Grand Theft Auto (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grand Theft Auto (film)
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This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (November 2011)
Grand Theft Auto starring Ron Howard and Nancy Morgan
Theatrical release poster by John Solie
Directed by
Ron Howard
Produced by
Jon Davison
Written by
Ron Howard
Rance Howard
Starring
Nancy Morgan
Nancy Ross
Peter Isacksen
Don Steele
Clint Howard
Music by
Peter Ivers
Cinematography
Gary Graver
Editing by
Joe Dante
Distributed by
New World Pictures
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$602,000
Box office
$15,000,000 (Worldwide)
Grand Theft Auto is a 1977 American comedy chase film directed by Ron Howard. It was Howard's directorial debut and features himself as Sam Freeman and Nancy Morgan as Paula Powers in the leading roles. The film takes its title from the crime grand theft auto, which is committed a number of times by several different characters.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Critical reception
5 Notes
6 External links
[edit] Plot
Two young lovers, Sam Freeman and Paula Powers, want to get married in Las Vegas. When Paula introduces Sam to her parents they dispute their daughter's decision: they see Collins Hedgeworth (Paul Linke), the son of a wealthy family in the area, as her fianc¨¦e. Paula's parents are rich as well and her father, Bigby Powers (Barry Cahill), is planning to run for governor. They think Sam is marrying Paula for the money and call him a fortune hunter, which Paula fiercely disputes.
Sam is thrown off the premises and Paula is sent to her room. She escapes through the window, steals her parents' Rolls-Royce, picks up Sam and hits the road: this is the beginning of two runaway lovers in a wild explosive car chase and race towards Las Vegas. As news of their elopement spreads, several people start off after them to try to stop the fleeing couple.
Paula's father, Bigby Powers starts the chase by arranging his helicopter. Collins Hedgeworth leaves his stable and starts chasing his love interest like mad. When he calls to the TenQ radio station - to DJ Curly Q. Brown (Don Steele) - he offers a USD$25,000 reward for the ones who can catch Paula and Sam. As a result the chase becomes more and more chaotic as many people along and on the road try to stop the couple in order to claim the reward. A number of cars are wrecked and stolen, and a subsequent reward of $25,000 is offered for Collins Hedgeworth, who is wanted by the police for grand theft auto, after he stole a car.
With so many cars following them, Paula and Sam turn onto small, country roads to try to lose their pursuers. He wants to head somewhere else to get married, but she is set on a Vegas wedding. Paula's father makes an emotional appeal to her via telephone, but she refuses to listen to him. As they approach Las Vegas, Sam begins to have doubts about Paula's reasons for elopment, and questions whether she is genuinely motivated by affection for him or a desire to spite her father. She persuades him that she does want to marry him.
The chase is gaining increasing coverage in the news media, with live cameras following the chase. The pursuing cars become involved in a demolition derby, leading to a massive pile-up. The priceless Rolls Royce is totally destroyed, but Paula and Sam manage to escape. They eventually get married.
[edit] Cast
Ron Howard - Sam Freeman
Nancy Morgan - Paula Powers
Elizabeth Rogers - Priscilla Powers
Barry Cahill - Bigby Powers
Rance Howard - Ned Slinker
Paul Linke - Collins Hedgeworth
Marion Ross - Vivian Hedgeworth
Don Steele - Curly Brown
[edit] Production
The film was made on a budget of $602,000.[1] It was filmed in and around Victorville, California.[2] Roger Corman worked as an executive producer, along with Rance Howard, who also co-wrote the script with Ron.
[edit] Critical reception
The film was a commercial success, earning over $15 million at the box office,[3] but critical reception was more mixed.[4]
The film was released on Region One DVD in 1999, and re-released in 2006 and 2008.[citation needed]
[edit] Notes
^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=grandtheftauto77.htm
^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076100/
^ http://www.dvdmg.com/grandtheftauto.shtml
^ http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/grand_theft_auto/
[edit] External links
Grand Theft Auto at the Internet Movie Database
Grand Theft Auto at AllRovi
Grand Theft Auto at Rotten Tomatoes
v
d
e
Films directed by Ron Howard
1970s
Grand Theft Auto (1977)
1980s
Night Shift (1982)
Splash (1984)
Cocoon (1985)
Gung Ho (1986)
Willow (1988)
Parenthood (1989)
1990s
Backdraft (1991)
Far and Away (1992)
The Paper (1994)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Ransom (1996)
EDtv (1999)
2000s
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
The Missing (2003)
Cinderella Man (2005)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Angels & Demons (2009)
2010s
The Dilemma (2011)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Theft_Auto_(film)&oldid=471725625"
Categories:
American films
English-language films
1977 films
1970s comedy films
American action comedy films
1970s romantic comedy films
American romantic comedy films
Films directed by Ron Howard
Directorial debut films
Chase films
New World Pictures films
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Articles with obsolete information from November 2011
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This page was last modified on 16 January 2012 at 19:08.
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