Dirty Mary/Crazy Larry... one wild ride!

Movie Description
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and the internet movie database)
(edited by R. Shinn)

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is a cult 1974 car chase film starring Peter Fonda, Susan George, Adam Roarke, and Vic Morrow. The film was directed by John Hough. The music score contains no incidental music, apart from the theme song over the opening and closing titles, and a small amount of music heard over the radio. The story deals with two would-be NASCAR hopefuls; the driver, Larry Rayder (Peter Fonda), and his mechanic, Deke Sommers (Adam Roarke), who successfully execute a supermarket heist to finance their jump into the big-time auto racing world, extorting $150,000 in cash from George Stanton, the supermarket manager (Roddy McDowall in an uncredited role) by holding his wife and daughter hostage in the Stanton home.

In making their escape, they are confronted by Larry's one-night stand, Mary Coombs (Susan George), who convinces them to take her along for the ride (under the threat of her blowing the whistle on them both). After the heist is reported to the Sheriff, Captain Franklin (Vic Morrow) obsessively sets out to capture the trio in a dragnet, only to find his patrol cars woefully inadequate to catch Larry, Mary and Deke in a high-performance 1969 Dodge Charger R/T.

The trio evades several patrol cars, a high-performance Dodge police interceptor, and even Captain Franklin himself in a Bell JetRanger helicopter.

The Bell JetRanger 206B helicopter used in the climatic chase was piloted by veteran film pilot James W. Gavin (who also played the character of the pilot as well), and was actually flown between rows of trees and under powerlines as seen in the film. The specific helicopter (FAA Registration Number N20DB) was often leased to film production companies, and has appeared onscreen in many different movies (and in many different paint schemes), including The Towering Inferno (as a corporate helicopter in the beginning of the film) and on the TV series, "The Rockford Files" (as yet another sheriff's helicopter). It was also used as an aerial camera platform for many more films in the 1970's, among these Earthquake (1974) and Midway (1976). The JetRanger was involved in a double fatality crash in 1984 when it collided with power lines during a flight (not while filming), but is still flying today.

James Gavin has flown in many TV shows and Movies in his years of duty. His work as an actor, pilot, or aerial coordinator started as early as 1961. He appears in many TV shows and Movies featured on this website. A VERY short list of the more popular shows he was involved with follows:

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Terminal Velocity (1994)
The Pelican Brief (1993)
Forever Young (1992)
Radio Flyer (1992)
The Rookie (1990)
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Always (1989)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
"War and Remembrance" (1988)
Alien Nation (1988)
Moon Over Parador (1988)
The Blob (1988)
The Dead Pool (1988)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
"Airwolf" (1986)
White Nights (1985)
Call to Glory (1984)
Uncommon Valor (1983)
Doctor Detroit (1983)
Blue Thunder (1983)
Firefox (1982)
The Border (1982)
On Golden Pond (1981) (Starring Peter Fonda's Father, Henry Fonda)
The Last Song (1980)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
Raise the Titanic (1980)
The Nude Bomb (1980)
The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979)
"Emergency" (1978)
"The Rockford Files" (1978)
Career Day (1977)
The Domino Principle (1977)
Black Sunday (1977)
The Gauntlet (1977)
"CHiPs" (1977)
Bound for Glory (1976)
"Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976)
"Petrocelli" (1976) (starring Barry Newman of "Vanishing Point" fame)
"S.W.A.T." (1975)
Earthquake (1974)
Airport 1975 (1974)
"Emergency!" (1972) TV series
"Duel" (1971) (TV)
"Adam-12" (1974)
"McCloud" (1972)
"Marcus Welby, M.D." (1972)
"Cannon" (1972-1973)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
"Mannix" (1970-1973)
"Mission: Impossible" (1970-1971)
"Ironside" (1969)
"The F.B.I."(1967)
"Dr. Kildare" (1962)
and so many more it is almost impossible to list them all here!

According to John Houghs, not one frame of the movie is sped up by "undercranking" the cameras, or by any other means.
Every shot in the movie is shot at actual speed. Peter Fonda did most of his own driving in the movie,
at times reaching speeds in excess of 100 MPH. All stunts are also preformed at real speed.
If you watch the movie you can see this by observing the wind in the trees,
dust flying around, the movement of the actor's hair, and many other ways.

The Co-Star of the Movie...
1969 Dodge Charger R/T

California license plate number: 938 DAN

440 Magnum V8, Console Automatic, Factory "Airtemp" A/C
Hood inserted turn signal indicators, "American Racing" Wheels.
Incorrect year (1970), factory color: Sublime (J5)

Non factory black side stripe, with 440 at the tail end.

Many written articles (and even some actual script from the movie)
report the car's color as "Yellow", but it was in fact painted Sublime.

Movie Pictures
(Click on each picture to see the larger version)

This is the very first look we get at the 1969 Charger R/T that the trio used as a "switch" car in the movie.
As you can see, it was not in "pristine" condition before they ever drive it. The front valence is pushed
(smashed) upward in the center, and the hood does not fit well at all at the right front corner. There
are numerous paint chips on the hood and trunk lid edges... showing signs of a repainted car.
Some websites claim there were only 3 Chargers (two 1969, and one 1968) used to make the film.
John Houghs said in the DVD commentary that 6 Chargers, and 6 Impalas were used.

Movie theater window posters, wall hangings, and lobby cards
(Click picture to see larger image)

Dirty Mary/Crazy Larry
Supercharged Edition

(DVD Disk looks like a Tic Toc Tach)

Format: Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Special Features
Ride the Wild Side - An all-new documentary featuring interviews with
Director John Hough and stars Peter Fonda and Susan George
1969 Dodge Charger commercial
Commentary with Director John Hough moderated by Perry Martin
Talent bios of John Hough, Peter Fonda, and Susan George
Theatrical trailer
Teaser trailer
TV spots
Radio spots
Poster & still gallery
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rating: PG
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: June 28, 2005
Run Time: 93 minutes
ASIN: B0007WQGR2

CD
Dirty Mary/Crazy Larry did not have an official soundtrack.
The only music in the movie is in the opening and closing credits, and what is heard
for a very short period of time on the car radio while driving.

"TIME (Is Such A Funny Thing)"
Written by Danny Janssen & Bobby Hart
Sung by Marjorie McCoy

Original Copyright November 11,1997 R. Shinn Jr.
Last revised: February 12, 2008 09:59:21 AM -0500.