World's Fastest Indian

[Dayna]

Had a great day most of Christmas Day with my uncle watching a couple movies. One was called World's fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro and the true story of a guy in 1950s and 1960s who traveled all the way from New Zealand to Utah to enter his Indian motorcycle in a speed contest. He set a world record for the fastest motorcycle at 200 mph then and it still hasn't been matched. It was a very well made film showing his journey across the sea on a small ship to US and how he drove his car and bike through the west. Anthony Hopkins played the character as a very sweet man and very resourceful.

[kas]

I've seen that film too and quite enjoyed it - incidentally there's a rerun in TV here this week. I've never driven a motorbike myself, but I have an inexplicable soft spot for Indian motorcycles. For an esthetic reason and because I somehow sympathise failed enterprises.

And yes, Hopkins seemed to enjoy a sympathetic character role for change. Too many cannibals and other maniacs for one man I think...

[uiwangmike]

The film got a mention on the radio yesterday by another New Zealander, the speedway rider Barry Briggs, who has just published his autobiography. I didn't know he had coached Steve McQueen in motorcycling. Having seen him (Barry Briggs, not Steve McQueen) riding at Wembley in the 50s, I was happy to hear that he's stil alive. I looked up his great Kiwi contemporary, Ronnie Moore, and found he was also still with us, but he suffered serious head injuries in 1975.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g62p3