I've lived in Petaluma for more than 40 years and I can't drive anywhere in this beautiful little town with seeing a spot where a scene from this classic movie was filmed. Memories of it are everywhere.
What wonderful pics from one of the great movies of all time ! Seeing Cyndy with that amazing smile made me cry a bit since we just lost her. And of course the Skyliners with one of the classic songs of ALL time ! Thank you so much, great site !!!
These are GREAT photos. Iam 71 now still young minded. My problem is that Im so in love with those days. look at where we are now. Thank you for taking me back. Mike retired firemen...
I was able to see this movie in 1973 when my Aunt Geraldine took me to see it, I laughed at the thin belts and ties, but Loved the music, especially this song. My then girlfriend and I fell in love with this song and each other, dancing many times to this song.
A lot of movies are called "masterpiece". American Graffiti is one of the few true masterpieces of American cinema. It has a timeless, mythical quality about it, yet it can be taken as just a Saturday night romp.
Reminds me of downtown Spokane on Riverside Ave in the '60s. Lots of cruising and good clean teenage fun. Vietnam was on the way and we had no clue that it was lurking around the next bend.... ;-(
Love this song & this movie! My fave is the pic of the actors sitting at a dinner(?) table. Harrison, Richard, Paul, Charlie, Cindy.... they all look so incredibly young. What a cast!
At now 76 y/o, and a lifetime lover of cinema, " American Graffiti" ranks 3rd on my all-Time Top 10 list of favorite films , behind " The Wild Bunch " & " West Side Story " . In that late summer of '62, I was 15 ,heading to 16 y/o, in September. I was a child of that era, knew all the music, & in my HS years in Denver, I REALLY was, " Curt Henderson" . I was both the intellectual among my friends, but I was also the hopeless / hapless, romantic . Girls were an unending source of frustration, disappointment, & mystery. Uhhh, they still are. ----MJL
George Lucas captured a moment in time of a era some of us were fortunate to live exacly the way it happend and will never have it back again. We all knew the cool guy, the nerd, the good guy, the hot rodder, the beautiful girl, a friend that got drafted or joined, last but not least Wolfman Jack was on the air back then.
You could have used any song-------but using this masterpiece brings me to9 tears. --------------OMG, where have the years gone?? I WAS 15 heading ti 16, in that Summer of '62. ---------seeing mysaelf now------makes me cry. --------------------------------Wolfsky9, 72 y/o
The perfect song, for the one truly tender moment of the film-------RIP, Jimmy Beaumont, Janet Vogel, & any other Skyliners who have passed. ----------------THE film for my generation. --------------------------------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
Ironically, I'm 62 At The Time Of This Comment & Remember Vividly The First Time I Saw It With An Old Friend Who Has Passed. He Was More Of A Hot Rodder Than I Was. It Was Raining That Evening & We Went To The 9:00 Show. We Raced Another Car On The Way Home. I Have The DVD & Must've Watched It A Hundred Times. Some Memories Never Fade.
This is an all-time Masterpiece, & THE coming of age film for MY Generation, The Baby Boomers . ------------------RIP, To all who have passed, who were in this magnificent film. I was 15 y/o in the summer of '62, & I was 25, going on 26, when the film came out in '73. -------------------RIP, To Jimmy Beaumont--------Janet Vogel, & all Skyliners who have passed. ----------------------------Wolfsky9, 74 y/o
I love how dedicated George Lucas was with this. He dressed like he was part of the movie even though he was only directing the actors and lighting, and off-camera at that.
back when making a movie was a lot of physical effort, it took 5 months just to edit the soundtrack, now it would take a couple of hours on a computer something to be said for 'hands on'
I might be a bit confused about your comment. The movie takes place in 1962. In the epilogue Milner is killed in 1964, Toad was presumed dead in 1965. radiodan.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/the-extreme-sadness-of-american-graffiti/ scroll down for the plot of More American Graffitti. I just saw this movie not long ago kind of forgot how it all ended.
Although American Graffiti is set in 1962 Modesto, California, Lucas believed the city had changed too much in 10 years and initially chose San Rafael as the primary shooting location. But the San Rafael City Council immediately became concerned about the disruption that filming caused for local businesses and therefore withdrew permission to shoot beyond a second day. Petaluma, a similarly small town approximately 20 miles north of San Rafael, became more cooperative and American Graffiti moved there without the loss of a single day of shooting.
I've lived in Petaluma for more than 40 years and I can't drive anywhere in this beautiful little town with seeing a spot where a scene from this classic movie was filmed. Memories of it are everywhere.
What wonderful pics from one of the great movies of all time ! Seeing Cyndy with that amazing smile made me cry a bit since we just lost her. And of course the Skyliners with one of the classic songs of ALL time ! Thank you so much, great site !!!
These are GREAT photos. Iam 71 now still young minded. My problem is that Im so in love with those days. look at where we are now.
Thank you for taking me back.
Mike
retired firemen...
I was able to see this movie in 1973 when my Aunt Geraldine took me to see it, I laughed at the thin belts and ties, but Loved the music, especially this song. My then girlfriend and I fell in love with this song and each other, dancing many times to this song.
A lot of movies are called "masterpiece". American Graffiti is one of the few true masterpieces of American cinema. It has a timeless, mythical quality about it, yet it can be taken as just a Saturday night romp.
It is a masterpiece and it hardly has a storyline.
I usually dislike films without story lines but American Graffiti is in my top 5.
also the beginning of the "nostalgia craze".
Michaelterry, couldn't you say it has four story lines?
Reminds me of downtown Spokane on Riverside Ave in the '60s. Lots of cruising and good clean teenage fun.
Vietnam was on the way and we had no clue that it was lurking around the next bend.... ;-(
@@michaelterry1000 Does too have a storyline. Has four.
Has always been my all time favorite movie since the 1st time I saw it in the theater.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Probably watched it 50 times. It’s a time stamp of California in 1962, particularly Northern California.
Love this song & this movie! My fave is the pic of the actors sitting at a dinner(?) table. Harrison, Richard, Paul, Charlie, Cindy.... they all look so incredibly young. What a cast!
And they really roughed it. 30 days shooting for $3600? Full budget three million?
The only movie that never leaves my DVR.
At now 76 y/o, and a lifetime lover of cinema, " American Graffiti" ranks 3rd on my all-Time Top 10 list of favorite films , behind " The Wild Bunch " & " West Side Story " . In that late summer of '62, I was 15 ,heading to 16 y/o, in September. I was a child of that era, knew all the music, & in my HS years in Denver, I REALLY was, " Curt Henderson" . I was both the intellectual among my friends, but I was also the hopeless / hapless, romantic . Girls were an unending source of frustration, disappointment, & mystery. Uhhh, they still are. ----MJL
Thankyou Mr Lucas for making this film...Great film and music....
Great memorabilia from a timeless classic.
American Graffiti was and always will be the best movie about the sixties and dragging ( cruising) the main drag that has ever been made.
George Lucas captured a moment in time of a era some of us were fortunate to live exacly the way it happend and will never have it back again. We all knew the cool guy, the nerd, the good guy, the hot rodder, the beautiful girl, a friend that got drafted or joined, last but not least Wolfman Jack was on the air back then.
I was "there" too cruising downtown Spokane Friday and Saturday nights in my '62 Impala SS "409".....what a great time it was to be young. ;-)
Everything about this film is Top shelf.👍🎸
You could have used any song-------but using this masterpiece brings me to9 tears. --------------OMG, where have the years gone?? I WAS 15 heading ti 16, in that Summer of '62. ---------seeing mysaelf now------makes me cry. --------------------------------Wolfsky9, 72 y/o
The perfect song, for the one truly tender moment of the film-------RIP, Jimmy Beaumont, Janet Vogel, & any other Skyliners who have passed. ----------------THE film for my generation. --------------------------------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
this song remember me many momens that i never forget...iiiiiiiiii don't have love to share...since i miss you.thanks to all you do for me...
This is a really great movie and real life.
Ironically, I'm 62 At The Time Of This Comment & Remember Vividly The First Time I Saw It With An Old Friend Who Has Passed. He Was More Of A Hot Rodder Than I Was. It Was Raining That Evening & We Went To The 9:00 Show. We Raced Another Car On The Way Home. I Have The DVD & Must've Watched It A Hundred Times. Some Memories Never Fade.
Great shots that I had never seen before. I love this movie.
This is an all-time Masterpiece, & THE coming of age film for MY Generation, The Baby Boomers . ------------------RIP, To all who have passed, who were in this magnificent film. I was 15 y/o in the summer of '62, & I was 25, going on 26, when the film came out in '73. -------------------RIP, To Jimmy Beaumont--------Janet Vogel, & all Skyliners who have passed. ----------------------------Wolfsky9, 74 y/o
Glad you mentioned Janet and Jimmy.
amazing!!!!! I really enjoyed that!😁
I love how dedicated George Lucas was with this. He dressed like he was part of the movie even though he was only directing the actors and lighting, and off-camera at that.
Ron Howard and Cindy Williams seemed like they had some chemistry.
Great film.
Thanks George it was genius
back when making a movie was a lot of physical effort, it took 5 months just to edit the soundtrack, now it would take a couple of hours on a computer
something to be said for 'hands on'
That was really BOSS!
Beautiful
The girl in the Orange dress at 1:33 was the wife of Jim Lovell in Apollo 13. A movie directed by Ron Howard Ha ha.
Gold.
Love this classic movie!!
that blue buick was bad ass
George was one handsome dude.
2:22 Susan from Eight Is Enough (?)
At 1:46, there is a car which looks to me like a late-'60s or early '70s car to the far left of the frame.
What, no Joe and the PHAROES standing next to that beautiful 49 mercury?... ahh fooey!😟😞
❤
At 2:06, Cindy Williams is looking up to Ron Howard, Wonder what she was thinking.
💙 / 💜
George Lucas is the one filmmaker who cares about making the best films for us _ not for Hollywood executive's. Thank you George Lucas.
Lucas at his finest...
I'll take a.ball point pen..a 3 muskateers..bottle of old harpor.and a comb...
This is the year Toad makes it back from Vietnam.
I might be a bit confused about your comment. The movie takes place in 1962. In the epilogue Milner is killed in 1964, Toad was presumed dead in 1965. radiodan.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/the-extreme-sadness-of-american-graffiti/ scroll down for the plot of More American Graffitti. I just saw this movie not long ago kind of forgot how it all ended.
Say wtf..?
Where was the movie made?
This is pretty precise right down to the streets www.americangraffiti.net/filming-locations/
Although American Graffiti is set in 1962 Modesto, California, Lucas believed the city had changed too much in 10 years and initially chose San Rafael as the primary shooting location. But the San Rafael City Council immediately became concerned about the disruption that filming caused for local businesses and therefore withdrew permission to shoot beyond a second day.
Petaluma, a similarly small town approximately 20 miles north of San Rafael, became more cooperative and American Graffiti moved there without the loss of a single day of shooting.
That's 'Marin' for ya!