Corvette Summer (1978)

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

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

Release Date:

2 June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

And he thought fast cars were a thrill...

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Car | Corvette | Love | High School | Prostitute

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

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)

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)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Plotto Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

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]

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:108 min (video)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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)

Filming Locations:

Auto Shop, Burbank High School - 902 N. Third Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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)

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.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (#6.13)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Night

Tank Half Full Or Half Empty?

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.