I can't believe VonZipper didn't mention the Avalon/Funachello (sp?) movie with the British singer (played by Avalon) and all the drag racing scenes. I have a 4-DVD set with Hot Rod Girl, The Choppers, T-Bird Gang and some really, really bad movie with Jack Nicholson. The Killers (1964) has some nice race footage early in the movie. I.Q. has some 50s hot rods (and lingo!).
for great 30's cars "Chinatown" and "The Sting" would be the top of my list. for great period 60's racing footage "Une Femme et Un Homme" (A Man and A Woman) this is a great film and the rally footage is awesome. don't forget the original "Italian Job" (the Muira still hurts)
Those two just fall into the beach moive B set. They all had woodies and rods in them. Still not what i would call a "Car" moive.
Speaking of Barris cars in a movie. The T-Bird Gang, 1959 had a '49 shoebox built at Barris's place by an employee Hersh (Junior) Conway. The movie is cheezy but the car gets a lot of screen time. It is pretty cool to see that old Kustom rollin' but one would think that if you were going to commit crimes you wouldn't be driving in such a high (read low) profile vehicle. The flick is good for a laugh.
Robert Rodrigues' movie the Roadracers...... great movie, with Link Wray as the main soundtrack artist.
"Young At Heart" (1938) featuring the "Phantom Corsair" as the "Flying Wombat"...! Awesome list of "Goodies" in that package!
It wasn't meant to be a car movie at the time: IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD. I can't believe nobody said anything about it yet. I cringe at some of the stuff they did....
WOW....Thanks everbody.... I have alot of searching to do !!!!!! HAMB rules...........................PEACE!
OK don't scream. DEATH RACE 2000 with David Caradean (? spelling) There was a movie with Curt Russell as a drag racer back in the 70's driving a rail. I don't know if it's been said here but a 60's movie like Beach party type and one of the main cars was Ed Roths bubble top car. The stars was a surfing band. I went to all the movies when I was a kid if it had cars in it. Mick
I can get just about any old car movie from a good friend of mine. Call me if you guys are having a hrd time finding copies of any of these.
Hollywood Knights is the all time favorite...the 57 Chevy was the PHR original "Project X". Fun movie, kool cars. For 30's cars there was a Ronald Reagan movie where he was an insurance adjuster wrongly accused of fraud. lots and lots of car and street scenes, some heavy classics and our beloved hot rod resources. Under the Yum Yum Tree with the concept Cougar from Ford Motor in the 60's. Anything with Dean Martin as Matt Helm. The Silencers was awesome with the big Merc wagon and Stephanie Powers.
What about Christine? We've all had cars posses us, and I'm sure we've had some we knew came from hell. KInd of a sin that they wasted so many Plymouths. Hell hath no wrath like Plymouth's Fury. And the move IS better than the book!!!
While driving my coupe today, an older dude stoped me to talk cars. He had several rods as a kid and that his 29 roadster was used in the 50's movie High School Confidential, and was a lot of fun driving in to the studio. They kept the 29 roadster for 30 days and paid him $50 per day, a fair amount of money back then. They even re-painted it due to putting a scratch on it while filming. He said you could only see the top part of the windshield area in the film. I guess I will have to rent it to check it out.
Two films come to mind that haven't been mentioned: (1) From the early 1950s days when hot rods were challenging the imported sports cars -- "Johnny Dark" with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie -- all about a young engineer bucking the big corporation ("Fielding Motors") to get a sports racer into the big Canada-Mexico race. The fact that it was shot at Willys-Overland here in Toledo and featured a Willys Woodill Wildfire along with all the real early-1950s drivers couldn't really affect my judgement, could it? (2) One of the saddest moments in film history in "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner". Sure it's a great film, but I have to leave the room when Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn pull into the drive-in for a milkshake. I know when he pulls out he's gonna smoke the highboy roadster and then give the kid $50 to repair the whole quarter and door.
How about Aloha Bobby and Rose. A little drag racing and running from the law in a early flared wheel well camaro. Funny Car Summer, another one I picked up this year. Just had to add some more car movies.
EVZ, I think he's referring to Bikini Beach, which is as much about drag racing as anything else. Lot's of cool scenes that were filmed during the 1964 Winternationals, and of course lots of goofy staged stuff too. But tons of classic and well known bitchin FEDs in that movie. Mick, are you talking about this car? It's from the same movie, but not Mysterion (which I think is referred to often as the bubble top car). I'm not sure if it's a Roth car or not. Anyone know?
The lively set,with James Darren,Doug McClure,Pamila Tiffin. Two of the best roadster's in movies,curb racing, and the experimental chrysler turbin car, also like Aloha Bobby and Rose with Paul le Mat ( a.k.a. Milner ) Gary
As well as all the excellent movies already listed, I'll have to put in my recommendation for: Thunder in Carolina A good movie with some good racing scenes, Big Egos, Curvy Chicks and bad acting, a must see! I don't think I saw the The Big Wheel Mentioned. This is a good movie too, if you like the old black and white movies. Stars: Mickey Rooney.
no hot rods but way cool 50s cars in 'devil in a blue dress' with denzel washington and a hot jennifer beals... nic
elvis had a few..don't know the names..just got funny car summer on dvd barris just came out with one called barris kustoms of the 50's...t-bird gang, used cars,and the mad fabricators society all 3...phil
I saw a movie in the 50's with Pat Boone!!( oh no) called bernedette(?) & that had a lot of hotrods in it, also alot of disney movies( walt loved hotrods) had rods. Streets of fire had some weird rides in it. But ithink the 2 best are Graffitti & Hollywood knights. If you go to www.imdb.com you can find alot of movie info there. jimV
More choices: Theres a 150 thrillers here: http://www.thevideobeat.com/store/index.php?cPath=22&osCsid=b62f9b647c51169d2beeb251195b0b42
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