15 replies to this topic

[Richard Jenkins]

I am a little surprised no one appears to have mentioned this feature length documentary film that premiered on Netflix yesterday.
I thought it was a very well made film with loads of excellent archive footage and plenty of people involved.
It must've taken some years to put together as John Surtees and Dan Gurney (to name just two) have since passed on but are interviewed on this.
Only slight niggles for me were too much background music and Stirling Moss become Sterling on a caption.
It described basically the whole Ford vs Ferrari situation in quite simple, albeit slightly biased fashion.
I would have liked more about the man away from racing but that's maybe just me.
For me, especially considering my current situation, a real highlight was a short archive interview with Richie Ginther, but there were a heap of key people involved in this - Mario, Dan, Bob Bondurant, Peter Brock, Preston Lerner etc etc.
There was only one guy who over egged everything he said for dramatic purposes but otherwise it was a refreshing interesting documentary.
Not sure if it's being released other than Netflix for now but worth watching me thinks.

[Gary C]

Title?

[john winfield]

Title?

 

 

Shelby American, Gary!  No, I didn't realise either......

 

If, on the link below, you scroll down past Dolly, there's a short trailer:

 

https://www.whats-on...mber-22nd-2019/

Edited by john winfield, 23 November 2019 - 14:36.

[E1pix]

Ahhh Yes, the power of the Italic! Well-played, John. ;-)

Thanks Richard, looks fab-u-lous!

(And yes, I was relieved that Carroll Shelby and Dolly Parton were indeed not the same person) ;-)

Edited by E1pix, 23 November 2019 - 15:07.

[Richard Jenkins]

It does look like it's available on DVD as well. - https://chassy.com/p...helby-american/ from Chassy, who made the film.

 

Uppity about Willy T Ribbs (on their coming soon list - January 2020) looks quite good too.

[E1pix]

Not sure how big the download is, but may just spring for the digital copy.

 

If I order a DVD and have it forwarded to wherever we end up in the bush, it'll be months before seeing it. I don't have that kinda patience. 

 

Agree, anything about Willy T has my attention, too! 

 

 

Well done, Richard! 

 

(Edit: Really close to finishing my images, have some with your site in mind...)

Edited by E1pix, 24 November 2019 - 00:08.

[jcbc3]

I couldn't find Shelby American on Netflix yesterday, but watched 'The 24 hour war' instead. Also with interviews of all the big guns from then. Well worth a watch too.

[TennisUK]

I couldn't find Shelby American on Netflix yesterday, but watched 'The 24 hour war' instead. Also with interviews of all the big guns from then. Well worth a watch too.

Much of the content is literally identical, interviews, clips etc.

[2Bob]

I couldn't find Shelby American on Netflix yesterday, but watched 'The 24 hour war' instead. Also with interviews of all the big guns from then. Well worth a watch too.

 

I found it OK late last night and watched most of it - got way past my bedtime so saving the rest for tonight.  I found it really good and learnt a lot about the early years.  Well worth watching.

[E1pix]

I couldn't find Shelby American on Netflix yesterday, but watched 'The 24 hour war' instead. Also with interviews of all the big guns from then. Well worth a watch too.

Here's the seller's site I found with both DVD and download purchasing options:

https://chassy.com/p...helby-american/

https://chassy.com/p...ct/24-hour-war/

 

 

Either option is an absolute bargain!     

[427MkIV]

Just curious...does Shelby American touch on any of the reasons why a number of people dislike Shelby -- the womanizing, the lawsuits, the turbine car at Indy, etc. Just seems like in any thread or video about him, somebody comments about what a bad guy he was, but it always seems more like a personal dislike than "here's someone who accomplished a lot but had these significant flaws."

[Richard Jenkins]

Just curious...does Shelby American touch on any of the reasons why a number of people dislike Shelby -- the womanizing, the lawsuits, the turbine car at Indy, etc. Just seems like in any thread or video about him, somebody comments about what a bad guy he was, but it always seems more like a personal dislike than "here's someone who accomplished a lot but had these significant flaws."

It largely glosses over most negative things as you can imagine but the womanising is mentioned. However the summary of that was still pro-Shelby.

[Richard Jenkins]

It does look like it's available on DVD as well. - https://chassy.com/p...helby-american/ from Chassy, who made the film.

 

Uppity about Willy T Ribbs (on their coming soon list - January 2020) looks quite good too.

 

 

Uppity is available on Netflix from Wednesday. I'm hoping to get the chance to see it properly before the Ginther book comes out.

[2Bob]

Uppity is available on Netflix from Wednesday. I'm hoping to get the chance to see it properly before the Ginther book comes out.

 

I watched it last night.  I was very impressed by the driver and the film .  Not following US racing much I didn't know anything about the subject so can't comment about the accuracy but the footage of races and the comments from people I did know of was great. Says a lot about the down south attitude of the day....

 

One little slightly annoying oddity though was the use of F4 instead of FFord in the subtitles (my wife is the main user of Netflix and always has subtitles on and I couldn't be bothered turning them off)..   

Edited by 2Bob, 08 February 2020 - 20:29.

[elansprint72]

I came across this on Netflix yesterday, by accident, and found it absolutely fascinating. I'm just about old enough to remember the GT40 years; as a teen-ager I read Motoring News and Motor-sport, in the UK and subsequently collected all the books I could afford, so do have a fair amount of subject knowledge.

 

Like many here, I saw through the "drama" of Le Mans 66, yet enjoyed it as a piece of pure entertainment- Shelby American is, for me, much better: OK in this "documentary" the central character is clearly out for the main chance and to sell himself to just about anybody but that is the charm of the man! Dan Gurney's comments and facial expressions are priceless, so too Peter Brock.

 

Mrs T, who is not at all interested in motor-racing or old cars, sat and watched it, transfixed, the whole way through- I've ordered a DVD of LM66 and she's prepared to watch that too- she says! I think I need a DVD of Shelby American too.

 

Watch it; guys!

 

EDIT: Forgot to say, there are no actors- the real people are the ones doing the talking.

Edited by elansprint72, 01 January 2021 - 21:10.

[nicanary]

Just watched this - better than no documentary at all. Usual American hyperbole and over-enthusiasm. Pedants will have fun - apparently Le Mans is in the south of France and the endurance race was first run in 1908.

 

I was interested to see Dan Gurney have a swig of the champagne on the rostrum. I thought he was a Baptist and a non-drinker and that was the reason for the spraying tradition.