Folks,
Something Matt Menges said about seeing a taxi in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” prompts me to say – can folks suggest movies in which '59 Plymouths are clearly identifyable? (I don’t know if Matt was saying it was a '59, or just a car with big fins.) It might be cool for me to rent the movies and digitize the segment… Not that I lack for things to do!!! But it might be fun to put them in “Ephemera”.
Dan
I know there is a movie with a red one. It was in the intro when a couple guys in a car drove on a parking lot and there it was parked. I don’t know whats the title of the movie. It is too long ago. We just bought our SF when i saw that. That’s why i know it was a 59 P
Tom Fox confirms about “It’s a Mad,…World”:
Hi Dan, There are two taxis in the movie, both 59 Plymouths Tom
Hey! This is post #99! Who’s the lucky person to post #100?
Dan
It was me!! This forum is the best! Maybe 1 is better but that is just for me. This forum is in my top 2! Don’t know which one is on 1.
If i find something from a movie i’ll let you know ASAP!
The Movie “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” is a cornucopia of late fifties Mopars and a hilarious movie to boot! Dont miss the opening chase scene!..a 59 Dodge convertible goes over the cliff to its doom (at least that’s the way I remember it)
I definitely remember the pair of 4 door Belvedere taxis zooming all over then-still rural California. Be prepared though…they treat them like bumper cars!
roger is right about a whole mess of mopars in this movie, including
the 62 dodge conv (i’m comin’ to help you, mama!!!)
the late 40’s ply. conv phil silvers drove in the lake!
one thing about 59 sedans- you can pack em full! musta been 15 people in each cab!
“Im comin’, Mama” …still brings a smile to my face
remember? it was jimmy durante! (goodnight, mrs.calabash, wherever you are!) to this day, wew’ll never know who she was-he took it with him to his grave.
no, jimmy went off the cliff in a 57’ ford conv. look closely for the taillights. then he said, it’s buried under the big w!!! (a hundred grand,
i think it was ). and the chase was on!
thjey got locked in the hardware store, took off in the cabs, and in the
end spencer tracy took off with the cash in his 62’ dodge.
steve
I rented the tape last night. Or, tapes I should say… Sheesh! Is this sucker long!! Well, I guess I’ll watch it, pick out some good segments with '59’s and capture them to video. Does anyone have a favorite scene they want to see?
Coming soon, to a webcast near you!!
Dan
Hi Dan, when i put our new front speaker in i watched tv. There was an old movie on tv. I saw an 57 Plymouth and a 59 Pontiac. I thought that maybe there was a 59 Plymouth in it. Just before i wanted to go i spotted a 59 Suburban on the tv!!! The movie is called: The Disorderly Orderly. It’s a movie from 1964. Tons of classics in it!!
I remember seeing a crime movie with Robert Duval as a cop, and Robert DeNero as his priest brother, In several scenes Duval is driving a black 59 Sport Fury, more than just a passing shot, some great footage, with an interior shot if I recall.
My son showed me how to use this new fangled computer to find things, thus the name of the above mentioned movie is True Confessions, and it was out in 1981. I also learned to spell Duvall, and DeNiro. Besides the car the movie is pretty good in itself.
Thanks! I gotta rent it…
Dan
The movie you are thinking of is Dazed and Confuzed. Opening scene is Pickford and his G/F cruising around the parking lot in his 1970 GTO Judge RAIII. You get a nice view of a black '67 Camaro turning into the isle, there is also a 68+ stingray, but there are two Plymouths in plain view. A bright red 1959 Plymouth Belvedere 4-dr sedan you see from the back and a white 1958 Fury 2dr hdtp you see from the Front. They are both parked side by side too. How often does that happen anymore!?
There are lots of cool old muscle in this movie. Including a 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS5 390, the Judge mentioned above, a 70’s primer grey Plymouth Duster. a '1974 SD-455 Trans Am (looks like my other car!) You also see a few vettes and a black 1970 Plymouth Superbird. I’d almost recommend watching the movie on mute just for the cars. Exept for when Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) is yacking about his 454 Chevelle to some buddies… thats a pretty cool part.
Anyhow its like a 70’s version of Amercan Graffiti. so its pretty cool. That reminds me, there are a couple more movies with 1959 Plymouths in them. One was American Graffiti. Toad is driving the 58 Chivy and while getting set for a race with a kid in a Ford he backs into a '59 White Savoy (4dr I think). Also at the end of Operation Petticoat there are a couple of black ones. Cary Grant’s black 4dr Belvedere and his wife drives a black sport wagon I think… its been a while since I’ve seen it, but his wife is the clutsy girl with the, well you’ll have to see the movie, but she accidentally bumps the back of his car into the bus in front, they get hooked together and the bus takes off toward the front gate with his car in-tow… its pretty funny.
So there is my 3 contributions:
Dazed and Confuzed
American Graffiti
Operation Petticoat
I know of one more movie, but I can’t think of it right now…I think it was one of the Doris Day movies… I’ll get back to you on that one.
Thanks for clearing up that movie. Dan, looks like you’re busy for a couple of days 
Good thread. But as I am a fan of James Bond movies, I just noticed one prop in particular: Sean Connery as 007 being driven to the Russian embassy in Turkey, in a black '59 Savoy taxi, in “From Russia With Love” (1963).
THERE WAS A TV SHOW IN 1983 CALLED CRIME STORY WITH DENNIS FARINA. THE OPENING SCENE ON EVERY SHOW HAD A 59’ SPORT FURY. I WAITED EVERY WEEK JUST TO SEE THAT CAR.
[/quote][/b]
Thanks Ed! I’ll add that to the tally. Let’s see – here’s what I have so far (and, many of these are excerpts from emails and posts):
“Lillies of the Field” features a '59 Plymouth Suburban as Sidney Poitier’s
wagon.
In “American Graffiti”, Charles Martin Smith forgets to take Ron
Howard’s '58 Chevy out of reverse at a traffic light and backs into a '59
Plymouth sedan.
Near the end of"Breakfast at Tiffany’s", both a '58 and a '59 Plymouth taxi pose as the same car (the '58 for interior shots, the '59 for exterior.)
Don Knotts drive a green, slightly customized '59 Fury coupe in “How to Frame a Figg.”
“peter gun” drove a 59 fury convertible (and 60/61) in later episodes.
there is a 59 in the film “the devils eight” from '68.
there’s a 59 plymouth in “key witness” from '59;
“don’t send me flowers” (wagon) with rock hudson and in late 58-59 “fury” episodes.
Another sighting would be in Pulp fiction where Travolta and Uma go
to the restaurant and there’s a Belv. convertible in the background
renovated into a dining table.
Also in Dazed in confused, there’s the opening scene where they go through the school parking lot and you see a '59 and '58 Plymouth.
Oh yeah, one more sighting. Steve McQueens Bullitt has a brief shot of one parked on the street before the big race between his Mustang and the Charger.
Sean Connery as 007 being driven to the Russian embassy in Turkey, in a
black '59 Savoy taxi, in “From Russia With Love” (1963).
Someone also wrote there’s 59’ in “Operation Petticoat”
Also on my list:
“True Confessions” Duvall, DeNiro
“North by Northwest”? Grant
“Disorderly Orderly” Jerry Lewis
Any more? I gotta rent these movies and digitize 'em!
Dan
The very first episode of actor Raymond Burr’s “Ironside” TV-series has a suspect running a roadblock in his 1959 Savoy sedan. He is caught and the car is unharmed, as Burr and his team spend the rest of the episode inspecting the car for clues. First shown in September of 1967, this is the first episode in the series’ eight-season run.
there were A LOT of 59 plymouth taxis in this movie. check it out.
steve