Spot the Packard!

Welcome to a somewhat off-beat page on our web site! It's always been an interest of mine (your webmaster!) to see what recognizable consumer goods are used in movies. It's called "product placement" today and causes commentary in the critical press about the obvious commercialism being pushed in film (of course, no product is placed without suitable remuneration). A famous recent example is the use of Reese's Pieces in "ET" to entice the alien out of hiding. The producers of the film supposedly were planning on using M&Ms, but Mars would not pony up the suitable "consideration" and the opportunity passed to Hershey! Obviously, in hindsight, it was not the best decision by Mars executives, and brought instant recognition for Reese's Pieces in the minds of millions of children as the film "ET" took on a life of its own.

So, what qualifies as adult candy? Obviously, one is our love of motor cars. It has long intrigued me how producers of film use and photograph automobiles in their creations. And it has been a mystery why automotive corporations didn't push for better placement of their products in early films. So, whenever I see a film from the 1930s to 1950s, I always look for Packards (and cars in general). Are they "window dressing" or are they actually being used? And in sound movies we are treated to how they sound being started, being driven, or even having their doors opened and closed!

This page will list movies and the Packards that myself or someone else has spotted! If you see a Packard in a movie, send me (Charlie Knapp) a note (knappr@charter.net) of the movie and its date, the Packard described as best you can, how it's used in the scene, and maybe something interesting about the personalities in the film. I'll get the ball rolling with a few of my own observations. This is a project where we can all contribute, so I welcome your "Packard spottings."

*Year*	*Movie Title*	*Packard(s) Spotted*	*Comments*
1935	"The Casino Murder Case"	1932 (?) open car; chrome headlights. Lukas drives Russell home, so extended driving scene with 1920s and 30s cars following behind to check out!	Stars Paul Lukas and a young Rosalind Russell in a Philo Vance mystery.
1937	"Holiday"	1937 Packard 12 Cabriolet by LeBaron. Don't blink, it's only on screen for a few scenes, but gorgeous!!	A witty and self-deprecating film directed by George Cukor with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It's well worth seeing to put it in context with the time it was filmed (deep in the Depression): spoiled millionaire's daughter and idealistic free thinker woo and split; the "black sheep" of the family, played iconically by Hepburn, acts as "chorus" to point out the ironies of the super rich and their lifestyles for all the "rest of us."
1940	"The Philadelphia Story"	1940 Convertible and 1938 Packard Eight. But there's lots of great Caddy's and even a Lincoln thrown in!	Another Grant & Hepburn comedy, again directed by Cukor. Hepburn plays the independent minded, sophisticated woman, and Grant the clueless but dogged boyfriend. One of their best movies (along with Bringing Up Baby)
1943	"Journey into Fear"	1934 V12 Packard is used in a late-movie chase scene; the bad guys try to kidnap the hero but get stopped by a blow-out. The hero hijacks the car and crashes it into a store front! Ouch!! But great views of the interior and exterior, especially the flat tire, senior bumpers and cloisonné hubcaps.	A potboiler made for the WWII home audience with Joseph Cotton, Orson Wells, and Agnes Morehead at the top of a very good cast. Our hero is a US Naval Officer being chased by a cadre of Nazi baddies in the Middle East. In typical fashion, everyone's a suspect. Some of the movie may have been directed by Orson Wells, but the credit is given to Norman Foster.
1945	"Crack Up"	1941 120 business coupe. Several very nice shots of the car, with a radio antenna in the center of the roof. Thanks to Tom Mlinar for this Packard Spot	B
1951	"The Day the Earth Stood Still"	On the day the Earth does in fact "stand still", there are numerous scenes of stalled machinery, buses, trains, and cars. One of the cars is a late 1940's Packard sedan with the hood open (owner wondering what's wrong?).	One of the finest of the 1950's Sci-Fi flicks, this is one of the few films to star Patricia Neal. Directed by Robert Wise. See "Aunt Bea" [Frances Bavier] and a young Billy Gray
1952	"Sudden Fear"	Joan Crawford in a black four door, Jack in a light blue convertible; Joan almost gets run down--imagine using a Packard for "stunt work"! Thanks to "Sherlock Bill" for this Packard Spot.	Set in San Francisco, Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame plot to get rid of Jack's wife Joan. A stereotypical "film noire", it was Crawford's last role for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
1958	"Vertigo"	A car spotter's paradise! Set in late 1950s San Francisco, there are interminable scenes of cars driving around city blocks, but what interesting cars! You'll spot early 1950s Packards parked on the street, not to mention the gorgeous Jaguar Kim Novak gets to drive (Stewart is in a Desoto).	A Hitchcock masterpiece, no question, with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. The Bernard Herrmann score is worth the price of admission alone! Only watch the recently restored version!
1974	"Chinatown"	Fabulous footage of Ms. Dunaway's 1937 Senior Victoria. (Thanks for Ron DeWoskin for this Packard Spot)	A derivative, but well-done, Private Eye flick done in a 1930s style. Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicolson, Fay Dunaway and John Huston
1985	"Back to the Future"	How many cars can you spot in this classic? From Datsun to Delorean, they're all here! Including a gorgeous 1948 Packard Custom Victoria Convertible in cream and brown. Used also in BTTF 2 & 3!	One of Robert Zemeckis' best directing efforts (OK, Forrest Gump wasn't bad). "We all have a history" is, I guess, the best way to summarize one of the greatest escapist movies of the 1980s.
1987	"La Bamba"	22nd series (1948/49) Packard 4 door touring sedan being driven by Richie Valens' mother (played by Rosana DeSoto) early in the movie. The car is a very dirty dark blue, and is no trailer queen--it's used daily for all manner of transportation and tasks! (Thanks to Stan Ruesch for this Packard Spot)	Biopic of Richie Valens (aka Ricardo Valenzuela) a budding rock 'n roll superstar whose life and career were cut tragically short in an airplane crash. Directed by Luis Valdez and stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie. It's filled with classic Valens rock 'n roll hits.
1987	"Empire of the Sun"	1937 Packard Twelve plays a prominent role in many scenes; great shots of the Cormorant, too. Directed by Steven Spielberg (Thanks to Tom Mlinar for this Packard Spot)	Based on J. G. Ballard's autobiographical novel; tells the story of a boy, James Graham, whose privileged life is upturned by the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, December 8, 1941. Christian Bale plays James (the "new" Batman).
1988	"Tucker"	Several late 30s and early 40s models parked on streets; look for a gorgeous 41 in the scene where everyone is gathering for the publicity "unveiling" of the new Tucker	This is the car lover's movie, a long-planned project by director Francis Ford Coppola. Look for ladles of Tuckers and other 40s vehicles, some great villains, and a fabulous cast! Ah, what could have been!
1988	"Sunset"	The "good guy" drives a 1929 745 5-Passenger Packard with body by Dietrich. There are other great cars for the sharp eyed, including a Hispano-Suiza limousine and a 1932 Duesenberg SJ La Grande Phaeton	A spoof of just about every film cliché, Tom Mix and Wyatt Earp investigate a real-life murder in 1929 Hollywood. DIrected by Blake Edwards, so that should give you some sense for where this movie is headed. So maybe It isn't great film, but a reasonably good cast tries to make it work (James Garner and a young Bruce WIllis)! And you're looking at the cars, right??
1989	"Harlem Nights"	A matched pair of late 30's Packard town cars driven by the "bad guys" await those who can make it to the last half-hour	This movie is admittedly not to everyone's taste (quite profane, but with good casting). However, it does reek of 1930's style and has plenty of eye candy for lovers of 1920's and 30's era automotive icons.
1991	"Bugsy"	1941 180 Limousine (Thanks to Tom Mlinar for this Packard Spot)	Directed by Barry Levinson (who won an Oscar for his work on this film), Bugsy is an attempt to tell the story of gangster Bugsy Siegel and his impact on the development of Las Vegas. There are very detailed scenes of 1930s California with great cars to ogle at!
1991	"The Marrying Man"	1948 Super 8 Convertible (Thanks to Carolee Wheeler of NorCal Packard Club in California for this Packard Spot)	Stars Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. He's a millionaire; she's a lounge singer. He falls for her, but she is a gangster's girlfriend! At one point, he takes her for a ride in his yellow 1948 Super 8 convertible. She says something like "I can't believe I am riding in a brand new Packard Convertible". Such is the stuff of Hollywood magic!
1993	"Lost in Yonkers"	Many interesting 1930s and early 1940s vehicles populate the street scenes, with several Packards cruising through intersections. A gorgeous late 30s Packard 12 Victoria has a prominent part!	A touching period movie, set in Yonkers in 1942 (written by Neil Simon); a good cast headed by Richard Dreyfuss. A bitter-sweet drama-comedy based on the stage play by Neil Simon.
1997	"L. A. Confidential"	21st Series (1946/47) Custom Super Clipper spotted in the "bad guy's" garage and later in street scenes!	A tough, gorgeous and entertaining send-up of the gangster era film genre. Superb cast, and the Packard isn't bad, either!!
1997	"Hoodlum"	Early 1930s Light Eight and later 1930s	Not a bad movie, as "gangster flicks" go--good performances by Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth and a bevy of well-known black actors. Stylized telling of keeping Dutch Schultz from muscling in on the numbers racket in 1930s Harlem.
1999	"Sweet and Low Down"	Sean Penn buys a beautiful 1934 Super Eight Coupe Roadster (with counterfeit money) and uses it in the second half of the story. (Thanks for Ron DeWoskin for this Packard Spot)	Directed by Woody Allen, and typical of his type of movies. Starring Sean Penn and Uma Thurman
2000	"Legend of Baggar Vance"	A beautiful 7th series 745 Phaeton is seen in the crowd scene at the opening of the Golf Tournament.	A morality play of sorts with a beautiful, young cast: WIll Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron. Directed by Robert Redford. The lovely musical score by Rachael Portman is one of the film's highlights.
2002	"The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"	Gorgeous 1941 seven passenger limousine; the scene is set in deep south in late 30s, so a '41 is out of context	Great cast (including Sandra Bullock, Ellyn Burstyn and James Garner) and great roles!
2004	"The Notebook"	This sensitive and beautiful movie is filled with lots of car eye candy; there are no less than three Packards: a '34 Super Eight, a '39 Super Eight convertible, and a '40 120. And there's other goodies, too, like a '46 Hudson Commodore and a '41 Lincoln Continental convertible	A great cast headed by Gena Rowlands (her son Nike Cassavetes directed the movie), James Garner, Ryan Gosling, Heather Wahlquist and Rachel McAdams. Another period movie set in the present with the characters' actions played out in the 1940s.
2006	"All The King's Men"	Two 1951 green Packard 300s	This note from Larry Gould: I sold my green 51 Packard 300 to a guy in the south several years ago, who sold it to a production company. I spotted mine in All the Kings Men" with Sean Penn. There are several shots of it.. They appeared to use two--one was mine. Thanks for this "spot", Larry!!