Grand Prix- before F1

[Paul Dishman]

I was going to post a heads up for the movie Grand Prix which is being shown on BBC2 this afternoon when I heard that James Garner who starred as Pete Aron in the movie has passed away, so this is a tribute to a much loved actor

I'm sure many on here have seen the movie many times, but its still worth seeing. Amongst highlights are the actual footage of the racing in 1966 including helicopter shots of John Surtess on the old Spa cicuit in the streaming wet as well as spotting the contemporary stars such as Graham Hill, Dan Gurney, Jochen Rindt, Jo Bonnier. Juan Manuel Fangio is in a couple of scenes as well. Not to mention Francoise Hardy

There are only three motor racing movies worth seeing Le Mans, Rush and Grand Prix (Senna is a documentary)
so don't miss it !

[Derek Smith]

Paul Dishman said:

I was going to post a heads up for the movie Grand Prix which is being shown on BBC2 this afternoon when I heard that James Garner who starred as Pete Aron in the movie has passed away, so this is a tribute to a much loved actor

I'm sure many on here have seen the movie many times, but its still worth seeing. Amongst highlights are the actual footage of the racing in 1966 including helicopter shots of John Surtess on the old Spa cicuit in the streaming wet as well as spotting the contemporary stars such as Graham Hill, Dan Gurney, Jochen Rindt, Jo Bonnier. Juan Manuel Fangio is in a couple of scenes as well. Not to mention Francoise Hardy

There are only three motor racing movies worth seeing Le Mans, Rush and Grand Prix (Senna is a documentary)
so don't miss it !

I'm in it. I was at Brands when they were doing some filming for it and they wanted a crowd around a car. I pushed my way to the front and you can see me from the waist down.

Honest, though, it was me.

Five minutes of fame.

This the '66 British GP.

[smash]

A proper movie star and indeed a great film. Can you imagine anyone today actually driving F1's (OK - dressed up F3s but still) - he nearly got quite burnt in one scene - his overalls catch fire getting out of the car in the DVD extras!

[Alicatt1]

Glad I checked the recorder, as I had this film set to tape rather than the F1 GP after it - now got both set to record.

[Eric Mc]

One of my favourite films. I saw it on a Cub Scout outing to the Cinerama cinema in Dublin in 1967.

It's not before F1 though. Grand Prix racing began operating to F1 rules in 1948.

[Paul Dishman]

I meant that it was on the TV before F1 this afternoon

[Tony2or4]

Eric Mc said:

It's not before F1 though. Grand Prix racing began operating to F1 rules in 1948.

Paul Dishman said:

I meant that it was on the TV before F1 this afternoon

When I saw the thread title I assumed it was going to be a misty-eyed nostalgic discussion of the early days.

[Tony2or4]

I read somewhere that Brian Bedford (a peculiarly uncharismatic name for a film star, by the way) only landed the role of one of the drivers because of his resemblance to Jim Clark.

[DJRC]

A film at times wrongly slated for its artistic context. As just a film its highly contraversial and anti establishment. It wouls be sued to high heaven today. Emitionally its a very very brutal film and in Sartii blokes have an almost perfect O'Hara figure. For the late 60s the two "grief" scenes following Spa and Monza are prophetically raw.

[Eric Mc]

I agree.

It's a not a perfect film by any means but there are elements to it that seem rather ahead of their time and graphic for its era. There is also a "sex scene" which shows a bit more than was customary for 1966.

As for the thread title - I realised what was meant after I'd posted - but there was perhaps there was a freudian element to the title which subconsciously states that modern "F1" bears only a slim link to true "Grand Prix" racing

[ChrisJ.]

The 2006 twin DVD set is worth having.
It's got all the background to how the film was made, and how it was received by motor racing enthusiasts and journalists of the time.

It's the 'way ahead of its time' filming that makes it special, not Eva Marie Saint's (over) acting.

[nsa]

ChrisJ. said:

It's the 'way ahead of its time' filming that makes it special, not Eva Marie Saint's (over) acting.

The onboard camera work was stunning. I might get the DVD to find out how they did it. Rush was a bit of an onslaught compared to Grand Prix, which is a shame. I suppose they didn't have the original tracks and had to compensate using fast editing and closeups.

Also, don't forget Francoise Hardy:

[covboy]

Do I recall, I think it was Alan Whicker doing a documentary about the filming around the Monaco weekend. Seem to recall the shooting of the car in the harbour sequence was shot the day after the race ?

[Eric Mc]

You recall correctly. One of the first "Making Of....." type documentaries.

[S0 What]

I loved the Monaco scenes, no lowes hotel at the hairpin and how short was the tunnel!
Ok the acting was a bit all over the place, some great some diabolical but i still rate this as the best racing film ever, i thought rush was too fast in the editing and this more natural, i hate CG and over editing to give a false sense of speed.

[Eric Mc]

S0 What said:

I loved the Monaco scenes, no lowes hotel at the hairpin and how short was the tunnel!

That's because they had recently demolished the train station. In some of the helicopter shots you can see what look like Formula 3 cars parked on the viaduct that leads into the station. They might have been the actual film cars as the aerials shots were taken during the real race.

When the hotel was built, the whole cliff face into which the old tunnel had been drilled was removed. The modern "tunnel" is really an underpass underneath the hotel.

[Derek Smith]

The was a great deal of filming and messing around at the British GP at Brands that year, 1966. On the Saturday we were asked to fill the stand and then cheer. In those days, the stands were far from full on Saturdays.

I was in the paddock (that long ago) just before lunch when alarm bells rang and a great pillar of smoke came from the dip. I was up near the entrance, talking to my good mate John Cooper. He was remarkably friendly with a teenager there with his dad. My father recognised him at once and, always easy with strangers, got him talking.

At one point, John (as his close friends called him) told me to keep away from the engine after I moved up to it. I must have looked a bit crestfallen as John said: It's not that, son. If the damn thing falls on you it will kill you. And anyone near. My dad asked: A bit overweight is it?

It was the Maserati engine: underpowered and heavy,

When the alarm bells rang, John stood up near us and looked towards the smoke. Then out of a caravan and onto the raised steps adjacent to the door came Jackie Stewart, then something of a hero of mine, and said, in his rather effeminate voice: Och. It's those film chappies.

I was a bit shocked at seeing him but John must have misinterpreted my look.

'Don't worry, son,' he said. 'He's got a lovely wife.'

Edited by Derek Smith on Wednesday 23 July 08:06

[S0 What]

Eric Mc said:

That's because they had recently demolished the train station. In some of the helicopter shots you can see what look like Formula 3 cars parked on the viaduct that leads into the station. They might have been the actual film cars as the aerials shots were taken during the real race.

When the hotel was built, the whole cliff face into which the old tunnel had been drilled was removed. The modern "tunnel" is really an underpass underneath the hotel.

I did notice the cars parked up on the viaduct as they filmed the race heading out of the 2nd Portier corner
Almost the same storyline as was to be played out a decade later, my son watched it with me (a fan of rush) and noted the similaritys

[Eric Mc]

Having spent a huge amount of effort to film at the 1966 British Grand Prix - why did they not show any actual racing?

[DJRC]

That reflects far more on you ash than the film. A large point of the film is the brutality of the sport NOT the racing.