Car in movie - almost ---

OK, sit back and I'll tell a tale.

A couple of years ago, was contacted by a movie production company about a film being shot in Louisiana. Somehow (Marty, maybe?) theyd gotten my name, and were interested in having my 1931 Pierce in a movie.

The movie was, and is now on Netflix (not sure it ever made the big screen), Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.

The fellow really wanted my car, and it got to the point that he was around $15,000, plus paying me to be an extra, if I'd bring the car down to the Baton Rouge area for shooting, for about 3 weeks. The lead in the movie is written as being from a well-to-do family, and the idea of a Pierce Arrow was well received.

Tempted, I must say, but couldn't figure out how to work it, since I have a "real" job.

I was considering it, though, and then, in one conversation, he mentioned that they may have to drill holes in the running board and frame to mount a camera to take pictures as the female lead in the movie drove the car. That convinced me to say no.

Tonight, watched the movie on Netflix. The female lead drives a yellow roadster, at first glance a Model A. But, there are funny things on the car, strange windsheild, a hole in the front top of the radiator where the Ford emblem was removed....strange.

Then in one scene they refer to the car as a Pierce Arrow. Huh?

Yet another scene, they pan across the car, and you see a Pierce Arrow archer radiator cap on the car....what????

Lot's of Model A's in the movie. Maybe someone from South Louisiana can discuss filiming the movie, and the cars used.

So, my car not in the movie, but it must have influenced their modification of a car that was used!!!

Wow, wonder how many holes they had to drill to do that!

I was in a no-name movie with my Model A once, and a friend with his. They paid $100 bucks for one night and we insisted we'd only do it if we're the only ones to drive them. My friend gave in and let somebody who had probably never even driven a manual transmission drive his. Lots of bad noises were emanating from his car in the process. Same fat slob was later sitting on his fender.

Really had to keep an eye on them. When I was at the snack table they were wanting to do things then. I've heard all sorts of horror stories about movie shoots and can only imagine what can happen if they're left unsupervised.

A now deceased friend of ours regretted letting his car be in "Matewan" the movie about the mine wars in Matewan, W. Va. If you watch the movie, his is the one being driven up a muddy road slipping and sliding from side to side. Dean was not happy with how his car was treated and he was not informed in advance that they planned to treat it like that. He wouldn't have let the car be used like that.

Marty might chime in here, we were in a movie in the 80's filmed in New Orleans, "Hobsen's Choice", with Jack Warden, Sharon Gless, Richard Thomas......filmed in the French Quarter, I had two cars in it, 1910 Hupp and 1909 Sears Autobuggy....there's a good shot of the Autobuggy riding down St. Charles along side the street car....I kept an eagle eye on the cars at all times and was the only one who drove them....if I remember correctly, got $200 a day per car and $100 per day for being an extra......so pretty good payday back then.....and all told, you can see the cars on screen for maybe 6 or 8 seconds....there's a good shot of Marty crossing St. Charles in the movie I believe...

I had a 54 Packard Patrician that was use for the movie "The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio" was used more as a movie prop, than being driven in the movie, they had it for 4 days at $150 a day so i figured $600 for the 4 day was not bad, considering i bought the car 6 months eariler for $750, came back no worse for wear.. But as you said you never know what damage could bed done, all it take is a scratch or tear in your new interior or someone that does not know how to drive a standard, to do a lot of costly damage..

My Mark II was in a inter-office Ford video production shot in the white room at Ford World Headquarters. They picked the car up in the middle of the winter in a huge trailer and transported it to FWH. I drove it down a treacherous ramp and into the white room where I had to be guided every inch of the way, as not knowing where the walls meet the floor is very disconcerting.

They were very respectful of the car, except Elena Ford, who parked her stubby little butt against my front fender and proceeded to tell everyone there that she had no idea that Ford made the Mark II. They brought the car back to me and handed me a check for $500.

What? No additional compensation for the "Stubby little butt" incident?

No damage, so no foul, except her lack of Ford history knowledge.

No damage, so no foul, except her lack of Ford history knowledge.

I suspect that Edsel Ford did a couple of 360 spins in the coffin over that lack of knowledge. Wasn't she supposedly running, or maybe is should say ruining, Lincoln/Mercury at one time?

Jim

She was running the Mercury division at that time, hence the Cougar in the photo.

"Those that don't know history................"

As an ad agency creative director, I've produced a number of commercials where the subject was cars, shooting NASCAR drivers like Geoff Bodine and Dale Earnhardt on the track and cars on the road. While we never had occasion to secure a camera to the subject car, we frequently would rent a camera car (notably a Lincoln Town Car because of its smooth suspension). The film crew would remove the trunk and the carpet liner, then drill holes in the bottom of the trunk for bolting down the camera mount. At wrap time, everything would be bolted back in place, and the car returned to the rental office.

David (Trimacar) is right - I was an extra , sitting in his '10 Hupp in Hobson's Choice:

Lillian Gish signed my notes, along with Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey), Jack Warden, and Richard Thomas (John-Boy Walton). Yes, I was in period costume, carrying a picnic basket, crossing the streetcar tracks on St. Charles Avenue with a delightful young lady on my arm.

Since then, we have done dozens of films and local spots, such as the grand re-opening of the famed Roosevelt Hotel, the Veterans' Parade for the opening of the Pacific Theater of the World War II (D-Day) Museum -

Brooke Shields was just a child when she sat in the back seat of our '34 Buick in "Pretty Baby"

I chose not to let the actors even sit in my cars when they filmed the Ray Charles movie "Ray" - just didn't care for their attitude !

My wife, daughter, and I've danced down the streets of New Orleans with Charles Durning Texas Governor in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"), had lunches with James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), gone bar-hopping with numerous stars, and enjoyed a white wine and dessert with Richard Dreyfus. We've supported Mardi Gras parades, veterans' groups, July 4th and Christmas parades, restaurant spectaculars (this IS New Orleans, after all), and had wonderful experiences --- you just cannot assume that anyone else will take care of your stuff the way you do yourself -- look out for #1 -- BE SMART !!

Whenever our cars are considered for anything, I first get the company to supply me with a dedicated Insurance Coverage with Five ($5,000,000) Dollars Liability, and coverage for TWICE the current appraised value of the car, naming me as the insured. I'm the only one permitted to drive the car unless I personally approve a lead actor when the car is a Feature car, and certainly not a Background Car. They will pay modest amounts, depending on YOUR knowledge of valuefor background cars (as little as $175 to $350 per day), but if the need a Feature Car, the pay can be STAGGERING, often ten times that amount, with a guaranteed minimum number of days, even if the car isn't used. If they will not do it right, they don't deserve (or receive) my services - period! This is small change to these guys. I've also packaged my services so that they have me provide the appraisals for every car on set for their insurance company, and of course I arrange a modest price based on quantity for these services. I also help them find other period-appropriate cars, and help some of the locals get involved in the industry. It is good to be in with the movie industry when you are semi-retired.

My '65 Wildcat was used in an in-house production for the Longaberger Basket company.

Planned it out weeks in advance, then had a horrible snow storm the night before and my wife had to drive it in the salt and snow downtown for the shoot. Took her 3 hours to make a 30 minute trip.

Car is an original unrestored Ohio car, so the salt and snow was no big deal. A couple models sitting in the car and a few props completed the setup.

We got a copy of the production, highlighting vacation bonuses available to sales reps.

Took the $300 and got the car detailed!