Euro-Fords in the Movies

Post questions, thoughts or comments on anything English & European Ford related here.
IFHP
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Euro-Fords in the Movies

Post by IFHP »

European Fords in the Movies

Seen any English or European Fords in the movies lately? This thread is a place to let rest of us know about it. The format I would like to establish here is as follows:

1) Movie Name
2) Year made and/or released
3) A few words about the significance of the movie and the cars involved.
4) A link to more information about the movie such as RottenTomatoes.com or IMDB.

Now, please pass the popcorn...

Michael
Last edited by IFHP on Fri Nov 02, 2007 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Post by IFHP »

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (based on a J.K. Rowling book by the same name) put the 105E Anglia squarely into the consciousness of millions of viewers who had probably not seen one in years, if ever. A few years ago a member of the British 105E Anglia Owners Club wrote an article for Classic Ford magazine about his job collecting old Anglias for the production of the movie. He said that something like 15 or 20 cars were destroyed in the filming, though most were just repainted hulks to start with.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/harry_p ... f_secrets/

A link to pictures:

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_2123-Ford- ... -1960.html

Michael
Last edited by IFHP on Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Once upon a time in the Midlands

Post by IFHP »

Once upon a time in the Midlands
2002

Not a bad movie, not a great one either. This movie deals with themes of love, friendship, personal values and materialism in the working class suburbs of if the British Midlands. One of the central characters in this movie is a Ford Sierra (called "Baby" if I recall correctly). The car is a XR4i model with a Cosworth grille. The Sierra gets wrecked and rebuilt two or three times over the course of the story (though I suspect that in real life it was only wrecked once). In one scene, the Sierra's owner can be seen reading a magazine, which on closer inspection turns out to be a early issue of Classic Ford.

Probably worth renting.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_up ... _midlands/


Michael
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Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Wererabbit

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Wallace and Gromit Curse of the Wererabbit
2005

A family favorite at our house, Wallace and Gromit is wonderfully funny exercise in clay animation that kids and adults will both enjoy. The main vehicle in the movie is Wallace's 1950s Austin A35 van, but every other vehicle seen on the street is either a 100E Anglia/Prefect or a 300E Thames!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wallace ... ererabbit/

Picture link:

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_20316-Ford ... -1957.html

Michael
Last edited by IFHP on Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Born Free

Post by IFHP »

Born Free
1966

As the review says, this is a feel-good family movie with lots of wildlife and African scenery, which I always enjoy. The principle vehicles in this movie are a Land Rover (duh), a Commer truck and a Hillman Super Minx estate. Mid-movie the main characters drive to Nairobi, Kenya, which results in some interesting car spotting for the contemporary viewer. There is a particularly nice series of shots of a brand new split-window VW Bus. The EnFo connection is tenuous, but intriguing.

In the back ground of the airport scene is a black and silver estate, which I believe to be a Kenyan spec Consul Classic 315. I only know that there ever was such a car, because of a photo I saw in the newsletter of the British Consul Classic & Capri Owners Club newsletter. I would assume that only a few hundred, at most, of these estates were ever made. The image is fuzzy but I have played it over and over in slow motion. I am about 90% confident that it is Consul Estate, the other possibility is that it is a PA Vauxhall Cresta. Watch the movie and decide for yourself!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060182/

Michael
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Post by stanchfi »

You might want to check out the Internet Movie Car DataBase

http://www.imcdb.org/

Looks like "Ford Cortina" generates over 9 pages of search results!!!

*warning* this site can be quite a time waster!!!!!

-James
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Post by 105epaul »

I thought I should add some films! First one is called 'Never Let Go' and was released in 1960. The film stars Richard Todd and the story revolves around the fact that he buys a new Anglia 105E for his job. The car is stolen, he has little insurance and follows his attempts to get the Anglia back from the thieves. Ford must have had a hand in the film as it is great promotion for the new 105E! A very good film, made in black and white.
Dr No, the first James Bond film made in 1963 starts with a man getting shot as he gets into his 105E. Many Fords can be seen in the car park scene at the airport and a Mk2 Consul also makes an appearance as a police car.

Carry On Cabby released in 1963 features a fleet of Mk1 Cortinas as taxis. The story is that the wife (Hattie Jacques) of a traditional cab firm owner opens her own company with woman drivers in Cortinas in opposition to her husband played by Sid James. It is a comedy and rumours have it that Ford requisitioned press and management cars to supply them to the film. In fact at the famous Goodwood Revival motorsport meeting there has been a fleet of Glamcab Cortinas for the past two years!

Finally for now there is 'O Lucky Man' starring Malcolm McDowell released around 1974. It is the follow up to the notorious film 'A Clockwork Orange' and McDowell plays a salesman who drives an Anglia 105E estate as his company car. Sadly the Anglia comes to a fiery end!

There are quite a lot of films featuring our cars but this will do for a start!
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imdb cars

Post by IFHP »

James, yeah, imdb cars is pretty amazing and I did waste a fair amount of time last night (when I should have been sleeping) checking it out. It is great – but I was surprised by how many movies, ones that I remember seeing interesting vehicles in, that were not in the database.

Paul, welcome and thanks for the info on those UK movies. Sounds like they are worth watching for the cars alone.
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Rear Window

Post by IFHP »

Rear Window
1954

The reviewers call Rear Window one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. Shot on a sound stage, the main character (played by Jimmy Stewart) spend most of the movie spying on his Greenwich Village neighbors, until he thinks he has discovered a murder… On at least two occasions, a car can be seen passing by an ally. The entire car is never fully in view, but the car is clearly a Mk I Consul or Zephyr. A treat for the sharp-eyed EnFo enthusiast.

Michael

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047396/combined
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La Dolce Vita

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La Dolce Vita
1960

A classic Italian art house film by Fellini, I watched it for the first time earlier this year. While the main character spends some time riding around in a 1958 Cadillac convertible, in a street scene, there are several shots of an early Mk II Zodiac – delightful.

Michael

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/
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Post by escysean »

Original Get Carter film by Michael Caine featuring mk2 Ford Cortina in 1971 about main character as gangster who went up north in Newcastle from London to search for missing brother.

The silver/blue met Cortina was chasing around back streets by Michael Caine frighten off locals, great film

Also by same actor about British Spy, Harry Palmer in one of several films, the one called "Billion-Dollar Brain", the location in Finland saw Michael driving in red 2-door mk2 Cortina, the car end up sinking on frozen lake.

Also in James Bond film by George Lazenby,loads of brand new mk1 Ford Escorts in ice-rally in Swizterland or Austria, not sure, with George in Mercedes Benz driving along side with Fords and generally smashed to each other!! The film called On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 1969

Sean
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Post by 105epaul »

Another couple of British films

'Dance With A Stranger' released 1985.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088987/

It's the story of Ruth Ellis (Miranda Richardson) who was the last woman to be hanged in Britain after she shot her racing driver boyfriend (Rupert Everett). Another friend (Ian Holm) drives a Mk1 Zephyr convertible in the film.

'The 39 Steps' released in 1959.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053354/

Stars Kenneth More as Richard Hannay. During the film he and a woman are caught by two guys in a Mk2 Zephyr Highline (which sometimes becomes a Consul!). It gets a flat tyre and they try to get away.
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Last King of Scotland

Post by IFHP »

Last King of Scotland
2006

This weekend I watched the Last King of Scotland -- a good movie on the horrific subject of Idi Amin’s Uganda. In one street scene, a blue and white (looks to be hand painted) 105E Anglia passes by in the background.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_K ... %28film%29
xclusiv
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Post by xclusiv »

in the remake of Starky & Hutch, there is a blue mk2 cortina in the front yard of the guys house.. too bad they were not driving it.. (ford torino instead).
Dave A
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Post by Dave A »

Remember the movie "Christine"?
Image
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