. : An epilogue prior to the end credits reveals that John was killed by a drunk driver in 1964, Terry was reported missing in action near An Lc in 1965, Steve is an insurance agent in Modesto and Curt is a writer living in Canada. : We know John Milner (Paul Le Mat) was killed by a drunken driver in 1964, so the movie has to roll back in time to visit him. Curt Henderson What's that s'posed to be? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. Bob Falfa : Probably a couple of weeks past their bedtime. Behind the scenes [after being hit with a water balloon] We lost what could have been a great one when John Milner died while from getting hit by a drunk driver on New Year's Eve in 1964. [32] George Lucas had to be realistic about the complexities of copyright clearances, though, and suggested a number of alternative tracks. Could he have been one of the greats? [16], 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,[6] and as a result, offered the actor his choice of Curt or Terry "The Toad" Fields. Its a smart, funny and sensitive film unlike anything else he made before or since. What did Suzanne Somers Drive in American Graffiti? "[46] Metacritic calculated a score of 97 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim. [14] The studio, therefore, submitted a long list of over 60 alternative titles, with their favorite being Another Slow Night in Modesto[17] and Coppola's Rock Around the Block. Well, get bent, turkey! Hey man, I'm sorry if I scared ya! John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) doesn't approve of The Beach Boys nor "surfin' shit", which had. At The Hop/Artists. I ain't goin' off to some goddamned fancy college. You gonna go after him? Make no mistake: American Graffiti is George Lucas masterpiece. [34], Universal reissued Graffiti on May 26, 1978, with Dolby sound[37][38] and earned an additional $63million (equivalent to $262million in 2021),[33] which brought the total revenue for the two releases to $118million (equivalent to $490million in 2021). In the original release, John Milner is listed as having been killed by a drunk driver in June of 1964 in the closing segment just before the final credits. It is a sequel to George Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti. Carol Yearbook-style photos of the four male leads appear in a shot of the sky next towriting that reveals their adult fates. [9] 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,[4] but they were unsuccessful. Carol [21] 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. : : [2] Produced on a $777,000 budget,[1] it has become one of the most profitable films ever. The setting is two months before the Cuban Missile Crisis, and before the outbreak of the Vietnam War and the John F. Kennedy assassination[9] and before the peak years of the counterculture movement. Sheezus. "Cruising was gone, and I felt compelled to document the whole experience and what my generation used as a way of meeting girls," Lucas explained. Girl in Cadillac Say, I like the color of your car there, man. Carol I have seen that car featured in one of the big magazine (Motor Trend . Since its initial release, American Graffiti has earned an estimated return well over $200million in box-office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. The film received universal acclaim and was a box office smash. A nostalgic slice of Americana pie filmed in a warm, naturalistic style, "American Graffiti" is the simple, wistful story of a group of California teenagers spending one last night togetherafter their high school graduation in 1962. No sweat - my mother does it. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. : Date of death December 31, 1964 Physical description Gender Male Height 5'12" (1,82 m) Eye color blue Behind the scenes Actor Paul Le Mat Our community needs more information on this page! I'm sorta' embarrassed to be this close to ya! The American Graffiti 1956 Thunderbird The 56 Thunderbird convertible was purchased by Clay Daily and his wife in 1964 on a used Ford car lot in San Bernardino, CA. [33][36] It had only modest success outside the United States, but became a cult film in France. John Milner "I used the absence of music, and sound effects, to create the drama," Lucas later explained.[30]. Paul Le Mat is best known for playing the drag racing John Milner -- opposite Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss -- in the 1973 film "American Graffiti." : Along with Easy Rider (1969), American Graffiti 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. Field car? : 4 Is American Graffiti based on a true story? 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. John Milner killed by drunk driverMore American Graffiti (1979)American Graffiti (1973)More American Graffiti is a 1979 comedy-drama film written and directe. Gender : 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" but promises to have the Wolfman air the request. Curt replies that he is leaving town. [11], 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. John Milner Took the header plugs off, eh? Curt 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. : Lucas had considered doing a documentary about the Wolfman when he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, but he ultimately dropped the idea. [23], More problems ensued during filming; Paul Le Mat was sent to the hospital after an allergic reaction to walnuts. Yeah, I'll die soon, then it'll all be over, John. Bob Falfa At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, THX was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. We see Terry in Vietnam, so desperate to escape that he actually fakes his own death and hides in Europe, hence he's only stated as "missing in action." Was John Milner in American Graffiti a real person? John Milner Physical description She also noted with disdain that the epilogue did not bother to mention the fates of any of the women characters. [10], THX 1138 was released in March 1971,[4] and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct Lady Ice, Tommy, or Hair. 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 the TV series Happy Days. Long story short after Arbuckle was able to a secure a comeback in 1933 from a major scandal that killed his career eleven year earlier, he literally died from a heart attack the same night after signing a new contract with Warner Brothers to star in a full length feature movie after a few minor two reel films he did for Warner Brothers that year : He played John Milner - a role that would earn him his first Golden Globe Award. Steve and Curt are to travel "Back East" in the morning and start college but the latter has second thoughts about leaving. : : [23][26][27], Lucas considered covering duties as the sole cinematographer, but dropped the idea. And Terry disappeared in Vietnam a year later, so the movie pitches forward again. Steve, on the other hand, looks forward to this change and tries to convince his devoted girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) to break up so they can date other people. 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