Continuing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of George Lucas’ first blockbuster, Lucasfilm take a closer look at a key scene from American Graffiti as Laurie and Steve dance to ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ by The Platters.
Among the characters in American Graffiti’s coming-of-age story is Laurie Henderson, a self-assured young woman caught up in a relationship with her high school boyfriend, Steve Bolander. Much of their story involves Laurie’s distress over whether Steve will choose to leave town and attend college or remain at home. Her character had received significant input from director George Lucas’ co-writers Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck.
Cast as Laurie, Cindy Williams, who sadly passed away earlier this year, was one of the few of Graffiti’s young cohort of starring actors to already have feature film experience. In one of her screen tests, she joined actor Ron Howard in a scene that would become iconic in the final film.
When Steve and Laurie attend a high school dance, they begin to argue in the wings, only to be caught in the spotlight as the most popular couple on campus. Expected to dance as the crowd looks on, they gently sway to “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters, all the while continuing to argue under their breaths. Laurie is deeply in love, while Steve is detached, unsure of his true feelings. Young love is often fleeting, but deeply felt.
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