 |
Jana Bellan as carhop waitress, Budda looking cold with arms crossed. She, Lucas and staff prepare to shoot take 3 in which Budda turns down Toad for a date |
SHOOT DAY 1: Monday, June 26, 1972
CALL 7:00pm WRAP:
5:30am
LOCATION: 4th
St (Between C st. and Lincoln) San Rafael, CA
Scenes: EXT
STREET & COUPE (John and Carol) Scene Sc. 22 (John “I don’t like that surfing crap.
Rock –n-roll’s been going downhill since Buddy Holly died”)
Pages 2-6/8
Setups: 10
SHOOT DAY 2:
Tuesday, June 27, 1972
CALL 8:00pm WRAP:
6:40am
LOCATION: 4th
St (Between C. and Lincoln) San Rafael, CA
Scenes: EXT
STREET & COUPE (John & Carol).
[John: “How old are you?” Carol: “Old enough. How old are you?” “Too old for you,”]
Pages: 4-7/8
Set Ups: 19
NOTES: Unable to clear
or control street as planned due to City Council Order to San Rafael Police
Department
 |
A 45rpm record used for American Graffiti radio spots |
SHOOT DAY 3:
Thursday, June 28, 1972
CALL 7:30 WRAP:
5:40am
LOCATION:
Oakhill Park & Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma, CA.
Scenes: EXT STREET (Coupe/Water Balloon/Park)
Pages: 3:
-2/8
Setups: 29
Cars: ’32 Coupe,
Studebaker, 24 atmosphere cars
SHOOT Day 4:
Thursday, June 29, 1972
CALL 7:30pm WRAP:
5:30am
LOCATION:
Petaluma Streets, Petaluma
Scenes: EXT
STREET & COUPE (Coupe & Falfa).
Scene 54 [Carol] Carol: "He’s fast” John: “Yeah, 'but he’s stupid.”
Pages 2-7/8
Setups: 28
 |
Mackenzie Phillips and Pau Le Mat rehearse their lines as Lucas (red jacket in window) watches. |
SHOOT Day 5:
Friday, June 30, 1972
CALL 6:30pm WRAP:
5:40am
LOCATION:
Rusty’s Auto Wrecking, 21481 8th St East, Sonoma, CA; Scene
30 (song indicated [“It’s just a matter of time”]
Pages 3-7/8
Setups: 23
Livestock: 1 dog
 |
Paul Le Mat "John Milner" |
SHOOT Day 6:
Monday July 3, 1972
CALL 7:30pm WRAP:
5:40am
LOCATION: 4th
Street San Rafael
Scenes: EXT STREET
(Coupe/BA/Bozo, etc) Scene 24 [Traveling-Terry-Mercury”: song indicated: "Almost
Grown”] Sc 27 [Driver-Mercury: “Toad is that you in that beautiful car?" Terry nods casually. “Jeeze what a waste of
machinery.”]
Pages: 4
Setups: 16
HOLIDAY: July
4, 1972
No work
The cast & crew ate meals at the old Mayflower Van & Storage location in Petaluma where cars and filming equipment were stored during the daytime. (Photo courtesy of Candy Clark)
SHOOT DAY 7: Wednesday July 5
CALL: 7:30pm WRAP:
5:30am
Location: Wilson’s Appliance Store, 145 Kentucky Ave.,
Petaluma; Chamber of Commerce Parking Lot, Petaluma Blvd.
Scenes: EXT TV APPLIANCE STORE. Sc. 36 [Curt is
shanghaied by the Pharaohs]
EXT. PARKING LOT
EXT. STREET
PAGES: 6
SETUPS: 13
 |
The talented, Bo Hopkins as "Joe the Pharaoh" |
SHOOT DAY 8 Thursday, July 6
CALL: 7:30pm WRAP: 5:45am
LOCATION: Richmond
Streets, Richmond CA; Miniature Golf Course/Office, Pinole
SCENES: EXT STREET
(Hoods/Curt/Merc)
EXT. Miniature Golf Course
INT. HOLE-IN-ONE OFFICE Sc. 48 [Joe: “We’re outta
gas.” Curt: “They don’t sell gas here”
“We’re outta money too.”]
PAGES: 6-1/8
SETUPS: 16
SHOOT DAY 9:
Friday, July 7
CALL: 7:30pm WRAP:
5:15
LOCATION: Chamber of Commerce
Lot, Petaluma Blvd. North
SCENES: EXT
PARKING LOT, Sc. 62 [the patrol car loses its trans-axle and two rear wheels.]
PAGES:
1-7/8
SETUPS: 26
SHOOT DAY 10:
Monday, July 10
CALL: 7:00pm WRAP: 6:00am
LOCATION: Mels
Drive-in,140 S. Van Ness near Mission San Francisco, CA
SCENES: EXT.
DRIVE IN, Sc 2 [“A large neon sign buzzes in the foreground, “Burger City,”
while in the background, Rock Around the Clock” blares from the radio of a
beautiful decked and channeled candy-apple red, tuck and rolled ’53 Merc that
glides into the Drive-in.”]
PAGES: 4
SETUPS: 15
CARS: Citroen
SR EQUIPMENT: (1)
Jeep Crane #4
In this rare photo you can glimpse one of the tall San Francisco buildings next to Mels that director, Lucas tried to avoid capturing on film.
SHOOTING
DAY
11: Tuesday, July 11
CALL: 7:00pm WRAP: 6:00am
LOCATION: Mels
Drive-in, San Francisco
Scenes EXT
DRIVE-IN, Sc. 42 [John orders Carol a Coke; Song designated: In the Still of the Night.”]
PAGES 8
SETUPS: 23
 |
Background actor, Donna Wehr sits on the now famous 1958 Impala. |
SHOOT
DAY:
12 Wednesday, July 12
CALL:
6:30pm WRAP: 5:30am
LOCATION:
Mel’s Drive-in, San Francisco
Scenes
EXT.
DRIVE-IN, Sc72
Pages
5-2/8
SETUPS: 24
 |
Filming Ron Howard in an interior scene at Mels Drive-in. Lucas (under counter), Haskel Wexler (behind camera) |
SHOOT
DAY 13: Thursday, July 13
CALL:
7:30pm WRAP: 5:30am
LOCATION: C
of C. Lot, Petaluma. Petaluma Streets
SCENES: EXT.
STREET
EXT. CAR LOT & STREET
EXT. CAR LOT/COPS (retake)
PAGES:
1-2/8
SETUPS: 20
George Lucas directs future directors, Ron Howard & Charles Martin Smith
SHOOT
DAY 14: Friday July 14
CALL: 6:30pm WRAP: 5:26am
LOCATION: Marin Memorial Cemetery, Novato
SCENES: EXT CANAL. [Laurie gets angry with Steve;
The Merc is stolen; talk of the “Goat Killer”
PAGES:
4-2/8
SETUPS: 8
A rare historical pic of Mels Drive-in which first opened in 1947 by partners, Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs. It closed its doors and was demolished in 1976, four years after Lucas and crew had used the location as the kid's hangout in American Graffiti.
SHOOT
DAY 15: Monday, July 17
CALL: 6:00am WRAP:
7:49
LOCATION:
Mel’s Drive-in, San Francisco
Scenes
INT.
DRIVE-IN
EXT. DRIVE-IN, Sc [Curt speaking on the phone to the blonde in the white T-bird: “It’s important to me.. You’re the most perfect beautiful creature I’ve ever seen and I don’t know anything about. Could we meet someplace?” Voice:
“I cruise 3rd Street every Night. Maybe I’ll
see you again tonight.” “I don’t think So…I’m leaving in a couple of hours.”
PAGES: BAL
OF SEQ
SETUPS: 30
Notes: (1) Éclair camera fell off
tripod-badly damaged
Director George Lucas poses with Richard Dreyfuss (sitting in a Citroen 2CV)
SHOOT
DAY 16: Tuesday July 18
CALL:
6:30pm WRAP: 5:26am
LOCATION: Marin, Memorial Cemetery, Novato;& Petaluma Streets, Petaluma
SCENES EXT. STREET (Terry/Falfa)
SCENES EXT. STREET (Laurie/Falfa)
PAGES: 2-4/8
SETUPS: 12
NOTES: Light rain from 1:30am to wrap prevented completion of scheduled scenes, streets too
wet.
 |
Ed Greenberg "Kip Pullman." |
SHOOT
DAY: 17 Wednesday July 19
CALL:
7:30 WRAP: 5:37
LOCATION:
Petaluma Streets (Petaluma Blvd.,Kentucky, Washington, Western)
SCENES EXT. STREET (Curt/V.W./T-Bird/Kip) Sc. 29
[Shouting from on e car to another, Kip: “Henderson, Long time no see.
What’cha been doing?” Curt: “Not much, just wanted to let you know that Bobbie here is hopelessly in love with you and trembles at the sight of your rippling biceps…” Bobbie turns in the V.W. and “starts flailing at Curt with her purse.”]
PAGES:
1-2/8
SETUPS: 20
SHOOT
DAY 18: Thursday July
20
CALL:
7:30 WRAP: 5:45
LOCATION
Rowena
Lane (KTOB transmitter), Petaluma, Lazy-Me Used Cars, 320 Petaluma Blvd.; North Petaluma streets.
SCENES
EXT.
RADIO STATION, Sc. 70 [Manager: “The Wolfman is everywhere…Listen-no offense to your hometown here, but this ain’t exactly the hub of the universe…Hell, here I sit while there’s a whole big beautiful world out there.”]
EXT CAR LOT
EXT. STREETS
PAGES: 2
SETUPS: 18
 |
KTOB radio tower site located on Rovina Ln. was Petaluma's local community radio station for many decades. The exterior scenes of Curt approaching Wolfman's radio station, XERB were filmed here. |
Friday
7-21-72 - Company DID NOT WORK
SHOOT
DAY
19:
Saturday, July 22
CALL: 12:00pm WRAP:
8:45pm
LOCATION: Marin Memorial, Cemetery, Novato
SCENES
EXT.
CANAL & CANAL ROAD, FILTER DAY FOR-NIGHT
PAGES: 4-1/8
SETUPS: 11

Filming a cruising montage on 4th Street in San Rafael, CA