HACKS: RON HOWARD #1 GRAND THEFT AUTO

Season 17’s halfway to the finish line, and the TGTPTU boys are back from break revving their engines, ready for the next four in their “hack” director line-up. Jack’s pick coming in third is Ron Howard, starting with his first film in the big chair, the “smash-‘em-up” smash success (for a Roger Corman feature) GRAND THEFT AUTO (1977). 

Howard’s only feature to co-write or to co-star in as director, the then-Happy Days star cut his teeth on GTA (no relation to the videogame) coming off the success as leading man-boy in the preceding Corman car chase flick Eat My Dust (1976). As part of Howard’s deal with Corman, the success of EMD put the boy who once played Opie Taylor in TV’s The Andy Griffith’s Show in charge of first and second units, stunt coordinators, helicopters, and his kin/fellow actors brother Clint Howard and father Rance Howard—all this on the day after Ron’s 23rd birthday. 

GTA’s plot follows young elopers played by Howard and Nacy Morgan (who might be best known as John Ritter’s first wife), who’ve stolen Morgan’s father’s Rolls-Royce to avoid the pressure of her pseudo-arranged marriage to a rich dweeb. This theft leads Morgan’s father, a prominent citizen about to run for major office, to have his security detail retrieve his car (and daughter). Morgan’s jilted dweeb upon learning he’s not to be betrothed assumes she’s been kidnapped and calls a local radio station to put a bounty on her safe return before stealing a car to give chase himself, causing his wealthy mother to call the same station to offer a separate bounty for her son’s safe return. From there, cars go crash, clang, boom, and pow.   

Start peeling off your lead paint and start snacking on its sweet goodness to revel in this 70’s film concept of comedy during what the hosts generally agree is a second-screener.   

This ep, Ryan turns his head cold to his advantage as a radio announcer; Jack reveals this and Solo (2018) are the only Howard movies he’s seen prior; and Thomas and Ken recommend (re)listening to the Any Which Way You Can episode and dunk hard on regular Howard collaborating producer Brian Grazer’s hair. 

CORRECTION: Jonathan Demme’s film for Roger Corman wasn’t Handle with Care (nor was it Woody Allen’s Radio Days) but Caged Heat (followed by Crazy Momma) when Demme was giving Howard some Corman-related advice.   

THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.
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Podcast: goodpodugly
Ken: Ken Koral
Ryan: Ryan Tobias