50s

I've been buying a few songs this week for a CD I'm making for my car.

I want to cover a variety of eras, starting with the 1950s. A little while before I was born, but an era I'm familiar with due to seeing a number of movies like American Graffiti and American Hot Wax that were based in the 1950s.

American Hot Wax included a performance by budding actor Jay Leno. He's better known now for his comedy and television skills than acting-- and if you watch American Hot Wax you'll see why he changed his vocational focus. The movie also had Fran Drescher and a walk-on part by Cameron Crowe, who was just a teenager in the 1978 movie.

Reading about the stuff going on during the filming of American Graffiti as well as how difficult it was for George Lucas to sell the concept to a studio was interesting.

The cast of the film just staggers the mind: Ron Howard was well known but Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, and Suzanne Somers were virtual unknowns. Wolfman Jack did a walk on role and Harrison Ford was a carpenter who just happened to meet casting director Fred Roos while remodeling Roos' home. According to Wiki, Ford agreed to take the role on the condition that he would not have to cut his hair. Amazing.

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Unknown said…
"American Graffite" was the "Breakfast club" of it's time.
2:43 PM
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