Editing American Graffiti (section)

==Legacy==
[[File:Yellow car, Universal Studios Singapore - 20120914.jpg|thumb|250px|alt=Front view of a vintage yellow car with a THX 138 plaque.|John Milner's deuce coupe replica at [[Universal Studios Singapore]].]]
Internet reviewer MaryAnn Johanson acknowledged that ''American Graffiti'' rekindled public and entertainment interest in the 1950s and early 1960s, and influenced other films such as ''[[The Lords of Flatbush]]'' (1974) and ''[[Cooley High]]'' (1975) and the TV series ''[[Happy Days]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author = MaryAnn Johanson | url = http://www.flickfilosopher.com/afi100/afi100movies/americangraffiti.shtml | title = Boy Meets World | work = The Flick Filosopher | date = June 16, 1999 | access-date = May 8, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090616000653/http://www.flickfilosopher.com/afi100/afi100movies/americangraffiti.shtml| archive-date= June 16, 2009 |url-status = live}}</ref> Alongside other films from the [[New Hollywood]] era, ''American Graffiti'' is often cited for helping give birth to the [[blockbuster (entertainment)|summer blockbuster]].<ref>{{cite magazine | author = Staff | url = https://ew.com/article/1991/05/24/evolution-summer-blockbuster/ | title = The Evolution of the Summer Blockbuster | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = May 24, 1991 | access-date = February 26, 2008 | archive-date = April 21, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090421182715/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,314422,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The film's box-office success made George Lucas an instant millionaire. He gave an amount of the film's profits to [[Haskell Wexler]] for his visual consulting help during filming, and to Wolfman Jack for "inspiration". Lucas's net worth was now $4&nbsp;million, and he set aside a $300,000 independent fund for his long-cherished space opera project, which would eventually become the basis for ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977).<ref name=San>Hearn, pp. 70–75</ref>

The financial success of ''Graffiti'' also gave Lucas opportunities to establish more elaborate development for [[Lucasfilm]], [[Skywalker Sound]], and [[Industrial Light & Magic]].<ref name=radio/> Based on the success of the 1978 [[reissue]], Universal began production for the sequel ''[[More American Graffiti]]'' (1979).<ref name=Whatev/> Lucas and writers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz later collaborated on [[Howard the Duck (film)|''Howard the Duck'']] (1986) and ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (1994). They were both released by Universal Pictures, for which Lucas acted as executive producer. ''Radioland Murders'' features characters intended to be Curt and Laurie Henderson's parents, Roger and Penny Henderson.<ref name=radio>Hearn, pp. 79–86, 122</ref> In 1995, ''American Graffiti'' was deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.loc.gov/film/nfrchron.html | title = National Film Registry: 1989–2007 | work = [[National Film Registry]] | access-date = May 9, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080501155016/http://www.loc.gov/film/nfrchron.html| archive-date= May 1, 2008 |url-status = live}}</ref> In 1997 the city of [[Modesto, California]] (where the film largely takes place), honored Lucas with a statue dedication of ''American Graffiti'' at George Lucas Plaza.<ref name=first/> Furthermore, the city has an [[Modesto American Graffiti Festival|annual classic car festival]] in honor of its graffiti culture heritage.

Director [[David Fincher]] credited ''American Graffiti'' as a visual influence for ''[[Fight Club (film)|Fight Club]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite magazine | author = Staff | url = https://ew.com/article/1999/08/13/fight-club/ | title = Movie Preview: Oct. 15 | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = August 13, 1999 | access-date = February 26, 2008 | archive-date = June 15, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090615224435/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,87198,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Lucas's ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'' (2002) features references to the film. The yellow [[airspeeder]] that [[Anakin Skywalker]] and [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] use to pursue bounty hunter [[Zam Wesell]] is based on John Milner's yellow [[Ford Model B (1932)#Deuce coupe|deuce coupe]],<ref>{{cite web|work=StarWars.com |title=Anakin Skywalker's Airspeeder |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/anakinsspeeder/?id=bts |access-date=January 19, 2008 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041206033313/http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/anakinsspeeder/?id=bts |archive-date=December 6, 2004 }}</ref> while Dex's Diner is reminiscent of [[Mel's Drive-In]].<ref>{{cite web|work=StarWars.com |title=Dex's Diner |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/location/dexsdiner/?id=bts |access-date=January 19, 2008 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013080944/http://starwars.com/databank/location/dexsdiner/?id=bts |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}</ref> [[Adam Savage]] and [[Jamie Hyneman]] conducted the "rear axle" experiment on the January 11, 2004, episode of ''[[MythBusters]]''.<ref>"Explosive Decompression/Frog Giggin'/Rear Axle". [[Adam Savage]], [[Jamie Hyneman]]. ''[[MythBusters]]''. January 11, 2004. No. 13, season 1.</ref>

Given the popularity of the film's cars with [[custom car|customizers]] and [[hot rod]]ders in the years since its release, their fate immediately after the film is surprising. All were offered for sale in San Francisco newspaper ads; only the [[Chevrolet Impala#First generation (1958)|'58 Impala]] (driven by Ron Howard) attracted a buyer, selling for only a few hundred dollars. The yellow deuce coupe and the Pharaohs' red Mercury went unsold, despite the coupe being priced as low as $1500.<ref>''Rod and Custom'' Magazine, 12/91, pp. 11–12.</ref> The registration plate on Milner's yellow deuce coupe is THX&nbsp;138 on a yellow, California license plate, slightly altered, reflecting Lucas's earlier science-fiction film (''THX 1138'').