Grand Prix (1966 film)

Grand Prix is a 1966 American action film with an international cast. The picture was directed by John Frankenheimer with music by Maurice Jarre and stars James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford, Jessica Walter and Antonio Sabto. Toshiro Mifune has a supporting role as a race team owner, inspired by Soichiro Honda. The picture was photographed in Super Panavision 70 by Lionel Lindon, and presented in 70mm Cinerama in premiere engagements. Its unique racing cinematography in part credited to Saul Bass is one of the main draws of the film.

The story follows the fate of four Formula One drivers through a fictionalised version of the 1966 Formula One seasonSubplots in the film revolve around the women who try to live with or love the racers with dangerous lifestyles. The married Sarti begins an affair with a magazine writer, Louise Frederickson, while Aron has a brief romance with Stoddards unhappy wife Pat. The relationship between BRM team manager Jordan and Stoddard resembles a lot the relationship between Colin Chapman and Jim Clark helped by the fact that the Stoddard actor looks a lot like Jim Clark. Curiously Lotus and Chapman are not mentioned at all in the movie, which supports the suspicion that the JordanBRM team is based more on Chapmans Lotus team than the Owen BRM which was raced in real life by Jackie Stewart. Stoddard, of course, wears the Stewart family tartan on his helmet to aid the use of real race shots with Stewart driving the BRM. ........

Source: Wikipedia