16 replies to this topic

[Derwent Motorsport]

We went to a very interesting play last night about this 1930s French racing driver. It's a one woman production currently touring. Excellent and historically accurate. It's called "Fast Woman". Well worth a visit.

Two things came to mind though:
1) Why did Chiron not like her from the start and why did he destroy her career?
2) One of her rivals called "Violet" dressed as a man to race and had her breasts removed to make her more masculine and also was called before a tribunal (Max might have liked that!). Is there any information on her?

[Aero426]

There is a book about her life, called The Bugatti Queen. Available just about everywhere, including Amazon.

Her Bugatti and racing scrapbooks have been reunited and are here in Wisconsin. Here is the car at the Bugatti feature event at Road America in 2005.

[ensign14]

(psst)

(and psst)

Violette Morris, btw, was VERY nasty people.

[RStock]

I have no idea what Chiron had against her , but he made a public accusation at a party before the 1949 Monte Carlo rally that she was a Nazi sympathizer during the war , even accusing her of being a Gestapo agent . I don't believe any evidence has ever been found to back up that claim , and I have no idea why he made it . Reading the Bugatti Queen would be well worth the effort . Her story is quite amazing , in my opinion . I'm glad someone has made the effort to produce a play about her life , it would also make a great movie .

[Derwent Motorsport]

Yes, that was what was said in the play and after that her partner ran off with her money and she ended up in a home for retired actors.
However the play implied a long running dislike from Chiron, not only of Helle but of woman drivers generally. Odd from a "ladies man"!

[Bjorn Kjer]

perhaps the thread "Mlle.Helle-Nice" with 128 replies or "Women drivers" with 722 replies can shed some light on this ?

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by Aero426
There is a book about her life, called The Bugatti Queen. Available just about everywhere, including Amazon.

Her Bugatti and racing scrapbooks have been reunited and are here in Wisconsin. Here is the car at the Bugatti feature event at Road America in 2005.

The car is now owned by Brian Brunkhorst of Chenequa, Wis. It shares garage space with an Alfa Romeo 6C1500, a Cobra, Ferrari Dino, and a couple other interesting vehicles.
Tom

[Jack-the-Lad]

Originally posted by Derwent Motorsport
We went to a very interesting play last night about this 1930s French racing driver. It's a one woman production currently touring. Excellent and historically accurate. It's called "Fast Woman". Well worth a visit.

Two things came to mind though:
1) Why did Chiron not like her from the start and why did he destroy her career?
2) One of her rivals called "Violet" dressed as a man to race and had her breasts removed to make her more masculine and also was called before a tribunal (Max might have liked that!). Is there any information on her?

I'm very glad you've posted this. Otherwise I would not have known about the play you attended.

Can you please provide some information about it, perhaps a web site that shows the schedule and venues?

Many thanks!

Jack.

[Aero426]

The play appears to be in the U.K.

Fast Woman

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Aero426
The play appears to be in the U.K.

Fast Woman

Looks like we are too late for that one unless anyone can make it to Keswick today.Where is it appearing next? Would like to see this if remotely practical,as Helene is someone I have been interested in for years.Also curious to know which actress is playing her?

[Derwent Motorsport]

It is obviously on a tour but the programme we got at the show does not give the schedule.
It's written by Stewart Howson, who is a historic racing enthusiast and got the idea from an article in a 1997 C&SC. Hre relates the considerable research he did before writing the play.
It's presented by HRT productions and stars Sandra Hunt and is produced by Fine Time Fontayne (!)
The publicity shots show Sandra with a genuine Bugatti T35.

I suppose a Google will find out where to find the tour schedule but it did 3 days in the studio at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick.

I hope that helps.

[flat-16]

I suppose we've missed the boat now we're in September...

Google managed to turn up this info:

http://www.thestage....3076/fast-woman

Taken from: http://theatrebythel...eason_Guide.pdf (page 12)

FastWoman
by Stewart Howson
directed by Fine Time Fontayne
starring Sandra Hunt
Studio
Theatre by the Lake is delighted
to welcome back HRT to
present the extraordinary life
of Hellé Nice, artists’ model,
dancer and champion racing
driver. From the dreariness
of peasant France to the demi-
monde of ’20s Paris to the death
defying racing circuits of
Europe and America, she was
the media darling, a practiced
self-publicist. Her world
crashed with an accusation of
‘Nazi collaborator’. A jealous
male or a kernel of truth? Based
on the true story of Hellé Nice,
Reine de Vitesse.

Maybe the members of TNF could organise for a private show of the production?


Justin

[Tony Parkinson]

Followers of Helle Nice.

I've just read "The Bugatti Queen" (Christmas present) and here's an interesting twist. I am in correspondence with Didier Mongin in France (we share an interest in Austin Healeys) and to my surprise, he is the grand nephew of Marcel Mongin, the successful factory Delahaye driver of the 30's. Upon reading the book, it is some co-incidence that Marcel Mongin was also the husband of Helle Nice (real name Helen Delangle). I shall be tapping Didier for more information!

Tony Parkinson
McLaren Vale
South Australia

[275 GTB-4]

Originally posted by Tony Parkinson
Followers of Helle Nice.

I've just read "The Bugatti Queen" (Christmas present) and here's an interesting twist. I am in correspondence with Didier Mongin in France (we share an interest in Austin Healeys) and to my surprise, he is the grand nephew of Marcel Mongin, the successful factory Delahaye driver of the 30's. Upon reading the book, it is some co-incidence that Marcel Mongin was also the husband of Helle Nice (real name Helen Delangle). I shall be tapping Didier for more information!

Tony Parkinson
McLaren Vale
South Australia

Small world huh..Tony

[stig281]

We went to a very interesting play last night about this 1930s French racing driver. It's a one woman production currently touring. Excellent and historically accurate. It's called "Fast Woman". Well worth a visit.

Two things came to mind though:
1) Why did Chiron not like her from the start and why did he destroy her career?
2) One of her rivals called "Violet" dressed as a man to race and had her breasts removed to make her more masculine and also was called before a tribunal (Max might have liked that!). Is there any information on her?

Hello I'm glad you found my play Fast Woman interesting...Its on again in 2009 at the Theatre In Bowhill Scotland and also at the Georgian Theatre Richmond N. yorks and The Playhouse Alnwick

As other people have mentioned the "Violet" in question is "Violette Morris" a frenchwoman who in Jean Francois Bouzanqet's book Femmes Pilotes de Courses Auto has a chapter on her entitled "L'hyene de Gestapo" (the book is now out in Englsih entitled (I believe) Fast Ladies. . She was killed by the resistance for her work with the Gestapo. There is a chapter on Helle-Nice in the same book.
Chiron's attitude to H-N is a bit of a mystery...Just a personal suspicion fro me (for which there's no real evidence) is that both Chiron & Helle Nice were keen on pursuing the opposite sex. Neither would have been keen on being pursued and that might have put noses out of joint. Who Knows.? She did have a habit of grabbing & hogging the limelight which put a lot of people off her ,men & women alike. Some say that about Chiron...
We don't know for sure and them as do know aint talking. Stewart Howson.
my tickets for saturday Goodwood REvival came today...! No Circuits de Remparts this year. I wish they did'nt clash!

[Jack-the-Lad]

Hello I'm glad you found my play Fast Woman interesting...Its on again in 2009 at the Theatre In Bowhill Scotland and also at the Georgian Theatre Richmond N. yorks and The Playhouse Alnwick

As other people have mentioned the "Violet" in question is "Violette Morris" a frenchwoman who in Jean Francois Bouzanqet's book Femmes Pilotes de Courses Auto has a chapter on her entitled "L'hyene de Gestapo" (the book is now out in Englsih entitled (I believe) Fast Ladies. . She was killed by the resistance for her work with the Gestapo. There is a chapter on Helle-Nice in the same book.
Chiron's attitude to H-N is a bit of a mystery...Just a personal suspicion fro me (for which there's no real evidence) is that both Chiron & Helle Nice were keen on pursuing the opposite sex. Neither would have been keen on being pursued and that might have put noses out of joint. Who Knows.? She did have a habit of grabbing & hogging the limelight which put a lot of people off her ,men & women alike. Some say that about Chiron...
We don't know for sure and them as do know aint talking. Stewart Howson.
my tickets for saturday Goodwood REvival came today...! No Circuits de Remparts this year. I wish they did'nt clash!

I'm in the US and so will probably never be able to see your play, unfortunately. (Unless it's playng in the UK around the time of Revival 2010!)

Morris must have been quite something. I had never heard of her until I read Doug Nye's rather vivid description of her in a recent issue of MotorSport, and then of course I read about her in The Bugatti Queen.

Jack

[Option1]

Fast Ladies on Amazon (US) Also found it available on Canadian Amazon as well.

Neil