Grand Prix

Grand Prix (1966)

Timing: 2:56 (176 min)

7.256/10
176

• The film also uses footage from real "Formula 1" races from the 1966 season; some racers played themselves, while others served as prototypes for the film's characters.
• 32 professional drivers participated in the filming of the movie. Five of them died in collisions on the track within two years of filming, and another five within ten years.
• Due to insufficient power, the engines couldn't realistically spin the wheels of the Formula 1 cars at the start, so for these scenes, the tires were coated with gasoline, resulting in a realistic spin and smoke.
• During the filming of one scene, at the direction of director John Frankenheimer (1930-2002), a van carrying tea for the extras had to be blown up. This was necessary to ensure that the crowd looked intently in the direction the director wanted at the crucial moment. In the editing, it was made to appear as if the viewers were gawking at a crash during the race.
• James Garner (1928-2014) performed all the driving scenes himself; he was not doubled by professional drivers hired for that purpose.
• Director John Frankenheimer refused to film the cars in slow motion and then speed up the film, believing that the average viewer would notice.
• All available 65mm Panavision cameras were used during filming.
• During the filming of one scene, Yves Montand (1922-1991) lost control of the car, it spun around, and from that moment on, Montand instinctively became afraid of high speeds. His racing car had to be towed on a cable at a maximum speed of 200 km/h, which suited Montand perfectly.
• James Garner was too tall for Formula 1 drivers. He only fit in the car if the driver's seat was removed, so the actor himself had to sit on a towel directly on the floor. In addition, due to the actor's height, the car's roll cage had to be changed so that it wouldn't appear lower than the pilot's head.
• All the actors involved in the film were specially trained to drive racing cars, but filming was particularly difficult for Brian Bedford (1935-2016) and Antonio Sapato (1943-2021), who had never driven a car before.
• During filming, Brian Bedford used Jackie Stewart’s helmet, who would later become a three-time world champion. Of the four actors, only Bedford didn’t drive, and that’s why he wears both glasses and a balaclava in all scenes where his character is shown behind the wheel.
• After Montana’s car flies off the track and falls off a cliff into the trees, the dying hero is pulled from the vehicle, having sustained injuries in the crash. In those days, Formula 1 cars were not equipped with seatbelts.