Back To The Future's Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd & More Team Up To Locate One Of The Movie's Most Iconic Props

The stars of 1985’s Back to the Future, including Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and more, have teamed up for a global adventure to find one of the movie’s most iconic missing props. Back to the Future is full of fantastic, beloved props, including Doc Brown’s DeLorean-turned-time machine, but few have had as interesting a history as the gorgeous Cherry Red ES-345 Gibson guitar that Marty plays Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” on at his mother and father’s “Enchantment Under the Sea” high school dance.

Mysteriously, though, the guitar vanished after Back to the Future was shot. The filmmakers tried to locate the guitar when they started production on the 1989 sequel, Back to the Future Part II, but their efforts proved futile. Now, forty years later, Gibson is partnering with Fox, Loyd, Thompson, Harry Waters Jr., Huey Lewis, and Back to the Future co-creator Bob Gale to recover this iconic piece of film history.

The search will produce a documentary titled Lost to the Future, directed by Doc Crotzer and narrated by Mark Agnesi. The documentary will include interviews with the cast and creators of Back to the Future, archival footage, and a tour of the biggest movie prop warehouses, auction houses, and vintage guitar shops. “Since we don’t have a functioning time machine, this effort is probably our best chance to solve a decades-long mystery,” Gale said of the renewed mission to find the guitar.

The “Johnny B. Goode” Scene Inspired A New Generation Of Guitarists

It’s One Of Back To The Future’s Most Memorable Scenes

Back to the Future includes plenty of memorable, quotable scenes, but there’s something so authentically cathartic about the movie’s rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Marty gets lost in the music because he’s finally succeeded in bringing his parents together, and the song is a celebration and a release of tension; it’s almost enough to make you forget that Marty still has to return home.

Is it any wonder this scene inspired countless new musicians to pick up a guitar and learn to play? “Johnny B. Goode” is a classic song. The scene brings together different musical generations. The now-missing guitar that Marty plays is stunning, and watching Fox lean into his character’s Woodstock-esque fantasies is a comedic treat. The whole sequence perfectly captures why people still love Back to the Future, even four decades later.

Our Take On This Back To The Future Reunion

Gibson’s Documentary Is An Inspired Idea

This isn’t the first time Back to the Future‘s beloved cast members have reunited. They’ve appeared at fan conventions and morning news shows, and Fox and Lloyd reunited as their respective characters on Jimmy Kimmel Live nearly 10 years ago. There’s something special about this particular Gibson-inspired reunion, though. Not only is finding this iconic film prop a worthwhile endeavor and a fun way to celebrate the film’s fortieth anniversary, but it’s a great way to explore music and film history at a time when the arts are severely undervalued.

Not only is finding this iconic film prop a worthwhile endeavor and a fun way to celebrate the film’s fortieth anniversary, but it’s a great way to explore music and film history at a time when the arts are severely undervalued.

Back To The Future remains one of the most iconic films of the 1980s, a real feat considering some of the other incredible movies released that decade. If any team can find that missing prop, it’s these guys. If you have a tip or think you might know something, Gibson wants you to get involved, too. Let’s hope they find Marvin Berry’s Back to the Future guitar soon!

Source: Gibson Gazette