The Journal

Issue date: 10/13/05 Section: LifeStyles

The DeLorean, an aluminum car made famous by "Back to the Future" sits outside Webster Hall Oct. 6 to kick off a special screening of the film and homecoming events. MARIO ULIBARRI / The Journal

A special screening of the original "Back to the Future" movie in the Winifred Moore Auditorium kicked off Webster University's homecoming events with a visit from Bob Gale, the film's writer and producer. Gale gave the "roll film" call and participated in a Q-and-A session after the screening.

"I was pretty impressed with them getting the producer and writer to come speak," said senior Matt Schoonover, a video and history major. "That was pretty nifty."

The Oct. 6 screening, which was part of the Webster University Film Series, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the movie's debut.

"The experience of seeing it big, on screen, in an audience should remind you why you should be part of the Film Series," Gale said. "You see so much more on screen than you can ever see even if you have a great home system."

Gale said he grew up in University City and slipped subtle references of his hometown into the film. In the background of one scene at the school, a flyer announced a game between the Bulldogs and the Indians. The two were mascots of University City schools. The film's hero, Marty McFly, lived in a subdivision called Lyon Estates, which was named after the lion mascot at University City High School.

Also in the movie, Mr. Stricklin, a school administrator, said, "Let me give you a nickel's worth of free advice." This phrase was a favorite saying of Gale's high school shop teacher at University City High School. When each of these references appeared on screen, the audience laughed and applauded.

Gale said he came up with the idea for "Back to the Future" while in St. Louis promoting his movie "Used Cars," a 1980 film starring Kurt Russell about warring car salesmen. While visiting his parents' house, Gale ran across his dad's high school yearbook and discovered his dad had been class president. Gale was on a committee to abolish student government in high school and wondered if he would have gotten along with his father if they had gone to school together. He began working with director Robert Zemeckis to develop a story about a kid going to high school with his parents. Gale said the writing was a total collaboration between Zemeckis and himself, but Gale did all of the typing.

Continued...

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