Hidden gems of CSUEB: Lucas shot '79 movie sequel on campus

movie poster

November 15, 2011 5:00am

Following on his first big commercial movie success with “American Graffiti” in 1973, the young Bay-Area-based George Lucas chose the Cal-State Hayward Campus as one of two primary locations for “More American Graffiti”. Initially dubbed “Purple Haze”, the story follows the first college-age Baby Boomers as they confront the war protests and social issues of the late 1960s. Lucas’ film crew made over our own Library Courtyard to stand-in for a typical American campus under siege by students protesting the Vietnam War (a site near Livermore doubled for the jungles of Vietnam!). To look the part, campus office windows were removed and replaced with broken “sugar glass” and banners were hung from the courtyard.

During a 3-4 day period in early 1979, a Lucasfilm production crew descended on the Hayward Campus. The sequel to Lucas’ popular 1973 film starred Ron Howard and Cindy Williams. The first film launched the careers of Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford, among others.

“Hidden Gems of the CSUEB campus” will be on display at the University Library on the Hayward campus through the end of 2011.