HBO's movie "Path to War" premieres tonight. I responded to a "casting
call" last autumn when they were looking for period cars to appear in this
movie about the Vietnam War build-up during the Johnson Administration.
Well, true to form, I ended up on the cutting room floor again. It's
familiar territory, since I found myself there after my scenes in "Thirteen
Days" didn't make the final cut. However, two Imperials do make screen
time. There's a black '62 LeBaron with stainless steel roof inserts in a
quick scene about an hour into the movie. There are also two scenes maybe
a half hour later, with a black '56 4-door sedan that follows LBJ in his
'64 Lincoln convertible first up to Camp David, and then again when he and
Lady Bird are zipping around the supposed Maryland countryside (which looks
suspiciously like Southern California chaparral).
I also tried to stomach "Man's Favorite Sport" with Rock Hudson and Paula
Prentiss from 1964. In the very first scene there is a glimpse of the rear
of a '57/8/9 with the Flitesweep trunk lid as Rock wheels his '63 Ford
Falcon convertible into a parking lot. I watched about an hour of the
movie before I decided that anything else would be more productive and/or
entertaining than this bit of nonsense.
Neal Herman
1959 Imperial Crown
1972 Buick Riviera
1983 Chrysler Cordoba
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