C&L's Friday Night Drive In: Grand Theft Auto (1977)

Paula's the daughter of a filthy rich politician. She wants to get married to Sam but her family isn't having it, instead suggesting she gets hitched to some rich snob.

Her and Sam decide the only way they can do what they want to do is to elope. Where too? Las Vegas, of course.

But how to get there? Well, they steal the old man's Rolls Royce. Soon a $25,000 reward is out for Paula and a bunch of colorful characters come out of the woodwork to find her.

Marking Ron Howard's debut as a director, Grand Theft Auto is a pretty clever "dumb" film made on a tight budget. Sit back and enjoy plenty of car chases, crashes and explosions. It's sometimes silly but very entertaining and fast paced piece of classic 1970's drive in cinema.

I must have seen this flick at least three times at the drive in by my house in the summer of 1977. I recall talking my dad into taking us kids to it at least twice in one week and I know I had a friend of mine talk his dad into taking us at least once too. I remember both of the commenting about how they must've spent the entire film budget on the cars that get trashed in the movie.