history of original movie bluesmobile
Oct 29, 2011 16:27:31 GMT -5
Post by sigmfsk on Oct 29, 2011 16:27:31 GMT -5
We can't lose this info. On the BBC archives
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/9691-old-bluesmobile-info/page__view__findpost__p__117419
Shotgun Blues wrote:
Good Evening!
I was going through some old paperwork, and came across the notes I made back on 03/03/81. I called Universal Studios to get information on the Dodge Monacos used in the Blues Brothers. According to Mr. John Ortiz, head of the Transportation Department Of Universal Studios, 100 Universal Plaza, Universal City, California 91608, telephone number (213) 508-1679. Mr. Ortiz told me that the Monacos were purchased from Hollywood Picture Vehicles. I got all this before the internet!
I also found the receipt for the purchase of our first Bluesmobile, on 11/11/81, From Dorian and Sons Salvage Yard. Mileage at purchase was 45,419. We paid $500.00 for her.
Man, I miss our Bluesmobile! I can't wait for her to be reborn in Bismo's hands!
R/S
SB
-------
Bismo:
Ah, Dorian's... I'd forgotten the name!
I'm hopeful the Monaco may be home after her winter exile as early as this coming weekend, Brother, then I can start thinkin' about what I can afford to get done this season... still optimistic the paint will happen barring any other mechanical issues. Well, any unexpected mech issues, we'll always have some of course....
----------
Steam:
> Shotgun Blues said:
> Mr. Ortiz told me that the Monacos were purchased from
> Hollywood Picture Vehicles.
What do we know about them? I'm thinking it's these guys ... ?
www.cinemavehicles.com/
Click on 'history' and it looks like their activity in the entertainment industry and the timeline both fit perfectly for this being an organization that could have supplied the Bluesmobiles. I'm just not sure if they've been covered in another thread somewhere and maybe someone has already contacted them about that? Although it's not the same name as Shotgun has ... and there was probably more than a few movie car suppliers in and around LA. Just wondering.
--------------
I wrote:
That's fantastic info, Shotgun.
I searched for "Hollywood Picture Vehicles" and found
www.pinkshollywood.com/pgz/rtcl/latimes2.htm
> The Buick is from the Hollywood Picture Vehicles fleet of Scott Boses, a Pink's devotee
> for 36 years.
and searched for "Hollywood Picture Vehicles" and "Scott Boses" and found
hollywoodcarguy.com/html/silverauctions.html
> Even if you've never seen Scott Boses, you've probably seen his cars. His three
> '59 Cadillac convertibles appeared in more than a dozen movies, from "Weird Science"
> to "Pink Cadillac" and "Heartbreak Hotel." He provided more than 100 cars for "Back
> to the Future" He owns the original roadster driven by Jethro in the "Beverly Hills"
> TV comedy from the '60s.
>
> Bosés (pronounced Bo-zay) is president of Hollywood Picture Vehicles in Los Angeles.
> He owns more than 150 vehicles from 1917 to 1967, and his main business is
> providing vehicles for motion pictures. He also provides them for commercials,
> videos and print ads, and he works with stunt teams who use his vehicles
and another article:
hollywoodcarguy.com/html/carcollector.html
> Hollywood picture cars is Scott's website.
and a link to:
www.hollywoodpicturecars.com/
Hollywood Picture Cars
We can supply any vehicle you need!
cars - trucks - motorcycles - boats - airplanes
and pics of tons of vehicles (no 74 Monacos).
It sure sounds like this is the place. I'll give them a call. It's a longshot for new info, who knows where this might lead!
your friend in longshots with a good risk / reward ratio,
arthur
-------------
and then updated:
Sometimes you spend some time and effort and get really lucky. This isn't one of those times.
But it's not all bad news. I did some good hints of info.
I spoke with Jeff Moore, who, best I can tell, currently runs Hollywood Picture Cars, after Scott Boses retired. Jeff spoke with Scott and other folks, and here's the summary:
-------
In the latest 1970's, HPV was owned by Dennis Joncas (Denny). HPV specialized in loaning ready-to-film ambulances, police cars, and hearses to the movie studios.
In the early 1980's, HPV went bankrupt, and then Scott Boses started a completely new business, doing the same thing, using the same name. So the HPV that worked with Universal for the Blues Brothers is not the same HPV that exists today.
Mike Ryan worked at HPV around 1981 (new HPV) and remembers hearing that HPV only supplied one of the Dodge Monacos. He was confident that it was just one, but it might have been two. Definitely not more than two.
Mike said HPV gladly sold the 1974 Ex-CHP car to MCA/Universal because they wanted to upgrade to the newest model CHP cars for their inventory.
[arthur: note the implicit belief that it was an actual ex-CHP car]
-------
So this story fits nicely with this text from JKNLWOOD:
> When the movie was made, they started work in CA. I dont have my notes handy,
> but there was at least one car built in CA for the movie and that initial car was
> Ex-CHP. From there, the car was shipped back to Chicago, and the transportation
> guys then bought the rest of the cars needed for the movie and built them to
> "match" the primary car. (Meaning they made them look close enough from a
> distance) Most of the cars in the movie were East coast cars.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/7354-pushbar-questions-answers-2.html#post121835
and JKNLWOOD:
> Actually from what I've been able to find, several of the original "Bluesmobiles" used
> in filming were ex-CHP cars that they trucked out East from CA. (I'm not sure of
> exact numbers, but I know that several of the "bluesmobiles" were actually
> ex-CHP cars.)
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post62459
and CPDGREG:
> Not every car used in the movie was a former CHP car, nor were some of them
> even police cars. There are different interiors patterns depending on what scene
> you're watching.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post62763
There is this contrary thought:
> A couple friends of mine worked on the set. They told me there were 13
> Bluesmobiles and they were reportedly ex L.A. County Sheriff cars.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post63212
Here are my thoughts:
HPV provided a 1974 Dodge Monaco to Universal. It was an ex-CHP. It was painted as an ex-CHP.
Universal got a bunch more 1974/1975 Monacos (remember the car outside the Country Bunker with a 1975 bumper - we don't know if it was a 74 with a 75 bumper, or a 75 with a 74 grille). Some were ex-police (ticket light) and driver quarter panel hole for radio antenna, but not ex-CHP (CHP didn't use the factory extra ticket light). Some were civilian (vertical pleat door panels, and wood stripe). In addition to the original HPV car, more of them may have been ex-CHP, as there is much CHP stuff in the movie (seat styling, carpeting).
They repainted all of them to a non-CHP paint job (such as door window frames). They actually did much more continuity work than we would expect: ex: they dyed all the hornpads tan (except for one shot where the hornpad is only visible from the rear). We know they dyed all the hornpads, because police hornpads with horn ring never came in tan.
So I think this lead has shared all that is available. No pictures or details of the specific car sold by HPV to Universal.
your friend in sharing research findings,
arthur
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/topic/9691-old-bluesmobile-info/page__view__findpost__p__117419
Shotgun Blues wrote:
Good Evening!
I was going through some old paperwork, and came across the notes I made back on 03/03/81. I called Universal Studios to get information on the Dodge Monacos used in the Blues Brothers. According to Mr. John Ortiz, head of the Transportation Department Of Universal Studios, 100 Universal Plaza, Universal City, California 91608, telephone number (213) 508-1679. Mr. Ortiz told me that the Monacos were purchased from Hollywood Picture Vehicles. I got all this before the internet!
I also found the receipt for the purchase of our first Bluesmobile, on 11/11/81, From Dorian and Sons Salvage Yard. Mileage at purchase was 45,419. We paid $500.00 for her.
Man, I miss our Bluesmobile! I can't wait for her to be reborn in Bismo's hands!
R/S
SB
-------
Bismo:
Ah, Dorian's... I'd forgotten the name!
I'm hopeful the Monaco may be home after her winter exile as early as this coming weekend, Brother, then I can start thinkin' about what I can afford to get done this season... still optimistic the paint will happen barring any other mechanical issues. Well, any unexpected mech issues, we'll always have some of course....
----------
Steam:
> Shotgun Blues said:
> Mr. Ortiz told me that the Monacos were purchased from
> Hollywood Picture Vehicles.
What do we know about them? I'm thinking it's these guys ... ?
www.cinemavehicles.com/
Click on 'history' and it looks like their activity in the entertainment industry and the timeline both fit perfectly for this being an organization that could have supplied the Bluesmobiles. I'm just not sure if they've been covered in another thread somewhere and maybe someone has already contacted them about that? Although it's not the same name as Shotgun has ... and there was probably more than a few movie car suppliers in and around LA. Just wondering.
--------------
I wrote:
That's fantastic info, Shotgun.
I searched for "Hollywood Picture Vehicles" and found
www.pinkshollywood.com/pgz/rtcl/latimes2.htm
> The Buick is from the Hollywood Picture Vehicles fleet of Scott Boses, a Pink's devotee
> for 36 years.
and searched for "Hollywood Picture Vehicles" and "Scott Boses" and found
hollywoodcarguy.com/html/silverauctions.html
> Even if you've never seen Scott Boses, you've probably seen his cars. His three
> '59 Cadillac convertibles appeared in more than a dozen movies, from "Weird Science"
> to "Pink Cadillac" and "Heartbreak Hotel." He provided more than 100 cars for "Back
> to the Future" He owns the original roadster driven by Jethro in the "Beverly Hills"
> TV comedy from the '60s.
>
> Bosés (pronounced Bo-zay) is president of Hollywood Picture Vehicles in Los Angeles.
> He owns more than 150 vehicles from 1917 to 1967, and his main business is
> providing vehicles for motion pictures. He also provides them for commercials,
> videos and print ads, and he works with stunt teams who use his vehicles
and another article:
hollywoodcarguy.com/html/carcollector.html
> Hollywood picture cars is Scott's website.
and a link to:
www.hollywoodpicturecars.com/
Hollywood Picture Cars
We can supply any vehicle you need!
cars - trucks - motorcycles - boats - airplanes
and pics of tons of vehicles (no 74 Monacos).
It sure sounds like this is the place. I'll give them a call. It's a longshot for new info, who knows where this might lead!
your friend in longshots with a good risk / reward ratio,
arthur
-------------
and then updated:
Sometimes you spend some time and effort and get really lucky. This isn't one of those times.
But it's not all bad news. I did some good hints of info.
I spoke with Jeff Moore, who, best I can tell, currently runs Hollywood Picture Cars, after Scott Boses retired. Jeff spoke with Scott and other folks, and here's the summary:
-------
In the latest 1970's, HPV was owned by Dennis Joncas (Denny). HPV specialized in loaning ready-to-film ambulances, police cars, and hearses to the movie studios.
In the early 1980's, HPV went bankrupt, and then Scott Boses started a completely new business, doing the same thing, using the same name. So the HPV that worked with Universal for the Blues Brothers is not the same HPV that exists today.
Mike Ryan worked at HPV around 1981 (new HPV) and remembers hearing that HPV only supplied one of the Dodge Monacos. He was confident that it was just one, but it might have been two. Definitely not more than two.
Mike said HPV gladly sold the 1974 Ex-CHP car to MCA/Universal because they wanted to upgrade to the newest model CHP cars for their inventory.
[arthur: note the implicit belief that it was an actual ex-CHP car]
-------
So this story fits nicely with this text from JKNLWOOD:
> When the movie was made, they started work in CA. I dont have my notes handy,
> but there was at least one car built in CA for the movie and that initial car was
> Ex-CHP. From there, the car was shipped back to Chicago, and the transportation
> guys then bought the rest of the cars needed for the movie and built them to
> "match" the primary car. (Meaning they made them look close enough from a
> distance) Most of the cars in the movie were East coast cars.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/7354-pushbar-questions-answers-2.html#post121835
and JKNLWOOD:
> Actually from what I've been able to find, several of the original "Bluesmobiles" used
> in filming were ex-CHP cars that they trucked out East from CA. (I'm not sure of
> exact numbers, but I know that several of the "bluesmobiles" were actually
> ex-CHP cars.)
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post62459
and CPDGREG:
> Not every car used in the movie was a former CHP car, nor were some of them
> even police cars. There are different interiors patterns depending on what scene
> you're watching.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post62763
There is this contrary thought:
> A couple friends of mine worked on the set. They told me there were 13
> Bluesmobiles and they were reportedly ex L.A. County Sheriff cars.
www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum/bluesmobiles/5687-replica-blues-brother-car.html#post63212
Here are my thoughts:
HPV provided a 1974 Dodge Monaco to Universal. It was an ex-CHP. It was painted as an ex-CHP.
Universal got a bunch more 1974/1975 Monacos (remember the car outside the Country Bunker with a 1975 bumper - we don't know if it was a 74 with a 75 bumper, or a 75 with a 74 grille). Some were ex-police (ticket light) and driver quarter panel hole for radio antenna, but not ex-CHP (CHP didn't use the factory extra ticket light). Some were civilian (vertical pleat door panels, and wood stripe). In addition to the original HPV car, more of them may have been ex-CHP, as there is much CHP stuff in the movie (seat styling, carpeting).
They repainted all of them to a non-CHP paint job (such as door window frames). They actually did much more continuity work than we would expect: ex: they dyed all the hornpads tan (except for one shot where the hornpad is only visible from the rear). We know they dyed all the hornpads, because police hornpads with horn ring never came in tan.
So I think this lead has shared all that is available. No pictures or details of the specific car sold by HPV to Universal.
your friend in sharing research findings,
arthur