IMDb > Corvette Summer (1978)

Corvette Summer (1978) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
4.8/10   1,034 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

Hal Barwood (written by) &
Matthew Robbins (written by)

Contact:

View company contact information for Corvette Summer on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

2 June 1978 (USA) more

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy more

Tagline:

And he thought fast cars were a thrill... more

Plot:

Ken is a high school student who dreams of driving Corvettes. His passion leads him to a perfect job as a Corvette mechanic... more | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. more

NewsDesk:

From the Files of Fangoria: This Damn Village Of The Damned
 (From Fangoria. 16 August 2009, 6:15 PM, PDT)

User Comments:

Tank Half Full Or Half Empty? more (24 total)


Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Mark Hamill ... Kenneth W. Dantley Jr.

Annie Potts ... Vanessa

Eugene Roche ... Ed McGrath
William Bryant ... Plain Clothes Police Lecturer
Richard McKenzie ... Principal Bacon
Kim Milford ... Wayne Lowry

Philip Bruns ... Gil

Danny Bonaduce ... Kootz
Albert Insinnia ... Ricci

Jane A. Johnston ... Mrs. Dantley

Stanley Kamel ... Las Vegas Con Man
Clifford A. Pellow ... Older John - Rosalind's Admirer (as Cliff Pellow)

Jason Ronard ... Wayne's Chain-Wielding Henchman

Brion James ... Wayne's Car Wash Henchman
Morgan Upton ... New Owner of Vanessa's Van
Jonathan Terry ... Van Nuys Policeman (as Jon Terry)
Isaac Ruiz ... Tico (as Isaac Ruiz Jr.)
Dick Miller ... Mr. Lucky
William Pierson ... Gas Station Salesman
Richard Altman ... Teacher

Wendie Jo Sperber ... Kuchinsky
MacIntyre Dixon ... Counterman
Lisa Tollefson ... High School Newspaper Photographer
Neil Thompson ... Las Vegas Policeman
T.K. Carter ... Car Washer Employee
Harlan Warde ... Las Vegas Police Lieutenant
Patrick Burns ... Hotel Doorman #1 (as Patrick J. Burns)
Michael R. Beard ... The Flying Michaels
Alan Friedman ... Hotel Doorman #2
Marion Scherer ... Hooker
Nathan Jung ... Bouncer

Richard Roat ... Desk Clerk
Jan Burrell ... Gil's Gas Station Customer
Paddi Edwards ... Loop Gaffer (as Paddy Edwards)
David Byrd ... Loop Cameraman
Bill Gentry ... Mr. Borodino
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rio ... (uncredited)

Ken Tipton ... Irate Driver (uncredited)
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Directed by
Matthew Robbins 
 
Writing credits
Hal Barwood (written by) &
Matthew Robbins (written by)

Produced by
Hal Barwood .... producer
 
Original Music by
Craig Safan 
 
Cinematography by
Frank Stanley (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Amy Holden Jones  (as Amy Jones)
 
Casting by
Terry Liebling 
 
Art Direction by
James L. Schoppe  (as James Schoppe)
 
Set Decoration by
Richard Spero 
 
Makeup Department
Alan Friedman .... makeup artist (as Alan I. Friedman)
Robert L. Stevenson .... hairdresser (as Robert Stevenson)
 
Production Management
Jack Terry .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Bloom .... assistant director
Buddy Joe Hooker .... second unit director
Toby Lovallo .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Kent H. Johnson .... property master (as Kent Johnson)
 
Sound Department
Willie D. Burton .... sound
Michael J. Kohut .... sound
William L. McCaughey .... sound (as William McCaughey)
John Riordan .... sound editor
Aaron Rochin .... sound
 
Stunts
Bobby Bass .... stunt coordinator
Janet Brady .... stunts (as Janet Brady Gibbs)
Greg Brickman .... stunts
Rip Clark .... stunts
Tony Epper .... stunts
James M. Halty .... stunts (as Jim Halty)
Eddie Hice .... stunts
Billy Hank Hooker .... stunts (as Bill Hooker)
Hugh Hooker .... stunts
Tommy J. Huff .... stunts (as Tom Huff)
Ed Lang .... stunts
Elizabeth Moorman .... stunts
Bobby Bass .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Bud Howell .... key grip (as Buddy Howell)
Rexford L. Metz .... photographer: second unit (as Rexford Metz)
Jack Shannon .... still photographer
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aggie Guerard Rodgers .... wardrobe (as Agnes Rodgers)
 
Editorial Department
David Ramirez .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski .... music supervisor
William Saracino .... music editor
 
Transportation Department
Chris Haynes .... driver (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Pamela Alch .... script supervisor
Regina Gruss .... unit publicist
Richard G. Korkes .... technical advisor
Dale M. Robbins .... craft service (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

Stingray (USA) (working title)
The Hot One
California Highway (West Germany) (video title) [de]
Correrías de verano (Spain) [es]
Corvette - kuuma rauta (Finland) [fi]
Keravnos stin asfalto (Greece) [el]
L'estate della Corvette (Italy) [it]
Lato 'corvetty' (Poland) [pl]
Um Carro, um Rapaz, uma Garota (Brazil) [pt]
Zwei heiße Typen auf dem Highway (West Germany) [de]
more

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:108 min (video)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Mark Hamill was badly injured in an automobile wreck in Malibu, California immediately prior to production. He bares the scars through Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) more

Goofs:

Continuity: Ken's first night in Vegas, he goes to a little burger stand, in one shot the cup on the tray is upright, then, in the next shot, it is knocked over and finally, it becomes upright once again. more

Quotes:

Vanessa: Where did all this money come from, Mr. Dantley? You didn't pay for this with a two dollar bill? more

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Night more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Tank Half Full Or Half Empty?, 19 August 2007
5/10
Author: jonathon_naylor from Manitoba, Canada

The gas tank is either half full or half empty depending on how you view CORVETTE SUMMER. One could justly call it forced in its humor, directionless, repetitive and overlong. Others will see a likable, innocent coming-of-age adventure. It depends on your mood and, more prominently, your aversion to '70s cheese and ability to forgive silver screen shortcomings.

Kenny Dantley is a freshly-minted high school grad who has more time for cars than girls (he's played by a distinctly non-high school aged Mark Hamill, but bear with us). To say he loves the blazing red Stingray he and his shop classmates restored doesn't go far enough in describing the relationship. When the Corvette is swiped by evildoers, our hero swoops into action to track it down on the mean streets of Nevada, intent on ensuring that what was stolen and brought to Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. He finds an unlikely ally in Vanessa (Annie Potts), an aspiring hooker with a heart of gold and an affinity for car-obsessed teenagers.

I have a special attachment to CORVETTE SUMMER. It was one of the first movies I saw late at night when I was 13 and allowed to stay home alone on the weekends while the folks went camping. TBS's NITE FLIX (oh, how we miss NITE FLIX... so much better than RUSH HOUR 2 played thrice in a row) carried it at 2 a.m., and I had a blast. Recently, I rented it after all these years and found that while it wasn't the masterpiece I remembered, it is amusing and at times quite absorbing, though it starts to lay more than rubber in the second half. Hamill and Potts are no George and Gracie, but they suffice, and the supporting cast, including Eugene Roche (as Mr. McGrath) and Kim Milford (the villainous Wayne Lowry), hold up their end of the bargain.

CORVETTE SUMMER has an awful reputation; it has even been mocked in MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000 (as the characters mocked another film). I'm sure there are those who still blame it for the utter failure of Mark Hamill's post-STAR WARS career. But it is what it is, an imperfect though fun ride back into the late '70s. It's recommended, but only for certain tastes in the mood for something different.

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