![]() ![]() “Dennis Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) was the last one to come onboard, after I ran through every actor and some other musicians. Someone then had the bright idea of screen-testing Laurie.” –Director Monte Hellman I still thought I could cast an actress who could play the part, but I couldn’t. Rudy and I did a three-hour taped interview with her she became the template for the character. She seemed so typical of what we had in mind for the character, however, that we used her as a prototype. Laurie was so inexperienced it never occurred to me that I would actually cast her. I checked out modeling agencies and met with people in L.A. When you’re looking for someone that age to play that role, it’s impossible to find someone who is established, so I anticipated finding an unknown. Regarding Laurie Bird, I took a trip to New York to meet with Rudy Wurlitzer, and, while there, met with a number of modeling agencies just to explore that field. I thought his look was right for the part of The Driver. “I saw a picture of James Taylor on a billboard on the Sunset Strip promoting his new album. I’ve had a few squirreled away for a spell (courtesy of Performance Pontiac Magazine, go figure) and so out they now shall come– along with a few tidbits from behind the camera. Sadly, there aren’t a lot of great studio stills that have survived– finding decent pics on the internet was slim pickings. There still a lot of love for Two-Lane Blacktop - even after all these ears. And while it wouldn’t quite live up to Universal’s expectations (who did little to promote it) and become a commercial success by anyone’s standards– it would survive the test of time to become a cultural icon, and one of the most loved road films ever made. Two-Lane Blacktop Screenwriter, Rudy WurlitzerĮsquire magazine printed the entire screenplay in its April ’71 issue before the movie was even released and boldly declared Two-Lane Blacktop as, “The Film of the Year.” Set largely on old Route 66, which had seen better days, filming locations stretched from California to Tennessee, and the project was wrapped up in two months for mere pocket change– $950,000. Other cars seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.“The whole idea of the road, of going from one place to another, is essentially American.” The movie itself isn’t perfect, and bogs down at times, but taken as a whole it’s one long, sweet nostalgic ride back to a time and place the director, and most viewers I daresay, look back on with a great deal of fondness. Let’s thank Tarantino for making Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Can anyone blame us for smiling as we look back…when we know that very little of today’s culture will be remembered as fondly in the decades ahead. The movies, the TV shows, advertising jingles, cartoons and fashion, the music, literature and cars. It’s one thing to see classic cars at a weekend car show, quite another to see them lovingly displayed in their natural setting up on the big screen.įor those of us who weren’t there, and for those of us who were and enjoy going back – Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a nostalgic trip back to a time we now view as the highwater mark for western culture in general. With 2000 cars appearing within the 2hrs and 40mins, there is something for car lovers the world over. For those of us who love and appreciate American cars of the 1960s, Tarantino has delivered a real feast. ![]()
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