Corvette Summer

I was such a Star Wars fan as a kid that I went to see everything that had a Star Wars actor in it...everything. There weren't a lot of other seven year olds begging their parents to take them to see the war romance Hanover Street just because Harrison Ford was in it. However, one of those movies was a big hit with my peers, 1978's Corvette Summer, starring Mark Hamill.

I remember seeing this at the old Bridge Drive In in Jefferson City. It played with the co-hit Eat My Dust starring Ronnie Howard. The drive in was the perfect place to be introduced to this vehicle, parden the pun.

Hamill stars as Kenney, a teenage gearhead who helps customize a Chevrolet Corvette with a right hand drive for his shop class. Kenney is obsessed with this car, and when it is stolen, he begins an obsessive pursuit of the thieves. His trail leads him to Las Vegas. There he teams up with a prostitute named Vanessa, Annie Potts, who helps him hatch a plan to steal his car back.

This was Hamill's first role after Star Wars and he's just ok in it. His character kind of come's off as bratty. If you think about it, Luke Skywalker was a bit of a brat too. Annie Potts however is terrific. Sure, it's your typical hooker with a heart of gold role, but she is really funny and you kind of root for her more than Hamill.

Like I mentioned earlier, this was a popular movie with guys my age when it came out. It's been kind of forgotten over time though. If you are in the mood for a breezy, 70's drive in flick, Corvette Summer is a lot of fun.

Available on dvd.