January 15, 2018 by JP

McQUEEN’S BULLITT MUSTANG FOUND | IT WAS A JERSEY WIFE’S DAILY DRIVER…

It’s absolutely crazy to think that the same 1968 Mustang GT Fastback driven in Bullitt by Steve McQueen himself, would end up in the hand’s of an unassuming New Jersey housewife… But that’s exactly what happened.

“After Bullitt wrapped, the hero car was sold to a studio executive in Los Angeles, who kept it briefly before selling it, coincidentally, to a police detective. The officer shipped the car to New York and kept it for about three and a half years before placing a for-sale ad in the back of Road & Track magazine in 1974. His $6,000 asking price was somewhat steep, but Robert Kiernan, a New Jersey insurance executive and Mustang fan, went out to look at it. He bought it for his wife to use as a daily driver.” –Vanity Fair

The original 1968 Mustang GT Fastback from Bullitt in Sean Kiernan’s secret barn in Nashville. Inset, the letter from Steve McQueen to Robert Kiernan, dated 1977. (via Vanity Fair) Courtesy of Ford/Historic Vehicle Association.

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January 7, 2018 by JP

ALICE DENHAM | SLEEPING WITH BAD BOYS IN NYC’S 1950s BOHEMIAN DAYS

Alice Denham — writer, Playboy centerfold, film actress who left a vivid chronicle of her literary and sexual adventures in her 2006 memoir, “Sleeping With Bad Boys: A Juicy Tell-All of Literary New York in the Fifties and Sixties.”

“Manhattan was a river of men flowing past my door, and when I was thirsty, I drank.”

Ms. Denham came to New York in the early 1950s, fresh from the University of Rochester, with two things on her mind: literary fame and romance. The city held forth the promise of both, in abundance. “New York in the fifties was like Paris in the twenties.”

A stunning beauty with a talent for repartee, she made her way easily into Manhattan’s literary salons, and her presence did not pass unnoticed by a long list of editors, publishers, film producers, actors and writers — most of whom made a play for her, quite a few successfully.

Her conquests, she said, included the actor James Dean, a close friend until he fell hard for the Italian actress Pier Angeli; the authors James Jones, William Gaddis, Evan S. Connell and Philip Roth; and Hugh Hefner, whom she had persuaded, in a clever gambit, to feature her as a centerfold and reprint, as part of the package, her first published short story.

“Of course he was no egalitarian,” Ms. Denham wrote. “But he possessed one of the finer male characteristics I was aware of: He liked my writing.”

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August 21, 2017 by JP

“THE FROZEN FEW” BY STEPHEN M. MARINO | MEL STULTZ AND HIS “CRAZY EIGHTS” CREW

STEPHEN M MARINO THE FROZEN FEW TSY THE SELVEDGE YARD HARLEY MEL STULTZ CRAZY EIGHTS

The Frozen Few may be the antithesis of The Race of Gentlemen in climate & conditions, but in spirit it’s the same balls-out combustible mix of freedom, speed, and more than a pinch of chaos that’s behind everything TROG founder Mel Stultz brings to the world. What’s in store for The Frozen Few & Crazy Eights ice-racing wrecking crew? You’ll just have to wait and see… For now, enjoy this amazing short film by Stephen M. Marino that just won the Tokyo Moto Film Fest award for “Most Inspiring Film.”

The Frozen Few

“Once upon a time, on a cold day in March, a group of men known as the ‘Crazy Eights’ crossed their American borders in search of an even colder climate in the ‘Great White North.’

It was in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada that their icy, snow-covered tires finally came to a halt. A forgotten land that once provided great trade between these two countries during their industrial revolutions—now a vast, almost-wasteland of buildings left behind; lost in time…

That is, until the Crazy Eights laid their eyes and wheels upon it! Once again, this land was looked upon with great hope and promise. Hungry and wild-eyed, they set their appetites for that ever-lingering taste of speed.”

-Meldon Van Riper Stultz

STEPHEN M MARINO THE FROZEN FEW TSY THE SELVEDGE YARD HARLEY-DAVIDSON MEL STULTZ TROG

Mel Stultz, also founder of The Race of Gentlemen – Photo (C) Stephen M. Marino

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March 10, 2017 by JP

THE SHINING | KUBRICK’S MASTERPIECE OF SUSPENSE, SYMBOLISM, SETS & STEADICAM

jack-nicholson-stanley-kubrick-the-shining-behind-the-scenes-tsy

The Shining – the layers in this Stanley Kubrick classic are a visual feast for the eyes, full of blatant and sometimes subtle iconography. The sets, scenery, and graphic elements really lock you in. And the multitude of modern mythology & conspiracy theories that have been created by Kubrick fans, history nuts, and film buffs alike are enough to make a movie about that alone– oh wait, it’s called Room 237! (An interesting watch for fans of the film and those wanting to know more about Kubrick– but a lot of it smacks of beautiful coincidences, and some theories seem just too far out to me.)

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September 10, 2014 by JP - 1 Comment

THE LEGENDARY BIKE BUILDER TOM FUGLE | SCOTT POMMIER’S FILM TELLS IT STRAIGHT UP

So, you may have already seen this incredible short film on motorcycle builder Tom Fugle originally shot for Born Free, but there’s a newly added epilogue that’s not to be missed. Tom’s story, succinctly captured by Scott Pommier, has resonated with so many out there that it has become a powerful tribute to a man truly considered to be a living legend.

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July 7, 2014 by JP

DIRTQUAKE USA!!! GO FAST, TURN LEFT!!! | THROTTLED FILMS RECAPS THE MAYHEM

This is the one event that I seriously regret missing this year!

Dirtquake USA, brought to you by See See Motorcycles & Sideburn Magazine is the self-described “…go fast, turn left celebration made for anyone and everyone with motorcycle unfit for the half-mile Castle Rock Dirt Circle. A spectacle that cannot be unseen, an event that will leave you trembling in anticipation as world class racers compete in four uncommon categories: Inappropriate Road Bike; Street Tracker; Kitchen Sink; and everyone’s favorite Chopper Flat Track.”

Check out the amazing recap film by Ray Gordon’s Throttled Films which somehow captures the spirit of the event that to me feels like the epic The Bad News Bears bike scene on Rocket Fuel. “It sure was a hoot, and I can’t believe we pulled it off! I don’t think a group of people could’ve had more fun. It’s just impossible.” ~ Ray Gordon

(Do not miss the 4:00 mark…)

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June 26, 2014 by JP - 1 Comment

“PENTON: THE JOHN PENTON STORY” | FROM THE WOODS TO THE WORLD

“After losing his wife (and mother of their 3 boys) in 1958, John Penton went on an absolute tear on the enduro circuit trying to outrun his grief. Family members cared for his boys while Penton dismissed the winter cold and rode off for Daytona on his 175cc NSU motorcycle. Stopping in Atlanta, Penton won the Stone Mountain Enduro, then rode the NSU to Florida winning the Alligator Enduro, and racked up a few more wins across the Midwest– including his first victory at the Jack Pine.

Penton closed out 1958 with a road trip to Mexico. Upon hitting California on the way up the Pacific Coast, he decided it was time to return home to Ohio and did so non-stop– inspiring his brother Ted to challenge him to break the New York to Los Angeles transcontinental record.”

“On June 8th, 1959 John Penton recorded his time and location with Western Union in New York City and set off for California on a BMW R69S outfitted with an oversized gas tank. On June 10th, just Fifty-two hours and eleven minutes later, Penton rolled into Los Angeles. His record was heavily advertised by BMW, and newspapers all over the world covered the record run. Penton was now a legend in motorcycling.” via

But the story of John Penton’s awe-inspiring career does not end there. Find a screening of “Penton: The John Penton Story” near you by going to http://pentonmovie.com/see-the-film/ and reserving your tickets. I’m also proud to announce that the film will be entered in the 2nd Annual Motorcycle Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY held Sept. 24th – 27th.

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June 17, 2014 by JP

2ND ANNUAL MOTORCYCLE FILM FESTIVAL | SEPT 24TH-27TH, THE GUTTER, WILLIAMSBURG

Do not miss The Motorcycle Film Festival Sept. 24th – 27th at The Gutter in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s going to be a blast! The final due date for all film submissions is July 1st, 2014: www.motorcyclefilmfestival.com/submit-your-film/

This year’s returning judges include: Paul d’Orleans (The Vintagent), JP (The Selvedge Yard), and Stacie B. London (ESMB &Triple Nickel 555 Racing). And we are very excited to announce an all-star roster of new judges: Paul Cox, Roland Sands, Shinya Kimura, Hayden Roberts, Eric Ristua, Peter Starr, Ultan Guilfoyle, Amos Poe, and Chris Logsdon. Find out more here.

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March 24, 2014 by JP - 10 Comments

MARILYN MONROE, THE TALK OF HOLLYWOOD | 1952 PHOTOGRAPHY OF PHILIPPE HALSMAN

In 1952, LIFE magazine assigned photographer Philippe Halsman to shoot Marilyn Monroe in her tiny Hollywood studio apartment. The resulting cover photo (at the end of this post) pushed her over the top, giving her immediate superstar status, and 20th Century Fox jumped to sweeten her existing multi-year contract to keep their starlet happy.

“I drove to the outskirts of Los Angeles where Marilyn lived in a cheap two-room apartment. What impressed me in its shabby living room was the obvious striving for self-improvement. I saw a photograph of Eleanora Duse and a multitude of books that I did not expect to find there, like the works of Dostoyevsky, of Freud, the History of Fabian Socialism, etc. On the floor were two dumbbells.

I took hundreds of pictures. Finally I asked her to stand in the corner of the room. I was facing her with my camera, the LIFE reporter and my assistant at my sides. Marilyn was cornered and she flirted with all three of us. And such was her talent that each one of us felt that if only the other two would leave, something incredible would happen. Her sex-appeal was not a put-on– it was her weapon and her defense.” –Philippe Halsman

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March 5, 2014 by JP - 7 Comments

CRY BABY | JOHNNY DEPP IN JOHN WATERS’ ’50S HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS CULT CLASSIC

“John Waters’ musical ode to the teen rebel genre is infectious and gleefully camp, providing star Johnny Depp with the perfect vehicle in which to lampoon his pin-up image.” –Roger Ebert. Well said. Depp has always deftly embraced ironic roles to deflect the trappings of his undeniable handsome-as-hell looks. 21 Jump Street definitely had the potential to pigeon-hole his career, had he been a lesser actor.

Cry Baby would go on to become a cult classic, due largely to the pouty lipped, chiseled face of a young Johnny Depp in his physical prime, and on a Harley to boot. (They used a Sportster and K model, both red, that they swapped a few times in the film apparently with the thought that it would go mostly unnoticed.) For me the enduring 1950s aesthetic is always a draw, and Waters’ witty one-liners are priceless. And let’s not forget the interest that was stirred up back then by the young and sultry Traci Lords. It was her first non-nude screen role following her controversial (not to mention highly illegal) underage porn career that was still hot on everyone’s tongues and minds.