American Graffiti Page #2

Suddenly, there's an ear-splitting roar and they all turn as a

yellow '32 Ford deuce coupe--chopped, lowered and sporting a

Hemi-V8--bumps into the lot. The low slung classic rumbles and

parks at the rear of the drive in.

Big John Milner, twenty-two, sits in his Ford, tough and

indifferent, puffing on a Camel. He wears a white T-shirt and a

butch haircut molded on the sides into a ducktail. A cowboy in a

deuce coupe--simple, sentimental and cocksure of himself.

STEVE:

You wanna end up like John? You can't stay seventeen forever.

CURT:

I just want some time to think. What's the rush? I'll go next

year.

STEVE:

We'll talk later. Steve walks off toward Laurie's Edsel. Laurie

gets out. She's wearing a letterman's sweater with a large "Class

of '62" emblazoned on the shoulder. Steve goes to her and they

hug.

On the radio, the music ends, and the Wolfman's intro tune comes

on. RADIO (singing)

"Here comes the Wolfman--Wolfman Jack!"

WOLFMAN (voice over)

Oh, We're gonna rock and roll ourselves to death baby. You got

the Wolfman Jack Show!

MEL'S DRIVE-IN--NIGHT

As the radio blares "Sixteen Candles," we see that with the

darkness Burger City has come alive. A continual line of hot rods

pulls into the parking lot to check out the parked cars, then

returns to the maindrag. Carhops glide by on roller skates. Curt

and John are fooling around in front of the deuce coupe. A horn

honks and they turn as a '60 Ford with three girls in it slows by

them. A girl leans out the window and smiles.

GIRL:

Hi John!

The girls in the car all screech and giggle as they zoom off.

JOHN:

Not too good, huh?

CURT:

Why is it every girl that comes around here is ugly? Or has a

boyfriend? Where is the dazzling beauty I've been searching for

all my life?

John watches the procession of gleaming cars traveling through

the hot night. JOHN

I know what you mean. The pickin's are really gettin' slim. The

whole strip is shrinking. Ah, you know, I remember about five

years ago, take you a couple of hours and a tank full of gas just

to make one circuit. It was really somethin.' Suddenly, in the

distance, there's a blood-curdling scream from an incredible

high-performance engine. The entire drive-in stops and listens.

CURT:

Hey, John. Someone new in town.

JOHN:

Ahhh.

CURT:

You gonna go after him?

JOHN:

Hey, listen, Professor, if he can't find me, then he ain't worth

racin', right?

CURT:

The big shot!

Across the swarming parking lot, Steve sits in the front seat of

his chevy with Laurie. Budda Macrae, a car hop, leans down to

attach a tray to Steve's window, showing off her tight blouse.

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