42 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Weaverbird has just asked me to post this remarkable series of photos from a memorable Macau GP spent with aspiring American racing hopeful Chris Hackman and his now late actor father Gene...

 

To set the scene she writes:

 

When Gene’s son, Chris, came over to race FF in 1980, aged 20, we at Motor Race Consultants took him under our wing.  A quiet, gentle boy - who loved and was in awe of his father.  As Gene had long been one of my favourite all-time actors, I loved our chats and some insight into his psyche.  

 

I particularly remembered Chris saying that Gene was extremely shy and it was one thing that made him such a good actor.  When Chris was a kid. he’d sometimes be on set with his father and his best memory was when Gene was filming All Night Long with Barbra Streisand, she apparently cuddled him at every opportunity and he fell in love instantly!

 

Due to his commitments with filming, Gene wasn’t often able to watch Chris racing, but when he did, he was attentive and nervous, as you would expect of a loving parent.

 

My point in all this?  The Press this week have all focused on the ‘estranged’ or ‘distant’ parent - and I really wanted to set the record straght.

 

In November 1980 the Hackman family were invited by Teddy Yip to be part of his annual party. but also to give Chris the chance to see the GP with a view to driving for Teddy’s team the following year (it didn’t happen, but that’s another story).   We all had a a wonderful week in Macau, followed by a few days back in Hong Kong where many trips were taken on Les Leston’s junk = everything showed Gene and Chris’ affection for each other,  albeit with memories of the huge gap in parenting as he was growing up when Gene would be away for months.  Some photographic memories:

 

Above: Chris Hackman - on my wall - c. 1980

 

Teddy Yip's house in Macau - Faye and Gene Hackman (Gene's first wife and mother of Chris and two sisters): Jutta Fausel

 

Mrs Susie Yip               Faye, Gene, Chris, Self                                 Photo: Jutta Fausel

 

Here follows amateur efforts from Sue Weaver:

 

 

Centre: Gene, Faye, self

 

Gene introducing Chris to the Yip family

 

On Les Leston’s party junk near Jumbo Floating Restaurant

 

Foreground:  Peter Jopp and Les Leston

 

Peter Jopp, Gene and Self (No idea what I said. neither did Gene….)

 

Faye and Gene inspecting her leg rash!  (I had to search every chemist in Macau for a cure that night!)

 

I love this!

 

------------------

 

Gene Hackman - RIP

 

Weaverbird

DCN

 

 

 

[SophieB]

These are wonderful memories and beautiful photographs, thank you for sharing them.

[marksixman]

These are wonderful memories and beautiful photographs, thank you for sharing them.

Here here !

 

Thank you Weaverbird (Oh, and Doug I suppose !!).

[PaulButler58]

It may be me but , unfortunately, I can't see any of the photos

[Weaverbird]

So disappointed - I can't see my own photos either!        (I've asked Doug if there's anything he can do) 

 

Sue - Weaverbird

[ReWind]

Alas, the whole forum is affected. See there.

 

A small trick to see the photos: Click on "Quote".

Edited by ReWind, 02 March 2025 - 12:54.

[Collombin]

Alas, the whole forum is affected

A different issue I think, this latest issue hasn't affected me but Doug's photos do sometimes fail to show up for me, as in this case. It's all very hit and miss.

[Dipster]

It may be me but , unfortunately, I can't see any of the photos

I too cannot see them all. But thanks for the post. 

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Thanks for posting, Doug...

 

I recall an article...if memory serves, in Competition Press & Autoweek...many decades ago where assorted Hollywood actors took part in a racing school for an introduction to auto racing.  It was most probably the Bob Bondurant school.  Gene Hackman was one the participants and impressed with his speed.  He was top gun on the day.  Clint Eastwood was also in attendance and dead slow but impressed with his technique and showed the greatest potential.

[YoungGun]

As a work around, if you switch theme to "Mobile View" the images will display

[Doug Nye]

Sorry pardon - but I haven't a clue what I must be doing wrong.  The photos show fine for some folk, not for others.  Using PostImages they come up coded 'avif' as part of the metadata (or whatever it's called) in each image ID but that didn't work so I was advised to change 'avif' to 'jpeg' - and that - for some at least - fixed the problem.  Should I not use Postimages any more?  Has their system changed?  I am very puzzled.  

 

I was merely trying to assist a lady...

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 21 March 2025 - 13:49.

[YoungGun]

You're not doing anything wrong. It was a suggestion to help in the meantime to have the pictures display until the issue is understood and corrected as reported in this thread.

 

Forum Photos Not Visible

[Sterzo]

Sorry pardon - but I haven't a clue what I must be doing wrong.

 

Nothing at all. There's a bug in the forum which means that some but not all users can't see photos. I started a thread in Website Feedback (linked to by ReWind above) and have also emailed Autosport's "support" in the hope it will reach the techies who can fix it.

 

For those who use phones rather than PCs to access the internet, they are still able to display pictures. But some of us (including me) think "black bakelite thing on the wall" when we hear the word "phone".
 

[Doug Nye]

Aaaah 'bakelite' - now you're talkin'....    

 

DCN

[YoungGun]

Nothing at all. There's a bug in the forum which means that some but not all users can't see photos. I started a thread in Website Feedback (linked to by ReWind above) and have also emailed Autosport's "support" in the hope it will reach the techies who can fix it.

 

For those who use phones rather than PCs to access the internet, they are still able to display pictures. But some of us (including me) think "black bakelite thing on the wall" when we hear the word "phone".
 

 

If you are on a PC, toggling between Full View and Mobile View is done by scrolling to the bottom of the page where you'll see '"Change Theme" on the left side.

Edited by YoungGun, 02 March 2025 - 14:33.

[E1pix]

I’m sorry to see that once again technology has taken a lovely effort and made it all about failed tech. While I would love to see the photos, the efforts are nonetheless appreciated.

I really appreciate this thread, Doug. We, too are big fans of Gene and have some recollection of Chris’ racing in the day, partly as I think we were both born in 1960. The one time I went to the USGP West in 1983, I’m pretty sure Gene won the Toyota Celica celebrity race, regardless I recall him driving like a Natural.

Some of our favorite movies include Gene. Honestly, I think my favorite of all his roles was in Mississippi Burning with Willem Dafoe.

We all knew his days were closing around him, but this does not sound like the happy ending he deserved. Pretty sad about all this.

Edited by E1pix, 02 March 2025 - 14:48.

[Jimtsu]

One would rather have expected, after 8 hours, that one of the two Forum Moderators would have posted here to 1) explain what the issue is with the photographs not displaying in Doug’s post, and 2) what they are doing about it..

Instead there is a deafening silence….

 

Asleep on the job once again 🙄🙄

[Doug Nye]

Rather harsh, I feel.

 

Where I come from, patience is a virtue - and a day of rest often well deserved.

 

DCN

[Sterzo]

One would rather have expected, after 8 hours, that one of the two Forum Moderators would have posted here to 1) explain what the issue is with the photographs not displaying in Doug’s post, and 2) what they are doing about it..

Instead there is a deafening silence….

 

Asleep on the job once again 🙄🙄

 

This is nothing at all to do with the moderators, who are volunteers monitoring the standard of posts. This is a technical problem with the Autosport website, which needs investigating by their system developers. That's why (as already clearly explained) I have reported it as a technical fault to Autosport. Which you could have done had you been bothered.
 

[ReWind]

After two posts in two and a half years since joining, using the third one to come down hard on the moderators.
That is a feat, indeed.

I wonder how such people behave in the real world.

[E1pix]

Swell to divert away from a positive if not sad thread when nobody even knows you or owes you.

Thanks in advance for stopping your History at 3.

Edited by E1pix, 04 March 2025 - 17:20.

[GLaird]

If my fading memory is correct, I think Gene Hackman won the Toyota Celica celebrity race at Long Beach, possibly in 1979, or 1980.

 

I hope someone can confirm, one way or the other.

[Weaverbird]

Sue - Weaverbird here.  So sorry to have put upon poor Doug and caused  the problems, although I see this has been going on for some time.

 

If anyone would like to have the full story and photos, I would be happy to email direct (I don't do social media, or smart'phones - work from my iMac)

 

Do let me know.   

[La Sarthe]

Getting back on topic. as well as the odd celebrity race, Mr Hackman Senior also did a couple of IMSA races in 1983, including the Daytona 24 Hours. Both I think were in AAR's GTU class Toyota Celicas. Clearly, a bit of ability there.

[2F-001]

Thank you, Sue, for sharing your pictures.

 

(re. the quick-and-easy workaround given by ReWind, back in post 6, enabled me to see them)

[John Ginger]

Sue, thank you so much for sharing, finally seen after firing up the laptop this morning, your photo wall is very interesting too...

 

Doug, thank you for your assistance in posting

 

RIP Gene Hackman

Edited by John Ginger, 03 March 2025 - 09:29.

[PaulButler58]

I seem to have generated a fair amount of conversation but to add another two happ'orth.

 

I'm also the Webmaster for my club sites and it's amazing how much work simple tasks can generate especially when using software that decides to do it's own thing at times so in terms of kudos to the moderators there is plenty coming from my direction. You are often times at the behest of other forces (see comment re software  ) and trying to "fix" things that you haven't broken is challenging to say the least.

 

So to the moderators , thanks for all you and will continue to do.

 

Now to try the suggested hacks to see if the photo's appear.

[E1pix]

Site loaded without “Full Version” and love the photos!

[Tim Murray]

Re non-visibility of photos. This from one of the forum admins in the relevant Website Feedback thread:

Hello, just to keep you all updated, dev team is aware of the issue and has identified the cause. A fix should be ready soon.

[Henk Vasmel]

Thanks for the hint of using "Autosport Mobile". (Change Theme, left hand bottom). Several threads today showed photo's I didn't even expect to be there from "full view". So the problem is much more widespread than it appeared at first.

[Sterzo]

The problem should be fixed now, Henk - if you're still having problems then clear your browser cache and you should be fine once you've done that.

[E1pix]

It works for me now whether in the base site or the full site.

Doug and Weaverbird, Thanks!

This is a great thread to show that even someone as famous as Gene Hackman can just be a regular guy. I love that, as I did all his work.

Thank You both, and whomever fixed the photos.

[jonpollak]

My Dad worked on “The Conversation” and relays a story in his book that shows the savvy of this fine actor.

The film was released in April of ‘74.

Back then…
I was figuring out how to commandeer the family Dodge Monaco station wagon to get 10 friends to Ontario Motor Speedway before the traffic went to hell for CALIFORNIA JAM !


A good racing driver too as seen in those Toyota celebrity races @ Long Beach.

Big fan.
Thanks to you 2 stop outs for offering this great recollection
Jp

[Lee Nicolle]

Sorry pardon - but I haven't a clue what I must be doing wrong.  The photos show fine for some folk, not for others.  Using PostImages they come up coded 'avif' as part of the metadata (or whatever it's called) in each image ID but that didn't work so I was advised to change 'avif' to 'jpeg' - and that - for some at least - fixed the problem.  Should I not use PostImages any more?  Has their system changed?  I am very puzzled.  

 

I was merely trying to assist a lady...

 

DCN

5/3 I can see most of them.

[bradbury west]

Coming to this a little late in the day, all photos coming in clearly down here in the Principality, even after they had to decide  which bridge to cross…..  Thanks for posting DCN and WB.

Roger Lund

[Nemo1965]

Not a connection I expected to see, but I do now remember reading in Grand Prix International about the Long Beach Celeb race, won by Gene Hackman.

 

On a personal note: my favorite film with Gene Hackman was the earlier mentioned Mississippi Burning, because he played the part of a man who came from a racist background so well. Not like an angel, but someone who had to correct himself every step of the way. At least, that is how I interpreted the film. This dialogue was a good example (Anderson is played by Gene Hackman, Ward is the other FBI-agent, played by William Dafoe.

 

Ward: Where does it come from? All this hatred?

Anderson: You know, when I was a little boy, there was an old negro farmer that lived down the road from us, name of Monroe. And he was... well, I guess he was just a little luckier than my daddy was. He bought himself a mule. That was a big deal around that town. My daddy hated that mule, 'cause his friends were always kidding him that they saw Monroe out plowing with his new mule, and Monroe was going to rent another field now he had a mule. One morning, that mule showed up dead. They poisoned the water. After that, there wasn't any mention about that mule around my daddy. It just never came up. One time, we were driving down that road, and we passed Monroe's place and we saw it was empty. He just packed up and left, I guess, he must of went up north or something. I looked over at my daddy's face. I knew he done it. He saw that I knew. He was ashamed. I guess he was ashamed. He looked at me and said, If you ain't better than a ******, son, who are you better than?

Ward: You think that's an excuse?

Anderson: No it's not an excuse. It's just a story about my daddy.

Ward: Where's that leave you?

Anderson: My old man was just so full of hate that he didn't know that bein' poor was what was killing him.

[AJCee]

Thank you Nemo, that’s very apt.

Edited by AJCee, 06 March 2025 - 21:45.

[sstiel]

Wonderful pictures.

 

Chris appeared at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1980, finishing tenth in the final. Did he appear at any others?

[E1pix]

Mississippi Burning was a great film about the past.

At least, then it was.

[E1pix]

I just read a news report that details how the Hackmans died but it’s almost too sad to post.

[Sterzo]

I just read a news report that details how the Hackmans died but it’s almost too sad to post.

Indeed so, and I think there is always a risk that our memories of a person will be overwhelmed by awareness of their deaths.... a risk particularly acute for motor racing enthusiasts. Which does reinforce the value of threads such as this one.

[Jim Thurman]

For a period, Gene Hackman used to be a regular at the CRA sprint car races at Ascot Park in Los Angeles. He'd sit in the turn 1 bleachers with the hoi polloi, enjoying a beer.

[Weaverbird]

  Gene pursued his love for racing a bit more seriously in the years to come . He actually won the Toyota celebrity race in Watkins Glen in 1980 I believe with Parnelli the pro winner and Dan might have been third . He was  a very good  driver and participated in more celebrity races in Long Beach . Dan hired him to drive for our factory team at Daytona and Riverside in 1983 . He came for dinner and we became friends . A beautiful man , totally unpretentious .

 

(To me from Evi Gurney, wife of Dan) - Weaverbird