Grand Theft Auto (1977)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

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

Color:

Color (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:

Filmed in only 15 days.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time the helicopter attempts to block the road for the Rolls Royce, the helicopter makes the turn twice.

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 Cotton Candy (1978) (TV)

Grand Theft Auto in the Seventies

Ron Howard isn't one of my favorite directors and, as an actor, he isn't good either. All performances aren't great and dialogs kinda weak. But it's a nice action movie after all.

A chase car film about a couple who decides to marry in Vegas against her dad's will. But she was already engaged with some rich guy in town-- apart from wanting to marry some other guy. The rich guy, along with her parents, offer 25K to anyone who could find them. After that, various groups of people engage in their pursuit to win that amount of grand; you can imagine it.

The chase then begins. Among the deserts of California the couple tries to escape all those pursuers by making the fine stunts you can imagine for a low budget 70s action movie! It's a lot of fun you can have watching this classic car chase movie.

Cheesy dialog? Yeah. Predictable? Not so much. Good directing? Well, better than the recent ones made by Howard. Acting? Below average. Entertaining? F*** yes!