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Monday, August 29, 2016

Book Reviewed: Fit for the chase by Raymond Lee

Car-chase in pre-code Hollywood Movies

Wheels were born and headed for cinema stardom as one of its greatest props rivaling even the horse for stunts, laughs and silent mayhem. Daredevils crashed through the walls and off-cliffs, they side-swiped charging locomotives, and escaped villains and entertained film fans world-wide. In this book author Raymond Lee captures some of amazing moments of cinema history during the pre-code era and also some of the later movies of 1950s a d 1960s. There are numerous black and white still pictures from movies that may thrill movie fans, especially fans of pre-code Hollywood. The Keystone cops, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields turned the break-away vehicle into pretzel. Chaplin led the parade with beautiful Edna Purviance pursued by a bad guy in the silent movies. Some of my favorite pictures include; Rudolph Valentino’s Avian Voisin (1925); the 1926 Cadillac Touring model in “Little Caesar” starring Edward G. Robinson; the 1904 Rambler; the 1907 Thomas Flyer in a Thomas Mix movie; a 1924 International Harvester Truck in the WWI epic, “Heaven on Earth” starring Polly Moran; a 1921 Rolls Royce shot in Mojave Desert starring Richard Dix; MGM Studios boss Louis B. Mayer in his 1910 Model T; Peter Sellers in his 1933 Morgan; Jimmy Durante in his 1911 Ford and numerous shots from action movies. This is a fascinating book and a must have for all movie fans interested in vintage cars.

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