Buick35 Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Anyone ever want to have their car in a movie? Sometimes I thought it would be cool but I've heard that the cars aren't taken care of very well. I suppose Hollywood has an extensive inventory of period cars. Mines a 35 Buick. If they make a movie close by in Florida I might want to have my car be a movie extra, it would depend on how she's treated of course.Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 There have been several discussions on the pros and cons about renting your car to a movie company, most have been con. The first thing you need to do is to check with your insurance company and find out if you are covered. Some prohibit you from doing so. If you do rent it , make sure you get a written contract and have an attorney read it over. There have been many cases where the car has been damaged and the movie people will not cover the damages and your insurance will not ether. If it's a clutch car does the "star" driver know how to drive a standard transmission? If not, be ready to install a new clutch. Every member of the cast and crew will want to have a look at your car and sit in it. Some may open the hood and take a look at the engine and even look in the trunk. Carpenters and electricians have tools and may scratch it. It's almost like taking your car to a car show and letting every spectator sit in it and open it up. I retired from "show business" and am still a union member and know how props are treated. If they allow you on the set to supervise how your car is to be used, be prepared to spend many, many idle hours, it can take days for one simple scene. Do your homework! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Byrd Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Buick35, We let some young folks from the University of the Nations here in Kailua-Kona use our little Popular (Anglia) in a movie they were making. It was quite a neat thing, as the kids wanted it because they saw us go by one day and thought it was a "gangster car". They were very careful with it, and invited us to stay right there with them during their shooting. I know that isn't quite a Disney class film, but it was fun, and they and the school appreciated it. We were also invited to the showing of it. This is one "movie car" use that was just 100% pleasant ! Here is my wife beside it "back then" before we went down to the site...2013 I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hud Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Have been in some minor productions and wasn't worth it. I don't care for other people deciding what to do with my car. However. did get a couple of seconds look in the program. Fear itself 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) I had one of my cars in a couple of movies and a TV show or two. Paid well and never had a problem. Handshake deals each time with a reliable provider. Edited December 30, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 I think it'd be nice to see your own car in a movie or TV show. If it would not be abused would be the main thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) Been there done that. Never again as the last time my seat bottom was missing as well as my license plate. Had to chase them to get the plate back and the seat replaced. Be very careful. Edited December 30, 2019 by Joe in Canada (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31plymouth Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 I did a week of shooting with about 25 other cars for HBO's Mildred Pierce. We always stayed with our cars. We got paid for parked car scenes and more if we drove them. We all did our own driving. My 31 Plymouth was also used in an Amazon production. They paid me a full day just to have the director look at it.(they flat bedded it to where they were shooting that day) They then paid me for another day after they flat bedded it to another location.( I followed) It was used for an interior shot of the back seat as if the passengers were in a taxi. This was done on an indoor stage with a green screen behind it . They later had NYC scenes outside the windows. After a six hour day ,the scene in the movie was about 12 seconds long. My 21Paige was used for HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Not driven by me or anyone else. Just parked scenes. No problems I guess you have to know for what and how it will be used. Also who will drive it if needed. I did not have any problems, but it can be a long boring day(or night) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) My Grandpa had a '22 Leland Lincoln Sedan used in a Cliff Robertson movie. One scene of it at a picnic for 10 seconds and a couple of background shots after a week of use. Things went well, except one of the guys told him they had a scene in mind where most of the lead actors would ride in the Lincoln at 50 down the road and then a biplane would swoop down, match speeds, and drop somebody on the roof of the car. Glenn could have gotten the car that fast(I've ridden in it at 50 on a 180-mile trip), but saw multiple fatalities happening if they attempted it, so made them delete the scene. The movie was supposed to be about barnstormers in Kansas in the 1920s and called "Ace Eli & Roger of the Skies". If you look it up, no one had good things to say about it. After 2 years of re-writes, released in the early 70s. It was Bernadette Peters' screen debut, and written by Steven Spielberg. Edited December 30, 2019 by jeff_a (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 A friend had a restored 36 Chevy 4 door sedan that was bought for a movie shoot. It was used in an accident shoot where it was to go off a bridge and land on the frozen water below. Problem was it went through the ice and cost big $$$ to fish it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 On 12/29/2019 at 7:06 PM, 31plymouth said: I did a week of shooting with about 25 other cars for HBO's Mildred Pierce. We always stayed with our cars. We got paid for parked car scenes and more if we drove them. We all did our own driving. This was my experience when my '64 Malibu was used in a few scenes for a movie. Since it has aftermarket wheels it wasn't going to be driven up close to the cameras but a '65 Malibu that had later rally wheels was driven and I rode with the owner while he 'cruised' in front of a diner. Had to visit wardrobe since the shirt I had wasn't mid 60's appropriate and I would be seen through the windows of the diner as they were shooting from the inside facing out. Had extras sitting in my car with the top down like they were enjoying a typical teenage cruise night. Spent two nights, about 10 hours each, only to have those scenes not make the final edit of the movie. Lots and lots of downtime but the food was great and everyone treated the cars well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I have been involved with a couple movies, Public Enemies 2009 and Superman Man of Steel 2013. They don't pay much but are interesting. Not sure I would do it again, treat it like a working vacation. I keep the key with me. I have done about 10 days on set, normally sun up to sun down days so long days. This is me driving South on LaSalle Avenue in Chicago, 60 vintage cars, 150 extras about 12 seconds of screen time, most of this was cut. I ran my 1933 Minnesota license plates. Being in Chicago in 1935 was priceless. The Pierce Arrow behind me was Melvin Purvis played by Christian Bale, nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akstraw Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 On December 29, 2019 at 7:22 PM, plymouthcranbrook said: I had one of my cars in a couple of movies and a TV show or two. Paid well and never had a problem. Handshake deals each time with a reliable provider. Same for me. I had two cars in a movie shoot this summer. I wouldn't necessarily do it for the money, but the opportunity to be on set, in a scene, and see how the whole process of making a movie works was fascinating to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 For the movies and TV together I made about $1000. Often wondered what became of the guy I dealt with since I haven’t heard from him in several years. I would do it again if the chance came up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Mereness Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 On 12/29/2019 at 11:14 AM, Buick35 said: Anyone ever want to have their car in a movie? Sometimes I thought it would be cool but I've heard that the cars aren't taken care of very well. I suppose Hollywood has an extensive inventory of period cars. Mines a 35 Buick. If they make a movie close by in Florida I might want to have my car be a movie extra, it would depend on how she's treated of course.Greg Nice color on this Buick ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick35 Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Having done dozens of movies and TV shows, I have hade extremely positive experiences for the most part. One vehicle had extremely minor damage and I was made whole - and then some! Be sure they provide insurance and liability coverage, and that you are indemnified. Be sure you eat with the cast and/or crew - not with the extras Be certain you are paid full time plus overtime as a Picture Car Driver. Be sure only you drive your car- or it is s background and not driven If your car is a HERO car, you each the lead actor how to drive, and stay with it We have had excellent experience with production companies, and been well compensated . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 (edited) My blue '39 Buick was used in the movie "Tora, Tora, Tora" way back in 1971 along with some other cars in our Baltimore club. We ate well and were paid well. My car was in several scenes both driving and parked. We were paid well and ate well. The way Paramount paid daily us was a hoot. My '39 Buick convertible sedan, recently sold, was used in the movie "The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover in DC. I drove the "star" in one scene where he sat in the back seat. This wasn't a highpriced movie and I think few people ever saw it. The blue car was used in a TV movie called something like "Franklin & Elinor". Most of those were night scenes and I never saw anything of my car, except maybe one whitewall tire, but we ate well and were paid well. A friend used his Oldsmobile's a month or so ago in a movie in Orlando and he was paid a lot better than we were back in the seventies 🤤. By the way Buick35, when I was born in 1938, I came home from the hospital in the exact same car as yours. I owned an identical model for some five years and drove it on at least two Glidden Tours. I sold it when they upped the Glidden through 1942. It ended up with a dealer in Orlando and he sold it to somebody in Spain...sad ending for a nice old original 1935 Buick Series 41 Special. I hate to see any nice old car go overseas...just how I feel. Marty Roth are you still going to Miami and coming by my place for those tires. They are standing ready in my detached garage. Earl Edited January 6, 2020 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 We were extras in "Christmas Story" when all the cars are driving around Cleveland's Public Square in the opening shot and during the parade scene. All the local club members were there. Pretty cold night--that was shot overnight and we just had to keep driving in circles for a few hours from like 1 AM to 4 AM. I was sitting in the back seat in my pajamas under a blanket while my father drove his 1941 Buick Super coupe. I don't know if anyone got paid for doing it, but it was kind of fun. I have yet to spot our car in any of the scenes, however, and you'd better believe I've been looking! So basically, I got nothin'. No advice, no real experience. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 10 hours ago, Marty Roth said: Having done dozens of movies and TV shows, I have hade extremely positive experiences for the most part. One vehicle had extremely minor damage and I was made whole - and then some! Be sure they provide insurance and liability coverage, and that you are indemnified. Be sure you eat with the cast and/or crew - not with the extras Be certain you are paid full time plus overtime as a Picture Car Driver. Be sure only you drive your car- or it is s background and not driven If your car is a HERO car, you each the lead actor how to drive, and stay with it We have had excellent experience with production companies, and been well compensated This is from a man who knows! It took me several trips to the production to figure this out. They never (in my experience) volunteer this advice/knowledge. I timidly asked about a hotel room "sure no problem" (I had a 4 hour drive to the set) we were paid a flat fee for the car and driver. 2X about staying with your car, I always kept my keys. My cars were not HERO quality cars, (driven by the actors) they get the BIG BUCKS. Background cars are a couple hundred a day, HERO cars are a couple thousand a day, they like high end cars. In the movie I was in, they preferred to own the HERO cars. I think they bought about 15 cars for the movie, not as nice to those cars. Funny part is, most of the kids today, could not drive any of our cars anyway. My 18 year old son gets jobs at auctions all the time because he knows how to start and drive all the cars back to about 1925. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Oh forgot to mention Hollywood liquidated most of their "extra" cars back in the 1980's. I am sure someone remembers this better than me. The carpool just got too expensive to maintain? So Hollywood will continue to lean on us to get old cars for productions. We said the "the Cars are the Stars" can you imagine trying to make a period American movie without them? Try American Graffiti without them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrbartlett Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Received $4,000 a day for my Duesenberg for three days. The movie hasn't been released yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Dynaflash8 said: . . . My '39 Buick convertible sedan, recently sold, was used in the movie "The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover in DC. I drove the "star" in one scene where he sat in the back seat. This wasn't a high priced movie and I think few people ever saw it. . . Few people ever saw it? Heck, I don't think anyone saw it. That movie was in the theaters for about 5 minutes. When the film was released I missed seeing if my car made the cut because I didn't see the film opening night and it was closed by the next week. I eventually found a VHS of it and if you blink you will miss the two frames that show a glimpse of my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, ply33 said: Few people ever saw it? Heck, I don't think anyone saw it. That movie was in the theaters for about 5 minutes. When the film was released I missed seeing if my car made the cut because I didn't see the film opening night and it was closed by the next week. I eventually found a VHS of it and if you blink you will miss the two frames that show a glimpse of my car. Yeah, I never saw or herd tell of it in a theater, but I also found a VHS copy and saw that . All you saw of my car was the guy sitting in the back seat and a pair of headlights coming into one of the government buildings at night. I DID, however, see our club member, John Palmer, in his one line role playing in place of Dan Duryea who was missing that day. Do you remember that? It was a long time ago now. Happy New Year there in California. I'm in Florida now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFitz Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Not mine, but a north shore Long Island friend that got me started in the hobby had his 30 Hispano Suiza limo used in a made-for-TV Nero Wolfe movie. He had to drive the car into Brooklyn everyday for filming and back home at night. As a result he got to spend a lot of time around the sets and working with the crew, such as teaching the actor chauffer how to drive a right hand drive car with manual spark and carb mixture controls on the steering hub written in French. And the Hiso also appeared in Penthouse magazine. They took over the show room of the Perth Motor House in Glen Cove LI, and soaped the windows for privacy during the photo shoot. Not long after he sold the car to someone in Wales. It has been back once, all glammed-up for Pebble Beach. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, mike6024 said: Is this it? That is a '38. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 (edited) Pictures of Buick in Tora Tora Tora have so far only turned up this one. The website is not working now. It's supposed to show all cars in the movie, but the webpage won't load. https://www.imcdb.org/m66473.html Edited January 6, 2020 by mike6024 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, mike6024 said: Pictures of Buick in Tora Tora Tora have so far only turned up this one. The website is not working now. It's supposed to show all cars in the movie, but the webpage won't load. https://www.imcdb.org/m66473.html My car was seen parked (back end) at the War Dept, and was seen driving by the Navy Department on Constitution Avenue (I think that is the correct Avenue). I rather think the old Navy Department building is no longer there.....memory tells me it was one of those Tempo Buildings that were all over DC. I grew up just outside of DC in Arlington, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorialynn2 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Discovery channel wanted to use the retractable for a show about the story behind the cars. I reneged at the last minute, mostly due to advice from here, and I’m glad I did. They were going to ship it to and from Hollywood, no pay, I think just a hotel room. I was too concerned the car would be damaged because it has so much sentimental value. (Was my late father’s). I heard after that some cars were damaged because they were basically just props. Sounds like some of you have the Hollywood gig down to a science. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, victorialynn2 said: Discovery channel wanted to use the retractable for a show about the story behind the cars. I reneged at the last minute, mostly due to advice from here, and I’m glad I did. They were going to ship it to and from Hollywood, no pay, I think just a hotel room. I was too concerned the car would be damaged because it has so much sentimental value. (Was my late father’s). I heard after that some cars were damaged because they were basically just props. Sounds like some of you have the Hollywood gig down to a science. 👍 Even in 1971 I was paid $75 a day cash for "Tora, Tora, Tora" which was more than I made at work, so I took vacation time. They dressed us in oldtime clothing and put fake 1941 tags over our tags. I thought they did a good job taking care of us in downtown DC. Most of us drove down from the Baltimore area every day. And some days we drove back home with our oldtime bulb headlights. I wonder if I'd do that today? 😊 I remember a '38 Studebaker, a '37 Dodge, a '41 Chrysler, my car, and a Packard 120 (about a 1936 I think), a '37 Oldsmobile coupe. There may have been more. I was contacted by a Classic Car Club guy who said they needed some everyday cars, and in our CHVA Region in Baltimore that was basically all anybody collected. Edited January 7, 2020 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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