Classic Movie Scene: Grand Prix (1966)

One of Hollywood’s first attempts at making a great movie about auto racing was Grand Prix.  Released in 1966, it endeavored to show audiences what it was really like to be a Formula One racing driver starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Jessica Walter and Brian Bedford among others.  Besides the human drama (and there was plenty), this movie has some great racing scenes.  (Unsurprisingly director John Frankenheimer eventually made Ronin which features one of the best car chases in modern cinema.)  Formula 3 cars were dressed to look like contemporary F1 cars but the film also included racing footage of F1 cars.  James Garner did his own driving but what really stands out about the race scenes are the onboard shots.  Take a look at this bit from the first race featured in the first act at the Monaco Grand Prix.