Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Bambi B (A) on February 19, 2010 at 22:24:33

In Reply to: RE: Tippi Hedren's Aston Martin.. posted by Craiger56 on February 19, 2010 at 17:58:14

PHOTO: Tippi Hedren cruising Bodega Bay in her 1954 Aston Martin DB2

Craiger56,

Yes, I had thought about and then forgotten to include the Aston-Martin DB2/4 Tickford in "The Birds" from the list of great movie car choices. It's important as it is so exotic in the Bodega Bay town with all the Fords and shows Hedren's character as wild- and rich. Remember the scene showing the love birds in the cage tilt as the car is going around curves? It's interesting too as it's the fragile, cramped Aston the four survivors use to drive away after the big bird attack. We know from a scene outside the bird store at the very beginning that Rod Taylor had a white 1962 Ford Galaxie 500- a big 4-door with a steel roof- much safer than the Aston's skimpy canvas rag top. And, since we saw the birds peck through a solid oak door it was a very odd choice. Maybe Taylor just wanted to drive the exotic instead of the matronly Ford!

Hitchcock made another interesting choice in cars in "Vertigo" Kim Novac, the rich shipbuilder's wife- drove a Jaguar MK VIII- like a sporty Bentley and we see James Stewart following this two tone green Jaguar all over. The car kept acting as a the kind of marker for where Novac was- the flower shop, the museum, the boarding house,the apartment, and etc. Stewart has a Desoto coupe- perfect for his character- conservative and with a down to earth refinement of taste. The Desoto was a 1956 I think- a car that one of the better-looking American cars then. All the '56 Chryslers were good looking. I had a 1955 Cadillac CoupedeVille and it was a hippo next to the Chryslers.

And, we can't forget when Cary Grant, forced to drink Bourbon in "North by Northwest" was put into a 1959 Mercedes 220SE cabriolet so he would crash it off a cliff. Instead, the MB gets crashed into by a police car.

Cheers,

Bambi B