Used Cars (1980)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis (written by) &
Bob Gale (written by)

Release Date:

11 July 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Estimated Laugh Count: 287 City, 410 Highway. Use these numbers only for comparison. Your actual laughs may vary depending on how you feel about used car salesmen, nude women, spectacular car stunts, and the President of the United States.

Plot:

When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Salesman | Used Car Lot | Used Car Salesman | Bar

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Rudolph 'Rudy' Russo
Jack Warden	...	Roy L. Fuchs / Luke Fuchs
Gerrit Graham	...	Jeff
Frank McRae	...	Jim, the Mechanic
Deborah Harmon	...	Barbara Jane Fuchs
Joe Flaherty	...	Sam Slaton (as Joseph P. Flaherty)
David L. Lander	...	Freddie Paris
Michael McKean	...	Eddie Winslow
Michael Talbott	...	Mickey
Harry Northup	...	Carmine
Alfonso Arau	...	Manuel
Al Lewis	...	Judge H. H. Harrison
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Mr. Chartner
Andrew Duncan	...	Charlie
Dub Taylor	...	Tucker
Claude Earl Jones	...	Al
Dan Barrows	...	Stanley Dewoski
Cheryl Rixon	...	Margaret
Wendie Jo Sperber	...	Nervous Nona (as Miss Wendie Jo Sperber)
Marc McClure	...	Heavy Duty Dubois
Susan Donovan	...	Charlie's Wife
Don Ruskin	...	Fuchs' Salesman
Jan Sandwich	...	Al's Wife
Tracy Lee Rowe	...	Al's Kid
Kurtis Sanders	...	Al's Kid
Clint Lilley	...	Al's Kid
Patrick McMorrow	...	Mr. O'Hara
Joseph Barnaba	...	Mr. Douglas
Diane Hardin	...	Mrs. Douglas (as Diane Hill)
Dick Miller	...	Man In Bed
Rita Taggart	...	Woman In Bed
Dave Herrera	...	Mr. Lopez
Walter Jackson	...	Mr. Jackson
Gene Blakely	...	Mr. Books
Betty Thomas	...	Bunny
Russ Fega	...	Bus Boy
Tiny Wells	...	Food Giant
Terence Knox	...	Roose (as Terrence Knox)
Tony Lucatorto	...	Foley
Will McMillan	...	FBI Inspector
Josiah Steiner	...	Bike Kid #1
Douglas O. Tepper	...	Bike Kid #2
Dave Adams	...	Video Technician
Frank Harmon	...	Bartender
Allen Wood	...	Bailiff
John M. Abbott	...	Clem (as John Abbott)
Sam Ingraffia	...	Billingham
Bill Wine	...	Poindexter
Judy Began	...	Gertrude
Phillip Greenwood	...	Dalton
Alex Herring	...	Demetrius
William Shelton	...	Savon
Sanford Gibbons	...	Cop at Roadblock (as Sandy Gibbons)
Mildred Brion	...	Little Old Lady
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Buxx Banner	...	Car shopper (uncredited)
Jimmy Carter	...	President Carter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Leigh Scarritt	...	(uncredited)
Steve Wargo	...	Car shopper (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Zemeckis

Writing credits
Robert Zemeckis		(written by) &
Bob Gale		(written by)

Produced by
Bob Gale	....	producer
John Milius	....	executive producer
Steven Spielberg	....	executive producer
John G. Wilson	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Patrick Williams

Cinematography by
Donald M. Morgan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Sally Dennison

Production Design by
Peter Jamison		(as Peter M. Jamison)

Set Decoration by
Linda Spheeris

Makeup Department
Gina Kearns	....	hair stylist
Jack Petty	....	makeup artist
Jack H. Young	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John G. Wilson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph A. Ingraffia	....	second assistant director
Terry Leonard	....	second unit director (as Terry J. Leonard)
Richard Luke Rothschild	....	first assistant director
John M. Poer	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack E. Ackerman	....	property master
Jack Torpin	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Charles Campbell)
Larry Carow	....	sound effects editor
Ronald G. Cogswell	....	sound
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer
Louis L. Edemann	....	sound effects editor (as Lou Edemann)
Richard C. Franklin	....	sound effects editor (as Rick Franklin)
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Pettijohn	....	sound effects editor
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Paul Sharpe)

Special Effects by
Ken Estes	....	special effects crew (as Kenneth Estes)
Billy Myatt	....	special effects supervisor (as Bill Myatt)
Joe Zomar	....	special effects crew

Stunts
Steve Boyum	....	stunt double: Gerrit Graham
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Clint Bryant	....	stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunt double: Jack Warden
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (as Bennie Dobbins)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Linda Rae Jurgens	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunts
Terry Leonard	....	stunt coordinator (as Terry J. Leonard)
Jack Lilley	....	stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts
J.R. Randall	....	stunts
Larry Randles	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunt double: Kurt Russell
Ted White	....	stunts
Kurtis Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lyle Gold	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank M. Holgate	....	photographer: second unit (as Frank Holgate)
Alan Landaker	....	video supervisor
Richard A. Mention III	....	first assistant camera (as Rickey Mention)
Orlando	....	still photographer
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip (as Cal Sterry)
Bill Tenny	....	gaffer (as Bill 'The Gummer' Tenny)
Richard Turner	....	second assistant camera
Jeffrey Wheat	....	video camera (as Jeff Wheat)
Elliot Davis	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Johnson	....	casting assistant (as Barbara D. Johnson)
Stephanie Squires	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Phyllis Garr	....	wardrobe: women
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Greig McRitchie	....	assistant editor
Julie Kahn Zunder	....	apprentice editor (as Julie Kahn)

Music Department
John Mick	....	music editor
Angela Morley	....	additional orchestrator (uncredited)
Sam Nestico	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Paul Casella Jr.	....	transportation coordinator
William Charles Hauer	....	transportation co-captain (as Chuck Hauer)
Gina August	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Alexander	....	location manager
Peter Benoit	....	unit publicist
Martin Casella	....	production assistant (as Marty Casella)
Frank DeMichelis	....	craft service
Moe Di Sesso	....	animal provider (as Moe Disesso)
Marilyn Giardino	....	script supervisor
Bill Hughes	....	video crew
Hal Landaker	....	video displays
Margaret Mitchell	....	production accountant (as Margaret A. Mitchell)
Morgan Moore	....	publicity coordinator (as Morgan B. Moore)
Mary Anne Porlier	....	assistant to producer
Pinki Ragan	....	production secretary
Tony Shields	....	animal handler
Rick Whitfield	....	video coordinator
Larry Wood	....	video crew
Larry G. Wood	....	video crew
Marilyn Giardino	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• A-Team

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Moe DiSesso Trained Animals  animals provided by
• Phoenix Film Office  special thanks

Runtime:

113 min | Canada:103 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Berge Ford - 310 E Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the film's release was botched by the studio. The film tested extremely well in previews and Columbia Pictures pushed the film out of its original late-August release date to mid-summer with little publicity and poor advertising. The film only played across half the United States rather than receiving a true wide-theatrical release and consequently flopped upon release.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Roy Fuchs is getting out of the car to go after Jeff, one scene shows him already out of the car and in the next, he is just getting out of the car.

Quotes:

[First lines]
Rudy: Oww, fuck!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grindhouse (2007)

Soundtrack:

USED CARS

Gross, Crude, Sick, tasteless, and VERY funny

This is a romantic comedy, but not one I would watch with my wife!

The tasteless jokes and one-liners roll out almost non-stop.

The movie verifies most everything we believe about used car salesmen, the "My boss will have a heart Attack" sales scene nearly brings me to tears I laugh so hard. Russell is at his best with some of the best character actors around joining in, I especially like the goofy Lenny and Squiggy, they just play two very disturbed individuals. Don't look for any deep meaning here, just crude humor a a very funny movie.



I give it 8/10