To Please A Lady Movie

[Thomas E]

If during your winter break from circle burning, the old B/W movie "To Please A Lady" starring Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck, is worth a look see. Produced by MGM in 1950, runs about 90 minutes. (Netflix)

It doesn't have all the now techno, and is a bit pre-staged at times.

It it is fun to watch the midgets, love those midgets, then moves to the "Big Cars" on the mile, and then on to Indy.

[indybigjohn]

I managed to get it on DVD when it was on last year. I think I could copy it if anybody wants one.

I hope this doesn't offend anybody, but I found this photo from a scene that didn't make it into the movie. The actors apparently picked up on at least part of the racing attitude.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh178/indybigjohn/ToPleaseALadyCast.jpg

[parrot]

As a kid the Indy part bored me, but loved the rest, especially the track roadsters. Those were always my favorite, cuz that's what we were going to in real life. Thanks for mentioning it Thomas.

[Olen McGuire]

I've seen it many times in the old theaters. Because it was a racing movie, it was on our list with Marlin Brando's 'Wild One'. Here's a copy of the original poster:

http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv149/OlenMac/259439_1020_A.jpg

[Jerry Lee]

Does anyone remember a Mickey Rooney movie from about the same time that had some great old Midget or Roadster footage? I remember seeing part of it many years ago. I could be wrong though, and this could have been the same flick I saw.:idunno:

[indybigjohn]

I'm assuming you're talking about "The Big Wheel." Got that one on a DVD also.

[Thomas E]

Does anyone remember a Mickey Rooney movie from about the same time that had some great old Midget or Roadster footage? I remember seeing part of it many years ago. I could be wrong though, and this could have been the same flick I saw.:idunno:

I'm assuming you're talking about "The Big Wheel." Got that one on a DVD also.

"The Big Wheel" Ad promo

[Olen McGuire]

Along with Thomas E's ad promo, here's one of the DVD covers that indybigjohn may have.

http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv149/OlenMac/51NZEZ78C0L__SS500_.jpg

[Jerry Lee]

Very cool. I'm going to find a copy of both........

Since this has kind of become a 'racing movie' thread.....does anyone remember a film called (I think) "Red Line 7000" (or 2000 or something)??

You might remember it Dad, when we used to take road trips to Alabama in the '60's it always seemed to be playing on TV when we stayed at the Howard Johnson's in Columbia, MO. Haven't seen that one since.

[Olen McGuire]

Yep, that was called Red Line 7000:

YouTube- Red line 7000 (1965) race + crash 1


YouTube- Red line 7000 (1965) race + crash 2

[indybigjohn]

Yep, Red Line 7000, a hokey movie with some good race footage in it. Had a young James Caan driving the Fred Lorenzen car. Had that footage of Cale Yarborough going over the Darlington wall after contact with Sam McQuagg in 1965. Did anybody recognize the crewman who held out the EZ sign before the first crash? George Takei - Mr. Sulu. That one happened in the Sportsman race, I think.

I was sitting on the wall talking to Cale the next February, and he mentioned that he led every race he was in during the previous season. I said I didn't remember him leading a lap in the Southern 500 before that trip over the wall.

He pulled a copy of this photo out of his pocket and said, "I never led a lap, but Sam and I were racing for the lead. Look at this, I was ahead of Sam when I went over the fence."

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh178/indybigjohn/YarboroughMcQuaggDarl65.jpg

Also, isn't it interesting how Petty's car turned from a Plymouth into 62 Chevy?

[Thomas E]

Has anyone watched this movie? (Netflix)

High Gear

[indybigjohn]

I'll make a copy of The Big Wheel or To Please A Lady for anyone who can give me a copy of Red Line 7000.

[parrot]

I'm assuming you're talking about "The Big Wheel." Got that one on a DVD also.

Sonofagun! I had the wrong movie. Didn't realize there was another one. "The Big Wheel" is the one I remember. Lots of 'back yard' racing.

[Olen McGuire]

Here's what I found out about the movie High Gear:



1. High Gear (1931)
aka "The Boy Friends: High Gear" - USA (series title)
2. High Gear (1924)

High Gear (1933)
In the wake of an accident that killed his loyal mechanic, once-fearless race-car driver Mark "High Gear" Sherrod (James Murray) can't seem to find the nerve to race again. But he'll do whatever it takes to put the late mechanic's son (Jackie Searl) through military school. Facing a mounting stack of bills, Sherrod takes a job as a cabbie but keeps his new profession under wraps, all the while yearning for his former glory.
Starring: James Murray, Joan Marsh
Director: Leigh Jason

For indybigjohn if you can't find anyone with Red Line 7000, here's a few places where it can be purchased. Red Line 7000 (http://to.ly/Ors)

[Thomas E]

Here is another one I remember with Nick Adams . . .


Fever Heat - 1968

[Olen McGuire]

And who could forget FIREBALL500:


YouTube- Fireball 500 (1966) Trailer

[Mike Croley]

I don't think i've ever seen a racing movie that had a realistic story line , although some are better than others . But i always liked the Big Wheel movie for the garage and racing scenes . Theres also one starring James Cagney ( can't remember the title ) that has some great old racing footage as well .

[Olen McGuire]

I don't think i've ever seen a racing movie that had a realistic story line , although some are better than others . But i always liked the Big Wheel movie for the garage and racing scenes . Theres also one starring James Cagney ( can't remember the title ) that has some great old racing footage as well .


Yeah Mike I agree with you, and I remember the one with James Cagney. I looked it up and James Cagney played Joe Greer, a one time racing champ. It was called The Crowd Roars. ~Olen



http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv149/OlenMac/cagney432.jpg

[indybigjohn]

If I'm not mistaken, "The Crowd Roars" is on the same DVD I have "To Please A Lady" on. Turner or Fox ran them back-to-back a couple of years ago around Memorial Day. Since they came off the TV, they're not write-protected.

[Jerry Lee]

OK, so here's a racing flick with a "realistic" story line...."Speedway" with Elvis Presley.:chuckle: Just kidding, the story line is goofy, but I love the King (Happy B-day Elv!), and as far as I can remember there is some pretty cool old NASCAR footage in it.

[indybigjohn]

"Thunder in Carolina" came the closest to having a believeable story line as any race film I've seen. That is, for stock car racing. "LeMans" comes to mind for road racing.

[carc7]

The best? GRAND PRIX; 1966 with James Garner and bunch of international stars. Won 2 Academy Awards: best editing and best special effects. Four interwoven plot lines (fairly thin plot lines, but hey! It's a racing movie!). SUPER footage at Monaco and Spa and Monza. Very few and minor goofs for a movie of this length. It made me a GP fan! Check out double-clutching and shifting with a 5-speed nonsyncho gearbox; heel-and-toe technique!
Second? LE MANS; 1972 with Steve McQueen and a bunch of international stars you've never heard of or ever will again. ZERO plot line and the acting is so-so, but GAWD what super footage! 5% plot and 95% racing footage; extremely realistic!
Next up for me was WINNING; 1969 with Paul Newman, Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward. Love story about people who happen to be involved with racing. Good racing footage but mixed up (like putting the fouled up 1966 Indy start into the 1968 race). Look fast to see Jim Malloy; you get about 2 seconds of film time. Good CanAm footage at the beginning and the NASCAR race at Riverside isn't long enough. Richard Thomas' major movie debut.

[Checkers]

I remember going to the ISIS theater downtown to see the film.
Dang you guys are starting to make me feel old.

[Thomas E]

Burn 'Em Up Barnes was an old (1934) weekly serial that was shown in the local theaters.

I watched it on Denver's channel 2 KFEL (remember channel 2) after school, Bob Shriver was the host, I think it came on at 4:00 or 4:30 pm. That was in 1954.

Here now is your Saturday afternoon matinee thriller . . .

Burn 'Em Up Barnes (http://www.archive.org/details/burn_em_up_barnes_1)

[lakeside #29]

Hi Guys,
AMAZON has To Please A Lady new on DVD for $4.15.
Miss Peggy

[Mitch G.]

I liked "The Big Wheel", and "To Please a Lady", the best, I'm a sucker for old black and white movies. Plus Clark Gable is more believable than most other actors. Most of those movies were not too good, racing footage was great in some of them, but most as a whole, were poor. Talk about horrible movies, there was one made in the 70's about short track late models, called "Jump", next to "Plan 9 from Outer Space", is one of the worst movies ever made. There's lots of real drama in auto racing, but for some reason, movie people can't convey it on screen, so they make up dopey stories, and love triangles that have nothing to due with the real excitement, drama and tragedy that happens in real auto racing.

[JimmyK]

I beleive Johnnie Tolan did most of the stunt midget work on "To Please a Lady" (for CG) and Johnny Parsons did the champ car work.

[Olen McGuire]

I beleive Johnnie Tolan did most of the stunt midget work on "To Please a Lady" (for CG) and Johnny Parsons did the champ car work.

Yeah thanks Jimmy, Johnnie Parsons and Johnny Tolan are indeed listed as drivers along with Dominic "Pee Wee" Dictorce and Henry Banks.That according to IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base).~Olen