Burt Munro and 200mph ??

[manta22]

Louise;

"...he sold tickets using the tag line grabber "Based on one Helluva true story", ..."

It is only a movie-- not a documentary. Note the disclimer "Based on..."

Regards, Neil   Tucson, AZ

[streamliner]

Bob Leppan and Jim Bruflodt (in the cowboy hat) with Burt Munro, photo by Alex Tremulis...

[Stan Back]

I saw "the movie" years ago, but if I remember -- one scene -- with Bu(e)rt out about the 5, the chase pickup pulls along side and urges him on.

Well, something like that.

Stan

[jacksoni]

Louise;

"...he sold tickets using the tag line grabber "Based on one Helluva true story", ..."

It is only a movie-- not a documentary. Note the disclimer "Based on..."

Regards, Neil   Tucson, AZ

The DVD version we saw had footage of a documentary Donaldson did on Burt, IIRC early 70's, that had scenes in it with Burt in his shop that were directly copied into the movie. That stuff can be doctored as well or staged but lent an element of reality to the Hollywood version. Hollywood stuff is just movies of course can't be taken as reality anyway.


Along similar lines (movies), and LS Louise may know, in mid '90's after some of my trips to salt, a local artist and producer came to my house for party of local racers basically to try to drum up money for a project on Art Arfons. I never heard it was done until today when something came up and I googled it. Apparently was shown on PBS or similar in 1999. " The Green Monster". I had some promotion materials about it which in a fit of cleaning up, may have just recently tossed. Anyone know anything about the movie? Guy's name was David Hess.

[velocity]

Neil / All

My objection is that Donaldson exploited the good name of LSR for his ticket sales and screwed with a part of history that ought not EVER be fodder for a creative license -- the record. You can't, on one hand say this is based on a true story and the jack up that person's story to fit your own whimsy and caprice -- especially at the expense of another (in this case, Bob Leppan). Morevoe, it is especially vulgar when the person is dead and can no longer defend themselves.

I am quite clear on the difference between a film for fun and a documentary, yet both have been utterly mangled by those with loose ethics and morals.

As a historian, I take such things literally and act defensively not necessarily for today but for the public perception 50 or 100 years from now, screw with the public record in this sport and I am on you to tell the truth.

I don't know about others, but one funeral for someone who went to their death trying to get a line in a record book is reason enough to be stalwart and persistent. 

[manta22]

Vel;

What is the difference between "...this is based on a true story..." and "... this is a true story." ?

Regards, Neil   Tucson, AZ

[jacksoni]

Neil / All

My objection is that Donaldson exploited the good name of LSR for his ticket sales and screwed with a part of history that ought not EVER be fodder for a creative license -- the record. You can't, on one hand say this is based on a true story and the jack up that person's story to fit your own whimsy and caprice -- especially at the expense of another (in this case, Bob Leppan). Morevoe, it is especially vulgar when the person is dead and can no longer defend themselves.

I am quite clear on the difference between a film for fun and a documentary, yet both have been utterly mangled by those with loose ethics and morals.

As a historian, I take such things literally and act defensively not necessarily for today but for the public perception 50 or 100 years from now, screw with the public record in this sport and I am on you to tell the truth.

I don't know about others, but one funeral for someone who went to their death trying to get a line in a record book is reason enough to be stalwart and persistent. 

I agree with you in basic principle, but having seen how supposedly unbiased, not selling tickets ( of course they are) news media mangles reports of an event (that I have participated in-in this case swimming across the Chesapeake Bay-4.4miles) I can't be too upset about movies that are clearly someone's imagination and designed to sell tickets. LS Louise alluded to this as well with the NYT article. You just have to take it with a grain of "Bonneville Salt Flats" salt and not get in an uproar.   But still, I am with you. As historian, just think how history has been rewritten over the years in books, school, media etc etc, to fit some political agenda. We see it every day. Oh Well!

[Moxnix]

Did Burt ever mention kissing a transvestite?

[Kato Engineering]

well, I have looked in all of my old programs and records and cannot find out what or who held the record BEFORE it was set by Burt
Munro..
HOW FAST was the previous record...

[Kato Engineering]

lets not forget that it is a MOVIE...

it is NOT a documentary or a life story...

[fastman614]

In the past there have been mile markers out to 9/10. When we run the shootout with Mike Cook we have signs to the 11, course permitting.

In my 47 years I have never seen timing lights beyond the 5 sign. In the old two way run days the long course vehicles would start at the 7 sign so that the two mile approach was equal on both ends. Many a driver needed a road map because running back to the start line (0) the signs were numbered backwards.

DW

Dan, (and everyone).... there was a time when the retrn runs came back fro mth 9 mile marker to run the two way average over the "SAME PIECE OF REAL ESTATE"... in 1991, the year I made the 2 club, I know that I came back from the 9 mile..... that was the year that Al Teague went 409.986mph.... and he returned from the 10 mile (or very close to it)..... but this does not in anyway imply that timing went beyond the 5 mile mark on the course as, in all of the 40+ years that i have attended, it did not.....