11/26/2024
20 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry You May or May Not Know!
🚁 Vic Morrow’s Premonition: Vic Morrow insisted on a $1 million life insurance policy before filming helicopter scenes, citing a premonition of dying in a crash. Tragically, he was killed in a helicopter accident on set in 1982.
💥 Iconic Charger: The film features a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with a 440 cubic inch V-8 engine. Its unique greenish-yellow color sparked a decades-long debate among fans over its true shade.
🚓 Destruction Derby: Six 1972 Dodge Polara police cars were purchased and destroyed during filming, all sacrificed for epic chase scenes.
🎥 High-Speed Filming: Filming began in 1973, capturing a mix of old and new highway markings due to a recent change in U.S. road signage standards.
📺 Tarantino Connection: A clip from Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997), which starred Peter Fonda's daughter, Bridget Fonda.
🎞️ Tarantino’s Film Fest: Quentin Tarantino selected Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry for his first film festival in Austin, Texas, in 1996, celebrating its cult classic status.
🚗 Multiple Chargers: Three Dodge Chargers were used in the film, with the crew making meticulous efforts to match damage between them to maintain continuity.
🧠 Stunt Driver Legend: Famed stunt driver Carey Loftin, who worked on Vanishing Point (1971), contributed his expertise to this film, though he remained uncredited.
🚁 Helicopter’s Tragic History: The Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter used in the film had a long history in Hollywood but was involved in a fatal crash in 1984.
🎭 Roddy McDowall’s Favor: Roddy McDowall took a small role as a favor to director John Hough but requested that his name be kept off the credits.
🧑🤝🧑 Father-Daughter Connection: Peter Fonda (Larry) and Vic Morrow (Franklin) were the fathers of Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, respectively, both of whom starred in Single White Female (1992).
🎸 On-Set Jam Sessions: Despite their on-screen bickering, Peter Fonda and Susan George got along well, often playing guitar and singing together between takes.
🎵 Rejected Musical Score: The film originally had a more upbeat score by Jimmie Haskell, which was scrapped in favor of a more mournful tone, except for one song used in the credits.
🏎️ Fonda’s Need for Speed: Peter Fonda did most of his own driving, frequently hitting speeds of 100 miles per hour during filming.
🔧 Car Consistency: Director John Hough shot the film in sequence, ensuring any damage to the cars was consistent throughout the movie.
🎭 Roddy McDowall’s Request: McDowall requested his name be kept off the credits for his small role, not wanting to overshadow other actors.
🚔 From Hill Street to Swapmeet: Robert Hirschfeld, credited as “Swapmeet customer #4,” is also known for his role as Officer Leo Schnitz on Hill Street Blues.
🎥 Local Talent: Many supporting roles were filled by Northern California-based actors, who also appeared in other films shot in the region like Dirty Harry and American Graffiti.
🍿 Tarantino’s Homage: Tarantino paid tribute to Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry in Jackie Brown (1997), featuring a clip from the film in one of its scenes.
🎶 Theme Song Lyrics: The film’s theme song, Time Is Such a Funny Thing, reflects the movie’s melancholic tone with lyrics pondering the fleeting nature of time.
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