The Last American Hero
| The Last American Hero | |
|---|---|
DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Lamont Johnson |
| Written by | William Roberts William Kerby |
| Based on | "The Last American Hero Is Junior Johnson. Yes!" by Tom Wolfe |
| Produced by | William Roberts John Cutts |
| Starring | Jeff Bridges Valerie Perrine Geraldine Fitzgerald |
| Cinematography | George Silano |
| Edited by | Tom Rolf Robbe Roberts |
| Music by | Charles Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $1 million (US/Canada) |
The Last American Hero (also known as Hard Driver) is a 1973 American sports drama film based on the true story of NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. Directed by Lamont Johnson (no relation), the film stars Jeff Bridges as Junior Jackson, a character based on Johnson. It is based on Tom Wolfe's essay "The Last American Hero Is Junior Johnson. Yes!", which was first published in Esquire magazine in March 1965 and included in his debut collection of essays, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, later that year.