Grand Prix (1966)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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 helmet design that James Garner's character uses is that of then-Grand Prix race driver 'Chris Amon (I)'. The only difference was a silhouette of a Kiwi bird that was normally on the side of Amon's helmet (he was from New Zealand) that was left off of Garner's, as his character was an American.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Jean Pierre crashes he is helped out of his car. He pulls his goggles part way down as they are now just under his lip and covering his chin. The view then cuts to a close-up of Jean Pierre's face and the goggles are not over his face any more.

Quotes:

Jean-Pierre Sarti: The danger? Well, of course. But you are missing a very important point. I think if any of us imagined - really imagined - what it would be like to go into a tree at 150 miles per hour we would probably never get into the cars at all, none of us. So it has always seemed to me that to do something very dangerous requires a certain absence of imagination.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Style & Sound of Speed (2006) (V)

Magnificent

The plot is ho-hum, the acting is superb, with Jessica Walter and James Garner especially terrific, but the movie is about formula 1 racing, and there has never been anything like it. The racing scenes merge image and movement and music and become transcendent. Even on the small tv screen, this movie is remarkable. But if you ever find it playing in a theatre, you'll be amazed.