Originally published at: Graham's 3-Wheeler: a 1929 science-fiction movie car that defied convention - Boing Boing
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Contributed by Popkin
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that linked video phone clip, especially because it’s in a silent film, is just fantastic
( this png doesn’t do it justice, but can’t figure how to get the gif )
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There, I hope that’s what you wanted. I didn’t edit it, I just converted the whole thing. And since it is black and white, the file isn’t even horribly big.
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the only dreadful thing, @jonathan_mayo, is that i can’t i kiss ( ahem ) – shake your hand – over the internet yet.
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I came back after looking up the movie (originally a play?). Some of you are likely familiar with it. I’ve seen a lot of movies, I haven’t seen them all.
Women unite to prevent financiers from engineering a second world war.
The Great War was so terrible. Why would anyone want to have a SECOND one?
(film is set in distance future of the 1940’s)
And a sinister terrorist group financed by arms manufacturers? And the President of Europe has to be stopped before declaring war on live television?!
Yeah. I’m definitely going to watch this. I’m not expecting much overall, but there are probably some bits and pieces of gold in this nearly 100 year old film.
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The car was used in a 1929 science fiction movie called high treason,
Not to be the English police, but shouldn’t that be a proper title and at least capitalized, if not Italicized?
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I didn’t think I would be the only one. I may have to look up this movie just to see more of her outfit. I think I’d like something similar for myself!
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At least he had the good sense to put two wheels at the front and not at the rear with a single wheel at the front!
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I dig both!
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Oh, you mean like this?
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Very dangerous!
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Aah, it’s OK as long as Phil Oakey’s about.
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Doesn’t she look splendid? It rather puts me in mind of a 1930s advert from Mercedes Benz which might just be the most art-deco thing ever:
The gorgeous car is a 540K Special Roadster, the gorgeous (but horribly inflammable) airship is the Hindenburg.
Also going back the videophone - that is some very nice matting of the images on the screen.
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i suspect it’s actually a mirror or a projected image. with the person on the screen behind and to the side of the camera
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Now I really want to know how it was done! It looks a bit too high contrast for a projection, but a mirror would be a really clever way of doing it.
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… I guess maybe the reason we haven’t heard about this movie before is that it was believed to be lost for a long time
interesting that it was banned in some places for being too violent
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My uncle had one of those Reliant Robins and took us for a ride in it. I don’t remember any dreadful road-holding shenanigans but I was only about 9 at the time. Realistically, it was a good cheap option to get from A to B with some passengers or luggage if you didn’t expect anything like sporty performance.
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