#legendary hollywood cars

[leclucklerc]

Check Point MV1 - 00. Opening Sequence

Pairings: Max Verstappen x Actress!Reader

Summary: She should've realized that coming back to Formula One after quitting the sport years ago is a bad idea. Especially considering that most of your childhood friends and rivals from your karting days are now in the paddock.

Word Count: 2k

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The thing is, y/n l/n loves racing.

Maybe it's in her blood, maybe it's the way she was raised, maybe it's her calling. She doesn't know. All she knows, is that all her life, she had been in love with racing.

It's the way her eyes lit up when her father gave her her first kart. It's the way she absolutely relishes in the feeling of adrenaline and wind as she swept through the track. It's the way she would laugh and play with the kids during racing weekends.

As a young child, watching her father drive the world's fastest car in the highest form of motorsport has been fascinating. More than fascinating, really. Watching the man that she could proudly call dad living his dream as he made his way to become one of the most legendary figures in formula one. 

The red car that always finished first. Her dad who always climbed out, fist pointing towards the sky - as if he's communicating or thanking with a higher power - as cheers and yells full of excitement reverberated through the air.

She could still remember the bright red flags being waved in the air. How the tifosi's cheered for her dad, how the race track became the liveliest place on earth.

To the young y/n, everything had been so fascinating.

Reynold l/n had been a four time formula one world driver's champion under Ferrari. One of the most legendary drivers to ever existed, someone that had inspired so many young children to take up the challenge of formula one.

One of them, is his own daughter.

It was the main reason why she took up karting at such a young age. Wanting to feel the thrill and excitement just like her father. To see, what made this sport so addicting and so so enthralling. To share this love with the father that she had loved so much.

And yes, y/n loves it.

She absolutely loves it. How her heart would be thumping wildly as she could hear her father cheering in the distance. How with each race, she felt as if she was closer and closer to her father. How she would won races, smiling and laughing, imagining the small podium as an actual Formula One podium.

It was amazing, it was addicting.

Besides that, anyone with two eyes can see that y/n has a talent in racing. At first, her father had worry immensely that she would stand out in a bad way considering that she's a girl in a male dominated sport. That she would be pushed around or be belittled by the people around her.

That worry turns out to be unfounded considering how amazing the girl is at the track. After all, she's not only a girl who's karting. She's a girl who's winning in karting. Y/n always stood on the podiums with her male counterparts, proving that yes, a girl can succeed in this sport. That gender has nothing to do with talent and hard work.

Her racing trophies could be seen lining up the walls of her house, accompanying her parents. His father would boast his daughter's apparent talent in racing to everyone that would listen and well, everyone will listen to Reynold l/n if he started talking.

If anyone had asked her what her first love is, she would say racing. 

Racing is her first love, no doubt about that. Though, racing, is not the only thing that she loves.

Because the thing is, as much as y/n loves her father, she also loves her mother. As much as she had idolized her father, she too, idolized her mother greatly.

The beautiful Nicole Merle-y/n had been Hollywood's icon once upon a time. Or maybe, she still is. An amazing actress with beautiful face and peerless talent. A woman, that had become an icon in the entertainment industry. Many of her movies had become a classic, spanning generations upon generations.

Back during the height of her career, she would become the muse of so many musicians. Love songs would be made while thinking of her, and romantic movies would be produced with her as a lead actress.

Just like her father races, as a child, y/n too had watched her mother acted in front of the cameras. The way the woman could shift her emotion so seamlessly, how tears would drop from her eyes on command, how she can command the attention of the room with a single glance.

Her mother is a woman that y/n aspires to be.

A femme fatale that can make men fall in love with a single glance. An independent woman with her own value and stance. An actress, that shine in front of a camera so brightly.

During her younger years, aside of racing, y/n also acts during the off season. From smaller roles as a side character in her mother's films or even the main character in a movie with a child protagonist. Similar to karting, it was not long before people realized that oh, she's also talented in this.

As expected of her mother's daughter. As expected, from the child of Hollywood's icon.

She's the youngest actor to be nominated for an Oscar for her lead role. She actually won an Oscar for her supporting role despite her young age. Many people thinks that she's the second calling of her mother. The next Hollywood's A-lister that will take the entertainment industry by storm. 

Y/n l/n, a girl who has everything.

For the longest time, y/n had insisted on doing both. That both racing and acting is important for her and there's no way she can let one of them go-

"The Ferrari driving academy wants you in their program," said her father after one of her race. The adrenaline is still high and she's still holding her first place trophy tightly. "They want you to debut in GP3 shortly."

Y/n blinked at that.

From besides her, her mother let out a laugh. "Ah, isn't that amazing?" she said. "Did the academy called you?" The last bit was asked directly towards her father.

Her father shrugged. "Stefano also called," he said as they walked towards their car. "He said that there's a possibility that y/n is going to become one of... Ferrari's future talent for their F1 team."

And, isn't that the big news?

Stefano Domenicali is Ferraris' formula one team principal. He's the team principal of the team that her father used to drive with and won three driver championship. He's the team principal of one of the top team in formula one.

He's also a man that seems interested in her talent.

"Amazing," said her mother. "It's an amazing offer!"

"I know," said her father too. "But this also comes with a consequence."

Time seems to stop at that. His father didn't even have to clarify what the consequences are because the three of them know.

"Darling," started her father as he crouched in front of her. "You know what this means right?"

Y/n nodded, eyes staring at the older man. "If we accept that offer, I'm going to be a full-time racing driver," she started, small hands hugging the trophy on hand tightly. "I- I have to follow a sportsman training, which will take a lot of time and strength." She continues.

"Yes," said her father. "That is true."

"Which means, I can't do both racing and acting anymore," said the girl, eyes flicking towards where her mother stood, also staring at her. "I have to give up acting if I want to accept that offer."

Her father ruffled her hair. "You can take your time to think about this," said the man. "Max also got called up for Red Bull Driver Academy recently right? Maybe you can discuss this with him."

The girl nodded at that. Her childhood friends did told her that he was being called up for Red Bull junior program a few weeks ago. He had been so excited and she too, had been excited for that.

"What about you, Dad?" she asked, desperately trying to avoid his gaze. She doesn't want to see any doubt or disappointment on his eyes. "Which one do you think I should pursue?"

"Well," started the man. "You tell me, it's your life darling. It's your decision, I don't want to influence it in any way."

"Y/n" said her mom gently, caressing her cheek. "Both of your father and I had talked about this," she said gently. "It really is your decision; we don't want to force you."

Y/n stared at her.

Racing or acting.

She loves racing and yet at the same time, she also loves acting. The two activities that she loves the most in the world.

From the start, she knows that both of them needs a lot of dedication and time. That to do both at the same time would be impossible. Still, she held out toward the small hope that maybe – just maybe – there's a possibility that she can do both.

If she takes up the offer, she probably have to move to Maranello and live there or somewhere close. There's a chance where she won't have enough time off to shot any movie of series. There's also a chance that when she finally got into GP3 or the higher category, racing will consume her life fully.

Y/n loves racing, she really do.

But can she gives up acting for racing?

Or can she give up racing for acting?

Reality came crushing down and it is time for y/n to choose.

"And that's the story of how I almost became a Formula one driver," laughed 24 years old y/n l/n with a charming smile. "But I guess, all of you know what decision that I made that day."

Amidst the bright studio lights and setup, the female positively glows. From the way her black dress hunched elegantly as she sat, towards the magnetic gaze that she directed to everyone in the room. When y/n l/n is in the room, it's impossible to look away from the female.

It's no wonder that the highly acclaimed actor had won many awards over the years. Many of her works had been praised highly and even won many many oscars. To anyone who had seen the female act, they all would've thought that she was born to do it.

So it's  a bit surprising to hear that not only the female almost gave up acting, she almost gave up acting to be a racing driver.

Jimmy Kimmel let an actual laugh at that, half disbelieving. In his hand, a picture of y/n's karting days could be seen by everyone on the studio. She could see the small racing suit as well as the bright pink helmet that her father gave her years ago. Certainly, it brings back memories.

"I mean, that is an interesting story!" said the man as he put down the picture. "Formula one is so different from being an actress!"

"I agree," she said good-naturedly. "it would've changed the trajectory of my life tremendously."

"But tell me, did your father got mad by your decision?"

The actress let out a twinkling laugh, eyes creasing. "He's upset for maybe a day or so," said the female, remembering how her father had said that he was not disappointed but sulked around the house for some time. "Though we made up when I cooked him a breakfast in bed a few days later."

"Amazing!" said Jimmy, laughing at the answer. "It's like choosing between your dad and mom, right?"

"For sure," she said. "When I ended up choosing to act my mom was so smug about it. Though, that doesn't mean my love for the sport has dwindled, me and my dad still follow the races often on tv."

Nodding, Jimmy decided that it's time for them to change towards the next topic. "Speaking of Formula one, the Miami Grand Prix is around the corner," he started, learning forward a bit. "Are you going to attend?"

Y/n tilted her head a bit, making sure that the camera captured her charming points. The question hangs in the air as she began ponders the answer. Truthfully, the last time that she had come into a formula one race in person was back when she was 17. It was fun, meeting all of her dad's friends and she even had the chance to tour the paddock and watch the race from the Ferrari's garage.

Though, over the years, as she became busier and her schedule became more packed, following the sport live is almost impossible. After all 22 races in 22 countries is a lot and she can't possibly tune in live to every each of them.

The Miami Grand Prix this year is different.

While formula one had always been a popular sport back in Europe, it had never taken off in America. At least, until the last few years. She began noticing more and more people talked about formula one in LA. Maybe it's because of the Netflix documentary? Or maybe it's because there's a change in management? Who knows.

All she knows, this year Miami Grand Prix will be different from any other races. Every celebrity that she knows will be there. Literally.

Even if she has no interest in Formula One, she's sure that her agent will somehow make her attend the event. Either for publicity or maybe as the brand ambassador of one of the sponsors. After all, there is no way she'll miss out the hottest event in the past few years.

"Hmm," she hummed playfully. "I mean, I do have a father-daughter bonding day scheduled in Miami GP," she said, making cheers and claps erupted in the studio.

Laughing, Jimmy nodded his head. "Great then!" he said. "Are you excited to see the sport that you almost become a star in?" asked the man. "Maybe you will have a change of a heart in the upcoming grand prix."

"Doubt it," she said cheekily. "Considering my movie will be released this month."

"And that ladies and gentlemen, is the final plug for the night, Product of Glory will be out in theatres at the 1st of May!"

With that final say, y/n let out a beautiful smile as Jimmy did his closing ment as he thanked her for her participation in the show before she exited the stage.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Lena Horne (Cabin in the Sky, Stormy Weather)— Incredibly talented biracial actress, singer, dancer, and activist (she did so much work towards integrating audiences). Because of the racism of the era, she rarely got to be the lead actress but filmmakers loved her so much that they would often create stand alone segments within a film to highlight her beautiful singing, knowing that these segments would ultimately be cut from the film by censors in areas that forbid films with Black performers. Also, she's just so wonderful in Cabin in the Sky as a gold-digger villain who is not the least bit subtle about her intentions. I would highly recommend checking out her work.

Jane Fonda (Barbarella, Sunday in New York, Barefoot in the Park)—Feminist icon, LGBTQ+ rights activist since the 70s, Civil Rights and Native American rights advocate, environmentalist… she really is THE woman ever

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Lena Horne:

Black American powerhouse singer and actor who faced all the usual bullshit that any BIPOC faced in vintage Hollywood and achieved legendary status anyway. Also a Civil Rights movement icon.

She was a gem

She was so beautiful and those dimples are amazing! Truly depressing how badly Hollywood treated her because she was black. I would love to have seen what she really could have been if they didn’t cast her in so many yikes roles. She’s got gorgeous eyes and that body! Her joyful smile makes happiness sexy!

Civil rights actress, singer, dancer, actress, she's got the whole package

Lena Horne was a wonderful singer and actress who largely starred in black cast musicals. While she had a lot of main stream success, she ultimately lost the lead role in showboat (a role she had played on the stage) to a white actress due to hollywood's prejudices. She was also blacklisted during the HUAC hearings, but she still managed to be hot be hot as fuck and have a career spanning decades, working with more well-known stars like Judy Garland in musicals, and working on stage and releasing albums when her hollywood career began to suffer.

Miss Horne became famous during a period of time when Hollywood had very few meaningful roles for people of color. Although she is more so known as a performer, she starred in two successful all black productions (Cabin in the Sky & Stormy Weather). If that wasn't enough, she also guest starred on the Muppets (Season 1, Episode 11)

Jane Fonda:

" I assume she's already been submitted but I gotta make sure. I think there's an element to movies like Barbarella or her segment of Spirit of the Dead of those having been directed by her husband, who famously made movies about her being hot, and the incredible costume design also helped, but good lord. Look at her"

"She was so pretty, dear lord! She was and still us stunning. She’s great at comedy and drama."

"Shes so hot im so gay for me i will let her hit me with hers car"

"Gorgeous and also still getting arrested at climate protests, which is sexy behavior"

"Watching her in Barefoot in the Park seriously made me, a straight woman, question things"

"PLEASE I LOVE HER SO MUCH"

"Her vibes in these movies are so interesting because she, the daughter of an Old Hollywood star, went on to make both poignant dramatic movies and the some of the silliest things you've ever seen but even in the silly space adventures and sexploitations there's always this undeniable gravitas to her. It's like she's able not to take herself very seriously but at the same time never stops having this grace and elegance and makes it all work together. And she's always been very politically active which is also sexy. Her famous mugshot is from 1970 so right at the cutoff mark but come on"

[myoddessy]

CONEY ISLAND | cl16 —THE PRELUDE.

series masterlist

summary —an article on y/n l/n and all that entails.

WHO IS Y/N L/N? by Louise Kelly

April 29th 2017.

By now, everyone and their mother has heard the name Y/n L/n. With the awards and the acclaims, it's a surprise to find that she isn't an old Hollywood legend, but instead an 19 year old girl with raw, unfiltered talent.

Although, as brilliant as L/n's work is, many fans and followers have noticed a distinct pattern in her projects: she releases something legendary (i.e. an Academy Award for directing after her debut, topping charts with her first album, etc.) and ghosts all media for six months minimum before returning with another knockout. This reputation has lead many tabloids and reporters to refer to her as "Star" an abbreviated version of what was "The Shooting Star" in reference to the fleeting moments of brightness of her career.

Many people over the years have speculated that this nature has been brought on by a lack of media privacy, as paparazzi and obsessive fans alike tracked her down and documented what was near to her every move in the two years before she began her complete media lockdown—outside of promotions, of course.

Due to this private nature of hers, there's a lot of room for speculation when it comes to her life—something news outlets and tabloids such as enews and entertainment weekly have taken advantage of too many times to count over the years by starting rumors and spreading gossip through clickbaited headlines.

In fact, most things people have come to know for certain about the young woman are through speeches she makes or posts from her friends and family's accounts.

In her 2013 Oscar acceptance speech, she went out of her way to thank her mother and brothers, saying they were the only reason she was standing there and their support meant more than any award ever could. Since then, she's never skipped a chance to praise and credit them for her success.

She has also spoken very fondly of her boyfriend and racing car driver, Charles Leclerc, with whom she's been dating for little over three years and grew up living beside. While she does not credit him by name in her speeches, she often dedicates her awards to "her love". Because of this, most information on the pair's relationship has come through both party's instagram accounts, and the accounts of their friends.

Y/n's closest friend, Amalie Billard, has been the public's window into the life of L/n, sharing sweet and funny moments through Instagram stories and posts. Amalie herself is a photographer who grew up with Y/n and has worked closely with her since an internship and ELLE magazine two years ago. Y/n has been the subject of a vast majority of Billard's work and has said that she "feels more comfortable around Amalie than she has with anyone else in the industry and treasures that bond greatly."

Gossip and drama aside, Y/n has build up an impressive reputation in the world's of cinema and music. She has won a total of 5 Academy Awards; Best Leading Actress (2012), Best Supporting actress (2014), Best Leading Actress (2016), Best Director (2017), Best Supporting Actress (2017). And has one 4 Grammys for her music; Pop Solo Performance (2014), Pop Vocal Album (2014), New Artist (2014), Best Alternative Music Album (2017).

She's been praised by some of Hollywood's greatest over the years for both her work ethic and work itself. "She's an incredibly talented young woman who has the sort of grace you'd see in Old Hollywood and the humour you wish you'd see in everyone now. She's truly a great role model for all—young and old." Said Meryl Streep in an interview for "Call for me", a film that she and Y/n starred in in 2015.

taglist— @whoetoshaw @formula-hamilton @lilsiz @sad1esgf @deviltsunoda @tall-tanned-tattoo @briboweee @uh-oh-spaghetti-oh-my-gosh @meetmeaftersix

if you would like to be tagged in future series parts, either comment, dm me, or send a message into my inbox! 💞💞

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with Elle Italia (2024)

Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is currently busy. To play the hearthrob with Glinda and Elphaba in the kingdom of Oz, waiting to go hunting for dinosaurs on a remote island with Scarlett Johansson. Jonathan Bailey has made it. During the pandemic, he feared that his career was over. He had filmed the first season of that bizarre, sexy period drama by Shonda Rhimes and, locked in the house, he was asking himself about the possible outcomes. We know how it went, a firework of colored sugared almonds. Everyone went crazy about everyone, including "Jonny".

Now, the consecration, with a role he dreamed of, the vain Prince Fiyero in the film adaptation of the legendary musical Wicked. The first part will be released on November 21, the second in 2025. With him, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh. When he is late for our interview, he gets into the car, turns on the speaker on his phone and apologizes.

Don't worry about it. In Italy we have dinner late.

Oh, the italian dinners! You are living in my favorite place in the world, you know? I'm just back from Salento, near Lecce, and I had my fair share of amazing night dinners, but still my delay is unaccetable, i'm sorry. Too much passion in talking about the movie, and I was long...

Film are a great escape mechanisms. Why we need Wicked right now?

When I watched it for the first time, I got emotional. I think it brings joy, the joy of escaping, and underneath, it is full of strong and deep meanings for our world. It's a movie deeply political that speaks about identity, diversity, understanding the differences and celebrate them, finding each other, be together. It speaks of friendship, commitment and new awareness. Of evolution and growing up. All important things.

Are you a fan of the musical?

Yeah, I've seen it four times in London and I've always been obsessed by the Broadway's recording. We are all fans of the musical in the cast, everyone see themselves in it for different reasons. Fiyero has an incredible story and an interesting transformation, there are elements in him that I understand. The trick was to be able to capture the essence of someone who is considered a playful frivolous person, vane and superficial and make it work behind a camera. I think this could be applied even for my fellow companions. Cynthia's perfomance is able to portray a truth and an emotion, both vibrant of urgency. The first time I've spoken with the director, Jon M. Chu, I was so excited: he showed to me every frame of the initial sequence with such an enthusiasm, a year before beginning filming it. And the movie is exactly how he pictured it in his head, he made his vision true. He immediately conquered me and I have been on board ever since.

After Bridgeron, even here 'you are the most eligible bachelor in town'. It's an habit.

It's an absolute privilege.

Talking about the scene in the library in the movie, in a review, a journalist praised "the costumist for the line of the pants (very tight) and the director for the framing."

(He laughs) Amazing! You see? The immense joy of doing this job is that you are going to play characters so different from you, like an eligible bachelor.

Wicked invites us to fight for who we are. Does this reminds you of something?

When I was a teenager, I was similar to him, very undisciplined, but in a funny way; I could very well beginning to dance in a library. It was then that I began to sing and dance, so this is basically coming full circle for me. I was very confused about roles at that age, and attracted by strange and intriguing people. I would have definitely befriended Elphaba.

You are very reserved but you talked about homophobia in Hollywood in the past, of when they suggested to hide your own sexuality to be able to get roles. Did things change?

I have never used the word 'homophobia' linked to Hollywood but, yes, things are definitely changing. I have a career I would have never imagined to have before, and it was amazing to be able to do a series like 'Fellow Travelers', to talk about certain aspects of my life and I'm so proud of that project. I think the entire world is evolving and it's better for everyone.

You have started working at 7, you have done Dickens and Shakespeare on theatre, you have worked with Oliver Parker e Shekhar Kapur. Then Shonda arrived and...boom!

I'm feeling very lucky that this happened to me. After every type of experiences through the years, to try to do the right thing, and make a lot of mistakes, years without a job, Bridgerton came and it opened to me many doors. It came out during the pandemic so there were so many variables but the magical moments just fell into the right place. I'm happy and grateful.

Are you still able to take the metro?

I would never give up on that. I'm determined to continue to live a normal life. Something has changed, of course, but in a positive way. It can be a little scary at the beginning, but thankfully I have amazing friends and family, and I've been lucky with my castmates, both over at Wicked and Jurassic World, I have met special people, very generous and sensible who helped me to understand how to adapt to the changes...

Jurassic World. Don't tell me it's another dream that came true...

I'm going to tell you that Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies ever. I still remember when I first went to the cinema to see it. When I came out I was shaken in a way I couldn't comprehend, so imagine the joy in being in it now. Also there is Spielberg as a producer, Gareth Edwards as a director - and I have been a fan of all his movies - I've worked with Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson, another dream coming true. It doesn't start where the last one has ended, it is called Rebirth, and it truly is and there will be many surprises.

Let's get back to Wicked, witches and wizards: what's the magic in your life right now?

Nature. I've realized through the years that nature is able to give me balance, calm and solidity. In the movie, all the scenes with Elphaba and the talking animals moved me, so yeah, nature and the sea...I'm living outside London now, a dream to live a quiet life in the green.

You have often worked in costumes. The more uncomfortable to wear?

When I was little, at my first play, they dressed me up as a water drop. I was six, I was full of blue shimmery fabric that hanged down on my arms and pinched me.

How do you release the tension after a day at work?

I go for a walk, take a bath and listen to a podcast. And listen to music. Today I listened to Bee Gees, and lately I'm listening a lot of Ludovico Einaudi. A great mix of different genres.

Is there a movie that helped you to feel less lonely?

There is a silent short movie, based on a book, The snowman, by Raymond Briggs and talks about a snowman who comes to life and becomes friend with the kid who created him. Together they fly North and meet Santa Claus. It's very poetic and sad because at the end of the story the snowman melts, but it moved me and I could feel the love watching it.

A person who had an impact in your life?

A professor, Dr Brunton. He had a gentle manner about him and encouraged me, it was stimulating. He asked me to read Shakespeare in class with him, and I could feel that he understood me better than anyone else. Even in elementary school, to be fair, there was a teacher who had an important influence on me, Mr Peters. He encouraged all of us to sing, he had been the first one to make me believe I had something special in me.

In the next season of Bridgerton you will become a father. How do you feel about it?

It's an incredible sensation, I feel that son as my own (laughs)... I'm happy that Anthony has found happiness now. New challenges awaits him as a father and I'm sure he will talk to his son about his own father, whom he has lost too soon. That will be a good territory to explore.

Do you remember the precise instant you decided to become an actor?

I have started by chance, I was living in a little town in the countryside and taken dancing lessons in the town hall. That's where they discovered me. At the beginning it was mostly a game, then I've played prince Arthur in King John of the Royal Shakespeare Company and from there I've begun to understand this was what I wanted to do for a living. I realized for the first time on stage the power of playing Shakespeare. I remember thinking: if only I could this for a living I would be the happiest man on earth. That boy couldn't have predicted in a million years what would have happened next, though.

The work helped you to grow?

Yes, because it forces you to bring out what you have inside, even now that I'm an adult it's a continue discovery. It definitely helped me in the process of growing up.

Someone in Wicked says: "As soon as you figure out how to harness your emotions, only the sky is your limit." Have you learned, then?

I have always expressed my emotions with my body language. What I feel and think has always been clear on the outside, but emotions need to intrigue you, you have to understand them and learn to accept them. A certain transparecy is important in relationships. I think I have learned to communicate my emotions better through my work and the experience of others. Yes, I definitely think that without acting I would be a lost man.

Source

[vidavalor]

"You love trains": Crowley & Aziraphale inspired 'North by Northwest'

Putting my film studies background to good use here with some film history & historical context under the cut.

The "what does the J stand for?" exchange in The Blitz, Part 1 and the inability for the audience to initially understand what Aziraphale is mouthing in The Blitz, Part 2 are both references to Hitchcock's classic spy thriller, 'North by Northwest'. I didn't link the clip that goes along with The Blitz, Part 2 in case some of you have never seen this film because it would ruin your experience of it. (Definitely watch it if you have not as it's a masterpiece.) Since The Blitz scenes are taking place in 1941 and 'North by Northwest' was released 18 years later in 1959, Crowley and Aziraphale aren't referencing the film in the dialogue but, instead, could be presumed to be the source *of* the dialogue in the film... just like how Shakespeare lifted Crowley's love poetry for 'Antony & Cleopatra'... and the 'North by Northwest'-referencing part of The Blitz, Part 1 *is referencing* the 'Antony and Cleopatra' reference because it's the reveal of Crowley's first name. But... it gets even better...

The writer of 'North by Northwest' was legendary Hollywood screenwriter Ernest Lehman, whom we're now presuming to have been a friend of probably at least Aziraphale's. Lehman wrote a dozen or so classic films and, outside of 'North by Northwest', is most famous for writing adaptations of several famous musicals, including the adapted screenplay for... 'The Sound of Music.' But, no, somehow, we aren't done yet with how amazing this is lol.

The thing that makes this all even funnier is that 'North by Northwest' is responsible for probably the most famous train metaphor in cinema. I'll spoil just this bit as it won't really ruin the overall movie for you if you haven't seen it but don't go any further than here if you don't want to be spoiled at all. If you've already seen it, you totally know what I mean. *laughs*

In 1959, when this film was released, you still couldn't really show sex on screen in a mainstream film. If you showed two people in a bedroom at all, they were cisgender, heterosexual and married and they slept in two separate beds. The level of sex happening in the above clip was *wild* for the era and the fact that it was put into the film the way it is-- that an unmarried woman picks up a hot guy on a train and they sleep together and she's still the heroine of the film and all of that-- was really nothing short of feminist revolution in a film in this era.

The film has a famous "love scene" of sorts that follows not long after the one I linked above, where the two of them are in a cabin on the train and starting to get it on but constraints of cinema coding at the time limited how far it could go. So, to imply that the main characters do, in fact, sleep together, the film famously cuts away to a shot of the train entering a tunnel-- making the train itself symbolic of sex. Because of how famous the film overall--and this scene in particular--became, it became a thing to use trains euphemistically for sex in other cinematic works following it. There is literally no way that Crowley and Aziraphale have not seen this movie so while Aziraphale was happy to make The Bentley into a sexual metaphor while angling for the car keys, Crowley is half-heartedly griping in flirty response by continually referencing trains, another sexual mode of transportation-- the one that that they inspired lol. Hence Aziraphale's bemused little lololol-but-won't-give-him-the-satisfaction-of-seeing-my-amusement face here:

Sunglassed!Cary Grant is Crowley and the old movie chemistry and the semi-coded flirty banter and someone please, please write a fic where Aziraphale says "I don't particularly like the book I've started"-- I will pay you lol.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

James Dean’s Porsche 550

Even though Dean only made three films and died at the age of 24, his legacy is so great he’s still one of the most legendary names in the film industry. On the other hand, the story of his Porsche 550 Spyder nicknamed “Little Bastard” is one of the most enduring automotive mysteries of all time. Dean died in 1955, crashing his Porsche at an intersection in Cholame, California. The car was badly damaged, so they sold some mechanical parts like the engine, but the body and few components remained. After a few owners, the car ended up with famous Hollywood customizer George Barris.

He loaned it to an organization that promoted highway safety. Reports of people being injured in freak accidents involving falling pieces from the car and other strange occurrences lead the public to call the crashed Porsche, “a cursed car.” In the late ’60s, they shipped the remains of the 550 Spyder from Florida to California, but they never arrived in L.A. Someone stole the car under suspicious circumstances and no one has been able to recover it. Some historians claim Barris had something to do with the disappearance of the legendary Dean`s Porsche. But Barris took the secret to the grave since he passed away in 2015.

[bignaz8]

When Dan Aykroyd first scribbled down a 324-page script for "The Blues Brothers (1980)," he had no idea it would challenge traditional filmmaking norms and redefine musical comedies forever. The idea had started as a Saturday Night Live skit, but the journey to the big screen was far more complex. The original script, famously dubbed "The Tome," was a sprawling document that included extensive character backstories and intricate details about the world of Jake and Elwood Blues. Aykroyd, who had no prior experience in screenwriting, handed the massive script to director John Landis, leaving him the Herculean task of condensing it into a workable screenplay. This marked the beginning of a production that was as chaotic and vibrant as the film itself.

Bringing the Blues Brothers to life required more than just a trimmed script; it necessitated securing the perfect cast. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were already solidified as comedic powerhouses on SNL, but their transformation into Jake and Elwood Blues involved extensive preparation. The duo took their blues personas seriously, immersing themselves in the music and style that defined the genre. This dedication was reflected in their commitment to performing live during the movie's musical sequences. Their authenticity was further enhanced by the inclusion of legendary musicians like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Cab Calloway. These icons didn’t just contribute their star power they brought an unparalleled musical credibility to the film, which was crucial to its success.

However, the production was anything but smooth. With a budget that ballooned to nearly $30 million an enormous sum for the time, the film quickly earned a reputation for being one of the most ambitious projects in Hollywood. Part of the expense was due to its elaborate car chases, a hallmark of the film. The production famously destroyed 103 cars, setting a world record for the most vehicles wrecked in a movie. Filming these scenes required intricate planning, massive crews, and specially built vehicles. The iconic chase through a mall, for example, involved weeks of preparation and precise choreography to achieve the chaotic yet seamless result seen on screen.

Adding to the complexity was John Belushi’s unpredictable behavior on set. Known for his larger-than-life personality, Belushi’s antics often caused delays and budget overruns. At the height of his fame, Belushi’s off-screen escapades ranged from impromptu disappearances to wild parties, leaving the production crew scrambling to keep the schedule on track. Despite these challenges, Belushi’s magnetic presence on screen and undeniable chemistry with Aykroyd justified the chaos he brought to the set. Director John Landis, while frustrated at times, managed to channel Belushi’s energy into creating a performance that remains iconic to this day.

Another significant challenge was convincing the studio, Universal Pictures, to take a risk on a film that blended comedy, music, and action in such an unorthodox way. At the time, musicals were considered outdated, and the idea of combining them with high-octane car chases seemed ludicrous to many executives. However, Aykroyd and Landis’s passion for the project, coupled with Belushi’s star power, ultimately won them the green light. Even so, the studio’s faith in the project was tested repeatedly as the production faced escalating costs and persistent delays.

Beyond the logistical hurdles, "The Blues Brothers (1980)," was a cultural milestone in its representation of rhythm and blues music. The film introduced a new generation to the genre, celebrating its roots while showcasing its timeless appeal. For many viewers, it was their first exposure to the likes of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, whose unforgettable performances elevated the movie beyond a standard comedy. These musical interludes weren’t just entertaining; they were integral to the story, seamlessly woven into the narrative to drive the plot forward and deepen the characters’ connection to their mission.

The film’s production also had a lasting impact on the city of Chicago, where much of the movie was filmed. The city’s streets, bridges, and landmarks became integral backdrops, giving the film a gritty, authentic atmosphere. Local residents often served as extras, and the production’s presence brought significant economic activity to the area. Despite occasional friction between the production team and city officials, Chicago embraced the film’s chaotic energy, cementing its place as a character in its own right.

Despite its turbulent production, "The Blues Brothers (1980)," was a critical and commercial success upon release. Its unique blend of humor, music, and action resonated with audiences, making it a cult classic that continues to influence filmmakers and musicians alike. The film’s legacy is a testament to the creativity and determination of everyone involved in its making. From Aykroyd’s ambitious script to Landis’s vision and the cast’s unforgettable performances, The Blues Brothers (1980) remains a shining example of how bold risks can lead to cinematic magic.

[askgildaseniors]

Meet Wilson Ramirez and his rock, Saundra Marie. These two are the definition of a power couple, having gone from those scary “how will we pay rent?” days to Wilson becoming one of Hollywood's cool supporting acts. You’ve probably seen him killing it in TV shows like "Lucifer," "Agents of Shield," and "Mayans M.C." But let me tell you, the journey to the big screen was anything but easy.

We’ve all been there, right? The paycheck seems to disappear the moment it hits the bank. Wilson knows that all too well. Acting gigs weren't always in the picture – he did whatever job he could get, and rap music was his first taste of the limelight.

Wilson and Saundra’s love saga kicked off in ‘96. They made tunes with the Mary Jane Girls and the legendary Evelyn "Champagne" King. They tied the knot in 2000, and it's been them against the world since, fighting through some really tough times and even facing homelessness with California’s crazy rents.

They found their haven in Atlanta, swapping the West Coast for Southern charm and a fresh start. But life's got a funny way of throwing curveballs. Just as Wilson's star was rising in Hollywood, Suandra fell ill, and then the Pandemic hit – talk about bad timing.

Things got so tough their car became their temporary crib. They dreamed of owning a place in Greenberg, Atlanta, but life threw every financial hurdle their way. Bad credit scores, denied loans – the works.

But if you know Wilson and Saundra, you know giving up isn’t in their DNA. They tightened their belts, made some tough calls, and Wilson took a step back to reevaluate and grow. Positivity became their North Star.

So, if you’re up for a real, unfiltered, pull-no-punches story of bouncing back from the brink, you’re in the right place. Wilson and Saundra's journey is about facing the music and turning every setback into a killer comeback. Spoiler alert: It’s a rollercoaster, but who doesn’t love a wild ride to the top?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Wilson's real-life behind-the-scenes narrative and more on Wilson's son's boxing career and dealing with high-functioning autism. We will update the description once it is available.

DISCLAIMER: The following program contains material, situations, and/or themes that may disturb some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

[aconflagrationofmyown]

Origin of the Hollywood Hullabaloos Biker Gang

A Sarge & lil Mama Oral History (Elvis Presley fanfiction)

NOTE: Below are excerpts from Chapter Nine of the “Presley’s Remembered”, a project taken on by the youngest of Elvis and Elaine’s children, compiling interviews, recollections and anecdotes of their famous parents from the early days of their marriage till their late father’s death. In some instances the children interviewed the friends and acquaintances themselves, in other cases they utilized published memoirs and diaries, as well as interviews given on talk shows, radio and to official biographers. The sentiments below are included for their reminiscent value, they do not reflect the opinions or convictions of the Presley family, nor their endorsement as a perfectly accurate portrait of a very public family whose most private motivations were known to them and them alone.

Warnings: PG-13 at the worst? hinted mention of infidelity, the mob, cuckolding bets and a sickening amount of fluff

Billy Smith (cousin): There was this idea, Elvis pitched it to us but I’m pretty sure it was Elaine’s idea but, anyway, the idea was to start a motorcycle club, right? Like, that’s, that’s all there was to it, which sounds silly now in retrospect because it became such a, well, such a big thing ya know? But initially it was just Elvis Presley standing in his backyard in LA saying: “what if we made a bike club and only invited people we like?” And of course everyone immediately became supportive and worked really hard to be likable, you know, to guarantee an invite to be a member. A member of this club that didn’t even exist yet.

Red West (entourage): Oh yeah the bike club. You know how that started, right? It was nothin, I mean -nothin! Elaine and Thumper were already bikin’ through the Hollywood hills, down the canyons and all that whenever Elaine was in town. It’s what they did when Elvis wasn’t home and Elaine wasn’t on set with him. Sidecars and the crowd of kids strapped in and just crusin’. Probably kept the woman sane havin’ somethin’ she could sorta do on her own, get the uh, uh, ya know the uh, -any disgruntlement out. But it became pretty obvious Elvis wanted in on it. He got so excited by this idea Elaine had of him startin’ a whole club, and I remember he came tearing into the den at Hillcrest house to tell Elaine about it and, uh, Elizabeth was there, and uh, Elaine she, she listened to him real patient and animated like always -she always was that way for him you know, humoring him I think- and after he finished with all the details she just said, “that’s brilliant E!” and told him they oughta invest in, in uh, in some specialized leathers if they were gonna do it properly. And he said side cars for the babies too, like that was new, and she said “of course” and then you’ve EP tearing back outside to get the stuff ordered. And let me tell you, he was on cloud nine till he called Ann to tell her about it, and instead of the, the, the excitement, I guess, that he was expecting from her too, she was really miffed. Ann kept saying she and Elaine already had that and he needed to find another hobby. It was like stickin’ a pin in a balloon, man, it went from the only thing he cared about to being worth nothin’. Took Elaine like, like a week or more to build him back up. Those days they, they were kinda rough on him, little things really hit him hard at that time. Elaine -she was the only one to realize how, fragile I guess, fragile he was. Yeah. But of course, in the end, she cheered him up and now ya have the Hollywood Hullabaloo Club and it’s legendary.

Ann-Margret (co-star): Well now, I don’t want to overstep, overshare anything but you are right, it was very private at first, just me and Elaine going on joyrides with the kids. The kids got a little stir crazy in LA, more than they did in Memphis, you see. Elaine was very conscious that they needed to get out and be outside and there were concerns that in LA it wasn’t as safe for them to do so. So she had these custom made sidecars -trailers, is what they really were- and we’d pile them in and go out into the hills or sometimes south to the desert and just, get some sunshine and some wind in our faces. It was very special to me, that companionship with her, I felt it was very -healing, for the both of us. And I think, well, I believe it helped me feel forgiven. That she would share that -share herself- with me, and I found myself seeking her company more and more. Elaine was really a wonderful person to enjoy things with, she didn’t have to say a lot but you were never in doubt about whether she was engaged or not, she was always engaged. In the smaller things just as much as the large, and those rides were really simple and joyous, and I was a little selfish, I suppose, about them. She was very much herself on them, she was doing them for her own enjoyment, her children’s, it was one of the few times I saw her be abrupt with photographers or even fans. She really carved out that time for enjoyment and I had seen that, recognized that. But since I didn’t have the tact that she had, I just went ahead and told Elvis that those were special to her. And I guess that suggested his addition would detract from that, because it would, it would have suddenly made it more -in a bad way. I think he knew how much she gave to him, how much of herself, and how much she allowed him to have his own things and not encroach, she was so rarely jealous, really seemed to understand he was a force of nature and one person couldn’t hold all that attention. So I think he wasn’t so much sulking over not being wanted, as he was struggling with trying to mimic her, and be ok with her having her own thing. And he just wasn’t built like that, he needed all of her most of the time, and that’s just, that’s just how it was.

Jerry Schilling (entourage): first off I had to find someone who would make those massive pull behind wagons for the kids. And they had to be real safe, obviously, and it was a feat of engineering, Elaine designing them and making them exist. I’ve never seen Elaine throw money at something like she did those side cars. That’s not including the legal bribes either. And those ones lasted for about five whole months and then EP up and says it’s gonna be a whole gang and there’s gotta be more. This time lots of little side cars instead of the two large ones that Miss Ann and Miss Elaine were using before. So, with the bike club they just sorta divvied the kids up between everyone and there were some of the folks like the Cooke’s who had kids of their own. So it was a big production but the end product was such a blast, it was worth it. I mean it just went to show that EP really didn’t want to do much of anything without hauling his family along, just wasn’t compelling to him without them. And the gang grew from there.

Barbara Stanwyck (co-star): Oh god, the Hollywood Hullabaloo -god those were good times. It got to where I used to look forward to the parties and the dinners, because those Presley’s were masters at hospitality, but the biker gang? Oh that was madness and the most childish thing I’d engaged in -in forever. I didn’t have much of a childhood, been on the grind since 13, and the idea of having something so silly and fun and wholesome and just doing it, appearances and logistics be damned? God that was, that was everything and I know I wasn’t the only one who went in a little timid and then became rabidly devoted to our group. Hollywood’s culture was changing back then, and there were lots of rivalries and splits between the old guard and the new and serious actors and entertainers and it could all get a little mean and sore. But in the bike club? All that went away, you were with people and it humanized your rivals and your exs and turned you all into kids for a minute. I know a lot of rifts got healed through that, just as many wrecks of motorbikes happened too, but I’d say it was worth it.

Elaine Presley (when asked by her daughter): it was on the set of Roustabout, I believe, when Barbara piped up and told Elvis she knew how to ride. There was this brief break between filming one day and you should have seen how fast he tossed her onto his bike and drove off to prove it. Giddy in a cloud of dust and the whole movie set squawking about when they’d be back. She handled it like a champ, and I made a metal note she was gonna be invited, I could tell by his face that she was the sort we were looking for

Marlon Brando (actor): Hollywood can get so insular, so claustrophobic with all these cliques and pretentiousness and such. Drains your life away, and in between projects that can be a very down time. I was contemplating not even staying in the city for breaks when I heard about this lady who had succeeded at making a judge pass a law legalizing these motorcycle carriages. It was so she could bike with her kids. All five or six of them. A lotta kids. And my first thought was: she is either the worst mother or the most devoted one on earth. And I was curious about the mechanics of it. And so I asked around and heard from Sinatra that it was Elvis Presley’s wife. Which made sense, that’s where the money to throw at judges came from but I’d never heard anything that gutsy about her before that. I mean really, there were the rumors about Cooke but that was the usual shit. By far, the most I heard about her was the betting pool at the Coconut Grove where they had a pool over who could cuckold Elvis Presley first. And other than that, it sounded like she was good at making bacon and babies, right? I had this opinion of them (the Presley’s) that they had no idea what they were in for in this town. There was this contempt and lecherous fascination everyone in the industry had for them -and they were so generous and gracious about it. I really had some contempt for them, for what I thought was their naïveté. Until the thing about the bike carriage. I realized that Mrs Presley must’ve been sorta ingenious, or else hired someone clever, and I sure wished I had a mother who cared to take me along like that, you know? I just kept thinking of those carriages, kept thinking how it had to be an avid motorcycle fanatic to design them and so I stopped by the shop that made them. Asked who designed them. They said Elaine Presley. I went to Hillcrest House. I wanted to meet someone who liked motorcycles and kids that much. I mean, she had to be a good sort of person with those interests, right? Course then it was, it was like meeting human sunshine. Heavily pregnant sunshine. Elaine showed me around the garage, or the kids did is more like what happened, gave me a tour and she said how her husband would be bummed he wasn’t there to meet me. And I didn’t mind him, I mean I would have liked to meet him, and sure there’d been the business of Rita and him before the marriage. But that was water under the bridge, she’d used him to make me jealous, all there was to it. She said he was sweet, actually that’s my word. Boring is the word by Rita used. It had me thinking about him back then, it’s like, shit, he was a baby, you know? And the women they ate him up, used him like Rita did, used him like a bull. Made sense why he wanted to be married so bad, have someone who wasn’t in it to eat him up. But uh, my interest was in the woman who made those sidecars. In parting Elaine said I was welcome to swing by again, that I really had to meet “her boy”. I realized she meant Elvis Presley, he was her boy, and that made sense. That's how it felt it should be. So I ended up opening my big mouth and assuring this sweet girl I’d swing by again in a day or two. And of course all the kids watching me swear to their mother, I had to come back. That’s how I came to be -embroiled- in the scheme.

Lamar Fike (entourage): Yeah, yeah she’d be puttering around in the garage a lotta afternoons, before dinner but after the market and sports games. She’d be under a bike or two and the kids would be passing her wrenches and she’d be drilling them on their times tables. Homeshcoolin’ ‘em while changin’ oil, it was the craziest, loveliest thing I’d ever seen. Course the kids were so responsive to it, she’d give ‘em little rewards when they got numbers right, let ‘em tighten a screw or whatever. And it taught ‘em a lot about life and putting in the work for all the fun they then went and had on the road with their mama and Thumper. They saw her getting dirty and frustrated sure, they also saw her stick with it, finish a job. And keep coming back even though she coulda passed it onto me or anyone else. And yeah, sometimes EP would come home from the studio a little early and find her out there and he’d just lay down right next to her, get his nice Hollywood clothes all filthy, passin’ her stuff and askin the kids ��bout their day. Course then the kids they’d go through the times tables or the spelling or everything all over again, whatever she’d had ‘em just rehearse and whatever they were whining about doin’ with her they’d get all excited to show him. The progress that they had made, they liked showin off for him. He liked workin’ out there with her, so much so sometimes you’d have to leave ‘em be, clear the garage out, ya know. He found that attractive about her, the kerchief in her hair and the grease and shit, he didn’t mind, probably got in trouble for ruinin’ his clothes but he liked playing with her like that. He liked her like that. And yeah, one day Marlon Brando just sauntered through, pulled along by young Jesse who was showin’ him everything and Elaine really actin’ sorta star struck. She wagged her finger at me when escorting him out, I remember she said “don’t you tell on me, Lamar!” -and I thought it was the cutest thing as all she’d done was be nice to him, she was just real loyal and scared of hurtin’ EP. Course they all became friends later.

Ann-Margret (co-star): The angriest I’d ever seen Elaine was after my phone call with Elvis. She actually drove to my house in her rare spare time and to use an Elvis' turn of phrase, she lit into me. She said I was really insensitive and stupid for discouraging him about the club and that I’d made him feel burdensome and like she, Elaine, was trying to get away from him in the few days he had to be with them. Which we both knew I hadn’t meant it that way, but of course that’s how he took it and she had a right to be mad. I just didn’t expect her to be as angry as she was. I truly hadn’t seen her temper to that degree, had once doubted its existence. She was very even keeled about annoying or hurtful things, I mean she found out about the affair and just sorta shrugged, for god's sake. I thought that would be the ultimate test. But no, no this is what sent her fury skyrocketing, she really was so sensitive to him being wanted by them and never feeling like he crashed in on his own family when he came back. Even though that’s exactly what he did. He was a huge disruption every time he returned but that’s not how husbands should be, that’s now how homelife is done, so she simply forbade it from being taken that way. And I realized then just how much she loved him, not only would she give up every shred of indepence for him, she told me that if I ever slipped up like that again and made him feel unwanted by either of us, she’d make sure I never saw them again, or could ever even get in contact. I remember really thinking she was gonna jam the firepower up my tush a few times that conversation. It was like a Chanel No. 5 scented tornado and it shook me up good. I never tried to stick up for Elaine Presley again, she said she could do it herself, so I let her. Before the month was out, there was a biker gang and we had matching leathers and a name and over a dozen new additions. There was nothing serene about those rides ever again, but it pulled Elvis out of a terrible funk that I blamed him for, and she didn’t. And that was the difference. She just changed the atmosphere till Elvis Presley could glow again, whatever it took. For the mid 60’s it was the Hollywood Hullabaloos and she invented them for him.

Red West (entourage): Ok but you know why she did it, right? Elaine liked it quiet and she liked it all small and private but she knew with EP wanting in that she couldn’t let Marlon Brando into the girl gang and not her husband, right? Like, she knew that. It was so funny the night she told him at dinner that Brando had come to the house and she’s all “actually it was me he wanted to see” and EP is like an excited puppy all wanting details and he got about fit to burst with excitement over the idea of Brando joining the gang and then it was like, a switch went off in his brain. He went all pale and quiet, smile went away. You could tell he was visualizing his wife on a bike with Marlon Brando. I thought he’d break the table top he got so angry by this mental image he hadn’t even admitted to. It was hilarious. And Elaine you know, she never argued with him. He was so jealous of her, and she never argued like a lotta broads would have. He would be irrational and she’d say “ok”. Then suggest a loophole. Always worked, and the loophole was him bein’ in too. Startin’ a whole gang. Thumper hated the idea, told EP the same and it deflated him, man. But I’m tellin’ ya, Elaine knew if she was going to get what she wanted then she had to bring him along, let him in on the action when he was on his free time. Became a big ole deal after that, remembered as his bike club and stuff, but nobody remembers it was ‘cause Elaine Presley was a clever broad and wanted to go riding with her friends.

Elizabeth Mansfield (family friend): We were at the table and after his initial excitement you could see Elvis pondering the logistics of Marlon Brando taking a liking to his wife and right about when he started to idly push his food around on his plate Elaine pipes up casually and says “his voice is sorta annoying, though.” and Elvis snaps “whose?” and Elaine goes “Mr. Brando’s! His voice doesn’t seem to match the rest of him. But I guess I’m spoiled.” The rest of the dinner was spent with Elvis defending Brando’s dialect.

Jerry Schilling (entourage): ok, no, no it wasn’t just sidecars ok? This was an entire procession of bikes and trailers and stuff, eventually we’d take these massive packed dinners Elaine prepared ahead of time and we’d have the most luxurious picnics and bbqs up in the hills and sometimes there was even camping overnight, if enough of the security made it with us. Elvis and Elaine had already done a lot of riding up there themselves, just goin’ on dates up there long before Thumper and Elaine took to it when he was gone, so E and E, they had all these areas scouted out and would even say this area is good for camping or this one’s got a creek or there’s a good tree to relieve yourself behind. Course with how all over each other they always were, we used to joke there wasn’t much country around that they probably hadn’t used for coupling. Every tree ya pissed against ya had to wonder if it’d seen action.

Barbra Cooke Womack (wife of Sam Cooke): Some of my last, carefree memories of Sam before his death were from that summer when they started the Hullabaloos. We weren’t really good bikers, Sam collected cars, that was his hobby, but being a biker wasn’t the chief requirement for the gang. If you were bad at biking they gave you a helmet and called it a day. Elvis would say “you know where the accelerator is right?” and Sam would shoot back “It’s the break I’m worried about” and Presley would say “that’s no way to live”, and Sam would laugh and that’s the sorta attitude they were looking for. Had to be carefree. And really, it pulled Sam and I outta the depression we’d been in after the loss of our son. (Mr. and Mrs. Cooke’s two year old son drowned in their swimming pool the previous year.) Elaine’s still got a picture hung at Graceland of her and Sam and Elvis and Anne all jiving on a plank of plywood. They’d have these dance offs and the kids were judges, and they’d dance it out on this minuscule square of wood that they hauled up for the grill. Because yes, they hauled a grill up into the hills. Yeah, anyway, one of my favorite pictures is that one, the two teams facing off, Sam and Elaine versus Elvis and Ann, and behind them our daughter Andrea and their girl Ella putting on their best juror faces. Good times.

Ella Presley (daughter): Yes, Andrea and I, with Barbra (Stanwyck) sometimes advising us in matters of technical form, would judge these contests very seriously. Very serious business I’ll have you know, really, really took it gravely. And the parents, they tried to keep it serious for us, that is, as long as possible. Then it would just turn into all out jollification and everyone would start grooving.

Ann-Margret (co-star): they’d be blaring Solomon Burke and Chuck Berry and Otis, we’d get down to anything with a beat, and invariably the kids would end up joining in. Or Elvis would forget he was supposed to be facing off against Elaine and just end up cuddling up to the competition. Like, hey man we have high stakes here, burgers are at stake!

Marlon Brando: What was that -the uh, the Chuck Berry song, Elvis would always grab her and they’d just start swiveling together in perfect unison, ‘most playfully erotic thing I’d ever seen against the glow of a sunset on the hills. The kids were used to it. H-how’s it go? Something uh, something like uh-

Daisy Mae Presley (daughter): Mhmm, yeah, a staple was “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry and daddy loved grabbing mama and acting it out. They weren’t broke teenagers when they married but he was obviously trying to relate to it.

Marlon Brando: uh, how’s it go, it’s uh, uh, (sings mumbling) “It was a teenage wedding and the old folks wished ‘em well,”…yeah, that one. Swiveling, the both of em, in the middle of the campsite. A free show, it was crazy.

Ella Presley (daughter): Jesse and I had some tournaments too, later on. And there was wrestling as well, I remember daddy would get into it with anyone, and then all the kids versus him and Jerry or him and Marlon. Just dancing was something the family did, came natural, that urge to move. Something about a bonfire and twilight brings it out of anyone I think, twilight -you could be anywhere at twilight. You can go back home in your mind.

Jackson Presley (second son): Actually, come to think of it, I’m pretty confident my first memory was sitting on a bike. In mama’s lap, had to be, and looking up at this rustling blob of pink. I later learned the blob was a massive bougainvillea vine and my dad was trying to climb the thorny thing to get back one of my sisters' hair bows. What? Oh, no, I-I don’t know if he was successful. The thorns make me doubt it but, he was stubborn ya know, so if he hadn’t gotten it I bet we’d still be there. So yes, I guess.

Marlon Brando (actor): I ended up liking Elvis, and Elvis’ family, infinitely more than I uh, I anticipated. Not really news is it? (chuckles) I did swing back by Hillcrest House and I got fed the best meal of my life and I got to watch the kids all interacting and I got to watch this famous couple interacting, and something about it really satisfied me. It was holy chaos everywhere, all the time, with a center of peacefulness at its core. Those were genuine, happy times, everyone was still putting effort into being a unit, in their family. Really the glory days of Elaine’s showmanship of you're going to base your judgments about motherhood on the children’s presentation and mental well being. I think if she got a medal, it should be for what she did in the 70’s, to hold them all together, but if you’re thinking of what is now remembered as that classic family, those were the years. Picture perfect, even when you got on the inside, and I wanted inside. You bet I did. Probably because there was always this wicked little undercurrent to keep things interesting, to keep that marriage’s integrity. I saw that, and I liked it. They were best friends, Elvis and Elaine, and the camaraderie floated down to their kids and to the rest of the gang. And I kept coming back for more. And soon I found myself and my precious bike saddled with a sidecar and a Presley child in it, spending my Los Angeles autumn’s getting a sore back from camping on the ground. No one else coulda made me do that, you’d have to pay me and even then, I dunno. But I did it for free, gave my free labor even, over five years, whenever they were in town.

Daisy Mae Presley (daughter): I got Marlon, always. Or almost always. Probably demanded him and raised hell unless I got him, I just really liked his personality. Everyone in the Memphis Mafia was so scared of pissing daddy off by somehow risking us or hurting us, God forbid. So they always drove like pussies when they had us, and there was no fun in that. And Rosalee was always a scaredy cat, so she was with daddy and I got Marlon. Used to ribb Rosalee about how daddy drove like a maniac and so she was always choosing the scariest ride but she always insisted she felt safer with him. And of course she was. We all were. I just didn’t care for safe, ha. Of course, now it’s notorious that a monster joined and was carting Jesse around for a whole summer before we learned he was Nevada Cost Nostra.

Elaine Presley (being asked by a reporter on the street): There were never mobsters in the bike club, Mr. Corleone himself owned nightclubs and his methods were unorthodox, that’s it. He was an entrepreneur. I met his wife once. I don’t I trust my children to mobster or thugs

Daisy Mae (daughter): He was totally a mafia guy. Like a real Italian mafia guy. He helped mama with the FBI wire taps at Graceland for the divorce case, his level of contacts were insane. Oh I…maybe I shouldn’t of said that I-

Marlon Brando (actor): Daisy was a unique kid even back then, never fit in with her sisters, acted like one of the brothers and was fearless. Pretty obsessed with her dad’s attention even back then, but she was always trying to earn it by being a daredevil just like him. It took about two years but once he realized I’d rather die than hurt one of his kids, Elvis gave the go ahead and Daisy and me, we’d take jumps and go over the dunes, catching some much air. The hypocrite was already doing it himself with Rosalee in the sidecar the whole time. But hey, he -he was protective, and the kids knew they were special, loved, all ya can ask for as a kid. That, and uh, that and your own motorcycle chauffeur, I guess.

Ella Presley (daughter): We knew things had really changed when it went from family drives and Mama and Tamale (the nickname the Presley children gave to Ann Margaret) taking us out, to daddy piling us all in the caddy and taking us to get leathers made. We had gear before, mama used to pack us in so well that we’d probably have survived a nuclear attack besides a wreck. (laughs) But yes, we got to stylize our own helmets. I got a plain black one and brought it back and painted it, because that’s what mama did with hers. Mine had like this flower crown of pink flowers on black, very hippy, according to Daddy. I was six, ok! And there wasn’t some gritty aspect to motorcycles in my mind, I’d grown up seeing mama on them in her skirts and lipstick, jewels hanging onto her ears for dear life when she picked up speed. A painted flower crown on my helmet seemed very fitting to me, alright? Give me some slack here.

Daisy Mae (daughter): Ella really had no idea about being badass and all that biker stuff that I don’t ever remember even talking to Marlon about but, sorta like osmosis, I got the general vibe that we were hot stuff. At five years old. (Rolls her eyes) But Ella, Ella was all pink and black like mama. And daddy was cooing and thinking it was the cutest thing. Then, then daddy had mama’s leather pants monogrammed. And Ella wanted that too. He melted on the floor in horror when she asked.

Barbara Stanwyck (co-star): so when this thing got serious, really got off the ground, that whole family turned out looking sharper and more coordinated than the Von Trapps. A lot groovier, too. And then came the kicker, Elaine had these leather trousers that, being Elaine, they looked phenomenal on her stems, and a cheeky EP monogrammed on the back pockets. Picture it. An initial per ass cheek, dark pink on black. Looked like a spanked butt, and of course her husband loved it, I’ve never seen him take such public appreciation for vulgarity on her like that, but who can blame him? You’ve seen the pictures, she’s scorching hot in them, and they’d save her from roadburn so, all was good. Till Miss Ella pipes up and says she wants some, too.

Ann-Margret (co-star): Always like mama that one, and watching and imitating her to a Tee. And most of the time it pleased Elvis endlessly, but this time, you could see him connecting the dots of his little girl being just like her mama who was his wife who he was so rabidly hungry for. And he barked that no way in hell could she get those leathers. And of course the poor little dear had no idea where she’d gone wrong. So he immediately chased her as she ran upstairs crying, making amends by helping her repaint the sidecar to look exactly like her mama’s bike. But no monogrammed leathers.

Billy Smith (cousin): EP got me this gorgeous, macho beauty of a motor, all bronze and black and masculine. And I couldn’t wait to take it for a spin up in the hills, outrace ‘em all. Then the day of the first outing I went outside and saw I got saddled with a pink and black little sidecar hooked up to my bike and just like that, my Isle of Man dreams were over.

Marlon Brando (actor): I got pretty excited about this, uh, this whole thing, I was itchin’ to go. Didn’t get what all the fuss was about. I’d seen Elvis hanging around the house, I could see Elvis going a million miles a minute wanting to get on with it but then he’d have to have it picture perfect, so the outing would get canceled till the cars got swapped with the bikes till they matched, the colors, the aesthetic had to please him and it would take a big reshuffle and -all that. I got pretty sick of it, like -when’s this gonna begin? Day before we had been almost ready, then someone forgot the gramophone and that caused a lotta commotion and by the time it was solved the rain had come. So the next morning, we swear we are all going, hell or high water. It’s happening, we were all burned out on making it perfect, just wanted to joy ride, right?

Barbara Stanwyck (co-star): I’ll never forget that morning everyone was loading up and mounting their bikes and Elvis pauses by Marlon’s and starts showing this funny look on his face the longer he inspects the sidecar and Marlon’s bike.

Ann-Margret (co-star): I saw him reach out his hand and sorta thumb at the orange stripe on Marlon’s fender, it didn’t go with Daisy’s purple sidecar, you see.

Barbara Stanwyck (co-star): and then Marlon, in a voice he usually saved for the stage snarled- “leave Papa’s bike alone, Mopey” and Elvis just -obeyed. It was the funniest thing ever, he used Elaine’s nickname for him and Elvis didn’t bat an eye.

Ann Margaret (co-star): E clutched his hand to his chest like he’d been burned by the metal and went and got on his bike without another word. We actually made it out of the gates that day. The rest was history.

Finis~

Thank y’all so much for reading! This was an entirely new style of storytelling for me and I’d really love to hear your thoughts and get your suggestions if there are other topics you think might be interesting to be explored in this way. My very big thanks for sweet Christi for holding my hand through this and giving her feedback.

One of the things that interests me with this whole series is painting a dichotomy between the vulnerable and intimate voyeurism we get to experience with the one shots, verses how this couple is perceived by their associates and the world at large. It just makes it more real for me and I hope it did for you.

Also, as a side note, you may have noticed I tried to keep some of these individuals as rather unreliable narrators, their prejudices or existing recollections of Elvis’ real life being a bit… biased… one way or the other. I suppose I keep outing myself on who I’m not fond of in the MM. oops

Xoxoxo 🌹 Marina

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[paisainvests-1]

The Most Iconic 16 Hollywood Cars: Pop Culture Revamp

Ever wonder what makes Hollywood cars truly iconic? From the roaring engines that defined eras to the sleek designs that stole every scene, Hollywood has given us some unforgettable rides. Buckle up as we take a journey through the 16 most legendary Hollywood cars that not only ruled the silver screen but also became timeless symbols of pop culture.

😀 Let’s explore the Hollywood Cars wonders 😀

Hollywood has gifted us with some of the most iconic Hollywood cars ever to grace the silver screen. These vehicles aren’t just modes of transportation—they’re characters in their own right, carrying with them a legacy that transcends the films they appear in. From the time-travelling DeLorean to the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5, these Hollywood cars have become ingrained in popular culture, influencing everything from car designs to video games. Let’s take a ride through the world of Hollywood’s top cars and see why these vehicles have become legends.

[bestgaddi-com]

The Most Iconic 16 Hollywood Cars: Pop Culture Revamp

Ever wonder what makes Hollywood cars truly iconic? From the roaring engines that defined eras to the sleek designs that stole every scene, Hollywood has given us some unforgettable rides. Buckle up as we take a journey through the 16 most legendary Hollywood cars that not only ruled the silver screen but also became timeless symbols of pop culture.

😀 Let’s explore the Hollywood Cars wonders 😀

1. The Batmobile

2. DeLorean from Back to the Future

3. Aston Martin DB5 from James Bond

4. KITT from Knight Rider

5. Herbie from The Love Bug

6. General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard

7. Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters

8. Greased Lightning from Grease

9. The Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo

10. Ford Mustang from Bullitt

11. Lightning McQueen from Cars

12. Mach 5 from Speed Racer

13. Charger from Fast & Furious

14. Which Hollywood Cars Have Inspired NASCAR Racing Video Games?

15. Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit

16. Christine from Christine

Conclusion

[lover-of-skellies]

you're walking in the woods, there's noone around and your phone is dead, out of the corner of your eye you spot him

(shia labeouf)

he's following you. about thirty feet back, he gets down on all fours and breaks into a sprint. HE'S GAINING ON YOU.

(shia labeouf)

you're looking for your car but you're all turned around, he's almost upon you now and you can see there's blood on his face, my god, there's blood everywhere!

running for your life from shia labeouf, he's brandishing a knife it's shia labeouf, lurking in the shadoooowwwws, hollywood superstar shia labeouf, living in the woods shia labeouf, killing for sport shia labeouf, eating all the boddieeeesss

actual. cannibal. shia labeouf.

(shiiiaa)

now it's dark and you seem to have lost him, but you've hopelessly lost yourself

(shiiiaaaa)

stranded with a murderer, you creep silently through the underbrush, aha! in the distance! a small cottage with a light on! hope! you move stealthily towards it, but your leg AHH IT'S CAUGHT IN A BEAR TRAP!!!

gnawing off your leg

(quiet quiet)

limping to the cottage

(quiet quiet)

now you're at the doorstep, sitting inside shia labouf, sharpening an axe shia labouf, but he doesn't hear you enterrrr shia labeouf, you're sneaking up behind him, strangling superstar shia labeouf, fighting for your life with shia labeouf, wrestling a knife from shia labeouf, stab it in his kindeeeeyyyyy,

safe at last from shia labeouf.

...

you limp through the dark woods, blood oozing from your stump leg, you've beaten...... shia labeouf.........

.....

BUT WAIT. HE ISN'T DEAD

(shia surprise!)

THERE'S A GUN TO YOUR HEAD, AND DEATH IN HIS EYES, but you can do jiu-jitsuuuuuu

(you can do it)

body slam superstar shia labeouf

(legendary)

normal tuesday night for shia labeouf

(fight with)

you try to swing an axe at shia labeouf

(shiiiaaaa)

but blood is draining fast from your stump leg, he's dodging every swipe, the parries to the left

(leg but you)

you counter to the right, you catch him in the neck

(fight him)

you're chopping off his head noooowww

you have just decapitated shia labeouf

his head toppled to the floor, expressionless, you fall to your knees and catch your breath.

you're finally safe.... from shia labeouf.....

What the hell did I just read

[hooked-on-elvis]

Pictures of Elvis as Clint Reno on "Love Me Tender" (1956) | "The Rainmaker" screen test in Hollywood (March 26-28th, 1956) + magazine article | On "Love Me Tender" production and premiere (November 15, 1956). 🎬

He had never even been in a school play, but he loved the silver screen and dreamed of seeing himself upon it. In April of 1956*, his chance arrived when legendary Hollywood producer Hal Wallis gave him a screen test. He was asked to read a part from 'The Rainmaker' with actress Cynthia Baxter, who later confessed that her initial reaction to working with Elvis had been "Ugh!" Afterward, however, Baxter said she found him "amazing to work with." Elvis told Wallis he didn't like the Rainmaker role: The character was too "happy, jolly, lovesick." Well, Wallis asked him, what kind of part would you like to play? "One more like myself," he said, "so I won't have to do any excess acting." Four months later (after Wallis and Colonel Parker had negotiated a three-picture-deal for $400.000) he was on the set of 'Love Me Tender' playing Clint Reno (seen here) — a passionate, naive young man, destined to die young.

*Elvis' Hollywood screen test was actually held, not in April but in March 1956, between Monday, the 26th and Wednesday, the 28th. Elvis would later say he memorized every line of the script of 'The Rainmaker' (not only his lines, the whole script!) in preparation for the screen test. A couple of months later, however, he told Robert Johnson of the Memphis Press-Scimitar that he had misgivings from the start about the character he would play. “It was a good part, but I just couldn’t see it for me. A good-natured, happy teen-ager, but with nothing up here. After I read the script, I just wanted to do another kind of part,” said Presley to the reporter.

This thing the magazine wrote about Elvis wanting "not to do any excess acting" is total bullshit. EP would never say such thing once he was so happy to kick off his acting career. He dedicated himself and wanted to make it as good actor. Elvis was excellent memorizing lines even before he was an actor, when he would memorize lines from all his favorite movies (such as 'Rebel Without a Cause'). Once he was indeed on the other side of the screen, filming his first movie, Elvis didn't miss the chance and talked to many veteran actors in hopes to have hints on how to make it better in front of the camera. He dedicated himself the best he could — and as the years went by, even so his roles were less and less interesting or challenging, sometimes even silly as he feared in the beginning of his career, Elvis achieved the goal in being a natural in front of those Hollywood filming cameras, and this is something absolutely undeniable. The thing about complaining of the role he performed on his screen test in 1956, probably had something to do with the image Elvis wanted to project onto his young audience, and that was not one of a "good-natured" guy.

Elvis wanted serious roles and, besides, he liked the 'bad boy' atitude James Dean and Marlon Brando had... the menacing glances, the defiant rebel posture. Elvis mentioned this to Lloyd Shearer, in 1956 during a photo session at the Peabody Hotel, in Memphis, Tennessee. Lloyd was photographing Elvis when the Presley politely asked the photographer to promise not to snap him "not even smiling slightly". His objection was explained with:

"I've made a study of Marlon Brando. I've made a study of poor Jimmy Dean [actor James Dean had recently died in a car crash]. I've made a study of myself. And I know why girls, at least the young ones, go for us. We're sullen, we're broodin', we're something of a menace. I don't understand it exactly, but that's what girls like in men. I don't know anything about Hollywood. But I know that you can't be sexy if you smile. You can't be a rebel if you grin. If you don't mind, let me pose myself." — Elvis, 1956.

On his screen test in March, 1956, Presley did two scenes from 'The Rainmaker' (and also was asked, and performed against his will since he didn't wanted to sing on the screen at all, to 'Blue Sued Shoes') Later that year, Elvis recalled the dramatic tests. “I knew my script,” he said. “I got out there and just tried to put myself in the place of the character I was playing, just trying to act as naturally as I could.”

In May, Elvis told Will Jones of the Minneapolis Tribune that he favored the second of the two scenes. “I took this screen test where I came in and was real happy and jolly and I didn’t like it. I did this other one where I was mad at this girl, and I liked that better — it was me.”

Elvis worked with veteran actor Frank Faylen in one test scene and with twenty-one-year-old actress Cynthia Baxter (later Cynthia O’Neal) in another scene.

She later told TV Guide, “When the Wallis people told me I was to make a test with him, my reaction was ‘Ugh!’ But, you know, he is a very interesting boy — kind of amazing to work with. As an actor, he has a lot of work ahead of him, but he has wonderful attributes to start with.”

Actress Cynthia O'Neal (former Baxter). The picture (right) is the only still from 'The Rainmaker' scene she played with Elvis for his screen test on March 26th, 1956. No footage was released until today, unfortunately.

March 27th, 1956: Elvis with veteran actor Frank Faylen. The scene Elvis did with Faylen was this one below (no footage, sadly, but there's pictures from his test on the video, following the scenes):

Allan Weiss was not as impressed with the dramatic part of Presley’s test as he was with the musical portion. “Elvis played the rebellious younger brother with amateurish conviction — like the lead in a high school play. His performance was believable, but lacked the polished subtleties of a professional.” On the other hand, after viewing the acting part of the test, Paramount dramatic coach Charlotte Clary thought Elvis might have a future as an actor. “The boy is a natural,” she judged. “There’s nothing fresh or obnoxious about him at all.” Source: http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-screen-test.html

On March 28th came Presley’s third screen test, the King lip-synched to “Blue Suede Shoes” in front of a set of rather shiny curtains. It was a wild audition, with Elvis giving his trademark gyrations and sneer. He was doing what he did majestically already, so he enchanted the screenwriter Allan Weiss.

“The transformation was incredible. We knew instantly that we were in the presence of a phenomenon; electricity bounced off the walls of the sound stage. One felt it as an awesome thing — like an earthquake in progress, only without the implicit threat. Watching this insecure country boy, who apologized when he asked for a rehearsal as though he had some something wrong, turn into absolute dynamite when he stepped into the bright lights and started lip-synching the words of his familiar hit. He believed in it, and he made you believe it, no matter how ‘sophisticated’ your musical tastes were.” — Allan Weiss, Screenwriter.

This reaction may have set Elvis' fate in Hollywood, among other things (money-seeking, as naturally any company would be bound to be), but up until then as far as EP knew he would act in a non-musical role, so this kept him thrilling. Elvis' fans, as always, were very supportive, and couldn't wait to watch the rock star on the big screen.

(Above) August 16, 1956: Elvis left Memphis on an American Airlines flight for Los Angeles where he reported to 20th Century Fox for pre-production meetings for his first movie. The fans greeted him at the airport, holding "Presley for President" posters. 🥹

As the production for Elvis' first movie begun, things were... different. The studio/producers eventually altered the script to include 4 songs Elvis would sing, 'Love Me Tender' being one, and they altered the title of the film too — originally entitled 'The Reno Brothers' — so it could follow the name of that one Elvis song.

This turned things bittersweet to Presley. Elvis did not want to sing on the screen and he confessed to his close friends how upset watching as they promised him one thing and ended up eventually changing plans (to profit on his music career) without him being able to do anything about it (June Juanico was one girlfriend he vented about this).Top this to the fact that Elvis indeed preferred his part to be a little more to the 'bad boy' side, and Clint Reno was everything but a bad boy, and you can imagine how Elvis felt about his first movie, not fully satisfied after all. Still he kept hopeful about his acting career could evolve and he could eventually become a serious actor. This hopeful mood followed his next films, but it did not last long.

Either way, the premiere for 'Love Me Tender' was a huge success.

Arlene Cogan, a young fan that not much after this would become friends with Elvis, shared in her book "Elvis, This One's for You" that when she went to watch the movie she spent the whole day rewatching it in the theater, over and over again. She says that no one seemed to leave the room.

"When Elvis appeared on the screen, everyone screamed so much that you couldn't hear him." — Arlene Cogan on her book "Elvis, This One's for You".

On the day 'Love Me Tender' premiered in the theaters on November 15, 1956.

November 21st 1956. 1413 Main Street, Columbia, S.C., Richland County. A crowd of teenagers in the lobby of the Palmetto Theater for the opening of the Elvis Presley movie Love Me Tender.

November 16, 1956: Fans wait in line to see Elvis Presley in 'Love Me Tender'.

Even so Elvis' start in Hollywood wasn't quite as he expected (in personal satisfaction wise), Presley did it great as a sweet country boy, Clint Reno. Some critics didn't go for him and harshly bashed his acting skills (much going with their previous opinions on Elvis as a performer and the controversial about his 'antics' on the stage in the 50s), as much as some supported his initial kick off, but one thing's for sure: the young audience adored him regardless either if he was a "bad boy" onscreen or not. ♥

Elvis on "Love Me Tender", 1956.

[umlewis]

Lewis Hamilton On Winning Again and Making the Formula 1 Movie With Brad Pitt

Sir Lewis Hamilton is suddenly on a hot streak. In early July, the seven-time Formula 1 champion won the British Grand Prix for the ninth time, setting a record for the most victories by a driver at a single circuit. It was just the latest milestone for the 39 year old Hamilton, who has won more races and finished on the podium more times than any other Formula 1 driver in the history of the competition. But the win in England was his first in more than two years. He followed it up by finishing on the podium in third at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest a couple weeks later, and then a week after that, Hamilton, who was knighted a few years ago, notched another victory at the Belgian Grand Prix after his teammate George Russell was disqualified post-race when his car was found to be underweight. I got a chance to sit down with Hamilton at the Ritz-Carlton in Budapest the night before the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Ritz-Carlton is the official hotel partner for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, and I was one of a group of invited guests and prize winners who traveled from Vienna to Budapest in a convoy of Mercedes vehicles for what the Ritz-Carlton called the "Road To Legendary Car Tour." Hamilton stopped by to chat with the group and to offer a tasting of his non-alcoholic tequila brand, Almave, which he launched last year with the spirits company Casa Lumbre. Hamilton is taking on new challenges at the track, too. This season is his last with the Mercedes team. He announced before the season that he would be leaving after twelve years and will be driving for Ferrari in 2025. Hamilton is also going Hollywood, co-producing the much-hyped movie F1, which is scheduled for release next year and stars Brad Pitt as a former driver returning to compete in Formula 1. We talked about his battle to get back on top of the podium, how he stays in shape to compete with younger drivers, calling bullshit on the F1 screenplay, getting out on the track with Brad Pitt, collaborating with director Joseph Kosinski, and how he'll know when to walk away from racing. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What do you get from doing something entrepreneurial, like launching Almave, which is different from everything else you're involved in? "I think as a racing driver it's really healthy to unplug and do other things and tap into other mediums, and when you get into the room to sit with a bunch of creatives-working with Casa Lumbre, for example, who have done who knows how many different spirits-they can explain to you the whole process. And then there's things that perhaps you ask them that they've never had to think about before." Your win at the British Grand Prix was your first time on the top of the podium since 2021. What was it like to finally get back to winning, and to do it on your home turf in England? "Everyone was talking about it being this fairy tale, and it really, really was unexpected. Going into that weekend I had no idea that that was going to be possible, and it had been such a long time. So many thoughts cross your mind. Some of them you start to potentially believe in, bit by bit. And finally I had that day when I was able to excel, and we excelled as a team, and it just kind of shuts that all down nd it helps you rebuild again. So it was really great to be able to do it at home, in my home country, with my family around. The last race in Mercedes at Silverstone. It couldn't have been more magical."

The past couple years have been kind of a grind for you after experiencing so much success for so long. What have you learned about yourself, going through that? "It's been mostly a battle of the mind; keeping yourself sane, trying to pick up new tools. Ultimately it always comes back to persistence and dedication. Hard work. It always does eventually pay off. I think I learned that life is really about how much pain you can experience and keep going, and how much you can suffer and keep moving forward, you know? And that's life, right? It's not how you fall, it's how you get up. It's how you continue to apply yourself every single day. It's how you connect with people that you work with. I probably learned to be a better teammate in this period of time, because we've had more time to focus on communication." There's been a lot of buzz about F1, the upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt. I know you're a producer. How did you get involved? "We were there from the beginning. There were a couple scripts out there. I had known Joe [Kosinski, the director] from when we talked about doing Top Gun: Maverick through Tom [Cruise]. Tom put me in touch with Joe, and there were discussions of being in the movie. And then we just stayed in touch. Then we all reconnected to talk about potentially doing a Formula 1 movie, and then we went through this whole process of working with a writer."

What was that like? Did the screenwriter interview you about the details of driving in Formula 1? "Ehren [Kruger, the screenwriter] basically did a ton of research, watched a lot of races, came to a bunch of races, and then went away and wrote up a script. But we would sit and talk about what racing is about. Then once he wrote the script, I would sit with him and call bullshit, basically, on the things that don't seem real and are not what F1 is about and try to make sure that it's as authentic as possible. Then, at the same time, I started a production company, so I'm a producer with these guys. I've been able to be involved in all areas, so making sure the cast is diverse, making sure we've got a woman in a pit stop, which we never, ever had at the actual track. Hans Zimmer was someone I wanted to have doing the [music for the] movie, so we have Hans Zimmer. Joe has been amazing at including me in everything." What types of things in the screenplay made you call bullshit? "It would just be racing scenarios, technical jargon engineers would talk, but particularly racing scenarios and sequences between overtakes and pit stops and strategies and all those sorts of things. There may have been a crash that was like the car hits the wall and flips and lands on the wheels and keeps going, and that doesn't happen in Formula 1." When you were prepping for the movie, did you ever get out on the track with Brad Pitt to check out his driving? If so, how'd he do? "Yeah, we went to a track in LA. I took him out and sat in the passenger seat, and he drove. I used to be a driving coach when I was younger-it was a way of making some money part time whilst I was racing-so I've sat with god knows how many non-racing drivers. You can tell immediately the good ones, the bad ones. Straight away he was on it. You could tell he has it. He has it in his DNA. He's just not been able to hone in on it like we have. But he's got big potential."

So you're confident he can give a realistic performance as a driver? "Yeah, but I think obviously it takes time. Ultimately, the story of a 50-odd-year-old jumping into the season and fighting against us youngsters, it's just not the done thing. But then there's discussing, how would you go about doing that? How much training would you have to do in order to really be able to come back and fight and react in the same way? Yeah, there's a lot of detail that went into it." How have you changed up your training routine over the years to stay fresh and competitive? "You definitely adapt always, and you learn you have to just watch your energy. Recovery is huge, a really big part of the process. It's the whole 360 thing. It's not just going to the gym. It's how much you stretch, how much physio you end up doing, what you eat, and that's constantly changing week by week. And obviously, depending on how much energy you have, the different time zones that you're in." You travel so much for your sport. Do you have rituals or secrets to make yourself comfortable when you arrive? "Not really. I listen to a lot of music. I have music set up in my room. I record music. Basically, I write and sing music, different sorts of R&B. So I record music at night. Often in my evenings, I read. Try to meditate, mostly in the mornings, but I don't always get to it. And then I'm focused on my sleep-try not to slack on that ever-so there's a cutoff time when I want to go to bed, depending on what time I need to be up the first day."

In working with a partner like the Ritz-Carlton, you have a chance to do different kinds of events, like the Almave tasting we just had. Any favourite experiences? "We were just talking about this the other day. In Mexico City I went to visit a school and see the kids. I love when I work with partners that are doing practical stuff. I think that's been a real shift. When I first joined Formula 1 we were working with partners, but less so in the human connection space. In the last five or six years, working with partners like the Ritz-Carlton, it's "What impact are you making? How do you give back?" When we go to a school, see youth and see that they're invested in children, for me, that brings real warmth to my heart, especially as my foundation is all about getting youth who won't have the opportunity, for example, to get into our sport, to get into STEM and channel through to a good career." Do you have a time frame for your career? You're going to be starting a new process with a new team next year. Do you have a plan for how long you'd like to keep racing? "I definitely do. There are days I'm like, shoot, I don't know how much longer I can go. There are days I'm like, shoot, I'd love a break, a proper break, because you don't get a real big break in the season like other sports. You don't finish until mid to late December, and then you're back into training already in January, and that's two times a day you're training. There are another couple of hours of therapy that you're doing during that time, as well, so you're not really getting a huge amount of downtime. And in February you're flat out running until December." That sounds pretty grueling. "But I do have, mentally, a plan of where I would like to extend to. I've just got to strategize and sequence things. I'm very much about sequencing, like looking at brands that I collaborate with, companies that I'm essentially starting, how I manage my time between all those, and how I'm able to dedicate myself to this job still. Is there a time when I'm not all-in and I'm just not in love with it anymore? That's the moment that hopefully never happens, in the sense that I've fallen out of love with it. But I will know when I need to stop."

You'll feel it. "I want to make sure I really max it out while I can and fully enjoy this sport I've done my whole life. There are so many people that have finished their careers early, and I've spoken to many who've said they wish they could have just done one more year or two, and they're like, "Stay in as long as you can!" But I don't want to do it if I'm not good, so it's like, how much do you want to train? When you're 22 it's so easy to work out and be fit. There's no recovery and you've got nothing else going on, no other stresses, no real responsibilities except for that one thing to go and kill. Now it's, how can you stay sharp and be able to do all those things you have going on, and still be able to compete with those young guys in their twenties?" Does it give you particular pleasure to beat the young guys? "Not particularly. I'm super competitive naturally. I don't care who it is. I just want to win." No matter who it is you're competing against. "Yeah. When I won the other day, I didn't think anything about anybody else. I just thought about my team. I thought about people that were with me. People that have sacrificed their time away from their families. People who were giving that extra bit of time in their day when they could have left early to go home and see the kids, and they've given that extra time to build these parts that got us that result. That's who I think about."