American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Bo Hopkins, Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers and Joe Spano appear in the film. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and early rock'n' roll cultures popular among the early baby boomer generation. Through a series of vignettes, the film tells the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of a single night; the genesis of American Graffiti was in Lucas' own teenage years in early 1960s Modesto. He was unsuccessful in pitching the concept to financiers and distributors, but found favor at Universal Pictures after every other major film studio turned him down. Filming was set to take place in San Rafael, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day; as a result, production was moved to Petaluma.
American Graffiti premiered on August 2, 1973, at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, was released on August 11, 1973, in the United States. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget, it has become one of the most profitable films of all time. Since its initial release, American Graffiti has garnered an estimated return of well over $200 million in box office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995 the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. A sequel, More American Graffiti, was released in 1979. In Modesto, California, in early September 1962, on the last evening of summer vacation, recent high school graduates and longtime friends Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander meet two other friends, John Milner, the drag-racing king of the town, Terry "The Toad" Fields, in the parking lot of the local Mel's Drive-In.
Curt and Steve are scheduled to travel "Back East" the next morning to start college. Despite receiving a $2,000 scholarship from the local Moose Lodge, Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto. Steve gives Terry his 1958 Chevrolet Impala to care for. Steve's girlfriend, Curt's sister, arrives in her car. Steve suggests to Laurie, glum about him going to college, that they see other people while he is away in order to "strengthen" their relationship. Though not upset, she is displeased, which affects their interactions the rest of the evening. Curt accompanies Steve, last year's high school student class president, Laurie, the current head cheerleader, to the back-to-high-school sock hop. En route to the dance, Curt sees a beautiful blonde woman driving a white 1956 Ford Thunderbird: at a stoplight, she mouths the words "I love you" before disappearing around a corner. Curt becomes desperate to find her. After leaving the hop, Curt is coerced by a group of greasers into participating in an initiation rite that involves hooking a chain to a police car and ripping out its back axle.
The Pharaohs tell Curt that "The Blonde" is a prostitute. Determined to get a message to the blonde woman, Curt drives to the local radio station to ask the disc jockey "Wolfman Jack", omnipresent on the car radios, to read an on air message for her. Inside the station, Curt encounters an employee manning a console of record and cassette players, who tells him The Wolfman doesn't work at the station, that the shows are pre-taped for replay at multiple stations; the employee promises to try to have The Wolfman air it. As he's leaving the station, Curt sees the employee talking into the microphone and hears the voice of The Wolfman on the air, so Curt realizes that despite the employee's earlier denials, he is The Wolfman; the Wolfman reads the message for The Blonde, which asks her to meet Curt at Mel's or call him at the phone booth outside. Curt is awakened by the phone's ringing early the next morning. "The Blonde" doesn't reveal her identity, but says she knows Curt and maybe they'll meet that night if he sees her cruising on her usual street.
Curt replies not, intimating that he has decided to go to college after all. Terry in Steve's car, John in his yellow 1932 Ford Deuce Coupé hot rod cruise the strip of Modesto. Terry, socially inept, picks up a flirtatious and somewhat rebellious girl named Debbie. John inadvertently picks up Carol, an annoying, precocious 12-year-old who manipulates him into driving her around all night. Another drag racer, the arrogant Bob Falfa, is searching out John in order to challenge him to a race. Steve and Laurie have a series of make-ups through the evening, they split and as the story lines intertwine, Bob Falfa picks up Laurie in his black 1955 Chevrolet One-Fifty Coupé. Bob finds John and goads him into racing. A parade of cars follows them to "Paradise Road" to watch; as Bob takes the lead, a tire causes him to lose control. His car rolls over. Steve and John leap out of their cars and rush to the wreck while a dazed Bob and Laurie crawl out and stagger away just before it explodes. Distraught, Laurie grips Steve and begs him not to leave her.
He assures her. At the airfield that morning, Curt says goodbye to his parents, Steve and Terry; as the plane takes off, Curt gazes out the window and sees the white Thun
Charles Arthur "Yank" Bernier was an American football and baseball player and college administrator. He served as the head football coach at Hampden–Sydney College from 1912 to 1916 and again from 1923 to 1938 and at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute —now known as Virginia Tech— from 1917 to 1919, compiling a career college football record of 86–107–18. Bernier was the head basketball coach at Hampden–Sydney, Virginia Tech, the University of Alabama, amassing a career college basketball record of 242–219. In addition, he was the head baseball coach at the University of New Hampshire, Virginia Tech, Alabama, tallying a career college baseball record of 67–65–4. Bernier served as the athletic director at Alabama from 1920 to 1923. Bernier played football and baseball at Hampden–Sydney, he was the first student-athlete to be named captain of all three sports. He attended VPI and compete in sports there. Bernier is a member of the Hampden–Sydney Sports Hall of Fame.
The school's baseball is named after him. He died on June 20, 1963 at his home in Cottondale, Alabama
Roberto Calmon Félix, known as Roberto, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a striker, is a current manager. He spent the vast majority of his professional career in Portugal with Vitória de Guimarães where he arrived at 30, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 95 games and 15 goals over the course of six seasons, adding 133 matches and 38 goals in the Segunda Liga. Roberto was born in Espírito Santo. During his career he played exclusively in Portugal, spending most of his early years in the second division, representing F. C. Maia, Moreirense F. C. and Académica de Coimbra, with which he first arrived in the Primeira Liga, with no impact. After another slow year, with C. F. Estrela da Amadora, Roberto returned to the second level with G. D. Chaves, F. C. Marco and Varzim SC. In January 2008, after solid performances for the latter, he signed a 2 1⁄2-year contract with top flight club Vitória SC, still being a important attacking unit – 14 matches, two goals – as it finished third only one year after promoting.
After two more top level seasons with Vitória being used 32-year-old Roberto joined Asteras Tripoli F. C. in Greece, signing for one year. In March 2011, however, he moved teams and countries again, transferring to Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan FC. After retiring in 2014 at his first club Linhares Futebol Clube, Roberto started his managerial career there. After leading them to the Campeonato Capixaba vice-championship, he returned on 6 January 2016. Roberto at ForaDeJogo Roberto at Soccerway