Johnny Dark Movie Book

101 The Johnny Dark Production Notes Universal International Studios February 23, 1954 Introduction by Geoff Hacker, Undiscovered Classics, 2010 Hi Gang … If you love the vintage fiberglass cars of the early ‘50 s – the 1954 movie “ Johnny Dark ” is for you. It has everything a car guy would want in “ car guy ” movie: • Sports car races – one actual race filmed at the Goleta, Santa Barbara Airport during Labor Day of 1953 and a second “ cross country race ” – based on the Carrera Panamericana Road Race in Mexico that had started in 1950. • Boy (Tony Curtis) meets girl (Piper Laurie) – but this time it ’ s a “ car - based ” romance • Fantastic filming of the race – filmed up and down the mountains with at least one car (Chuck Tatum ’ s sports car – 6 cylinder GMC) providing the real sounds for the movie, and race scenes filmed by helicop- ter – nearly a first for sports car / race car movies • Competition – between the main character Johnny Dark and his good friend “ Duke Benson ” played by Don Taylor • And of course – our favorite fiber - cars vying for the lead including a Glasspar G2, Victress S1, Woodill Wildfire, Grantham Stardust, Irwin Lancer, Chuck Tatum ’ s “ Tatum Special, ” Bohman Special, and a Kurtis Sports Car. The Glasspar spins out....the Grantham Stardust spins out....the Bohman Special spins out.....so much action! And these cars were chosen for a reason – as you ’ ll learn later in today ’ s story – straight from the folks who created the movie. A Fiber - Match Made in Sports Car Heaven: We couldn ’ t have asked for a more perfect movie showcasing the best of what 1953 had to offer in Ameri- can fiber - powered sports cars. But given all of these facts, the movie was actually far more historically im- portant than any of us might think. It came out at a time when building your own sports car was something that was top of mind to young American men, and sports car magazines knew it. So did movie studios.