Trivia for
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)

photos

board

trailer

details

• The set of Burt Munro's garage/shack was formerly the site of a gang headquarters in Invercargill, New Zealand.
  
  
• The actual street where the Post Office was set is called The Crescent, and had 1960s phone booths and parking meters fitted for the shoot. Local residents offered to move their parked cars to allow more room for the production vans.
  
  
• The gang's motorcycles are Triumphs with one BSA and 1 AJS.
  
  

• Many of Burt Munro's tools and props from his tool shed are kept for posterity in a hardware store in Invercargill. These, as well as small pieces of costume such as one of Munro's ties on loan from his son, were used by Anthony Hopkins to add to his character's authenticity.
  
  
• Munro's children visited the set one day, when, according to director Roger Donaldson, "Tony (Anthony Hopkins) was having a particularly good Burt day". His performance was so authentic that it moved them to tears.
  
  
• At a post-film question and answer session at the National Film Theatre, London on 20 February 2006, director Roger Donaldson said that four motorcycles were built for the shoot: two replica Indian Scouts for detail shots made by the late motorcycle engineer John Britten's firm and two modified Ducatis for the running shots. He also said all four had difficulties on the salt flats breaking down regularly although the Ducatis reached 150mph for some shots. As for his own exploits, Donaldson admitted that the highest motorcycle speed he achieved was 65mph.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [Roger Donaldson] Using a racing machine on a public road. In this movie Anthony Hopkins/Burt Munro tests the Indian on a highway. In the opening sequence of Smash Palace, Bruno Lawerence/Al Shaw is seen testing his Formula 5000 race car the same way.
  
  
• Tim Shadbolt, who plays Frank in the movie was actually the Mayor of Invercargill in real life and at the time of writing (April 2007) still is.
  
  
• William Lucking plays Rolly Free. Rolland "Rollie" Free was a racer of Indian Motorcycles in the 20's and 30's. He set an American motorcycle speed record by riding a Vincent HRD to a speed of 150.313 m.p.h. at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948.
  
  

Related Links