Grand Prix (1966)

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

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

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
Albert Rémy	...	Monte Carlo doctor
Rachel Kempson	...	Mrs. Stoddard
Ralph Michael	...	Mr. Stoddard
Alan Fordney	...	Sportscaster
Anthony Marsh	...	Sportscaster
Phil Hill	...	Tim Randolph
Graham Hill	...	Bob Turner
Bernard Cahier	...	Victor, journalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Masaaki Asukai	...	Japanese interpreter (uncredited)
Lorenzo Bandini	...	Grand Prix driver (uncredited)
Raymond Baxter	...	BBC interviewer (uncredited)
Salvatore Billa	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bob Bondurant	...	Grand Prix driver (uncredited)
Jack Brabham	...	Grand Prix driver (uncredited)
John Bryson	...	David, photographer (uncredited)
Jim Clark	...	Himself (uncredited)
Eugenio Dragoni	...	Ferrari official (uncredited)
Evans Evans	...	Mrs. Randolph (uncredited)
Tiziano Feroldi	...	Doctor at Monza (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Izo Yamura (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Alain Gerard	...	American boy (uncredited)
Richie Ginther	...	John Hogarth (uncredited)
Noël Godin	...	Spectator (Spa) (uncredited)
Arthur Howard	...	Claude (uncredited)
Gilberto Mazzi	...	Rafael (uncredited)
Bruce McLaren	...	Douglas McClendon (uncredited)

Directed by
John Frankenheimer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Alan Aurthur		screenplay
Robert Alan Aurthur		story
John Frankenheimer		uncredited
William Hanley		additional dialogue

Produced by
Kirk Douglas	....	executive producer
John Frankenheimer	....	executive producer
James Garner	....	executive producer
Edward Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Lionel Lindon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Henry Berman
Stu Linder		(as Stewart Linder)
Frank Santillo

Casting by
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	makeup artist
Giuliano Laurenti	....	makeup artist
Alfio Meniconi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Crowhurst	....	production manager: England
Sam Gorodisky	....	production manager: Italy
Sacha Kamenka	....	production manager: Monaco and France
William Kaplan	....	unit production manager
Wim Lindner	....	production manager: Netherlands (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Enrico Isacco	....	assistant director
Stephan Iscovescu	....	assistant director
Sam Itzkovitch	....	assistant director
Roger Simons	....	assistant director

Art Department
Frank Agnone	....	property master
Mickey Lennon	....	stand-by prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roy Charman	....	sound recordist
Gordon Daniel	....	sound editor
Franklin Milton	....	sound recordist
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound (as Harry Warren Tetrick)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robert Bonnig	....	special effects
Jeff Clifford	....	special effects
Jimmy Harris	....	special effects
Garth Inns	....	special effects
Milt Rice	....	special effects
Jimmy Ward	....	special effects
Jack Woodbridge	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Saul Bass	....	visual consultant
James S. Pollak	....	title designer (uncredited)

Stunts
Max Balchowsky	....	stunt driver
Tom Bamford	....	stunt driver
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Georges Fontenelle	....	camera operator: second unit
Yann Le Masson	....	camera operator: second unit
George Lucas	....	additional camera operator
John M. Stephens	....	camera operator: second unit
Olivier Benoist	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
George Cole	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	costume selector
Sydney Guilaroff	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Saul Bass	....	montage
Fredric Steinkamp	....	supervising editor
Chris Kelly	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chris Amon	....	racing driver
Lorenzo Bandini	....	racing driver
Jean-Pierre Beltoise	....	racing driver
Bob Bondurant	....	racing driver
Joakim Bonnier	....	racing driver
Jack Brabham	....	racing driver
Ken Costello	....	racing driver
Juan Manuel Fangio	....	racing driver
Nino Farina	....	racing driver
Paul Frère	....	racing driver
Richie Ginther	....	racing driver
Dan Gurney	....	racing driver
Graham Hill	....	racing driver
Phil Hill	....	racing driver
Dennis Hulme	....	racing driver
Tony Lanfranchi	....	racing driver
Guy Ligier	....	racing driver
Bruce McLaren	....	racing driver
Michael Parkes	....	racing driver
Andre Pilette	....	racing driver
Teddy Pilette	....	racing driver
Peter Revson	....	racing driver
Jochen Rindt	....	racing driver
Jim Russell	....	racing driver
Ludovico Scarfiotti	....	racing driver
Jo Schlesser	....	racing driver
Skip Scott	....	racing driver
Jo Siffert	....	racing driver (as Joe Siffert)
Mike Spence	....	racing driver

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Joakim Bonnier	....	racing advisor
Richie Ginther	....	racing advisor
Phil Hill	....	racing advisor
Lucie Lichtig	....	continuity
Carroll Shelby	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Cherokee Productions
• Douglas & Lewis Productions
• Joel Productions
• John Frankenheimer Productions Inc.
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• MGM Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Vídeo Arte (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Frick Enterprises  racing camera mounts
• Lee Lighting  lighting

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:

The film shows racing taking place on the banked oval section of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy, but in fact the oval section of that racetrack had not been used for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix since 1961. This section of the track was still used, however, for races involving other classes of cars until 1969. The Monza 1,000 Kilometre, for example, reserved for the Sports, Prototype and Grand Touring categories, used the full 10KM course (including the high-speed banked oval section) from 1965 to 1969. Ironically, the tragic fatal accident in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix (which took the life of German driver Wolfgang Von Trips, and 14 spectators) did not occur in the banked oval section but just prior to the "Parabolic" curve, which is part of the Road Course section of Monza. This road course, with modifications for safety and since the retirement of the banked oval section, has comprised the entire circuit at Monza ever since.

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:

Izo Yamura: Why do you drive racing cars, or do you not think about it?
Pete Aron: Oh, Mr. Yamura, I don't think there's one of us who doesn't ask himself at least once in the middle of a race, "What the hell am I doing here?" Of course, when it's over, we conveniently forget that we asked ourselves that question. I think about it and a lot of reasons I don't know. Maybe to do something that brings you so close to the possibility of death and to survive it is to feel life and living so much more intensely.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Bass on Titles (1977)

a period piece-- but of a great period

It's hard to rate this film. Its got a soap opera plot pasted on to some really fine cinematography, editing, music and racing sequences. The real stars of this film are the cars, the beautiful F1 'cigar' cars of the 60's with their exposed engines and elegant lines. Within a handful of years aerodynamics and advertising would change the look of racing forever. Even the plot hints at the change taking place at the time-- from the gentlemen's league of the 50's to the ravenously commercial and brutally competitive environment that Formula 1 was to become. Frankenheimer followed the tour through a season, to the storied old tracks such as Nurburgring, Spa and Monza (before safety and television considerations changed them to much shorter, less idiosyncratic shadows of their former selves). There are cameos by Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark and Lorenzo Bandini, names tinged with tragedy in retrospect. Technically this film is quite an achievement. Many of its developments, however, did not really take, such a multiple images, and the splicing of soft music to intense action scenes. The film, then, is not one of great importance in movie history. But there are a lot of racing fans who hold a special, if not top, place for Grand Prix in their lists of favourite films.