Movie Healey sighting - O' Lucky Man

[nevets]

I watched this British classic from the early 70's for the first time recently, which includes a brief but nifty scene with a red Healey 100 (BN2 I think) overtaking the sedan being driven by Malcom McDowell (English Ford or maybe a Hillman?). Anyway it takes place on a foggy country road, the tweedy driver of the Healey sneers at McDowell then puts his foot into it, zooms past the sedan and disappears into the fog ahead. A few moments later a loud crash. Next scene, a very wrecked Austin Healey.

 

[bob hughes]

<span style="font-size: 23pt">Ouch</span>

But there again, it was only a film.

 

[nevets]

Only a film but that wrecked Healey was not a body double.

 

[glemon]

The body double comment made me chuckle, if you look at movies from the 50s and 60s there are may car crashes with Ferraris, Jags etc. where the car is shown spinning out or going over a cliff, then they cut to the next scene which is a totally different car (probably acquired from the local junkyard) going up in flames.

Speaking of Healey destruction, a newer film recently out on rental DVD, "The Bank Job" shows a nice 100/6 or early 3000 getting crunched in the hood by a mobster in an early scene, while not a lot of Healeys, the movie, set in early 70s London, features tons and tons of "cameos" by classic British sports cars and sedans, and is not a bad flick in its own right.

 

[nevets]

Thanks for the film recommendation. I enjoy Brit crime movies. BTW, I also owned a solid axle TR4 which I regret selling.

 

[roscoe]

I have been enjoying the sound track from O'Lucky man since it was released. I saw the movie when it came out in theaters (long before my interest in things Healey), but did not remember that it was a 100 in the crash scene. A strange movie. Another strange Lindsay Anderson film was "If". No Healeys in that one as I recall.

 

[pan]

The Healey that is featured in "O Lucky Man" is seen in several British movies & TV shows of the late sixties-early seventies.
A classicly bad horror film, "Scream & Scream Again" also has this car. The monster whisks his teenage girl victims away in it and is chased by the police. It was also in the comedy series "Doctor in the House".

 

[hmj6854]

for all interested, try www.imcd.org for a complete listing of cars in films. great web site. jmh

 

[hmj6854]

Sorry, correct web site is www.imcdb.org JMH

 

[Scot]

Malcom McDowell is himself quite a British car fan. Made me think of a story my Father-in-Law(Gary) told me recently:
Gary had a 66' Morgan and was in the Morgan club in San Francisco several years ago. On a club rally through the Sierra Nevadas, Malcom,in his brand new Morgan, was following right behind Gary, who was leading the rally. Apparently Malcom was right on Gary's tail as they wound through the mountain twisties with that 66' 2+2 straining to appease the faster and newer Morgan behind him.
At the end of the rally Malcom stood up in his car with fists pumping and told him "good show Gary!! good show!!
Malcom was a member of the So Cal Morgan club but I guess liked to drive with the SFO group.

 

[pan]

"The Bank Job" has just been released in the movie theatres here in Australia, yet you folks in the USA have it already on DVD. Is it that bad that it went straight to DVD?
With a review of the film, the local newspaper had a "still" from the movie which shows the main character standing next to a Healey.