Le Mans/Steve McQueen - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jjrodger · #1 09-17-2003, 05:29 PM

This film has just been released on DVD. Previously it was not available in any format. I bought and watched it today. It is great. I recommend it highly. It is more documentary than story, so don't expect a plot or dialogue, but it captures the spirit and tension of 1971 24 heures des Le Mans wonderfully. Worth ten times the price.

The direction and cinematography are superb: beats today's high-tech special-effects hands down every time.

dtanesq · #2 09-17-2003, 05:48 PM

I've also thought "Le Mans" to be sort of on the same filmmaking level as the early Redford classic "Downhill Racer" (or something like that)?

#3 09-17-2003, 09:40 PM

Well folks,
"LeMans" was (and still is) a wonderful and entertaining film.
.....Another very enjoyable picture was released (if I recall correctly) in 1963. The title is "Grand Prix" I was a child, and VIVEDLY remember seeing one of the early showings of this great racing films. The movie theatre was in New York city, and the screen was 180 degrees.........shaped like a large "U", with the seating in the center.

Best wishes always,
Spo out

1967250s · #4 09-17-2003, 10:44 PM

remember FIREBALL 500!?...A Dodge with a turbine engine if I recal correctly

blackmercedes · #5 09-18-2003, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jjrodger
This film has just been released on DVD. Previously it was not available in any format. I

Must be a UK thing. I've owned it on VHS for some years now. Superb classic. BTW, the actress, Elga Andersen, that played the "woman" in the movie went on to become an expert in deep-sea treasure hunting and the sinking of the Andrea Doria. She died in 1994.

MTI · #6 09-18-2003, 02:11 PM

If you go to Amazon.com, you can register a "vote" to have MGM's 1966 "Grand Prix" released on DVD. The storyline is pure Hollywood, but how cool is it to see Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Dan Gurney, etc. milling about as "extras" As an aside, James Garner did most of his own driving, while Brian Bedford relied on stunt doubles (ever wonder why he's the only one with the balaclava pulled up?) and Yves Montand was so freaked that they towed his car behind a Ford GT camera car. Supposedly, Robert Redford was offered Garner's part, but turned it down.

jjrodger · #7 09-19-2003, 04:08 AM

The driving in Le Mans is all the real thing. McQueen did most of his own driving, along with 45 racing drivers. There isn't much of a story line, probably only 100 lines of dialogue and no plot. But it is really atmospheric.

Blackmercedes: it definitely hasn't been previously released in the UK, I've been asking for it for years. And Elga Andersen is quite a chick.

MTI · #8 06-09-2006, 11:33 PM

In case you weren't aware, a "special edition" DVD version of MGM's "Grand Prix" is being released next month (July 11th) by Warner Brothers, who bought MGM's film library.

A two disc set, it has the 1966 wide screen version of the movie on one disc and a second disc of additional material.

Netflix or Amazon . . .

andersbenz · #9 06-09-2006, 11:56 PM

I remember when "Le Mans" first came out. I was a kid and the movie blew me away. Had an origional movie poster in my room (wish I still had that) and Gulf oil stickers on my lunch box.

Watched the movie a couple of years ago and loved the begining with the Porche 911 S driving though town.

Great movie!

cmac2012 · #10 06-10-2006, 12:37 AM

Never saw Le Mans, I'll have to look for it.

I saw Grand Prix while in high school. I had already decided that I was going to go to the Jim Russel driving school and be a Grand Prix driver and the film was like mother's milk to me. I dug Jack Brabham's team and cars for some reason. The cars were simpler then. Sigh...

Of course, with Michael Schumacher around, there's really not room for two of us.

t walgamuth · #11 06-11-2006, 08:26 PM

the first time i saw grand prix i missed most of the movie past the intro because i was at a drive in and doing things i shouldn't have been doing in the front seat of my dad's 65 corvair (bench seat).

but i will buy that dvd as i have a poor quality tape of it off tv from 15 years ago.

lemans is very good too.

mcqueen had real talent. he nearly won the sebring 12 hr in around 1970 in a porsche (908) but was caught in the closing minutes by non other than mario andretti in a ferrari shich was running twice the size engine. mcqueen was teamed with a peter revson and also was driving with a cast on his (left?) foot from an accident from a motor cycle accident. he also represented the us in a huge motorcycle event in europe.

oh yeah, he was from beech grove indiana, a suburb of indianapolis.

good stuff!

tom w