Johnny Dark Movie Book

105 The Johnny Dark Production Notes Universal International Studios February 23, 1954 The sports car craze now sweeping the country provides the thematic background for Universal - International ’ s Technicolor production of “ Johnny Dark, ” produced by William Alland with George Sherman directing a cast headed by Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie, Don Taylor, Paul Kelly, Ilka Chase, Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Hampton. One of the most vigorous movements in the nation ’ s automotive field, the widespread interest in sports - type vehicles is fast beginning to revolutionize Detroit ’ s busy assembly lines, with U - I being the first studio to base a feature film on the timely subject. In the early days of motion pictures the racing car story figured prominently in action fare, with the contribu- tions of Reginald Denny, William Haines and the late Wally Reid being best remembered. Not until plans were actively under way for “ Johnny Dark ” was it discovered that the very first motion picture dealing specif- ically with sports cars was one produced by the old Universal studios. This was “ Sporting Youth, ” made in 1924, with Denny as the dare - devil hero. To give documentary authenticity to the screenplay, director Sherman moved cast and crew to Toledo, Ohio, to make use of facilities of the vast Willys Motors plant. The $62,000,000 factory, covering more than 5,500,000 square feet of floor space in 70 buildings, provided one of the most grandiose sets ever em- ployed by Hollywood film makers. A first - hand view of all the steps involved in construction of an automobile, from first blueprints to final as- sembly, was recorded by the cameras. For purposes of the screenplay (authored by Franklin Coen) the Willys cars shown in the footage were slightly modified, with the name of the vehicle changed to Fielding. Following Toledo sequences the troupe moved to Detroit where the newly completed two - and - one - half mile proving grounds of Packard Motor Car Company were pressed into use. An engineering marvel, the oval testing track is so carefully designed that a driver is able to negotiate the turns at high speed almost without keeping his hands on the steering wheel.