Graffiti
Well, being as it got brought up, I just got this info on a local event:
Happy Birthday American Graffiti
When George Lucas asked, "Where were you in '62," he was talking about only one place. His home town of Modesto.
The streets of Modesto are where George Lucas cruised! And it was those teenage years of having fun and rolling on the roads of the Central Valley that set off a wave of American nostalgia following the release of American Graffiti in 1973.
We’re honoring the 35th anniversary of American Graffiti and its place in our local heritage with an all-day celebration at the State Theater on May 31st, 2008. There will be cars, including the original, screen-used T-bird driven by Suzanne Somers, and other exciting "Graffiti memorabilia" on display at the State and nearby Anderson's Gallery. A fun and educational program from 12:00-2:00 (free admission) will include presentations from members of Modesto’s Faros car club, which Lucas featured in the movie. Candy Clark, who played "Debbie" in American Graffiti will also speak, and cinematographer Haskell Wexler will make a rare appearance as part of the anniversary celebration.
A Rock 'n Roll and Doo-Wop Review featuring songs from the soundtrack will hit the stage at 4pm and a 7:00pm screening of American Graffiti will conclude the day’s event. The film will be preceded by a talk from the dynamic and renowned film historian Peter Kramer. Peter spoke at the Star Wars 30th anniversary event last year at Modesto Junior College, and is returning from England to speak about American Graffiti’s place in American movies and popular culture. It will be an amazing tribute to our local jewel of American nostalgia, a jewel placed here by our own George Jr.!
Modesto has a rich "California car culture" history, and that is no less evident than in Gene Winfield’s connection to the valley. Gene is a legend in custom car creation, and got his start opening an auto shop right here in Modesto back in 1946. After relocating to southern California, he went on to make a number of custom creations for the film and television industry, including the shuttlecraft from the original Star Trek series, and the famous "Spinner" automobile from the sci-fi classic Blade Runner. We are very excited to have Gene back in Modesto to talk about his years of amazing work and the good old times growing up right here! He will be part of the panel discussion that kicks off at noon and will be signing copies of a recently released book written about him.
Remember, when Harrison Ford sang "Some Enchanted Evening," he was singing about hot summer nights cruising in Modesto, not Petaluma or Reno. Be there or be square!