Although Star Wars no doubt is George Lucas’ best-known work, American Graffiti qualifies as his most personal and, some would claim, finest film. An episodic account of a wildly eventful night in 1962, the film chronicles the comic misadventures of a group of friends on the cusp of adulthood as they cruise the strip of Modesto, Calif. Scored to a smartly curated selection of early rock ’n’ roll, American Graffiti features a sprawling cast of future stars, including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford.

Note: the 7PM screening will be introduced by Cliff Froehlich. If you wish to attend the screening and lecture please select the 2PM ticket.

This presentation is part of the film & lectures series HOLLYWOOD FILMS OF THE 1970s in partnership with St. Louis Oasis. Every film will be followed by a discussion of 45-60 minutes led by Cliff Froehlich, retired executive director of Cinema St. Louis and former film critic for The Riverfront Times. 

During the period from 1967-80, a remarkable body of work was created in Hollywood. The chaotic state of the studios in the late 1960s opened up room for the film-school generation — young and unabashed movie enthusiasts equally in love with and influenced by the cinemas of classic Hollywood and Europe — and expanded the freedoms of older directors and an underappreciated middle group of filmmakers who began in theater, comedy, television, and criticism. This class will include key works of the period, with screenings held at the Hi-Pointe Theatre at 2 pm on a Wednesday each month.