Grand Theft Auto (1977)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Rance Howard (written by) and
Ron Howard (written by)

Release Date:

16 June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

See the greatest cars in the world destroyed!

Plot:

A rich girl steals her dad's Rolls Royce and heads off to Las Vegas to get married. However, her angry parents, a jealous suitor, and a bunch of reward seekers are determined to stop her.

Plot Keywords:

Grand Theft Auto | Exploding Car | Telephone Booth | Helicopter | Low Budget Film

Cast

Ron Howard	...	Sam Freeman
Nancy Morgan	...	Paula Powers
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Priscilla Powers
Barry Cahill	...	Bigby Powers
Rance Howard	...	Ned Slinker (private detective)
Paul Linke	...	Collins Hedgeworth
Marion Ross	...	Vivian Hedgeworth
Don Steele	...	Curly Q. Brown (DJ, TenQ radio)
Peter Isacksen	...	Sparky
Clint Howard	...	Ace
James Ritz	...	Officer Tad (as Jim Ritz)
Hoke Howell	...	Preacher
Lew Brown	...	Jack Klapper
Ken Lerner	...	Eagle I
Jack Perkins	...	Shadley

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Victorville, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

Financed by Roger Corman in exchange for Ron Howard appearing in Eat My Dust (1976).

Goofs:

Continuity: While on the outskirts of Vegas a news truck enters the chase. In forward shots there is only the newswoman driving it, from behind she has a male passenger inside with her.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Paula has brought Sam to her home]
Priscilla Powers: Aagh! Paula, how could you do this?
Paula Powers: Come on, mom, PLEASE don't be so dramatic!
Priscilla Powers: I have been planning for months the weddings of you and Collins Hedgeworth.
Paula Powers: No, mother! He didn't ask me, he asked *you*!
Bigby Powers: Shut up, young lady! Just sit down and sit your lips. You are engaged to Collins Hedgeworth.
Bigby Powers: [to Sam] Did you know, that she was engaged to Collins Hedgeworth?
Sam Freeman: Sir, I realize, that there is a conflict, but...
Bigby Powers: [to Priscilla] You see, he understands...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

"Two Thumbs Up!" - Arthur Fonzarelli

This movie will never be remembered as great filmmaking, but it's sure to go down in history as an eerily accurate time capsule of the 1970's. The seventies, a time when, despite the depressingly high crime rate, people left their keys in the ignition without giving it a second thought; when cars were stolen so often we considered them communal property.(By the way, if you're ever the victim of a car theft, stand in the road shaking your fist as the car drives off, then yell 'come back here!' as loudly as possible. This is sure to get your car back.)The seventies were a magical time, when gubernatorial candidates wore jumpsuits without fear of ridicule and kept hired goons on retainer; when towns had only one radio station and we all listened to it; when whiny polo players were considered good catches.

And the car chases! Every day and twice on holy days, my Dad would tell me. Many times, while driving to his job as Jack Lord's shoe buffer, he would come across an impromptu car chase headed to Las Vegas or Tahiti or some other fun place and you better believe he joined in! He would be gone for weeks at a time but we always understood. Mom and I were never worried about him; we could follow his progress from the constant radio reports given by the DJ flying overhead. In the seventies, radio stations thought nothing of scrapping their entire playlist and sending up a fleet of helicopters manned by skinny DJs in smoked glasses to spend days covering a car chase while whole police forces sat idly by, except for that one wacky policeman who always seemed to show up carrying some personal vendetta against one of the chasers and was in way over his head but didn't know it because he wasn't too bright but we understood and we loved him anyway.

Because it was the seventies.