Talk #402

I had the opportunity to see " American Graffiti " again recently on a collector's edition DVD, a movie I saw back in 1973, directed by the young George Lucas and produced by Francis Coppola.

Let me remind everyone that " AG " was about two boys, Curt and Steve in a small California town ready to go to college " back east" the next morning. The story was about the night before. The year 1962, and "cruising" was THE entertainment for teenagers.

The movie was packed wall to wall with 41 classic rock and roll songs. Wolfman Jack was in the movie. He played himself as the mystical DJ, who broadcast on a plane, no one knew where he was. Director George Lucas called these hits pure rock and roll, i.e., before the British invasion. Lucas, of course, made " Star Wars " in 1977 and " Indiana Jones" some years later.

Curt was the kid who saw this blonde, played by Suzanne Somers, cruising in a 56 T-bird. Auto-maker Ford is bringing the same model back this year. Curt had been chasing the T-bird all night and finally got to talk to her on a pay phone due to Wolfman Jack's intervention, but she would not tell him her name or phone number. "Just look for me in the T-bird" she said and hung up. Curt knew he had been had, perhaps, not for the first time.

Even Harrison Ford was in the movie, he was not as cool as in later years.

The movie started with Bill Haley's big hit Rock around the clock, and continued with Sixteen Candles, Surfing , The great pretender, Only You , Johnny B. Good, Ain't that a shame" ... and on and on.

My fellow Lighters, whenever I listen to these songs, they remind me of our Pui-Ching days back in HK. These were our best days, apparently totally carefree, and still had not lost our innocence.

Just try to bring yourself to go back to the PC days, just think how very very happy we were, not a worry in the world. No office to go to, no grass to cut, no real financial responsibility for most of us. And most of all, we had each other for company. We had fun everyday, we read " Kum yun " stories, we had fun even when we were suffering from whatever we thought painful, such as learning the "nine-point circle" , " two parallel lines intersect at infinity" , and " Chinese dictation".

Then the song " Smoke gets in your eyes" came on in the movie. The scene was about Steve and his girl breaking up because the girl hated the idea of Steve going away the next morning. Apparently Lucas wrote almost every scene in this movie based on the song he chose. In this case he was absolutely right in choosing the scene to fit the song.

My fellow Lighters, did you have to leave someone behind back in 59? Do you think of that someone who made smoke get into your eyes back in 59 ? What were you doing when you heard " Smoke gets in your eyes" for the last time in 59? Do you think of the streets you walked on ( in HK we walked and not cruised) back then with those who meant a lot to you? Do you think of the old old days in 59? Do you remember when you had been had, and not for the first time ?

Do you want to relive the time back in 59? Yes , you do. Get ready to go to the Nov. 02 reunion.