Here's a photo of my '71 Springfield Travelall Deluxe ambulance on the set of the movie I worked Friday night. The movie doesn't have a title yet. Also, I'm including a shot of the house and the police cars they used. I don't know, but did Detroit Police use NYPD-style blue and white '86 Dodge Diplomat police cars in 1977 (the year the movie is set)? Hmmm, only the car guys would notice.
Travelall on the Movie Set
- Thread starter Steve Lichtman
- Start date
Wayne Krakowski
PCS Member
According to google images they did use blue cars,your unit looks good,glad it worked out, and even gladder to see you and pate.
Do you want to know how the sausage is made?
In addition to the police cars and my ambulance, the film crew wanted the appearance of more emergency lights. So they taped three mirrors to a triangular cardboard box, and mounted that on a threaded rod. They shined a blue (or red) spotlight on the mirrors while they were spinning. How did they make it spin? Look at the photo, they clamped a power drill to a stand and taped the drill trigger!
Also, the scene involved a "shoot out" between the "bad guy" in the house and the "Detroit Police" in the yard. They were shooting back and forth with blanks. At one point, the bad guy is supposed to shoot out the Fireball light on the roof of the red unmarked car. This was accomplished by putting a small explosive, called a "squib", inside the Fireball and blowing it up at the right time. They blew up three Fireballs - not the cheapo ones from the auto parts store, but real Federal Fireballs! I checked and the only parts that survived were the trim rings that hold the lens to the base, which they threw in the trash.
Anyone need one?
In addition to the police cars and my ambulance, the film crew wanted the appearance of more emergency lights. So they taped three mirrors to a triangular cardboard box, and mounted that on a threaded rod. They shined a blue (or red) spotlight on the mirrors while they were spinning. How did they make it spin? Look at the photo, they clamped a power drill to a stand and taped the drill trigger!
Also, the scene involved a "shoot out" between the "bad guy" in the house and the "Detroit Police" in the yard. They were shooting back and forth with blanks. At one point, the bad guy is supposed to shoot out the Fireball light on the roof of the red unmarked car. This was accomplished by putting a small explosive, called a "squib", inside the Fireball and blowing it up at the right time. They blew up three Fireballs - not the cheapo ones from the auto parts store, but real Federal Fireballs!
I checked and the only parts that survived were the trim rings that hold the lens to the base, which they threw in the trash. Anyone need one?
Attachments
By the way, I don't think I've had the TA out and running since 2006, when it was used for "We Are Marshall", it has been a while. Once the old gas was used up, it ran pretty well.
Detroit Police Cars
At this point in time Detroit's "Scout Cars" were a solid medium blue color.
At this point in time Detroit's "Scout Cars" were a solid medium blue color.
Martin Harvey
PCS Member
They have NYPD aerodynic setup lightbars... is it possible they only modified the decals?
Nice shots Steve! Ill add this one for fun, a short film with a zombie story I helped (im the cop... dunno why I always end as a cop when I play in a movie...) in 2006. Less professional crew but how fun it is to see a pro-car in action!
Nice shots Steve! Ill add this one for fun, a short film with a zombie story I helped (im the cop... dunno why I always end as a cop when I play in a movie...) in 2006. Less professional crew but how fun it is to see a pro-car in action!
Bill Marcy
PCS Member
Very cool Steve! Keep us posted on the name of the movie, so we can see it.
Yes, they were obviously "NYPD" movie cars they probably rented from a picture car company in NYC. They put generic Detriot decals on and that's what it was. Just unusual to use '80s cars in a '70s movie.
By the way, I just bought one of those NYPD AeroTwinsonic lightbars last week from a fire department in PA. (In the early '90s, Galls bought a bunch of them used from NY and resold them, I actually bought one back then for one of my ambulance for my ambulance service.)
Kent Dorsey
PCS Member / Funeral Director
Thanks Steve.. I hate it when tv and the movies don't use the right era of car. Seems like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy used 80's style vans for the newsteams van for a movie set in the 70's... and The Wonder Years pretty consistently used school buses built atleast 10 years after the era in which the show was set...
John Burchfield
PCS Life Member
Steve, I somehow missed over the years that you have a Travelall ambulance-great looking truck! Maybe you should show up at your next movie shoot w/ a sack full of cheapie Fireball clones and trade for the real ones so they don't get blown up! Such disregard for vintage equipment these movie companies sometimes have....
Such disregard for vintage equipment these movie companies sometimes have....Thanks. It looks good in pictures/movies. I've done some spray-paint touch ups for the movie jobs that make it look presentable. It needs typical IH rust repair and paint. I think it'll be Omaha Orange and white when I get it done. I also have Springfield front tunnels and a 175 beacon, it originally had a 175 but never had front tunnels, so I don't know if I'll change those or leave the Twinsonic.
Martin Harvey
PCS Member
Now we have to wait and tag your IH on the Internet Movie Car Database heh
Steve, I somehow missed over the years that you have a Travelall ambulance-great looking truck! Maybe you should show up at your next movie shoot w/ a sack full of cheapie Fireball clones and trade for the real ones so they don't get blown up!
I couldn't agree more: I worked on a movie back in the 80's...Cold Steel...where we did a lot of crashing. One scene had us jumping a Malibu cop car over a train. The Malibu became a Dodge when it landed...:thumbsdown: Dummy crew didn't listen to us when we said to put more sandbags in the trunk to counter the engine weight...Nosed the Malibu big time. Had to reshoot the landing a week later.
Another scene had us crashing a Corvette...What'd they use? a '76 special edition....
It was trash after the rollover.Well, it has been a year and a half since I worked on this movie with my Travelall ambulance. At the time, it was untitled, but it has since gotten a title, "Life of Crime". And now, the movie is finally coming out in limited release today. Check your local listings, but it will probably only be at "art" theaters in major cities.
"Life of Crime" on IMDB
"Life of Crime" on IMDB
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So I went to see "Life of Crime" today. It's a decent movie, not bad, but obviously there are reasons it's playing in an "art" theater and not a multiplex. There are several parts of the story that leave you wondering, "Why did they do that?" But the plot twist at the end is funny and worth it.
Oh, the ambulance? Yep, it made the cut. There is a shot of 3-4 seconds clearly showing the ambulance. Only thing, the shot is from the front, and you really can't tell what it is except for a red truck with a lightbar. (Hence the reason, apparently, why one of the other movies put "Ambulance" on the side.) Anyway, it's in there, that's the point!
If you see it, don't critique the cars. They just used "old" cars, didn't care whether they were appropriate for 1978 scenes or not.
Oh, the ambulance? Yep, it made the cut. There is a shot of 3-4 seconds clearly showing the ambulance. Only thing, the shot is from the front, and you really can't tell what it is except for a red truck with a lightbar. (Hence the reason, apparently, why one of the other movies put "Ambulance" on the side.) Anyway, it's in there, that's the point!
If you see it, don't critique the cars. They just used "old" cars, didn't care whether they were appropriate for 1978 scenes or not.