Corvette Summer
USA 1978Starring: Mark Hamill, Annie Potts, Eugene Roche, William Bryant, Richard McKenzie, Kim Milford
Synopsys:
High School student Ken Dantley labors, with his class, to restore a beautiful Corvette, only to have it stolen from him almost the moment he finishes work on it. After receiving a tip that the car is in Las Vegas, Kenny decides to hitchhike there. He is picked up by Vanessa (Annie Potts), who has decided to get rich quick by getting into the world’s oldest profession. Although Kenny likes Vanessa, he decides to concentrate on finding his Corvette, so when they reach Las Vegas, Kenny and Vanessa go their separate ways (for the time being.
Kenny finds work in a gas station, and one day spots his car. He follows it to a local garage, where he has a run-in with the garage owner, Wayne Lowry (Kim Milford), before being rescued by Vanessa. Lowry contacts Kenny’s high school teacher, Ed McGrath (Eugene Roche), and McGrath then comes to Las Vegas. During a conversation with McGrath, Kenny is crushed to learn that this admired teacher of his had arranged for the theft of the Corvette to help himself out of financial trouble. When McGrath suggests Kenny go to work for Lowry, Kenny agrees to it. He will make good money, but in the back of his mind he is planning to steal the Corvette back from Lowry.
Eventually, Kenny completes his plans, steals the car back, saves the woman he loves from her life of prostitution, wins a wild car chase, and returns in triumph with the Corvette – and Vanessa – to his old high school. (After going through all that, they auto live real happily ever after.)
"I insisted on looking different. And I'm only interested in the car, not even any girl, until Annie Potts came along. ... It's not a car movie. It's really a love story. And I'm so thrilled to be working with Annie Potts. She reminds me of Judy Holliday. She's a unique creature." (Mark Hamill)
