Le Mans

[mackgoo]

Speed vision tonight 8 PM EST.
And it's a 69.

[cegerer]

I think it's actually on at 9:30PM. At 9 they are showing a "Making of LeMans" 1/2 hour special.

[mackgoo]

Your right.

[Randy W]

Watching it now - my favorite race movie! First time I've seen it In widescreen, and I noticed what appears to be the rare 69, 70 World Championship decal placed in lower bottom passenger side of the windshield. This is visible from the shot inside Steve's (now Chad's) slate gray 911S in the opening sequence. With the 69 style door handles, it leads me to now believe it was a '69 911S with the rare 2.0 decal in the rear window that was filmed in 1970 after Porsche won the world championship. Any ideas or input?

Randy W

[This message has been edited by Randy W (edited 06-02-2001).]

[orbmedia]

I ask you, is there any sound cooler than the flat 12?

[Randy W]

I know most people don't care about such things - but rewatching the part of the widescreen film with the championship decal showing, I don't see any large numbers (69,70). Could there have been a championship decal for 69 only? Still can't clearly tell if the slate grey 911 in the film has '69 door handles, but the studio footage with Chad has this supposedly same car in the background and it is reportedly a 69S.

Randy W

[Doug Zielke]

I always enjoy seeing this film.
As great as John Frankenheimer is, "Grand Prix" can't hold a candle to Le Mans, IMO.
BTW...did you recognize any of the names of all the famous drivers listed in the credits?
Read like a who's-who of motor racing.

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

As a filmwriter, I have to say that McQueen's Le Mans is one of the silliest films I've ever seen. Love the cars, love the Porschies, love the camerawork...it's splendid as a half-finished documentary with the narration yet to come, but as a dramatic vehicle, it's ludicrous. This was a film done--as the pre-show made clear--without a script. That's like writing a book without a plot. What are there, 15 words of dialogue? After re-seeing it for the first time since I watched the original 30 years ago, it suddenly became plain why the film is so hard to find--never put on DVD, very few stores carry the video: nobody cares but car fanatics.

Stephan

[cegerer]

In addition to the windshield sticker, I noticed that McQueen's 911 is a US version (sealed beam headlights)??? Also, it never ceases to amaze me how incredibly low the 917 is compared to the 911!

BTW, LeMans & "The Making Of" are being re-broadcast today at noon.

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1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore

[mackgoo]

Gee Stephen, thanks for the critique. You are aware your signed on to a Porsche 911 board, not Siskel and Ebert's, right?
(sorry guys I just couldn't help myself)

[Doug Zielke]

Stephan,
You are dead right that, "nobody cares but car fanatics". That's why I love the film. It's a classic, perhaps even a *cult* classic. In this day of over-produced movie spectaculars, Le Mans will shine ever brighter. I'm glad in McQueen's short life, he was able to realize his dream.

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

[This message has been edited by Doug Zielke (edited 06-03-2001).]

[roGERK]

I agree with Stephen (who doesn't?) that as a commerical film its awful!

But the annoying thing is there is a good film lurking somewhere in there - dump the annoying and actually pretty sicko sub-plot featuring the girl (who's an awful actrress anyway)- show even more how the driver's rivalry is manufactured by the media, and dwell some more on the inner dynamics of the team - racing drivers aren't famous for their comaradarie, and its that aspect of the film that (dramatically at least) is closest to reality.

There's also one outstsnding acting performance the English character acter who plays the team manager.

- roGER

[David Griswold]

I have to agree with Stephen...

This was my first viewing of the ever-famous "Lemans"...after watching, I told my wife the same thing "I can't believe how bad the movie was"...but I followed that by how much I enjoyed watching it! Had this film not been made, how many of us would have a chance to see and hear these amazing cars in all their glory...I particularly enjoyed the commentary and talk about the making of the movie.

Of coarse I taped the movie and would be glad to send it to any of those less-fortunate on the list who do not have SpeedVision.

David

[JerRed]

The original "Gone in 60 Seconds" sucked, plotwise, too. But it's still entertaining sometimes.



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Cheers,
JerRed
1973 911T, 2.4 CIS

[Early_S_Man]

Both of the 'better than average, but not as good as Le Mans' racing movies ... have contrived plots revolving around affairs with other driver's wives: Grand Prix and Winning!

I have to wonder if any of the excess footage from [i]Le Mans still exists and is stored properly? Couldn't the 'romantic' angle and the notion that either of the Delaney accidents were 'his' fault be edited out to make a 3-4 hour classic, pure racing movie for fans of the 917 and endurance sports car racing? The spectacle of Le Mans and a 24 hour race seem spicy enough to me, without contrived Hollywood plots!

Ever since hearing about the website for the A French Kiss with Death in July '98, where I copied the following poster shot as a WALLPAPER shot ... have wondered about what might have been ...






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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

[This message has been edited by Early_S_Man (edited 06-03-2001).]

[Saffs]

Anyone got the Watch? McQueen wore a Heuer Monaco watch in the film (for instance see http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1601087239
). Heuer, I'm guessing will of sponsered the film (as they did many race events and still do) and there was many Heuer watches seen in the film. Some may know that Tag -Heuer re-released the Monaco using Steve and the Movie as an advertising point. So, any one got one? I'm very tempted but would want a "vintage" one and now, sadly, very inflated prices on them.

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'75 911S Targa
'81 BMW Alpina C1 2.3
http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/Saffs

[cegerer]

I've got the "LeMans" movie poster hanging in my office (just like the one above). But this isn't the standard small poster that was handed out at Gulf gas stations. This is the poster that was taped to the window of my local Gulf station advertising the free posters. It's about 3 1/2 feet tall by 2 1/2 feet wide. As a 13 year old kid I went in and begged the owner of the station for it! Unfortunately, I trimmed off the border many years ago that said "Get Your Free 17"x22" LeMans Poster Here!", or something to that effect. It would probably be worth some money if I had left it intact. Oh well, it's not for sale anyway!

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1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore