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Used Cars

Year:

1980

Duration:

113 min | Canada:103 min (Ontario)

Genres:

Comedy

IMDB rate:

6.8

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Awards:

1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1980-07-11

Filming Locations: Berge Ford - 310 E Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Earnings

Budget: $8,000,000

Gross: $11,715,321 (USA) ( 1980)

Cast

Actor

Character

Michael McKean

Used Cars

Kurt Russell

Rudy Russo

Jack Warden

Roy L. Fuchs

Gerrit Graham

Jeff

Frank McRae

Jim the Mechanic

Deborah Harmon

Barbara Fuchs

Joe Flaherty

Sam Slaton

David L. Lander

Freddie Paris

Michael Talbott

Mickey

Harry Northup

Carmine

Alfonso Arau

Manuel

Al Lewis

Judge Harrison

Woodrow Parfrey

Mr. Chartner

Andrew Duncan

Charlie

Dub Taylor

Tucker

Claude Earl Jones

Beans Morocco

Stanley Dewoski (as Dan Barrows)

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

Reese (as Terrence Knox)

Tony Lucatorto

Foley

Will McMillan

Police Sergeant

Josiah Steiner

Bicycle Kid

Douglas O. Tepper

Bicycle Kid

Dave Adams

Video Technician

Frank Harmon

Bartender

Allen Wood

Bailiff

John M. Abbott

Clem (as John Abbott)

Sam Ingraffia

Court Assistant

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

Jimmy Carter

President Carter

Stephen Lloyd

Boy Scout (uncredited)

Leigh Scarritt

(uncredited)

Steve Wargo

Car Shopper (uncredited)

Did you know?

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.

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Zemeckis was walking across the set when he spotted two bikers hanging out with two nuns. He immediately summoned the camera crew and they shot a scene with the bikers walking up and taking hot dogs away from the nuns and the nuns retaliated by grabbing their beers and slamming them down. Normally, production assistants pour out the beer and replace it with water, but, the nuns slammed down actual Coors beer and promptly spit it out. Columbia execs nixed the scene because one of them was a devout Catholic.

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According to Kurt Russell on the DVD Commentary, he kept having trouble saying the line "Best salad bar in town: Airport Lanes!". After constantly flubbing the line, Robert Zemeckis had to mouth the line to Russell so he would get it right.

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Goofs

During Luke Fuch's last ride in the Chevy, he tears the shoulder of the driver's Castrol jacket, exposing a patch for his brother's used car lot, which later falls out of his hand as he dies on the floor of his dealership. When the driver hops out of the '57 and makes his escape, though, his Castrol jacket's shoulder is intact and un-ripped.

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In the football bar scene before Jeff's arrival you see the salt already spilled and the Lucky Strike packs on the bar that Jeff pulls out of his pocket.

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After the car jumps over the train, a camera is visible on the centerline of the road. This camera jammed before the car landed so there was no usable footage from it.

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Quotes

Jim the Mechanic: Jesus Palomino!

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Rudy: Margaret, let's take a look under the hood, shall we?

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Judge H. H. Harrison: I know you're seeing the same thing with those beady little eyes I'm seeing, Mr. Slaton. That sure does look like a mile of cars to me.

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