On The Pegs VOL . 4 ISSUE 11 - NOVEMBER 2020129
Americans now learned their lesson . Many viewers became curious and went to their nearest dealer for more information about these Viking products from a faraway land . Sales had a boost and the brand image became cemented among the Americans .
Bruce Brown was born in San Francisco on December 1 , 1937 and grew up in Southern California , attending school in Long Beach before moving to Dana Point . Even though Brown already had a successful movie to his credit , he found that financing a film on motorcycling wasn ’ t going to be easy .
“ I talked to a few folks and knew that Steve McQueen was a keen rider ,” Brown said . “ Even though I ’ d never met him , I set up a meeting to talk about doing “ On Any Sunday ”. We spoke about the film concept , which he liked . Then Steve asked what I wanted him to do in the film . I replied by wanting him to finance it . He laughed and told me he acted in films ; he didn ’ t finance them . I then jokingly told him , ‘ Alright , then , you can ’ t be in the movie .’ The next day after the meeting , I got a call and it was McQueen . He told me to go ahead and get the ball rolling with the movie - he ’ d back it . His financial contribution was set at 313,000 US dollars .”
Filming the movie often proved to be a challenging experience for Brown . Some of the most dramatic shots of the movie were the extreme closeup slow-motion segments of the Grand National races . From his surfing movie days , Brown was used to working with super telephoto lenses . The budget didn ’ t allow the expense of highspeed cameras , so Brown improvised by using 24-volt batteries in the 12-volt film cameras . Brown tried to show the unique talents needed for the different forms of racing . For instance , the motocross riders were free-spirited , while desert racers were often loners . In Grand National racing , Brown showed the differing personalities , such as the business-like approach displayed by Mert Lawwill versus the carefree style that wild rookie David Aldana became known for .
“ On Any Sunday ” is generally acknowledged as the best movie ever made about motorcycles and bike racing . It helped spur the explosive growth during the 1970s and Brown ’ s film conveyed the fun and enjoyment that motorcycling added to people ’ s lives . It also documented the 1970 season of AMA Grand National racing by following defending champion Mert Lawwill . Many people from all walks of life took up motorcycling after seeing the movie , which became a great success , also being nominated for an Academy Award .
“ On Any Sunday ” became a cultural movie that will tease bike folks in eternity – looking around their next corner for the rest of the life ! n