1935

AT INDIANAPOLIS

The original film made of the 1935 Indianapolis 500 is now available for the first time ever on DVD - only from Rare Sportsfilms! Put together by the National Racing Association, the 19-minute B & W film shows brief highlights from qualifying, as well as morning pageantry and the race itself on Memorial Day.

The film opens showing the crowds in Gasoline Alley and the Miller Fords of George Bailey #35 and Johnny Seymore's #42. Next is the final day qualifying run of Ted Horn in the #34 Miller Ford! Great shots after the run (113.2 MPH) of Horn and riding mechanic Bo Huckman sitting on the pit wall, and car owner Harry Miller with track officials overseeing the fueling of the car. Kelly Petillo in the #5 Gilmore Speedway Special is shown during first day qualifying setting a new lap record of 121.68 MPH, however a later inspection shows that he used 5/8th of a pint more than the three-gallon fuel allotment, so his run is disqualified and he is forced to start in 22nd. position back in the 8th row on raceday.

Here are great scenes of the speedway and grandstands along the main straightaway on race morning. Shown is the largest marching band ever assembled, the cars being rolled to their starting positions, and the final minute before the starter gives the signal to start engines through a megaphone! Seen on the starting grid are the cars of pole-sitter Rex Mays, Al Gordon, Floyd Roberts, former winner Fred Frame, Russ Snowberger, Chet Gardner and Cliff Bergere. You'll see track owner Eddie Rickenbacker in his familiar straw hat near the starting line and the 1935 Ford convertible pace car pull away with Pop Meyers and Harry Mack of Ford Motor Company driving.

From the start, pole-sitter Rex Mays jumps into the lead with Louis Meyer second, Al Gordon third and then Tony Gulotta, Roberts, Gardner, Shorty Cantlon and Wilbur Shaw in that order. Speed of the first lap is 111.1 MPH. By the end of lap two, Babe Stapp, Ralph Hepburn, Bill Cummings and Mauri Rose are all in the top ten and the average speed is up to 113 MPH. During the race there are some outstanding shots of the cars at speed, including some passing - Cliff Bergere in the #15 Victor Gasket Special, Bob Sall in the #46 Miller Ford, AL Miller in the #4 Boyle Products car, Ted Horn, Louis Meyer in the #36 Ring Free Spl, Wilbur Shaw in the #14 Pirrung Spl, 1934 winner Bill Cummings in the #1 Boyle Special, and Kelly Petillo in the #5 Gilmore Speedway Spl. The old lap scoreboard and the position scoreboard are explained during the race as scorers are shown flipping over the numbers. Toward the end of the race, there are some nice shots from inside turn one showing nice views of the track and facility as it looked during the depression era, as well as nice shots of the cars coming down the main straightaway and into the first turn. The camera is on the start-finish line as Petillo takes the checkered flag and wins the 1935 Indy 500! With Petillo in Victory Lane is former winner Peter DePaolo, who is Petillo's happy pit manager. Second place finisher Wilbur Shaw is also shown pulling in after the race and is congratulated by DePaolo to end the 1935 Indianapolis 500 film.

You can get your own copy of this rare film now on DVD for only $29.95 plus $4.00 for shipping and handling. (Illinois residents must add $2.25 sales tax)