I would have seen this when I was 5 or 6. Watching Steve jump the rows of coiled up barbed wire just struck a chord in my soul that I can still hear today. Perhaps I suddenly know why, 60 years later? My mom is responsible! “No Glen, you can’t have a gun!” “No Glen, you can’t stay out late at night!” “No Glen, you can’t smoke cigarettes!” “No Glen, you can’t set the cat on fire!” “No Glen, you can’t play with matches!”
Poor Mom. “No Glen…you can’t have a motorcycle!!!!” I remember tears on that one when it went out the window. I’ve been on motorcycles most of my life now. I do or have done all the other “dont’s” too! Of course mom was right on some of those things…but I am still glad I did them.
That scene in "Great Escape", and the opening of "Lawrence of Arabia".
ReplyDeleteGranted Lawrence wrecked, but the look on his face (O'Toole as Lawarance) while riding catches what it is all about.
Concerning filming of Great Escape:
ReplyDeleteI read where it was going to be filmed in the US.
Some of the production team went to Germany to get set scenary ideas.
The decided that the movie should be filmed in Germany because Germany looked like Germany!
Trying to make a movie set look like Germany was not going to hqppen.
It certainly was the right decision, wasn't it Papa...
DeleteYou are glad you set the cat on fire!??? I'm shocketh
ReplyDeleteIt was easy when you figure out that cats don't burn unless you use an accelerant! :)
DeleteI bet setting the cat on fire was the most fun!
ReplyDeleteI am so lucky I got to go to the movies in the era of real men: John Wayne, Sean Connery, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, etc. Today's "male" movie stars are a bunch of emo faggots. Brad Pitt started out ok but whats her face turned him into a nigger raising cuck. Will Smith is a cuck. Henry Cavill's emo version of Superman is underwhelming.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'd like to thank whoever it was that suggested Kevin Samuels. Watching him destroy womens' egos was very entertaining. Owen Benjamin is right, "all women are insane."
No doubt. I just laugh when they roll out the chinks and try to pass them off as the new Hollywood tough guys. Their tough women are an even bigger joke...
DeleteMy Mom was quite adamant that I couldn't have a motorcycle. It seems some relative went out drinking one snowy night, drove home on his motorcycle with a light jacket and no gloves, and chlorined the gene pool with a tree. Her final edict was that I couldn't have a motorcycle until I could pay for it myself. She thought I'd outgrow the idea before I'd gather that much cash. With a little wheeling and dealing, I bought a used Honda at the ripe old age of 15. She wasn't pleased, but she stood by her word.
ReplyDeleteMotorcycles and moms are old enemies...
DeleteNot to take anything away from McQueen, who was a very talented rider, but I’ve read that the famous barbed wire jump in the movie was done by Bud Elkins as McQueen’s stunt double, as demanded by the studio.
ReplyDeleteThat stunt had some SERIOUS air time and altitude in it. Whoever did it... they had some serious skills...
DeleteI had 2 motorcycles before the end of high school.
ReplyDeleteone I traded 4 mag wheels and tires for. a Norton 650. great bike
fast as anything. it got lost after I went into the army
the other was a 250 Harley that had problems. I always had to fix something on it. only gave a couple of hundred for it and I think I
sold it for about the same.
I did want to keep the Norton though. even had it under a tarp out back of the house. never did find out where or what happened to it.
Harley went through a period in the early 80's that was so bad, they almost went out of business. That Evolution engine was a POS, and badly overpriced. The company was being managed by the usual corporate shithawks and it showed in every thing they did. It's just my opinion but the company still is run by corporate shithawks... but at least they are riders and are making motorcycles again...
DeleteI love old British motorcycles. Especially 441 Victim. Last scooter I bought was a Yamaha sr500e because it reminded me of them. They say the reason the brits don't make semiconductors is they haven't figured out how to make them leak oil.
ReplyDeleteI am the one who wrote about the 85 cc Yamaha, my Dad had a 441 BSA, rode with him up Turkey Creek Canyon west of Denver. Up to Conifer, down to Evergreen and back to Denver through Kittredge, scraped foot pedals through the curves the whole way, he was a good Dad
Deletethe Norton was as bad as the Harley was.
Deleteevery one I looked at back then all leaked like mad.
knew a guy with a old knuckle head and he had rebuilt the whole damn bike. that was a smooth running machine after he did that to it. he passed on not that long ago, I think maybe 5-6 years now. have no idea what happen to HIS bike.
I think I read somewhere that McQueen favoured Triumph. I almost bought one once - the the salesman was so damned sleazy and crooked I told him to keep the bike and get effed.
DeleteI ride metric bikes and have no brand loyalty. If I were to move away from the Japs I'd probably go to Husquavarna or maybe Aprilla... maybe Ducati...
My Dad bought me a 85 cc Yamaha mini enduro. Wouldn't let me drive it until I could clean the air filter, change the oil, change the spark plug. I was an 11 year old girl. It had a tool kit under the seat, extra spark plugs cause of little lead balls in the gap. He put a bigger sprocket so I could climb hills, my sister's had the smaller sprocket, she could go faster. Competed in trails, powder puff metals, jumped logs slogged through creeksGood stuff
ReplyDeleteFrankly, my dear old mother is the main reason I still don't ride. That, and one of my neighbors who used to ride told me that there is no way in the world she'd ride today. Well, once around the beltway in Columbus, Ohio convinced me.
ReplyDeleteYour roads just get so congested down there. And as they get ever more vibrant... the road stats will reflect that. I generally ride outside the big cities.
DeleteJust bought a Yamaha XT250 to tool around on. Fun little dual sport. Really have my eye on a Royal Enfield Himalayan as well. Damn cool and 411cc is all I need.. it'll still move faster than my old brain cells.
ReplyDelete