As where’s ‘Ol Marty mcFly’s time Machine when Yuhs
Needs it?
As a Blind Automobile and Racing Enthusiast, for
which Y’all know Heavily centers round Open Wheel Racing, i.e.; formula 1 and
IndyCar, like Ye sub title of thoust “Award Winning” No Fenders Blog denotes. Along
with Sports Cars, predominantly the Blue Ribbon Round the Clock Endurance
events, Obviously it’s Hard to know what any of today’s vehicles look like! Be
that on the road or racetrack…
Thus I’m just reduced to my memories of years,
Err Decades past when I was able to truly See what I was looking at or watching
on TV, and it’s still pretty funny to think that I once held a valid Driver’s
license for nearly two decades, especially now since I’ve long eclipsed my “Driving
Time” since Surrendering said license…
Have to say I’ve never been a Fan of the late
John Wayne, for which Family lore claims that “The Duke” used to visit my
Grandparent’s upstairs tenants of the Duplex they owned whenever he was
visiting Seattle, but I suppose everybody’s got some Crazy, Zany, Wacky Mythical
story like that, Righto?
As recently I was listening to The Bob and
Sherry Syndicated Talk Radio Show here on Ye Isle ‘O Nofendersville along thou
Oregon coast and Bob Lacey went down another Wabbithole’ about The Duke whilst
waiting in the Checkout line at some Home Improvement store.
Noting that The duke who was a prolific Chain Smoker,
smoked Seven Packs a Day! Which I believe equates to 140 Cigarettes Daily, Holy
Puffing Chimneys Batman!
This sent me down my own Wabbithole’, as the
only John Wayne movie I carry round memories of from Wayback’ when, since I’ve
only ever seen it on television long after it’s debut, is the long forgotten,
and arguably either Obscure or totally Unknown 1974 movie simply titled McQ,
for which Y’all can watch a Smidgen in the Youtube video Teaser below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0P1yim4SPc
As John Wayne, who plays Detective Lon “McQ”
McHugh drives a 1973 Brewster Green Pontiac
Firebird Trans Am in the movie, although I’ve got Zero Clue if it was one of
the ultra rare (1973) SD 455’s or Not? Which reportedly there were only 252
total built with only 72 being four speed manual transmissions!
As “SD” reportedly is revered Pontiac parlance known
for Super Duty for it’s most Beefed Up engines. And the 455 denotes the 455cubic
inches (7.5-litre) Big Block displacement V-8 lump propelling the General
Motors 2nd Generation F Body platform vehicle, which it shared with
it’s Bowtie’ “Kissing cousin,” the Chevrolet Camaro.
Reportedly the Brewster Green body colour was
only available in 1973, and if I recall correctly from another No Fenders tome
about the late James Garner; ‘Ol Jimmy Rockford preferred the 1973 Trans Am
model over the ’74, presumably due to it’s looks, since in 1974 Government
mandates required uglier “Crash” protective front and rear bumpers to All
vehicles.
Whale’, at least I
had the Pontiac Firebird part right. But the Rockford Files car in question was
actually the 1978 Pontiac Firebird Esprit instead…
http://www.nofenders.net/2014/07/james-garner-movie-star-and-man-of-auto.html
While Indianapolis 500 Aficionados will know
that not only did Garner drive the Pace Car three times, but also that the Pontiac
Trans Am paced the race twice. First in 1980 with a Turbocharged variant with
Johnny Parsons behind the wheel. And then
in 1989, when the 20th anniversary Trans Am was chauffeured by
Uncle Bobby’, aka Bobby Unser. But that’s entirely another story for a Nutter’
day…
The main reason I carry this virtually unknown Film
in my own “Movie Vault” is because of it’s Seattle locale as the “backdrop” for
the film. Although I only seem to have two fleeting memories of the movie
today. As I think it opens with either McQ or somebody else roaring up ‘N down
the deserted Freeway of Seattle? Since my memory says it always cracked me up
how there was Zero traffic on presumably (Interstate) I-5, since I tend to
believe it showed the backdrop of the entire Downtown Seattle on a brilliant
sunny Day! For which both of are rarities! And I’d say it’s almost impossible to
not encounter traffic on any major thoroughfare today, especially thru the
choked Arteries of roads thru Downtown Seattle!
Also for some weird, strange reason think Thars
some Automotive footage upon the now demolished Alaskan Way viaduct? But not
sure now…
And although I never picked up on the fact that
Wayne was wearing a toupee, since after all he’d just turned 66 if I did my
math correctly when filming one of his latter movies. Instead I seem to recall
that he had a ridiculous looking pencil thin Clark Gable mustache that looked
totally outta place to Mwah! Which I now think matched the colour of his
toupee? Although the more I think of it, I do think I recall his toupee since
his hair seemed a tad too dark for his age…
Reputedly the required Car Chase scene in McQ
was inspired by the legendous’ Steve McQueen’s 1968 Bullitt chase thru the
streets of San Francisco, albeit when reading about the movie, it claims the
chase scene took place on a beach instead. So I don’t know it that’s where it
ended, after having started in Seattle or what?
Interestingly, the Stunt Man who was the very
first to use a black powder Cannon charge to flip the leviathan trans Am without
ramps was the legendous’ Hal Needham. As I can only wonder if this use of the ’73
Trans Am with it’s smallish “Flying Chicken” hood Deckel’ (Decal) led to another
movie starring Burt Reynolds in a later model Black Trans Am?
While one of Wayne’s best lines in the McQ
movie comes after his Trans Am has been Squashed by two Semi Trucks in an
attempt upon McQ’s life. Where he tells one of the On-scene Police Officer’s while
trapped in the wreckage: “I’m Up to My butt in Gas!”
According to one Los Angeles Times Movie Critic,
the Film has a similarity to Clint Eastwood’s Magnum force, albeit Wayne’s McQ Blustering
and Bombastic as always character shows more Humanity. While Eastwood’s Film just
shows violence for violence’s Sake.
Reportedly Wayne regretted having turned down the Dirty Harry role, with Magnum force’s early drafts utilizing Seattle before switching to San Francisco after Eastwood took the role instead…
