Summary

Ingenuity in Action

Source Archive Films by Getty Images
Title: Ingenuity in Action
File Number: PA-2333 1 inch; PA-0510 Digibeta
Color: Color
Type: Industrial
Year: 1959
Subjects: Aerials Hot rods Hotrods Dragracing Drag racing Automobiles Cars Teenagers
Description: Ingenuity in Action Written by Haile Chase. Directors: Sid Davis, Haile Chase. This informative film made for hot rod fans explains the process involved in preparing and entering a car show, but at times comes across as an ethnographic account of the "nomadic tribe of hotrodders". AV of Detroit out of jet window, with airplane wing Many shots of hot rod auto shows, crowds, and races, including 1959 Chevrolets Full parking lot AVs (shaky) Shots of racecar assembly, including welding on the frame and engine work Shots of driving through the Southwest, with Mesas in the background. A desert sunset. Men pushing a racecar on the ramp of a semi-truck. A group of men shaking hands and rubbing the top of each others' heads. Shot on the rear of a racecar with smoke shooting out as it takes off. Scenes of cars racing. Woman shooting with 8mm movie camera. An outdoor pool with men jumping off the diving board. Trucks with trailers going through the Turner Turnpike toll booth. A woman standing on the back flap of a vehicle in sunglasses, thongs and sombrero hat shoots 8mm movies Men at a Coca-Cola stand Shots from front of racing car of on-coming track CU of sports announcer with microphone Men accepting and holding trophies by cars A woman in full length gown being aggressively kissed in a joking fashion -- she reacts with a crazy expression Personalities: Chuck Jones, racer from sidewinder crew in Long Beach, California Wally Parks, president of NHRA Ed Cole, general manager of Chevrolet Robert Petersen, publisher of Hot Rod Magazine Mr. Tex Colbert, president of Chrysler Corporation Excellent hot rod footage. Also, very good scenes of trophies awarded to winners of drag race. Excellent color. This is probably one of the best films dealing with hotrods and dragracing. VO by a somewhat macho racecar driver and enthusiast: "Lefty and Tom are high priests in our temple, Lefty works in electronics, and Tom's a mechanic." They prepare for the national auto show in Detroit. They set out with their hot rod in tow, "The Martin Nelson Dragmaster" from Oceanside, California and drive through the Southwest. In Amarillo, Texas the guys stop at a barbecue eatery. Oklahoma had a regional meet. They go through St. Louis and cross the Mississippi on a bridge in foggy weather, leading to a drive down a stormy road in Illinois. They arrive at the meet and proceed through the races. The winner: Rod Singer of Houston, Texas who wins the largest trophy and "The Kiss" from a woman in a full length light blue gown. The enthusiasts will now return to their garages. worth noting: some nice AVs of Detroit 15:28:40:27- 15:29:00:04 Great flying POV (relatively low to the ground) over a drag race strip in Detroit. We see the front of the plane. 15:29:00- 15:29:19:05 Excellent pan of crowded parking lot at a race site. Lots of young men hanging out around their hot rods. 15:36:14:28- 15:36:33:07 Interesting shot of a caravan pulling out of an Oklahoma motel's extensive parking lot. Nice sign for the motel (Cross Motel). 15:41:51:18- 15:42:15:08 Great AV of enormous parking lot in the middle of nowhere. Plane dips some and we view a drag strip by the parking lot. "To hotrodders everywhere, and their great zeal for experimentation. A fact of Native American technology which is always a part of us. . . . This film is respectfully dedicated"
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