WTF Happened to American Graffiti (1973)?

Before George Lucas launched the Star Wars Universe in 1977, he directed the coming-of-age comedy-drama American Graffiti. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the film revolves around various early rock ‘n’ roll cultures that helped define a generation. Gearheads often swoon for this memorable film as it features plenty of gorgeous hot rods that any collector would love to have in their garage.

American Graffiti is written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, and Lucas and features an eclectic cast of young actors, including Richard Dreyfus, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Quinlan, Bo Hopkins, Wolfman Jack, and more.

The film takes audiences back to 1962 when teenagers owned the night, and Johnny Law was no match for a group of miscreants looking to cause mischief. Set to a soundtrack that features musical acts like Buster Brown, The Platters, Chuck Berry, and The Heartbeats, American Graffiti presented an ideal environment for teens. The film created a Neverland environment for curfew-defying hooligans and acted as pure nightmare fuel for square parents. Join us as we discover what the f@%$ happened to one of Lucas’s earliest films before he became the founder of the most celebrated sci-fi universe of all time.