Fair to say, few if any episodes of “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step” are worth recalling. To remember Suzanne Somers, who has passed away at 76, dial it back to her first screen appearance in American Graffiti, released 50 years ago and directed by an upstart named George Lucas.
Somers plays a “blonde in T-Bird” and through the window she mouths the words “I love you,” to Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss), out cruising the streets with sister Laurie Henderson (Cindy Williams) and boyfriend Steve Bolander (Ron Howard). Curt spends the night chasing the blonde, and that brings him to disk jockey Wolfman Jack, played by Robert Weston Smith, the real Wolfman his own self.
After schooling Curt in life, the Wolfman agrees to air a message for the blonde to contact Curt at Burger City, where the story begins. The blonde finally makes the call and viewers get to hear Suzanne Somers for the first time.
“Curt?”
“Yes, yes, this is Curt. Who are you?”
“Who are you expecting?”
“Do you drive a white T-bird?”
“A white ‘56. I saw you on Third Street.”
“Who are you? Do you know me?”
“Of course.”
“How do you know me?”
“It’s not important.”
“It’s important. It’s important to me. You’re the most beautiful, exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my life and I don’t know anything about you. Listen, listen, listen, could we meet someplace?
“I cruise Third Street. Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Curt. . .”
“Tell me your name, at least tell me your name.”
“Goodbye, Curt.” And the blonde hangs up.
The next morning Curt boards the plane to fly back east for college. In the movie’s final scene, he sees the white T-Bird cruising the highway down below. Between that and Somers’ first sighting, American Graffiti charts the adventures of Steve Bolander, Terry Fields (Charlie Martin Smith), and John Milner (Paul Le Mat), owner of a 1932 Ford “deuce coup,” the fastest car in the valley.
Milner encounters rival drag racer Bob Falfa – Harrison Ford, in his movie debut – and viewers hear Ford croons a verse from “Some Enchanted Evening.” The soundtrack is solid oldies, all before the British invasion and perfectly timed. For example, when the blonde tells Curt “I love you,” Frankie Lymon sings “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” a hit in 1956.
Few if any films capture an era and its music like American Grafitti. Howard, Ford, Dreyfuss and Candy Clark carry on in fine style. Cindy Williams passed away last January, now joined by Suzanne Somers, the blonde in the white T-Bird. Goodbye graffiti girl. It sure has been nice seeing you.
