This site is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of 1960's and '70's Musclecars. I will answer any and all questions about what is original, and what are "Period Correct" modifications. I will also post my personal opinion about what is and is not proper. People are encouraged to debate me or share their own opinions or experiences.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Trans-Ams in movies......Besides "Smokey and the Bandit:......
After the last post espousing the Trans-Am's importance to musclecar history and survival some people asked if T/A's were featured in other movies either with or without car-chase action. Here's the list of some I remember. # 1. "McQ". John Wayne was offered "Dirty Harry" and turned it down. After it made Clint Eastwood a mega-star-( Clint was well known for the "Spaghetti Westerns" of Sergio Leone-"A Fistful of Dollars" "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad and The Ugly", but "Dirty Harry" really put him on the map ) he realized his mistake and decided to make a modern Cop drama. It actually had a good story about corrupt cops in Seattle and no one plays a tough guy like the Duke,but it was released at the same time as "Magnum Force"-with Clint as Dirty Harry battling corrupt cops in San Francisco. "Magnum Force" was a Mega-hit, and "McQ" got critical acclaim but didn't do much box office. It's still a good action flick and John Wayne drove a Brewster Green 1973 Trans-Am. # 2. "Thunderbolt&Lightfoot." This one featured Clint Eastwood as a Master Thief and Jeff Bridges as his younger protege'. Early on Bridges steals a white '73 T/A. Later him and Clint dump it and steal a '73 "Boat Tail" Riviera. Not one of Clint's better pics-the story dragged and was too convoluted to make sense of. # 3 "The Star Chamber" featured Micheal Douglas as an Idealistic Judge who's seen too many murdering dirtbags go free on technicalities. His pal Hal Holbrook initiates him into a secret panel of Judges that vote and mete out the death penalty to killers who have gotten off via their personal hitman. There's a cool chase in a parking garage and the bad guys do the most awesome burnout you'll ever see on screen in a 455 powered '73 T/A. # 4. "An Eye for an Eye". Chuck Norris Martial-Arts thriller filmed in San Francisco. Chuck kicks a lot of ass and drives a Buccaneer Red '73 T/A, but sadly no car-chase action. Chuck had a good chase in "Code of Silence" driving a beater '75 Formula 400 if your interested. # 5 "The Hunter". Steve McQueen's last movie-with the King of Cool playing real-life Bounty Hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson. He steals a black and gold '79 T/A that gets blown up after a little chase. # 6. "Georgia Peaches". This was a CBS made for TV action flick. It's notable for some good car chase action in a '79 10th Anniversary T/A, ( Which gets blown up ) and a young Tanya Tucker has a cool bondage scene. ( Not quite as cool as Maureen McCormick's ( Marcia Brady!! ) in "Moonshine County Express" but still sexy. ) ( Call me a perv if you want-you same people who wore out your "pause" and re-wind" buttons going slo-mo on Jennifer Billingsley's VERY dirty bare feet in her scene teasing Burt Reynolds by the river. Just shut up and rent the flicks. ) # 7. "Blue Thunder" Action Thriller with Roy Schieder as a Viet Nam Vet turned Police Helicopter pilot who steals an experimental attack chopper from the Army and uncovers a conspiracy and several murders. He drives a Black and Gold T/A that in some scenes is a '79 with a "Shaker" hood and in others is an '81 Turbo Model. The only chase involves Candy Clark eluding the bad guys and the cops in a Vega while Scheider smites them from the air. ( It actually works on screen ). # 8 "Hooper" This comedy starred Burt Reynolds and Jan-Michael Vincent as rival stuntmen. In their movie within the movie they do a bunch of stunts in a rocket-powered red '78 T/A. I'm sure there's more I missed, so feel free to write in and tell us about them. Mastermind
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