Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

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ElCid
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Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by ElCid »

The automobiles that show up in movies and TV have always interested me. Trains too for that matter.
Been watching episodes of US Marshal TV series from late 50's. The marshal drove a 1958 De Soto Fireflite station wagon - most expensive vehicle De Soto sold. Other officers drove other De Sotos mostly. There was also a goodly sprinkling of other Chrysler Corp. vehicles such as Imperial, Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth occasionally.
What amuses me is that I doubt the US government would have provided the most expensive De Soto to any employee. But, in 1958 De Soto was about finished and would be terminated in late 1960 with a few 1961 models produced. So, maybe TV and movies got good deals on De Sotos and I guess the corporation thought that product placement might boost very depressed sales.
As I understand it in the 1950's and later Chrysler had real sweetheart deals with TV and movie industries on low rental rates for their cars.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Dargo
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Dargo »

Well Cid, considering your thread title here included the words "and other vehicles", as opposed to the long-running similar thread back at the TCM.com forum, AND considering as you probably know I've been into motorcycles since the age of 15, how about if I now post the movie trailer for one of the best films ever made about this subject?! Just figured I'd do this instead of just posting static pics of the motorcycles featured this film, and also for those around here who might have never watched this film, which I might add holds a very good "7.8" IMDb rating...

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ElCid
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by ElCid »

Dargo wrote: December 25th, 2022, 11:08 pm Well Cid, considering your thread title here included the words "and other vehicles", as opposed to the long-running similar thread back at the TCM.com forum, AND considering as you probably know I've been into motorcycles since the age of 15, how about if I now post the movie trailer for one of the best films ever made about this subject?! Just figured I'd do this instead of just posting static pics of the motorcycles featured this film, and also for those around here who might have never watched this film, which I might add holds a very good "7.8" IMDb rating...

Thanks. Never heard of this movie.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Dargo
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Dargo »

ElCid wrote: December 26th, 2022, 9:31 am
Thanks. Never heard of this movie.
Anthony Hopkins is on record as saying this might be his favorite movie role ever. It's really much more a road picture/tavelogue and a human interest story than it is just about motorcycles and setting speed records.

In fact, I've had many people who aren't at all gearheads tell me they really enjoyed this film after watching it.

(...I'll bet you'd really like it too, Cid)
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ElCid
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by ElCid »

Could only find it as pay per view, so not inclined to watch it.
Actually not a fan of motorcycles due to the manner in which most owners use theirs.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Dargo
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Dargo »

ElCid wrote: December 26th, 2022, 2:05 pm Could only find it as pay per view, so not inclined to watch it.
Actually not a fan of motorcycles due to the manner in which most owners use theirs.
Aaah, so THAT 'splains it then, eh?!

Now in MY case, I'll never EVER understand how ANY guy into cars can not be into motorcycles as well.

But yeah, I still come across "you guys" like this all the time at my local cars & coffee events.

(...still don't understand it though...just seems "wrong" to me here somehow, dude!) ;)
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ElCid
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by ElCid »

I believe there is a range of interests in cars and other vehicles. I'm a car guy.
For myself, it has always been more about style and so forth than power. To me, the engine is what makes the car go and as long as sufficient to get up to cruising speed in reasonable time and to do about 75 MPH or less, I'm good with it. Of course, also needs good passing ability. Even when I owned sports cars and a pony car, it was about how the car looked more so than how fast it would go.

As for motorcycles, my observations are that most have defective mufflers (most intentional) and the operators like to make a lot of noise and exceed the speed limits.

I do own a truck, but purely for utilitarian purposes.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Dargo
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Dargo »

ElCid wrote: December 26th, 2022, 2:30 pm
As for motorcycles, my observations are that most have defective mufflers (most intentional) and the operators like to make a lot of noise and exceed the speed limits.
Yeah well, I do have to admit that there ARE a lot of my fellow motorcyclists out there who believe in that old falsehood, "Loud Pipes Save Lives".

And trust me, whenever I hear some idiot ride by on his Harley (usually, but sometimes on a sportbike as well) with "straight pipes", it ticks ME off just as much as it does you here, Cid. And, primarly because it then gives every OTHER rider out there a "bad name" to the general non-riding public.

(...and now with this being said, I think I'll now hop on my Indian and ride over to the my local watering hole for a burger and a beer...it's a pleasant and sunny 61 degrees today in beautiful picturesque Sedona Arizona right now...sure do pity all the folks in the other parts of this country digging out from the recent blizzard, the poor saps!) LOL
Last edited by Dargo on December 26th, 2022, 11:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ElCid
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by ElCid »

High here is 38 and that is high for last few days. Will be in upper 50's later this week. Went down to 9 on Friday night. Super low for us. Thank goodness no rain, ice or snow though.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Arsan444
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Arsan444 »

Image
I've always liked the car used in the bridge scene in The Stunt Man (1980). In the movie, the car is referred to as a Duesenberg. I don't know anything about Duesenbergs or cars in general. After a quick research on the Internet, I read that the car was only a prop, probably built with parts and styles from other models; it even has the Mercedes-Benz logo in the front.
I think it's a smashing car, anyway.
When in doubt, have another one.
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EP Millstone
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by EP Millstone »

ElCid wrote: December 26th, 2022, 2:05 pm Could only find it as pay per view, so not inclined to watch it.
OK to the rescue!

The World's Fastest Indian
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
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Masha
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Masha »

Temperature is single digit here. It has been below freezing for a week. We did not receive the three inches of snow which the weather forecaster promised last week. We did not receive also the two inches of snow which the weather forecaster promised for this morning. It was snowing earlier at the rate of perhaps two snowflakes per cubic foot and the sun was shining so that did not count.

My little Fuzzy is sort of a car guy but has no great interest in motorsickles. He has rebuilt several Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Buick engines and an Oldsmobile transmission which very nearly worked afterwards. He did some dirt track racing when he was in high school but won no awards. He was so quite successful in one season of demolition derby that they changed the rules so that you could no longer enter a: Toronado into the competition.

He began to lose interest in hands-on activities in the: 1990s when he did a complete engine overhaul on a Buick and then had to take it to a shop so they could adjust the carburetor because it required electronic tools which he did not have and access to factory specifications and procedures which he did not have also. We did change several parts on a little toy SUV which we purchased and did some trim work but he was unwilling to go deep into the engine or make modifications.

My current little SUV had a problem with its wiring. It was covered by warranty but he investigated if he could replace it. Most of the procedures were how to remove and replace trim. That does not excite him. The killer was that the vehicle must be hooked to a form of tele-med to test the installation and to 'register' the new wiring with the on-board computer. We decided to simply wait the six weeks for the dealership to receive the part and install it.

He owned a: Harley Davidson in the early 1970s for a very short period of time. He left a bid on one at an auction of surplus city property. It had been a police vehicle! He received a telephone call after the auction from a person who wished to buy it from him. This was before he had received the official notification that his bid had won it. He nearly doubled his money but he never had a chance to ride it. We is not even sure which one it was because he had looked at several and placed bids on them and did not recognize the number on the forms. He wanted it only because he had learned that parts for that model were in demand at all times. That is the extent of his interest in two-wheelers.
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Dargo
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by Dargo »

EP Millstone wrote: December 26th, 2022, 7:58 pm
ElCid wrote: December 26th, 2022, 2:05 pm Could only find it as pay per view, so not inclined to watch it.
OK to the rescue!

The World's Fastest Indian
:smiley_cheers:
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LostHorizons
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Re: Cars (and other vehicles) in movies and TV.

Post by LostHorizons »

A 1967 Harley Davidson from the movie “A Girl on her Motorcycle.”

https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_22063-Har ... -1967.html

It’s involved in a very bad accident.
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