'The Worlds Fastest Indian' -A Movie about Burt Munro directed by
Kiwi Roger Donaldson and Burt played by Sir Anthony Hopkins
| Great story and fantastic photos by Mike (av8) a
member of H.A.M.B owned and operated by
http://www.jalopyjournal.com |
Other Burt's Links on this site
T.W.F.I Special Screening Movie Review Aug 30th
2005
The Worlds Fastest Indian movie 22
more photos of filming at
Utah
plus 'Kiwi' Mike on the
filming on the flats
Burt Munro - A New Zealand Legend, The Munro Special
Burt Munro, 1899-1978 - A New Zealand Motorcycling
Legend, Part One
Burt Munro, 1899-1978 - A New Zealand Motorcycling
Legend, Part Two
Official TWFI Site
| Official
TWFI Site Movie Trailer (may require huge Quicktime download)
Simpler Alternative Trailer without Quicktime |
The movie
biography of Kiwi motorcycle racer and New Zealand national hero Burt
Munro concluded its location shooting at Bonneville on Saturday. It was
all quite trouble-free, as these things go. Shooting ran a couple of
days longer than planned, thanks in part to a requisite Bonneville
afternoon breeze which knocked the pit location flat Saturday before
last. The movie lads worked Sunday to put it all right and our small
crew of car wranglers headed for SLC and a tour of Temple Square (which
included an organ recital in the Mormon Tabernacle that had our ears
ringing for hours afterward), and an afternoon spent at Stan Wanlass’s
house near Alta, talking hot rods and checking out his incredible
sculptures.
The vehicular star of the movie is Burt’s 1920 Indian. The original is
owned by a collector in New Zealand and is far too valuable to be
subjected to the rigors of filming, so a replica was built to take its
place. Actually, there are three replicas – a complete version of the
original, a second that is just a chassis and body and was used for
camera-car action shots, and a third that’s powered with a Ducati twin
and was used for stand-alone action sequences.
And speaking of cameras, here’s the primary “battery” of picture-takin’
machines, monitors, sound-recording gear, and generally busy folk. There
were easily a dozen workers in this pod most of the time.
|
The complete replica as it arrived at Bonneville |
and partially “aged” by a patina pro! |
 The
motor-less camera-car version . |
 .
and the Duc-powered runner, parked . . |
being pushed off |
 .
. . and underway. |
The camera-car with the scooter attached . . |
and Anthony Hopkins (who plays Burt) about to
climb in for an action closeup. |
 .
And speaking of cameras, here’s the primary “battery” of picture-takin’
machines, monitors, sound-recording gear, and generally busy folk. There
were easily a dozen workers in this pod most of the time.
|
Anthony Hopkins (right) as Burt. |
Burt’s Stateside traveling rig, set for a shot of his arrival on the
Salt. There were three near-identical Chevys, two ‘54s and a ’53 tarted
up to look like a ’54. The patina-meister did his job so well it was
difficult to tell the cars apart. |
 Tardel-supplied
cars lined up on the first morning, like a fantasy used-car lot –
roadsters, coupes, pickups, panels, and a bellytank lakester. |
 A
great deal of time was spent on the starting line . . .
|
 .
. . with racecars and push trucks . . . |
 .
. . and some staged drama as the starters take off after Burt who has
crashed the line! |
A rare photo-op presented itself when four famous old Salt cars were
gathered together for the first time ever – the Pumpkin Seed, the
Redhead, the Challenger, and the Flying Caduceus. |
The pits were cozier than we’re accustomed to |
 .
. . and always busy and well populated with actors, extras, and crew . .
|
. . including extras coordinators (cat herders) . . . |
 .
. . and wardrobe ladies. |
 There
were some nice scoots on hand other than the featured Indian, like Jeff
Decker’s Triumph dirt tracker . . . |
. . . his Crocker . . . |
 .
. . Jim Travers' tasty Ariel HS . . . |
. . Fritz’s vintage Triumph . . . |
. . . and this gorgeous, brand-spankin’-new Indian
Chief that showed up just for the hell of it! |
 |
 Damn!
A week and a half later, after the dust – and Salt – had settled, all
the cars were given a thorough de-salting Friday evening and reloaded on
the transporters, off the Salt.
|
The
motor-less camera-car version .
.
being pushed off 
.
. . and underway.
.
And speaking of cameras, here’s the primary “battery” of picture-takin’
machines, monitors, sound-recording gear, and generally busy folk. There
were easily a dozen workers in this pod most of the time.
Tardel-supplied
cars lined up on the first morning, like a fantasy used-car lot –
roadsters, coupes, pickups, panels, and a bellytank lakester.
A
great deal of time was spent on the starting line . . .
.
. . with racecars and push trucks . . .
.
. . and some staged drama as the starters take off after Burt who has
crashed the line!
.
. . and always busy and well populated with actors, extras, and crew . .
.
. . and wardrobe ladies.
There
were some nice scoots on hand other than the featured Indian, like Jeff
Decker’s Triumph dirt tracker . . .
.
. . Jim Travers' tasty Ariel HS . . .
Damn!
A week and a half later, after the dust – and Salt – had settled, all
the cars were given a thorough de-salting Friday evening and reloaded on
the transporters, off the Salt.