VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Chevs in Movies

I was watching a Movie yesterday and it had two types of old cars. The average Joes' all drove F***s (model Ts/As), and the rich baddies drove the more expensive Caddies etc.
Anyone know of a movie that show's a few Chevs? Has anyones car been used in a Movie or Commercial? Please save me from the F**D plague.
Tim.

Of course, the Movie "Hoosiers" featured Gene Hackman driving his trusty Chevrolet.

Interesting note:

The actual cars used were "Deluxe" '51 models. However, the producers decided a high school basketball coach in a small Hoosier town couldn't afford the "fancy" model so they had most of the chrome removed to 'bring it down a notch'!

One of the two cars went to a collector in California, the other was won by an Indiana Couple who were extras in the scenes from the final game. The car stayed in that family until a few years ago where it sold to another "movie-car" collector. It is unknown where the car is today.

I'm not positive on this, but I've been meaning to watch "The Last Picture Show" again, because I think one of the main characters drives a late 30's Chevrolet pickup. I recall the truck being difficult to identify because of dark scenes and bad angles of the truck.

Does this sound familar to anyone else?

The easy one is "American Graffitti", with Steve Bolander's '58 Impala, the older gentleman at the package store driving up in a '61 BelAir (or Impala) and several long shots of a 2-door '57 cruising the streets. I suppose the better trivia question is how many Chev's you can spot in the film.

If anyone can back me up or correct me, I believe that in the very beginning of the 1931 "Little Caesar" you see Edward G. Robinson and his partner rob a gas station and drive off in a '30 Chev sedan.

In the opening scene of the "Buddy Holly Story", someone definitely pulls in with a '32 to the roller rink where the Crickets are playing.

I think you can also spot several Chevrolets in "Bonnie and Clyde", but a number of scenes are long shots and it's hard to tell with certainty.

I recall reading somewhere a while back that the Ford marketing folks purposely chose to use movies for product placement in post-WWII productions, which explains why so many so B/W teen science fiction movies show people driving around in Tudors and Crown Victoria convertibles.

Then, of course, there's movies you would rather to forget about, like "Corvette Summer". :rolleyes:

Two movies that come to mind with Chevies in them are "Thunder Road" in which Gene Barry is driving a '57 and I forget the name of the movie, but Steve McQueen plays a bounty hunter and he has a '51 Chevy.
Bob

I think that the name of the movie is "The Hunter". :confused: :confused:

There are a couple of movies I remember ,one is "Two Lane Blacktop" Starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson .They Drive around to small towns Drag racing their 55 chevy. The other is
"Return to Macon County" It stars a young Nick Nolte and Don Johnson on their way to a drag race in their 57 chevy. The problem with these hot rod movies is the cars are usually wrecked in the filming.

I saw a movie years ago, can't remember the name, but the sheriff drove a 28 2 door sedan, which he eventually wrecked.
At one stage Bonnie and Clyde drove a 1934 Master 4 door
The truck in the Last Picture Show, if it was the one made in Australia, was 28 and set up like a caravan
And in Australia there have been many movies with members Chevs, from memory a 37 sedan of Derek Page's painted up as a Cinetone News car, another 37 of a club members, but can't remember the name of it, something to do with the war
And of course there is the TV shows, like the Sullivans that was on a few years ago, which featured a heap of our club cars

Last October, following the 35th Aussie Anniversary, my daughter did an advert for Microsoft featuring my 34 Master sedan, I haven't seen it here, however I believe it is on pay TV and possibly shown in the US
Chris

Gene Hackman drove a '51 in the Indiana basket ball movie-the title eludes me riht now.Also used a '41-46 Chev school bus in the movie.All of the attention was on the Mercury in Rebel With Out A Cause but there was also a '41 Chev coupe shown with it at times.There were several older movies that used a '36 Cabroilet.It may have been a studio lot car.It always was shown with out wing vent windows -these and the inside mirriors were usually removed on older studio cars for less obstruction of the actors faces.
Our friend and member Dick Cass,that just passed away, had his 1941 2 door used in the TV movie "The Doll Maker"--it was a frequently seen back ground car.
(Dick was the first non Wisconsin VCCA member that I became aquainted with.Meet him at the Anniversary Meet in 1971)

Depending on your outlook, it might be either frightening or amusing to know that there are folks out there who keep track of Chevettes appearing in movies - http://chevette.virtualave.net/main.html.

Yikes! :eek:

my 27 Sports Cabriolet was used in the movie, The Runner Stumbles, with Dick Van Dyke and Marjorie Stapleton. Filmed in Roslyn WA. about 1980. Also used were my uncles 1925 Stutz fire engine, 27 Ford T C cab, 28 Ford Phaeton. Neat to watch the filming.

My Dad drove his 32 roadster in a movie a few years back. Can't remember the name.

John Wayne drove an early fifties rhd Chevrolet truck in an African safari type movie, I don't remember the title.

My '41 Cabriolet was in the re-make of the movie "Lolita" a few years back. It was filmed in Richmond, Texas and they wanted it to look sort of dirty so they sprayed the car with fake dirt. Don't you know that that caused me some consternation but it came right off with no problem.

ChevyBill

The previous owner of my father's 28 Cabriolet said he purchased the car from a movie lot where it was used in some of the Laurel and Hardy films. We have been unable to confirm this.

-R

The truck in the Safari film I thought was a 1941-6 model, and was right hand drive thus possibly assembled by GM South African...may have been an ex-military.

There is a film with Richard Attenborough, a British film around 1960 and when the cops pull up outside the murderer's house the camera shows a very rare 1957 Chevrolet in London...possibly rhd, and thus Canadian but there were lhd and rhd cars imported from both countries.

Another Australian film to remember is Mad Max 1 or The Road Warrior I think it was called in the US...with a Holden-assembled 235 + Powerglide rhd Bel Air 4-door sedan. Another Australian movie had a yellow-painted car, same model.

Then again, check out the various '60s series that re-show on cable and satellite. Both I Dream of Genie with Larry Hagman and Bewitched featured brand new Chevrolets and Pontiacs with one episode of the latter having a guy drive a '57 4-door sedan. Another shot supposedly in Mexico had a '54 I think as an 'old car', plus a Corvair!! General Motors product-placed as did Ford and Chrysler and the mouth just drools at the brand new cars that the cast had that particular time.

Mmmmmm.....Neat.

I just returned from the movies tonight, and saw a preview for "Secondhand Lions". It's not out yet, (and might not be worth watching...) but in the preview, a traveling salesman drives a '58 Chevy, and there is a 1/2 second cameo of a '37 Chevy pickup. The story is set sometime in the 1950's, so there are other old cars, but I was mainly looking for another glimpse of the '37.

I'll have to go to see how much of a part the '37 has, but I usually let my wife pick the movies (she is better at it than I am).

Thanks for all your responses! I personally started watching "The Great Gatsby" on tape the other day and it has at least one early chev (pre '28, possibly '27 or earlier), so I was much relieved!
Thanks again, you've given me enough to bug the video shop people for a while at least.
Tim.

The Wayne movie was "Hatari" (sp?).

The local AACA club here provided the cars and trucks for the film "Cross Creek" and the prior owner of my '32 had it in that film.

At the end of "Amer. Gr." there was drag race between a duece coupe and a '55 chevy, (driven by a very young Harrison Ford).

Hey old car nuts. Check out HBO's CARNIVÀLE set in the 30's, we gots-lots to look at. I saw what I think was a 28 Chev flat bed truck.

dads28

Hey! tonight's version of Carnivale on HBO not only starred the flatbed Chevrolet, some of the dialouge included it, "Get the Chevy" "take the Chevy" "Meet me at the Chevy" What a great show. If y'all missed it, HBO will only show it about a billion times this week, so as they say, "check your local listing" Chevy on.