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Davis (Sid) ProductionsIngenuity in Action (Part I) (1958)

Made for hot rod fans; explains how to prepare and enter a car show; also serves as an ethnographic account of the "nomadic tribe of hotrodders".


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Davis (Sid) Productions
Sponsor: Hot Rod Magazine
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Car culture: Youth; Car culture: Hot rods; California: History and culture

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Seto-Kaiba_Is_Stupid - - January 31, 2009
Subject: Very Good Film
This is another fine gem preserved by Rick Prelinger. I'm amazed the usually cloying Sid Davis Productions produced something this good. It's amazing just how different late-50's "youth films" were compared to those made by Coronet during the early 50's. Coronet's films have their moments, but the late-50's films films seem more "real", since they feature more outdoor scenes and better-written dialog. In fact, I'd say 1957-1963 had very good "youth" media, 1945-1953 being fairly weak, and 1963-1972 being unwatchable as far as "youth" media is concerned. 1954-1956 does have it's appeal though, as film-makers tried to connect with teenagers and kids who were rejecting their products. Then again, what do I know? And what the heck does my review have to do with this film?

Seriously though, the cars are awesome! Bring 'em back!

Reviewer: Visual16 - - January 28, 2009
Subject: Fun Movie
This is a very well-edited and entertaining look into the early days of drag racing. The legacy of drag racing continues today with events hosted by the NHRA. Having attended several of these finals in Pomona, California, I can state there are very few things more exciting than witnessing an under 5 second run from a funny car or top fuel dragster!

Ingenuity in Action is set in September 1959, when drag racing was becoming a nationwide phenomenon We follow the team through an Oklahoma match and then onward to the main race.

The manual editing used to create this film must have been a nightmare, but the finished product certainly reflects all of that great attention to detail. A fun film if you haven't seen it yet, and don't forget that there are parts 1 and 2 to watch the whole film!

Reviewer: dan b - - January 28, 2004
Subject: Vroomm,vroomm!!
This is an awesome film!! It's got it all. Cool cats, beautiful cars, wonderful scenery and lots of dragstrip action. It even has a guy with a beatnik beard! The roar of those American V8's is a beautiful sound to behold, something we don't seem to hear enough of anymore. Today's performance cars sound like a dying moose with those stupid mufflers they all seem to have. What I really like about this and all the hot rod movies on this site is the message of team work, discipline, adherence of rules and reward for a job well done. The young lad and I say two thumbs up! Thanks again, Rick.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - August 19, 2003
Subject: As exciting as watching a car drive in a straight line
A pretty nice looking documentary about the Hot Rod Nationals of 1958 by Sid "Cars are cool, except when they have strangers in them" Davis. We follow a crew that has built a car going to the Nationals in Detroit Michigan. From California, they take the VERY long way and somehow end up in Texas to pick up some other people to form this odd slow moving caravan to Detroit, when we finally get to see the hot rods in action, and what Hot rods they are! Big ones. small ones, colorful ones you name it. Anyways, I was fully expecting the California team to of course, WIN it, but that doesn't happen (which makes them, of course drop out of sight for the remainder of the film). So, if your kicks are made by watching cars racing non stop on a strip of asphalt, then this is the film for you!

Shotlist

This informative film made for hot rod fans explains the process involved in preparing and entering a car show, but at times comes across as an ethnographic account of the "nomadic tribe of hotrodders".



Aerial shot of Detroit out of jet window, with airplane wing
Many shots of hot rod auto shows, crowds, and races
Full parking lot aerial shots (shaky)
Shots of racecar assembly, including welding on the frame and engine work
Shots of driving through the Southwest, with Mesas in the background.
A desert sunset.
Men pushing a racecar on the ramp of a semi-truck.
A group of men shaking hands and rubbing the top of each others' heads.
Shot on the rear of a racecar with smoke shooting out as it takes off.
Scenes of cars racing.
Woman shooting with 8mm movie camera.
An outdoor pool with men jumping off the diving board.
Trucks with trailers going through the Turner Turnpike toll booth.
A woman standing on the back flap of a vehicle in sunglasses, thongs and sombrero hat shoots 8mm movies
Men at a Coca-Cola stand
Shots from front of racing car of on-coming track
Close-up of sports announcer with microphone
Men accepting and holding trophies by cars
A woman in full length gown being aggressively kissed in a joking fashion -- she reacts with a crazy expression

Personalities:
Chuck Jones, racer from sidewinder crew in Long Beach, California
Wally Parks, president of NHRA
Ed Cole, general manager of Chevrolet
Robert Petersen, publisher of Hot Rod Magazine
Mr. Tex Colbert, president of Chrysler Corporation


Excellent hot rod footage. Also, very good scenes of trophies awarded to winners of drag race. Excellent color. This is probably one of the best films dealing with hotrods and dragracing.

Voice-over by a somewhat macho racecar driver and enthusiast: "Lefty and Tom are high priests in our temple, Lefty works in electronics, and Tom's a mechanic." They prepare for the national auto show in Detroit. They set out with their hot rod in tow, "The Martin Nelson Dragmaster" from Oceanside, California and drive through the Southwest. In Amarillo, Texas the guys stop at a barbecue eatery. Oklahoma had a regional meet. They go through St. Louis and cross the Mississippi on a bridge in foggy weather, leading to a drive down a stormy road in Illinois. They arrive at the meet and proceed through the races. The winner: Rod Singer of Houston, Texas who wins the largest trophy and "The Kiss" from a woman in a full length light blue gown. The enthusiasts will now return to their garages.


Hot rods Hotrods Dragracing Drag racing Automobiles Cars Teenagers
"To hotrodders everywhere, and their great zeal for experimentation. A fact of Native American technology which is always a part of us. . . . This film is respectfully dedicated"