Grand Prix (1966)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Robert Alan Aurthur (screenplay)
Robert Alan Aurthur (story)

Release Date:

21 December 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

American Grand Prix driver Pete Aron is fired by his Jordan-BRM racing team after a crash at Monaco that injures his British teammate...

Plot Keywords:

Race | Automobile Racing | Formula 1 | Ford Mustang | Monte Carlo Rally

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 4 nominations

Cast

James Garner	...	Pete Aron
Eva Marie Saint	...	Louise Frederickson
Yves Montand	...	Jean-Pierre Sarti
Toshirô Mifune	...	Izo Yamura
Brian Bedford	...	Scott Stoddard
Jessica Walter	...	Pat Stoddard
Antonio Sabato	...	Nino Barlini
Françoise Hardy	...	Lisa
Adolfo Celi	...	Agostini Manetta
Claude Dauphin	...	Hugo Simon
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Guido
Geneviève Page	...	Monique Delvaux-Sarti
Jack Watson	...	Jeff Jordan
Donald O'Brien	...	Wallace Bennett (as Donal O'Brien)
Jean Michaud	...	Children's father

Runtime:

179 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Italian | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Brands Hatch racing track, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Cherokee Productions

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~5.4 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~4.7 seconds.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Scott Stoddard's car crashes in the first Grand Prix race you can see a white tendril of smoke shooting out towards the car. This is the hydrogen pump used to propel the fake formula 1 car with a dummy in it to make the crash seem more realistic and should not be in the shot.

Quotes:

[Addressing Pete Aron at the Ferrari factory]
Agostini Manetta: What means far more to me than anything else is: our good name! Our reputation represents desire for perfection of the highest quality. I gamble that reputation gladly, because I have *absolute* faith in every car that leaves this factory. But I will not risk it on a driver in whom I cannot have an equal faith. There are fewer than thirty men in the world qualified to drive Formula One; a mere half-dozen, perhaps, to win. At this moment, I am inclined to think you are not one of them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Style & Sound of Speed (2006) (V)

Grand Prix

Although it is almost 40 years old, it is still the standard by which racing movies are judged. The good news is the plot doesn't interfere with the racing scenes. It's also great to see drivers like Graham Hill, Phil Hill (glad he didn't quit his day job), Chris Amon, Jimmy Clark, and others on screen. The cars are incredible, even with their lack of aerodynamics and their skinny tires. The opening scene with the engines starting and watching the throttles work is just too cool. These were the 3-litre engines and it was back when drivers actually had to clutch and shift! It's also great to see the tracks as they were back then, especially Spa. Unfortunately they were incredibly dangerous and have been updated for safety reasons, but they were good to see in their old form.