Re: Ronin, Grand Prix, etc.

[Simon Favre <simon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's another story about the movie "Grand Prix" by J.  Frankenheimer.
I attended a private showing of a freshly restored copy of the film at
the Sonoma Theater.  This was a benefit trying to save the theater.  It
was part of the Wine Country Classic Vintage Auto Races (sister event to
Monterey).  John Frankenheimer was on hand autographing reprinted movie
posters for all attendees.  I have one.  The race event was a Formula 1
reunion.  I was racing my Formula Junior in the event.

The story he told while introducing the movie was great.  It seems they
originally wanted Steve McQueen to play the lead.  While Frankenheimer
was off in Europe lining up all the best drivers and tracks, his
co-producer had a meeting with McQueen.  They almost came to blows.  The
co-producer was an ex-boxer who was about to knock Steve McQueen's block
off.  McQueen stormed out vowing to do a racing movie at the same time
to compete with Grand Prix.  McQueen hooked up with a rival studio, who
gave them permission to go spy on what Frankenheimer was doing in
Europe.  By this time, Grand Prix was well underway.  When the spies
reported back on the work being done by Frankenheimer, their literal
comment was, "If Frankenheimer has film in those cameras, we're dead."
The rival studio scuttled the project.  Grand Prix won 4 or 5 Oscars.

It was 5 years later that Steve McQueen did "Le Mans" based on the 1971
race.  If you watch Le Mans carefully, you will see an Alfa Romeo Tipo
33/3.  Alfa knew they couldn't keep up with the Porsche-Ferrari war that
was going on, so they made an open cockpit car to run in that category.
They won their class, and finished well in the overall standings.

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End of alfa-digest V7 #207
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