has your car been in the movies? share your stories

I had a 63 galaxie used in JFK. It was a real nice original car. I went to pick it up and they had painted it!!!! I will never do that again. There was a class action law suit. Got the car repainted, but it can only be original once. I'll not do it again.
Billy

 

our 53 mercury convetible was in the movie "Liberty Heights" i second the fact you gotta watch what they do with your car...the passenger window go broken on ours and the antenna was ripped off...its just a prop to them

 

20 years ago (!) the movie "Indian Runner" was filmed in Omaha, Council Bluffs, Plattsmouth and Wahoo areas. A stinker of a movie based on a Bruce Springsteen song "Highway Patrol" from the album "Nebraska," with Sean Penn as director, starring Dennis Hopper, Sandy Dennis, Viggo Mortenson and the Italian gal who was in "Rainman." A casting call went out to car owners through the Eastern Nebraska-Western Iowa Car Council during the summer for primarily sedans, pickups and other vehicles more befitting of a rural community that would have been around circa 1968. One friend from Lincoln provided a '68 Shelby convertible for the primary driving scenes and also built a replica that they torched for one of the main scenes of the movie. My '63 T-bird was considered too "up-scale" but they took my info anyway. They also wanted to buy some mid-'60s sedans to be used as cop cars. At the time one of my best friends from Wahoo had a '63 Ford Galaxie 500 that was pretty ratty looking on the outside but a strong runner with a '67 390. Since his wife wanted him to get rid of the car and he was out of work, I gave them info on it as well. Lo and behold, they went ape-shit over the Galaxie, gave him $1000 for it and everyone was happy. They had 4 more Galaxie sedans in the garage getting worked over for the filming, which hadn't started yet.

Around the beginning of October they began filming. Some of the scenes they shot in Wahoo at the City Hall/police station, which was right next door to where my friend with the '63 lived. He could tell which police car was his because they didn't remove a reflective parking permit sticker from the rear bumper, and it showed up in the final cuts of the film! Crappy job of repainting the interior from rose beige to dark blue, but we learned that movie cars typically were finished pretty ratty as a norm.

By the end of October I had started a new job in Lincoln and moved into an apartment. I got a phone call from my father around 3pm on a Thursday that went like this: "The movie company called and they want your T-bird in Omaha tonight at 7." "Uh, I'm in Lincoln, Dad - it'll take me an hour to get home if I leave at 5, the car's dirty and I won't have time to wash it when I get home." "I'll get it ready for you." Mind you, my dad NEVER touched my car, nonetheless washed his own car-he just wasn't a car guy like I was. I was in shock! I raced home, stopped long enough to thank Dad for getting the car cleaned up for me, and off I went into Omaha for the start of a night-long goose chase. First, go to the Wester Heritage (now Durham) Museum (formerly Union Station) for wardrobe since I would be driving the car. The costumer took a look at me in my tweed sportcoat, button-down white shirt and gray slacks, and only did two things: 1. asked if I could drive without my glasses (barely), and 2. change my tie with a narrow one from the trailer. That was it - I was now a young professional circa '68 in was was being staged as somewhere in Columbus, Ohio. Then we were ushered inside the main waiting room of the museum/station for a catered dinner of blackened catfish and rice - first time I ever had Cajun food like blackened catfish. By this time it was almost 8:30 and the director's assistant asked us to drive over to Council Bluffs where the film crew was working on some shots. "OK, so we're being filmed over there?" I asked. "Not sure-just go where we tell you." So a group of us drove across the river, found the location, and twiddled our thumbs for a couple of hours watching them film. And I got to look closer at my friend's Galaxie, which I hadn't seen since we dropped it off at the production company's garage at 10th and Dodge.

Finally we got word "back to Union Station - that's where you'll be filmed." Again, back across the river and find the transportation director. "Here, take this walkie-talkie - you'll get your instructions from Mr. Penn." The scene required me to drive over the 10th St Viaduct past Viggo Mortenson, who had just gotten to the bridge after shooting some scenes with him torching the '68 Shelby stand-in car. After some more standing around and waiting for about an hour or so, including getting mock license plates taped over our real ones and doing some hob-nobbing with the Italian gal, Penn got on the bullhorn and told us to get into our cars and prep for the take. There was a '62 Impala SS-409, '61 Falcon and my '63 T-bird that would drive by Mortenson, who was supposed to be thumbing a ride but wasn't getting picked up. By this time it was about midnite, and there were Klieg lights all over the place-a neat but eerie site.

When I finally got the cue to start the car and start driving toward the camera, guess what - the car wouldn't start right off. Penn was pissed and chewed me out "Get that damn T-bird rolling!" Got it started and drove past Viggo, then heard a "BAM" from the rear of my car. WTF? Got to the end of the viaduct, turned around and went back to do it over - and over- again for about 20 takes. After the 15th take we took a short break, and the person driving the Falcon behind me asked if I knew that Mortenson was kicking my quarter as I drove by. "No, I didn't, and they didn't tell me they were going to do that." (We had instructions to keep looking forward and not look back as we drove across the bridge.) I immediately went over to the Transportation Manager and asked what was going on. "Come back here after you're done shooting and we'll make arrangements to repair the damage." There were another 8 takes, and by 1:30am our scene was done. Get the $50 extra paycheck, back to the Transporation Manager, and arrangements were made to get the car back to the production garage for a week. They agreed to repaint the passenger side of the car and take care of the crease Viggo left in the quarter. I took the car back to Yutan, drove back to Lincoln and got to my apartment by 4:30 in the morning. I slept in and didn't go to work until 10 or so.

The next day I went back to Yutan, drove the 'Bird into Omaha and dropped it off. The next weekend we got the car back, and I was in shock! They did a quick'n'dirty spray of the passenger side, and managed to get overspray inside the car all over the seats. I went from shocked to pissed, but since the car had a quick'n'dirty paint job done in a friend's driveway two years prior, I wasn't too excited over it, but I did notice that crease that Viggo left under the quarter window was still there. "OK, I've got the scar to prove my story" I figured.

A year later the movie opened in Omaha. I took my fiance to the showing, saw the scene where the Shelby got torched, the Impala before me and the Falcon after me driving by Viggo, but no white '63 T-bird! My scene was on the cutting room floor!!!

Needless to say I have not participated in another movie or commercial shoot...

 

Damn, a lot of shit for a terrible movie! I remember that flick, or rather, how much it sucked! Dennis Hopper and Charles Bronson? Should have been a home run. Total garbage. By the way, the Italian girl was Valeria Golino, super hot in my opinion, who had the dubious distinction of one of the longest kisses on film with, of all people, Pee Wee Herman. HaHa! HaHa!

 

This winter , I picked up the 1925 Dodge Coupe from the Robert Redford film "Milagro Bean Field Wars".
I want to do a New Mexico roots theme with it .

Maybe get Redford involved and do some cross promotion with his native film efforts.
Anybody have contacts ?

Jeff Brock

 

Back in the day provided a few cars for the TV show Crime Story, when it shfted to Las Vegas. 57 J2 Olds, 56 Olds. I drove the 57, my salesman drove the 56. Whole thing was shot at night. Closed down Fremont St. for the filming. They told me I could get 200 screen time money (SAG) for just walking across the street. Catch was I had to get rid of my beard (Very big), and cut my hair (Very long). Told them for 200 it wasn't worth it. Food was great. Steak, salad, full catered trailer. Got to know one of the gals cooking, and she slipped me four boxes of steaks, and about 50 lbs of Waldorf salad. Neat to see how they filmed, but alot like the Army, hurry up and wait.

 

Bullet Nose gives autographs free of charge. He will be appearing at The Run To The Sun in Nov at Lake Havasu City. The car may be there as well if he doesn't drive his even more photogenic Olds. Either way he's a very humble guy and no longer allows the many starlets who have asked, to ride in the cars because it attracts to much attention.

 

My 29' had a small stint in Hot Rods to Hell, at the start of the movie the
Roadster is shown spinning out in the desert. As Deuce Daddy Don mentioned
LAR had good relationship with the studios also a few members of the club worked
for the studios. My memory sometimes fades, but I think this was the reason
the club got the "Hollywood" address. I assume they still use it. Bob

 

My car was seen from the air on the 5:00 news in Newport Beach, CA when a police pursuit came speeding by. The bad guys (2 teens) had robbed a bank. Their car was later taken out by a "PIT". Game over.
Tom

 

My 1950 Dodge Coronet was in the movie Nadine and my WWII Jeep was in an episode of General Hospital. My 1950 Ford coupe was in a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury commercial in San Antonio at the old Trail Drive In on Military Dr..

 

Our 57 did a lot of work in the late 80s early 90s. Quantum Leap, Private Eye, Taco Bell commercials, umm a Sha Na Na marathon, Calendar Girl. It was called for Heart and Souls but never used.

Our 48 Desoto did Homefront, The Shadow, Quantum Leap.

Our 61 Chevy did Calendar Girl as well.

Would we do it again? Maybe but the hours suck and the things they want to do to the cars are horrible.

 

HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

Very funny George, but the starlets do get to ride in the back seat.

The Olds hasn't been in any movies yet. I offered it for Razor but they declined because it would have been too hard to get that stinky hyena into the back seat.

OH SHIT ..... no one told me they moved the Run to November.

 

Do you give them candy before they get in the back seat? You dirty old man. Uhh is the run is Otc? What do I know?

 

Old Rod ... Here's some (low-rez) screen captures from the scene with your roadster:

 

The 62 Cadillac conv. in the movie My Cousin Vinny .

http://www.matttrailer.com/my_cousin_vinny_1992


My 67 Chevy II made it on Horsepower Tv several times

Not a car but my grandson's coaster wagon was used in a movie before I bought it.

 

My buddy just bought a maroon 51 Ford Convertible that was used in the movie "Mr Hollands Opus"
You see it twice when Richard Dreyfus is racing to the hospital for his sons birth.

The previous owner included two VHS tapes and a 8mm recording when he sold it.

 

my aunt sold it years and years ago her ex husband worked for the stuidos irember her bouncing me around in it and it was chained to tree so it didnt get stolen they lived in burbank a few blocks from the stidos

 

kermit the frog drove my grumman stepvan in muppets take manhatten. The "dog catcher van" .. when I got it it was loaded with gay porn, I wonder if kermit is a little sally

 

Greetings from Long Branch NJ Americas first seashore resort and 7 time US summer capital....story goes like this....there was a call for period cars for the movie I.Q. about Albert Einsten being filmed in New Jersey starring Walter Matthau,Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan....fellow Haulin' Gents Car Club member Bob Rogers did not get the invite to take his daily driver gray prime flamed street rod 34 Ford the ''Jersey Kid'' to the shoot but he did and was told it was too plain....so he reluctantly drove back to the Jersey Shore only to receive a call to please come back we can use your car....it seems many of the cars that did show up were too ''overdone'' for the movie time period....the ''Jersey Kid''was consistently seen in the garage scenes where the Tim Robbins character worked....while Bob passed away a few years ago and the car hasn't been seen for awhile the ''Jersey Kid'' remains in the family and we are looking forward to seeing it again at this years Fathers Day car show at the boardwalk in Long Branch and again at our two West End Cruise Nights.
Lee- WRAT-FM at the Jersey Shore

 

It never made it to the screen but Gobal Telvision who produces Dream Car Garage sent a cameraman here and shot 11 cartridges of film. They were exploring the possiblilty of getting the show to do normal folks garages and not always Carol Shelby or such stuff. They warned me right up front it was a no guarantees type of deal but we kind enough to give me some of the footage afterwards. Steve Sheahan was the interviewer /camera man and did the edit on it. It was fun and different.
Of course My Senior Dragster seems to be on TV once a month for about a year now on the Gearz Show reruns. I saw it again myself Sat morning.
Don

 

My 1957 Olds was used as the main car in a movie called "Chasin' 'the Fifties" Filmed in Hollywood in 1994.
Starring Chasey Lain. You guess it, it was a professional hard core porn movie.
Chasey actually drove my car quite a bit.

 

not quite the movies but we are filming a tv series possibly for dioscovery channel or spike... http://vimeo.com/9721959

 

I had a stock Vega (still have it) and got in the movie Contact, remember the crowd scene with the Vega car club ? To flim a few scenes for the movie it took three days of sun up to sun down. My big hollywood scene was in Heart Like a Wheel, if you watch the scene where Bonnie Bedelia (Shirley) was talking to the NHRA guys to let her race in the background I'm the guy in a white tee shirt and a yellow baseball hat walking up to a guy and talking (sorry acting HA HA ) . Same thing with that flim long days to flim a few scenes. There's some pictures of the guy who play Don Garlits floating around the net that are pretty funny of him in his super short shorts with black biker boots walking around.

 

A friend of mine in the UK rented his car to (I swear) the Cadbury candy company for a commercial.

When he got it back the film crew had rubbed soap or something all over the car to cut out reflections in the paint / glass, and it had little scratches all over it from cables (?) being dragged over it. Most of the damage buffed out but IIRC they had to re-paint a couple panels.

Production company eventually settled up but they kept dragging their feet, guess they were hoping my boy would give up and they wouldn't have to pay.

 

There's a few of us on here from Michigan that were chosen for an upcoming film called flipped. Pretty cool process to be a part of. Justmatt got to drive a few cars in the movie. Pretty neat to be on the set and see how it all works. For future refference my car is the Blue 59 Belair. Am told it is the main families "new car"

 

Is your Aunt 'Mrs. Nusbaum' then?

 

no Mrs. listro

 

My 1959 Pontiac Catalina Sedan has been in a few movies in the past. It was the Lifetime movie "Dead by Sunset" and two television shows, "Nowhere Man" and "Under Suspicion", all in 1995.

Most recently it was used in the pilot for NBC's "Grimm" in April of 2011, which is filmed here in Portland, Oregon.

Here is a picture of it parked across the street from the set.

I have also rented myself out as an extra in a few films and TV shows.
Most recently in "Grimm" and TNT's "Leverage", which is filmed here in Portland as well.

I had a more involved role as a Latimer guard in The last episode of Season 4 "The Last Dam Job" which airs January, 15th. I am one of the guards who chases Eliot (Christian Kane) down the stairs, through the lobby and out of the building before he sprays us with two fire extinguishers.

I enjoy the experience, but it can be very boring a times. Kind of a hurry up and wait sort of thing.

As far as my car goes, I never let it out of my sight. Funny, one of the Production Assistants (Grimm) suggested I stay near the car, as the prop department would be putting a fake plate on my car and "they have a tendency to whatever they want to cars, so be aware". Nice that he gave me a heads up I thought.

 

Wasn't mine, but in early 80s I worked at Vista Chevrolet in Corpus Christi, tx. My boss, Les, was this HUGE guy, and his wife's car was THE white T bird that Suzanne Summers drove in American Grafitti. He had the contract for its use framed on the wall of his office.
To use the car, they paid his wife $30K, repainted it, and put a new top on it (original top had no portholes). His wife loved that car and drove it everywhere. She gave me a ride in it one day, to go pick up lunch. Nice lady, nice people.

 

My uncle's model A pick-up (with him driving, wearing a flat-top straw hat) had a few scenes in the Jimmy Stewart movie "Fool's Parade".