The films of the golden age of the 66
The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Ford with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. This film tells the story of a family of farmers driven out of Oklahoma by corporate speculation and who go to California by the 66, thinking they will find better days. A sharp critique of the time when the problems of poverty and the reception of migrants were already on the agenda. Based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck.
Route 66 (1960-1964), 120 episodes broadcast only in the USA. In the 1960s, Route 66 was so popular that the CBS television network devoted a series to it, with the two protagonists driving a Chevrolet Corvette sport car, which then became the emblem of the road. More than thirty directors (Lewis Allen, Robert Altman, Richard L. Bare, William F. Claxton and William Conrad) and many more actors (James Coburn, Robert Duvall, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Gene Hackman, Buster Keaton, Lee Marvin, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Redford, Martin Sheen and Rod Steiger) work on the episodes.
Easy Rider (1969) by and with Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda. This is the story of two bikers crossing the United States to discover its hidden charms... They take Route 66 of course. This cult film has marked generations; this road movie appears as an excellent painting of the deep America of the 1960s.
Those who keep the myth alive
The Blues Brothers (1980 ) by John Landis, with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. This musical film features two brothers, Jake and Elwood, two nice thugs whose adventures we will follow in song, and with the biggest stars of the time. The action takes place very quickly in the Joliet prison and some scenes are shot in the city before moving to Chicago and its surroundings, where the two brothers decide to reconstitute their old musical group to raise the money needed to save their old orphanage.
Bagdad Café (1987) by Percy Adlon with Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder. After a domestic scene, Jasmine lands at the Bagdad Café, a seedy motel in the middle of the California desert, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The owner, Brenda, a boisterous and dissatisfied black woman, reigns over a small world of truckers and enigmatic characters. The two women end up becoming friends. A film that was a hit and continues to bring nostalgia back to Newberry Springs, California to photograph the Bagdad Café.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006 ) by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, with Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell. This is the story of a family who travels from Albuquerque to Los Angeles on a three-day journey to enter their youngest daughter in a beauty pageant. A tragic-comic adventure with an omnipresent sense of humor.
Cars (2006). Pixar Studios' hit animated film would never have existed without Route 66. Director John Lasseter, a big fan of car racing, drew his inspiration from the Mother Road. The cars are existing or former models, as well as the characters.
On the Road (2012) by Walter Salles, with Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart. Jack Kerouac's mythical novel is adapted for the screen. The beatnik manifesto celebrates the freedom of a youth spent on the American roads.
Altaïr: Route 66 on the trail of the American dream (2022) by Christian Vérot. This documentary tells the story of Route 66 and highlights not only its characters and heroes of yesterday but also those who today participate in its revival. A wonderful journey in the deep America.
