 |
One sheet mounted on board movie poster for "Amblin'", a 1968 short film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It is highly significant as his first completed film shot on 35mm, and its title later became the namesake for his production company, Amblin Entertainment.Key Details & PlotStory: A dialogue-free romantic adventure about a reserved young man (Richard Levin) and a free-spirited young woman (Pamela McMyler) who meet while hitchhiking through the California desert toward the Pacific coast.Symbolism: Throughout the film, the man carries a mysterious guitar case that he refuses to open. When they finally reach the beach, the woman opens it to find not a guitar, but "square" items like a suit, tie, mouthwash, and a science fiction novel, revealing he was not the hippie he appeared to be.Production: Spielberg made the film for approximately $15,000 while in his early 20s. The cinematographer, Allen Daviau, later collaborated with him on major hits like E.T. and The Color Purple.Impact and LegacyAwards: The poster notes it as a "Winner Silver Phoenix Award" from the Atlanta Film Festival, which was Spielberg's first award for filmmaking.Career Breakthrough: After Universal executive Sid Sheinberg saw the short, he signed the 21-year-old Spielberg to a seven-year contract, making him the youngest director ever signed to a long-term deal with a major Hollywood studio.Modern Availability: Spielberg has famously called the film a "great Pepsi commercial" and has largely kept it out of general circulation, though pirated versions occasionally surface on sites like YouTube. |
|
|
