The Last American Hero (1973)
Genres: Biography, Sports, Drama
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty
The Last American Hero is a 1973 American sports drama film based on the true story of NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. Directed by Lamont Johnson, 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. The film's theme song, "I Got a Name", sung by Jim Croce, was released in September 1973 as a single, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on its Easy Listening chart.