, Jr. (“Carlos”), 1955-2008
Ned Tanen (Universal executive), 1931-2009

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