SIDE 3 AMERICAN GRAFFITI SOUNDTRACK

Side 3 of 4 (Record 2)

Ain't That a Shame: Fats Domino (2:31)

The use of "AIN'T THAT A SHAME" in the film works to comment on the fact that Curt is being shanghaied by a group of gang members called the Pharaohs. As he sits in the backseat of their car he swivels and watches through the window as the girl in the T-bird, whom he's been chasing all night, passes in the opposite direction. Curt shakes his head.  Of all the times to be trapped in a car with the Pharaohs.  Fats (Antoine Domino), who originally recorded this tune, had a string of his own R&B hits in the early 1950s, before finally crossing over into the pop charts with "AIN'T THAT A SHAME."  Fats and manager Dave Batholomew wrote the 1955 hit.  The song reached number 10 while white artist Pat Boone released his own version, which reached number one.  The song established both artists as popular music figures. Like all his records, Domino accompanied his voice with his rockin' piano playing on "AIN'T THAT A SHAME." His popularity continued as he released an unprecedented series of 35 Top 40 singles up until the early 1960s, with tunes such as "I'm Walkin'," "Blue Monday", and "Blueberry Hill."  Strangely, there are two alternating versions of "AIN'T THAT A SHAME" that have appeared on the Graffiti soundtrack throughout the years.  They are exactly the same except one version has back-up singers added onto the recording.

                            

Johnny B. Goode: Chuck Berry (2:38)

John Lennon was once quoted as saying, "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry." Epitomizing the very essence of early rock and roll, Berry melded blues, country, and a witty, rebellious teen outlook into songs that influenced virtually every rock musician who followed him. The 1958 tune, "Johnny B. Goode" is a semi-autobiographical tale and contains all the elements of a typical Chuck Berry song: The chugging rhythm guitar over a 12-bar blues form, the exciting intro and his distinctive rowdy soloing style. This song can be heard in the film as Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) and Milner (Paul Lemat) vandalize a car full of screaming girls.  Chuck Berry encourages them wailing, "Go, Go!" as Carol covers all the windows with foamy shaving cream and Milner pulls out the valve stems from the tires, sinking the car.

I Only Have Eyes for You: The Flamingos (3:09)

The Flamingos struck gold when they released their version of Eddy Duchin's 1934 recording, "I Only Have Eyes For You."  The Flamingos' version is a spectacular ballad with Nate Nelson's sweet vocals and Terry Johnson's elegant falsetto floating over a bed of echoing harmonies.  Released in the spring of 1957, by summer the heavenly song had become a national hit.

Get A  Job: The Silhouettes (2:37)

In Graffiti  GET A JOB can be heard as The Pharaohs stop at the miniature golf course to steal money from the pinball machines. If one of the gang members could "get a job" they wouldn't have to steal money to pay for gas.  The Silhouettes who originally recorded this song were a gospel group that was forced to sing secular music in order to make a living.

The Pharaohs hard at work.

When the group sang in church every Sunday they called themselves the Gospel Tornadoes but during the rest of the week when singing in night clubs they were known as the Thunderbirds.    They were discovered by a local Philadelphia disc jockey named Kae Williams who also owned Junior records.  He liked their style and signed them.  Before they recorded their first single they were renamed The Silhouettes.  Released in December 1957, the A side, of their single, "I Am Lonely" was a pop blues ballad that received some local airplay, however when other jocks started flipping it, the wild "Get A Job" spread like wildfire and was soon heard piercing out of radios everywhere.  Within 3 weeks, "Get A Job" had sold a million copies.

The Five Satins

To The Aisle: The Five Satins (2:44)

One of the band's hits, "To the Aisle" was recorded while its founding member; Fred Paris was stationed in Japan. The record company, Ember was anxious to keep the group’s name in the public’s awareness so they hired Billy Baker to sing lead and go on tour with the group.  The new lineup recorded Billy Dawn Smith’s ballad, "To the Aisle." The tune was released in July of 1957 and instantly became another 5 Satins classic.

Do You Wanna Dance: 

Bobby Freeman (2:35)

The San Francisco performer, Bobby Freeman was only seventeen when he scored his first big hit, "Do You Wanna Dance" in 1957.  As on all of his songs, Freeman plays rousing organ/piano mixing bits of soul and rock together to create an upbeat party sound.  A great live performer, he always kept his audience engaged with his energetic dancing and overall charismatic stage presence.  Freeman enjoyed two other hits in 1957 on the Josie label, "Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes" and "Need Your Love." 

Buddy Knox

Party Doll: Buddy Knox (1:54)

A Texas native, Buddy Wayne Knox was one of the first (if not THE first) artists of the rock era to write and play his own number one song. And, it all happened very quickly. Backstage after a show at WTSC with Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings, Knox began talking with the band. Orbison told him about a recording studio in Clovis New Mexico. A few days later Knox, along with his two band mates, known as the Rhythm Orchids, found themselves at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. For the $60 they had in their pockets, they spent three days recording three songs that would change their lives forever. Knox received two gold records in 1957 from that 3-day session; "Party Doll" written and sung by Knox and "I'm Sticking with You" sung by Jimmy Bowen and co-written with Knox.

 Come Go With Me: The Del-Vikings(2:37)

One of the memorable points in this Del Vikings tune is right after the group sings, "YOU NEVER GIVE ME A CHANCE," the music stops for a beat while one of the singers, cries out, "AHHHHH!"  The cool Doo wop song is played in the film when, as the result of a prank, the rear axle is ripped from the cop car as it bucks up, and then slides into the street.  To learn how this stunt was done check out our page: YANKING YOUR CHAIN. When the members of group recorded this song they had no idea it would be used in a major motion picture 16 years later.  Originally The Del-Vikings were all members of the US Air Force who formed the group in 1955 at their social club in Pittsburgh, Ohio. A year later the group recorded some original songs in a downtown Pittsburgh makeshift studio for Fee Bee records.  Two of the songs were released as the group's first single.  During the second week of 1957," HOW CAN I FIND TRUE" was released with "COME & GO WITH ME" on the flip side. The popularity of the song began to spread. Eventually, there was such a demand for the record that Fee Bee records couldn’t handle the orders and Dot records was hired to distribute the song nationally. Dot released "Come Go With Me" in the first week of February. Strong demand for the record saw it appear on the national charts within a week.

The Del-Vikings were all members of the US Air Force

Johnny Burnette

You're Sixteen-You're Beautiful 
(And You're Mine): Johnny Burnette (1:56)

Johnny and his brother Dorsey were part of a mid-50s rockabilly act before moving to LA where they cowrote several songs for Ricky Nelson and others.  Johnny went solo in 1958 and signed on with Liberty records.  He changed his image by appearing clean cut and making his music a bit softer. He enjoyed teen idol status with self-penned, back to back hits including 'DREAMIN,'" "LITTLE BOY SAD," and "YOUR'E SIXTEEN," which became a hit in November 1961.  The single sold millions and peaked at number eight, becoming the largest selling record of his career.

Love Potion No. 9: The Clovers (1:53)

Hailing from Washington D.C., the Clovers were one of the most successful rhythm and blues vocal groups of the 1950s.  By combining blues and gospel they created blues with a beat.  By mid-1957 the band had 19 hits and was hoping to put a record on the pop listings.  They met that challenge in June 1956 when their song "Love, Love, Love" made it to number 30.  Unfortunately, the significant appearance of  "Love" in the pop charts marked the beginning of The Clover's commercial decline.  Their hit record streak was in a slump in 1959 when Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, wrote a song for the group titled "Love Potion # 9." It was the groups most successful single in the pop charts reaching number 23.  Unfortunately, it was the last major hit for the band and marked the end of their commercial success.

Continue on to: SOUNDTRACK SIDE 4

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NOTES: 

-Bobby Freeman. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-270164---Bobby-Freeman

-Buddy Knox .com Official website. http://www.buddyknox.com/index.htm
-Flash Cadillac Website. http://www.flashcadillac.com/AmericanGraffiti.html
-Geez, Big. Retro Redux. Buddy Knox vs. Buddy Holly.  http://blogcritics.org/music/article/retro-redux-buddy-knox-vs-buddy/
-George-Warren, Holly (Ed) The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Fireside. New York.  2005
-Warner, Jay American Singing Groups Hal Leonard Corp. Milwaukee. 2006

SIDE 4 AMERICAN GRAFFITI SOUNDTRACK

Wolfman Jack & Flash Cadillac

 Side 4 of 4 (Record 1)

Since I Don't Have You: The Skyliners (2:35)

The Skyliners consisted of 5 white Pittsburgh teenagers with perfect voices. The lyrics to "Since I Don't Have You" were written by manager Joe Rock, (while sitting in his car between stoplights), while 17-yer-old lead singer, Jimmy Beaumont wrote the music the next evening.  A rough a cappella demo was recorded.  After shopping the demo around and getting rejected by 13 established labels, the group contacted Calico Records who set up an audition.  The group passed and "Since" was recorded on December 3, 1958. A total of 18 musicians were used which was the first time a full orchestra was used with the group.  The record was released the day after Christmas and shot up the charts to number one in Pittsburgh, which resulted in the group being invited to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.  Within three days of their performance on Bandstand, "Since" had charted on Billboards' Top 100 and had sold 100,000 records.

Chantilly Lace: The Big Bopper (2:21)

In the film this song is timed precisely to the action or vice-versa. Toad is fiddling around with the wires trying to hot wire the Chevy.  As the wires connect the radio comes to life and we hear the sound of a phone ringing and Wolfman asks, "Who's this on the Wolfman telephone?"  The unmistakable voice of The Big Bopper says,  "Hellooo, baaaaby!" Just then Toad looks up to see a large bad-ass looking at him. The Big Bopper was a disc jockey at KTRM in Beaumont, Texas.  Bopper (real name Jiles Perry Richardson) became a pop star when he recorded and released a single called, "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor."  The B-side was a rockabilly song he wrote called "Chantilly Lace" which became an international hit in 1958.  He created a stage show based on his radio personality and was asked by his friend Buddy Holly to join a Midwestern tour in the winter of 1959.  On February 3, 1959, between concert stops in Mason City, Iowa and Fargo, North Dakota the tour plane crashed killing everyone on board including Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens and the "Big Bopper."

Teen Angel: Mark Dinning (2:35)

Born in Oklahoma, Mark Dinning came from a musical family.  His 3 sisters were known as The Dinning Sister in the 1940s.  Their biggest hit was "Buttons and Bows."  Mark had a contract with MGM in 1957 but had a failed career as a country artist.  His sister Jean and her husband gave him a song they wrote called, "Teen Angle."  The lyrical content, somewhat dark, was about a girl who was killed by a train while retrieving her boyfriend's ring. In February 1960, it rose to the top of the US charts.  One of the first examples of songs about death "Teen Angel" spawned dozens of similar morbid tunes. 8

Crying in the Chapel: Sonny Till and the Orioles (3:04)

The Orioles

Considered to be one of the founding fathers of rhythm and blues, The Orioles, with their smooth delivery were also excellent at singing love ballads. The group's origins started in Baltimore in 1946 by singing on street corners which in turn landed them a opportunity to sing at the bar on one of the corners where they sang.  Inside they met songwriter Deborah Chessler who became their manager.  By 1948 the group had recorded and released a single written by Chessler, "Its Too Soon."  Almost immediately the group's single shot up the pop charts to number 13.  The group followed up their success with many more great records.  The group made many appearances on TV shows and played for top dollar.  The band suffered a setback in late 1950 when an auto accident killed guitarist Tommy Gaither and injured some of the others.  In June 1953 the band went into the recording studio and recorded their next single, "Crying in the Chapel."  It was one of the group's strongest efforts and by the end of summer 1953 the song reached number 11 on the pop charts and number 1 on the R&B charts

 A Thousand Miles Away: The Heartbeats (2:25)

A THOUSAND MILES AWAY plays on the soundtrack while Curt is at the radio station talking to the manager about going to college back East- indeed, "a thousand miles away." The song also works to reinforce the distance Curt feels between himself and his fantasy dream girl.  The harmony group performing the song, The Heartbeats, owe much to their fan club who helped popularize their biggest hit.  After having only two releases, Heartbeats fan clubs started springing up all around the New York area.  When their single "Oh Baby Don't" began to get airplay in the fall of 1956, fans would call up the radio stations and demand that the disc jockey turn the single over and play the B-side, "A Thousand Miles Away." Lead singer, James "Shep" Shepard wrote the song about his girlfriend who had moved to Texas.  Shep's lilting lyrics and soaring voice helped make the song a classic.  Shep would revisit the "Thousand Miles Away" story several times and his other group, Shep and the Limelites charted with a similar sounding song "Daddy's Home" in 1961.

Heart and Soul: The Cleftones (1:49)

Hailing from Jamaica, New York, The CLEFTONES were a quintet that had a few regional hits in the mid-50s including, "LITTLE GIRL OF MINE (1956). Patricia Spann was added to The CLEFTONES lineup in 1959 which helped move the group away from traditional group-oriented doo wop harmonies and toward a vocal sound that was dominated by the lead vocals. The band charted with their biggest hit in 1961 with HEART & SOUL, a tune that was first popularized by Larry Clinton in 1938. 



The Cleftones 1961

  Green Onions: Booker T. and the M.G.'s (2:25)

Booker T. Jones who played saxophone and keyboards became part of the Stax establishment in 1960.  Jamming with Mar-Keys guitarist, Steve Cropper led to the creation of the M.G.'s (Memphis Group) and to the recording of "Green Onions."

Booker T & The MGs

The single went to number 3 in 1962.  Several instrumental hits followed but the band is most famous for doing back up work on hits by other Stax artists including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Rufus Thomas.  In the film, GREEN ONIONS is used to convey challenge as the two hot-rodders line up their cars side by side to race against each other.  Both drivers rev their engines and tension builds. Allusions throughout the film convey that Milner is very aware that life is constantly changing, and by the end of GREEN ONIONS we realize that he knows that it is dangerous to cling to the past.

Only You (And You Alone): The Platters (2:35)

The Platters

Originally considered unreleasable, the group re-recorded the song during their first session for Mercury records.  Released in July of 1955, "ONLY YOU" became the groups' first Top 10 single on the Pop charts. The tune was written by the band's manager, Buck Ram who also played piano on the session when the original pianist had to leave early. During this period The Platter's sound was built around lead tenor, Tony William's unique voice. ONLY YOU is used  in the film to convey Laurie and Steve's fidelity to each other.  The sun starts to rise as Steve holds her and reassures her that he will not leave to attend college or date other girls.

Goodnight, Sweetheart,Goodnight: The Spaniels (2:43)

Like so many black artists in the 1950s, The Spaniel's single, "Goodnight,Sweetheart, Goodnight" had to compete in the charts with the McGuire Sister's version of the song that was recorded for the white market.  Despite the competition, The Spaniels' version managed to reach number five on the R&B charts in 1954.  At the time National Music Promoter and influential DJ, Alan Freed demanded that two writers of "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight," Calvin Carter and James Hudson list him as a co-writer, even though he'd contributed nothing to it. Such aggressive and unfair tactics happened frequently among music business figures in the era, but they refused to give credit to Freed, who then allegedly refused to play the Spaniels' records on his program.

 All Summer Long: The Beach Boys (2:05)

Probably the first rock song to feature a xylophone, 1964's "All Summer Long" is an upbeat classic summarizing all the fun that happened over the summer, presumably at some California beach. Such fine song craftsmanship was the result of prolific songwriter Brain Wilson who in early February 1964, embarked on a rigorous period of songwriting, emerging some weeks later with songs including "I Get Around," All Summer Long," "Wendy," and "Girls on the Beach."

The Beach Boys (l-r) Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, & Brian Wilson

 At this point in the band's history, they were no longer playing their instruments on their records. The Beach Boys dubbed their vocals over the instrumental tracks performed by session musicians, all produced by the 21-year-old Wilson. Legend now has it that at the time Wilson felt an immediate and lasting rivalry between the Beach Boys and the lads from Liverpool, The Beatles.  The competition that Brian felt may have sparked a creative drive in him that resulted in many infectious pop-gems like this one.

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 BONUS ! ! ! 

Two songs from the movie that are not on soundtrack album.

Just when you thought you were done reading this lengthy article your buddy, Kip adds a bit more. There are two official recordings in the film that didn't make the soundtrack album:  "Gee" by The Crows, and "Louie Louie" by Flash Cadillac.  It's a shame they're not on the soundtrack album because the inconsistent collection of tunes could really benefit from a shot in the arm with these two killer songs!  Some may want to argue that there's more than two songs that aren't included on the soundtrack album. Some die-hard smarty pants will probably read this and want to correct me because I didn't list Harrison Ford singing "Some Enchanted Evening."  Sorry. And, I'm not counting the incidental music from commercials on XERB, ie, "Grazing in the Grass."  Do I sound defensive enough? Get off my back, already!  Okay, here's the tunes:

Gee: The Crows

The Crows

The Crows were a vocal quintet that consisted of Sonny Norton (lead), Harold Major (tenor), Mark Jackson (tenor) Bill Davis (baritone) and Gerald Hamilton (bass). Their song "Gee" along with "Sh-Boom" by the Chords, are often credited as being the first records to "crossover" into the white market. Good things were happening for the Crows in the spring of 1953 when they won first place in the finals of the amateur night show at Harlem's Apollo theater.  This led to a record contract with record label Rama and the single "Love You So" b/w "Gee" being released in June.  The single gained some popularity on the R & B charts before it started to fizzle. However, after a lapse of a few months, "Gee" began to slowly build in popularity.  By the end of the year it was beginning to get serious airplay on mainstream radio. The popularity of the tune, with its catchy vocals and Charlie Christain-like guitar solo, spawned two cover versions by other artists in 1954: June Hutton on Capitol and The Skyliners on Columbia Records.  Despite the competition of other groups, The Crow's version of "Gee" was quite successful, reaching number 14 on the pop charts during the early months of 1954.

Louie, Louie: Flash Cadillac

Flash Cadillac at Stans Drive-in

Few songs have caused as much controversy as the record Louie Louie. In the early 60s an urban myth developed which said, the song by The Kingsmen contained obscene lyrics that could only be unveiled if you play the 45 rpm single at 33 1/3. This led to  a ban on airplay and a FBI investigation. After 30 months and a load of tax payers money the FBI concluded that the lyrics were unintelligible.

Louie, Louie was one of three songs performed in American Graffiti by Flash Cadillac. Although the Kingsman were the band that popularized "Louie, Louie" back in 1963, the song's history goes back several years earlier.  "Louie, Louie" was written in 1955 by Richard Berry and released as a single in 1957 on Flip Records. Recorded with the Pharaohs, Richard created an infectious, calypso-style tune that was originally intended as the B-side for his recording of "You Are My Sunshine."  It is Berry's version of the tune that Flash Cadillac emulate in the film. Although Berry's version was a moderate success in the area around Los- Angeles  he wound up selling the publishing rights to pay for his wedding. It wasn't until later that he realized he had made a mistake by prematurely selling the publishing rights to a song that would become an ever-lasting, well-known party favorite.  Luckily, with the help of an organization by the name of Artists Rights Enforcement, Richard Berry was able to recover some of his publishing rights in 1986. 

 -FIN-

Notes:
-American Graffiti. Flash Cadillac Web Page.  http://www.flashcadillac.com/AmericanGraffiti.html
-Badman, Keith. The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books (September 1, 2004)
-George-Warren, Holly (Ed) The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Fireside. New York.  2005

-Predoeh, Eric  Louie, Louie. <http://www.louielouie.net/03-richardberry.htm>

-Marion, JC. Website.The Crows and The Chords: Rock Begins.
-Warner, Jay American Singing Groups Hal Leonard Corp. Milwaukee. 2006

© Mark Groesbeck 2011-2013

PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON: CONVERSATION WITH AMERICAN GRAFFITI'S COSTUME DESIGNER, AGGIE GUERARD RODGERS

A couple of years ago I had the good fortune to talk with the costume designer for American Graffiti, Aggie Rodgers. Graffiti was her first job as a costume designer.  Several years later she again worked with George Lucas on "The Return of the Jedi." She has pared up with many famous directors including Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation, The Rainmaker, Jack), Chris Columbus (Rent), Philip Kaufman (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), and John Korty (A Farewell To Manzanar). She has lived in the Bay Area her entire adult life, and travels to places all over the world for her job where she has worked with legends such as Milos Foreman (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), Ron Howard (Cocoon), Tim Burton (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice), Norman Jewison (In Country, The Hurricane) and an Academy Award Nominated collaboration with Steven Spielberg (The Color Purple).  Aggie has been a part of many films, too numerous to mention here, but you can check it out for yourself on the link below.  Despite her vast array of  experience I only asked her about American Graffiti. She was very charming and never once did she seem irritated by my incessant questions and narrow focus of only Graffiti related topics. 

______________________________________________________________________

Q: How did you get the job as a costume designer for American Graffiti?

AR: I had a masters in costume design for theater from Cal State Long Beach and was interested in working in films.  I got an interview with the production manager James Hogan, through the union.  I remember him asking me what I knew about, “dragging the main.”  That’s what we called cruisin’ back then.  I told him I was very familiar with it [laughs].

Q: You were about 19-years-old in 1962.  Where did you drag the main?

AR: I grew up in Fresno, CA. I graduated from high school in 1962-same as George [Lucas]. I use to cruise with my sister in her  ’54 Ford that was painted cherry/ blue. 

Q: Do you remember which streets?

AR: Yes, Shields Avenue and Blackstone.  There was a public pool and a drive-in called Stan’s where everybody hung out. [Editor’s note:  Simialr to Mels Drive-in, from the late 1940s through the 1960s, Stan’s Drive-in and coffee shop was a popular California chain, owned by entrepreneur Stan Burke.  There was once 9 Stan's Drive-ins or roadside eateries in Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento and Los Angeles].

Q:  How did you prepare for the film?

AR:  I read the script several times, spoke to actors, got their sizes, and then went shopping.  I went to every Goodwill store I could find.  I even had my mom in Fresno shop the Goodwill stores for me. Almost all the clothes the kids wear at the sock hop were bought at local Goodwill stores. Nowadays, they have all these vintage clothing stores but back then you could find just about anything there.

Q:  Were you paid a flat fee?

AR:  No I was paid and hourly rate.  I know there wasn’t a lot of money in the budget but everyone was happy with what they were paid.  I remember we worked out of one small motor home that was used for make-up, wardrobe, and hair.

Q:  In the film, what kind of shirt is Richard Dreyfuss’ character, Curt wearing?

AR:  That is a madras plaid sport shirt.  I bought two of those at Brooks Brothers.  In the early seventies men’s shirt collars were really large so I cut the collars on the shirts to match the early-sixties time period.  His pants are khakis from J.C. Pennys.

Q:  Charlie Martin-Smith's character, Terry wears an interesting bowling shirt.

AR:  That’s not a bowling shirt.  It’s something I designed.  I showed George [Lucas] that style of shirt with different fabric.  It had a specific neckline and two buttons.  I designed it, he chose the colors.


Q: It’s a great look and fits his character perfectly.  You should market that shirt.  So many fans would buy it.

AR:  Thank you.  I'll leave it to someone else to make the shirt and sell it [laughs].  I also remember his shoes were too big.  We couldn’t find white bucks that fit him properly.

Q: What can you tell me about Ron Howard’s clothes?

AR:  His pants are from J. C. Pennys.  His pale blue and white shirt we had made.  I gave the fabric to a professional seamstress and told her what to make.

Q:  Cindy William’s character Laurie, wears a blue blouse, plaid skirt and a letterman’s sweater.

AR:  Yes.  The letterman’s sweater she’s wearing is actually from George Lucas’ high school in Modesto.  Before shooting, he phoned his dad and asked him to get the sweater from one of George’s high school buddies.  When we got the sweater we sewed a new patch on it.

Q:  Did you design the dress worn by Candy Clark (Debbie)?

AR:  That was a Lanz dress I bought at the Goodwill, where we also purchased the white Caprice shoes that she's wearing in the film. I also remember we only had one bow for her hair so we had to make that last through the entire shoot.

Candy sporting a Lanz dress purchased at The Goodwill Store

Q: Are those typical car club jackets worn by the Pharaohs gang?

AR:  Yes.  We had those made.  They were popular back then.  I think a local sport shop made them, I’m not sure.

Q: Even though Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids is a band that plays ‘50s music they normally didn’t dress the way they were in the film, did they?

AR:  No.  They normally dressed like hoods or greasers.  George wanted them to be more straight-laced so we put them in red jackets. We borrowed those from some other local band. I don’t remember their name. 

 

Q: The first time I saw American Graffiti I had to laugh at the cop, Holstein wearing a little bow tie with his uniform. Did they really used to dress like that?

AG:  Oh yea, the cop.  Yea, that is what they wore.

Q:  The carhops at Mel’s normally didn’t look quite as seductive as they do in the film.  Did you come up with their new look?

AR: No, that was George.  He was very specific about what he wanted.  Although many drive-ins had carhops with roller skates Mel’s never did, to my knowledge.  But for the film they wore roller-skates.  It was also George’s idea for the carhops to wear a bellboy cap.  They also wore those tight ski pants.  Which was very practical since San Francisco can be cold at night.  Incidentally, one of the carhop extras in the film wound up being my assistant later.  Her name is Judy Feil.  

Q: I love those little caps the carhops wear.  Did you make those?

AR:  Oh yea the caps were specially made by a man that ran the ACT [American Conservatory Theater] costume shop named Walter Watson.

Q:  One final question, Mackenzie Phillips, who played Carol, wears a surfboard T-shirt in the film.  Did you buy that at Goodwill?

AG:  The Dewey Weber shirt was ordered from Dewey Weber down in Southern California and it was a request from George.  He makes great surf boards. They originally printed on the back but she was to sit in the car all the time and so we had them printed on the front for the movie.

Q: Sounds like it was a lot of fun working on the film

AR: Everyone was great to work with: The cast, crew, everybody. It was a lot of fun.

~ FIN ~

This page is exclusive content. No unauthorized reprinting, republishing or other use without prior authorization or proper referencing. © 2008-2015 by Mark Groesbeck.

More about Aggie...

-

YANKING YOUR CHAIN

One of the most unforgettable scenes in American Graffiti is where Curt attaches one end of a metal cable to a light post and the other to the rear axle of a patrol car. As the car shifts into gear and leaps forward the trans-axle and two rear wheels are yanked out from under it. I don't know about you, but I've had various people tell me they know someone who knows someone who actually did this prank. But, nobody ever takes personal responsibility for doing it.  Where did the idea come from? Can this really happen?  How did the crew manage to pull off such a stunt?  Let's find out:

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"Stand by for justice!"  These are the words Curt yells right before the patrol car loses its rear axle.   It is an amazing spectacle to watch as the patrol car hurdles up and out, airborne for a moment then noses down and then jumps along the pavement, sending out sparks as it screeches to a stop.  This dramatic display of rebelliousness channeled into an anonymous act was not the first time this stunt was recorded on film.  



About ten years before Graffiti was in production, this same stunt was performed on the family sit-com, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. In episode #231, "Wally's Practical Joke," (which originally aired May 23, 1963), Eddie Haskell and Wally Cleaver fastened one end of a chain around a tree trunk and the other around the rear axle of their friend, Lumpy's car.  The intent was to prevent the car from being driven away. When Lumpy tried to move his car it caused unforeseen damage as the entire third member and wheels became detached.

WALLY'S PRACTICAL JOKE

 1. Lumpy's car is chained to a tree.                  2. Eddie and Wally watch from the bushes.

3. Lumpy accelerates the car forward.            4. Chain tightens & axle is yanked from car.

5. The car slides to a stop and sits in the middle of the street at a 20 degree angle.

The stunt in this 1963 episode is a little disappointing because the viewer never gets to actually see the axle being torn away or the car sliding into the street.  The results of the same stunt in American Graffiti were much more spectacular as the red light on the patrol car starts flashing and the siren wails.  Moments later the car sits on the ground at a 20-degree angle while its engine whines at top speed.  The stunt was so memorable that more than 30 years later it was still in the minds of many film fans. This prompted the producers of the TV series, MYTHBUSTERS to attempt the same stunt to see if it could really be done.

BUSTING THE MYTHBUSTERS

  

On the 13th episode of the first season which originally aired Jan 11, 2004, the show's hosts, Adam and Jamie attempted to answer once and for all: Can a car be ripped off its rear axle like in American Graffiti?  The hosts used a late model remote control police car with its axle tied to a telephone pole by 75 ft. of cable.  When they replicated the circumstances the cable broke without any damage to the car.  In order to duplicate the results as in the movie they had to use a larger cable than was used in the film, bolts were loosened, and the axle was severely weakened by torching through 70-90% of each of the 4 control arms.

1.

2.

3.

Under these conditions the rear axle was able to be pulled loose but got caught on the underside of the police car and could not clear the trunk. The hosts, theorized that a ramp was used in American Graffiti to give the car and axle enough of a boost to wrench the axle completely free. Therefore, they concluded a car cannot be ripped off its rear axle like in American Graffiti.  "The myth is busted, Jamie summarized, "Its just not gonna happen by itself. Not with anything remotely like the circumstances you saw in the movie."

 Wait one damn minute!

Before we let those Mythbusters have the last word let's pause for a moment.  Was this really an accurate experiment?  Not really.  Perhaps you classic car buffs have caught the flaw already. The car used in the film is over 30 years older than the one used in the Mythbusters' experiment.  This is important because the Ford Galaxie used in the movie had a leaf spring rear suspension which could actually be ripped out much more easily than with stout coil springs found in newer cars.  So, I believe that a car probably could be ripped all the way off its rear axle without having to remove any bolts, etc.  However, to get air the way the cop car does in the film is a different story.

A recreation @ Petaluma Graffiti Celebration 2008

Our crack research team has theorized that one way to get a car to actually jump up in the air when it is ripped from the axle is to take the bolts out of the mounts at the front of the spring and let them rest on the perchases that are welded to the frame. It would also be necessary to remove part of the shackles at the rear of the springs so the rear-end would come out easily.  This way the spring would help to catapult the car into the air.

THE REAL DEAL

 

George Lucas was able to achieve the awesome spectacle without a ramp as the hosts of MythBusters had surmised. For the film, the entire rear axle of the car was cut away from the frame and body and the cable was attached.  The other end of the metal cable was not attached to a light pole (as in the story) but rather to a wench on a heavy-duty 10-wheel tow truck that was parked in the darkness at the far end of the lot.

As the car sped away from its parked location, at the exact moment when it crossed the sidewalk, the wench was activated. The pulling of the cable along with the force of the forward moving car caused the axle to be effectively yanked from beneath the car. Before the stunt was filmed there was some concern by the production staff that the car might actually flip over and land on its roof.  Luckily, this never happened. A few years back this stunt was recreated in the same lot with a ’61 Fairlane during the Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti event in May of 2008. Many of the original Production Staff were there to participate.  The event was filmed and may still be available on DVD at the Petaluma Celebrates American Graffiti website.

Car and axle on display in Jerry's Cherry (looking out toward street) at Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti, 2008

 -FIN-

Bibliography:

-Leave it to Beaver Season Guide.  Leave it to Beaver Season 6 (1962-63). Share TV website.  http://sharetv.org/shows/leave_it_to_beaver/season_6.  Retrieved 11/01/2010.

-Mythbusters Episode Guide: 2004.  http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/episode/episode-tab-07.html. Retrieved 11/14/2010.

-Stand by for Justice. Petaluma's Salute to American Graffiti website. http://americangraffiti.net.  Retrieved 11/16/2010

Writing Graffiti

Mackenzie Phillips writing graffiti on a Cadillac window

After the commercial failure of his first feature film, THX 1138, George Lucas had given up on screenwritng.  So, when he wanted to make his next film he contacted USC classmate, Willard Huyck and his wife, Gloria Katz. Lucas talked to them about the various characters and story elements he had in mind for Graffiti and together they hacked out an idea about four characters who go on various adventures. After their discussions, Huyck and Ms. Katz worked out a 15-page story treatment that brought out the humor and pathos in the initial design.  Lucas' agent, Jeff Berg took it to various studios to see if he could get them to finance a script. It took about a year to get the money together.  Eventually, Lucas got the president of United Artists (UA) to give him $10,000 to write the Graffiti script.

Writers Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz circa 1976

By the time he had money to pay the writing duo to start the Graffiti script in 1971, they were no longer available.  They had flown to England where Huyck was busy directing the low-budget horror film, Messiah of Evil  that he and Ms. Katz had written together.  Although the film never received a lot of attention upon its first release in 1973, it has since enjoyed cult-classic status. Different from many of the the early-seventies horror flicks, Messiah of Evil  has its own unique blend of creepiness and political commentary.

Since the writing team wasn't available, Lucas resorted to paying a friend from USC, Richard Walters to write the script.  But, when he read it, he was disappointed.  The screenplay was completely different from the story treatment.

Lucas directs Dreyfuss & Howard in the film's opening scene.

According to Lucas, It looked like a Hot Rods from Hell picture.  "It was very fantasy-like" he recalled, "with playing chicken and things kids didn't really do.  I wanted something that was more like the way I grew up."  Although Lucas rejected his first drafts for the film and he did not receive writer's credit, Walters was not bitter about the situation.  Now a professor and chairman of UCLA's renowned Film and Television writing program, he says, "The truth of the matter is that I feel good about Graffiti.  I was well paid to do the work that I did, and the scripts that I wrote won me assignments in that genre."  "Suddenly," Walters recalls, "everyone was doing coming-of-age stories and I was doing assignments for good money at major studios."

Because he had no money left to pay for another writer, but had to turn something in to UA, Lucas felt he had no choice but to write the script himself.  Using the original story treatment, Lucas sat down and forced himself to rewrite the entire screenplay.  Working from eight in the morning until eight at night, the whole process took him about three weeks.  However, after

Lucas & co-writer, Willard Huyck at an awards ceremony.

reading Lucas' new script UA turned it down and refused to make the film.  They didn't seem to understand Lucas' homage to the simple joys of cars, rock-and-roll, and small town romance.  Lucas has said that all of his films are difficult to understand at the script stage because they’re very different.  In a 1999 interview he recalled, "At the time I did them they were not conventional. The executives could only think in terms of what they'd already seen.  It's hard for them to think in terms of what has never been done before."  Producers were not warm to the idea of intercutting four stories that didn't relate to each other.  They saw the film as a musical montage with no characters and no plot.

Huyck & Katz wrote the Steve / Laurie story

Lucas had to rewrite the script once more before he could get any studio to consider making the film.  Eventually, Universal Studios executive, Ned Tanen read Lucas' rewrite, noticed its potential, and agreed to finance the picture for $750,000.  Still, Lucas wasn't entirely pleased with his screenplay.  Right after he got the deal to make Graffiti (and about two months before shooting) he asked Huyck & Katz to do a quick rewrite.  This time they were available, so they agreed and helped rewrite the weak areas of the script particularly the Steve & Laurie story. While writing the script Lucas had had the most problems with the character of Steve and almost cut his whole story out. The characters Terry The Toad, John Milner and Curt Henderson represent George Lucas at different stages of his teenage years, but he didn't really know nor could he relate to Steve.  By definition Steve was bland and making him remotely interesting proved to be a real challenge. Thanks to the talents of Huyck & Katz they were able to add some life to the character and make him more acceptable.  They wrote in his relationship with Laurie.  And, even though they couldn't get him up to the level of the other characters, who were much stronger they got him to the level where he worked.

Lucas has said that Huyck and Katz' contributions were essential.  In 1974 Lucas explained to Filmaker's Newsletter their contribution to the screenplay:

"They didn't change the structure, what they did was improve the dialogue, make it funnier, more human, truer. [sic] So though they improved it a great deal, it was basically my story.  The scenes are mine the dialogue is theirs. But it's hard to be cut and dry about something like that because of course, they completely changed some scenes and others were left intact."  

By the time it was finished, the screenplay was too long.  Ms. Katz recalls, "It was like 160 pages, and everybody was freaking out.  So we got the tiniest type known to man, and it became 125 pages."  Finally, with the writing problems solved, on May 10, 1972 Lucas had the shooting script he needed to begin filming.   The screenplay had the working title,

Marcia Lucas hard at work editing Graffiti.

ROCK RADIO IS AMERICAN GRAFFITI (SAGA OF THE LOW RIDERS).  After writing the script, life was never the same for the couple. "Until American Graffiti we were just ex-film students," Huyck told an interviewer in 1996, "Suddenly, we were actually being hired to write big movies.  It gave us a career."

Co-Writer, GLORIA KATZ

It's no secret that a lot of good scenes wind up on the cutting room floor just so a film can be released with a desirable running time.  George Lucas has said that at one point Graffiti was almost a three-hour movie before it was really edited.  Although, who did what has been a point of argument it is most likely that Verna Fields did the initial editing cut, then George Lucas came in for the final version, while Marcia Lucas was involved throughout the entire editing process.  It was my assumption that some of the scenes like the one I have transcribed below (from the second draft of the screenplay dated May 10, 1972), were filmed but then cut to quicken the pace of the film.

Co-Writer, WILLARD HUYCK

In a conversation I had with her in 2007, Candy Clark (Debbie) remarked that she didn't remember acting in a scene like the one below. To this writer, her statement doesn't mean it wasn't filmed, it just means she didn't remember a 35 year-old scene that was never released in the movie. The scene, ripe with great dialogue and imagery, would have fit perfectly into the film.  
P.S. Notice that the missing car is a Merc and not an Impala like in the film.

Scene 56

USED CAR LOT  -  TERRY & DEBBIE

A big greasy guy is pulling an engine out of a car with a wench when he hears somebody coming.  He ducks out of sight quickly

Terry and Debbie come up.

DEBBIE
   Chuck?  Chuckie?  It's me

The big burly guy peeks around the car and then wanders over.

CHUCK
   Hey, you gave me a start, pussycat.  What's up?

DEBBIE
   Chuck, this is Terry.

Terry sticks out his hand and Chuck puts his greasy meat hook in it.  Terry wipes his hand off on his pants.

CHUCK
   Little short, ain't he?

DEBBIE
   Listen, Terry had his cherry Merc copped.  And since you know about every stolen car in the Valley

CHUCK
   Merc, huh?  Got a Plymouth in tonight, but no Mercs.

TERRY
   Do you know where we might look for it.  I gotta find it.  That car's my whole life.

Chuck takes out a flask, takes a big pull on it and hands it to Terry.

CHUCK
   Well, Terry, you sure stepped in it sounds like.  Hopeful it'll be just a couple of joy riders and you'll find it somewhere in the morning.  Now, if it's a strip job...well...also, some nut been taking 'em and burning them...Yeah, I'll keep my eyes open   but I'm sure you'll find it  one way or  t'other.

TERRY
   One way or the other?!

He takes the flask from Terry, who looks off hopelessly.

DEBBIE
   Thanks, Chuck.

CHUCK
   Sure thing.  Hey give me a little one.

Debbie kisses him and his arm goes around her, his big hand covering her fanny.

Terry looks around and sees this.  He looks away sadly

TERRY
   Come on Debbie ... Debbie?

                                                FADE OUT

__________________________________________________________________________

NOTES:

-Sturhahn Larry. (1999) The filming of american graffiti.  In Kline, S. (Ed.), George Lucas interviews (conversations with filmakers series).  (pp. 17-18).  University Press of Mississippi. 

-Lucas, G., Katz, G., &  Huyck, W.  (1972). Rock radio is american graffiti (saga of the low riders).  Second draft.  Mill Valley, CA.:  Lucas Film, LTD. 

Candy Clark (Debbie) with Pharaohs '51 Merc @ Petaluma celebration 2008

-FIN-