My Favorite Ride: Movie to be filmed in Bloomington this fall seeks pre-1962 autos

Wanted: Pre-1962 automobiles and trucks for use in transforming downtown Bloomington into a movie set depicting the city as it was 60 years ago.

Nearly four decades after the preview of his Academy Award-nominated film “Hoosiers,” Bloomington native Angelo Pizzo will be filming a movie in his hometown this fall.

The feature film is set in 1962 and it needs cars from that era to transform Bloomington, as much as possible, into the place it was six decades ago.

I don’t know much, but here’s an initial glimpse I got from Jo Throckmorton from Blue Ace Media, who’s partnering with Pizzo on the project. The plan is to film in Bloomington, mostly in the downtown core, on Wednesdays through Sundays from Oct. 9 through Nov. 11.

The feature-length movie, written and directed by Pizzo, focuses on a teenager in junior high school, his friends and family, and decisions he faces for the future.

“We’re using a lot of locations in the city,” Throckmorton said, “a local school, a lot of places on the streets of Bloomington in the middle of town. Maybe there will be a scene or two swimming at a quarry, scenes where they are riding their bikes and doing stuff around campus.”

In order to be authentic, modern cars not on American roads back then — Hondas, Subarus and Toyotas so prolific nowadays — must be replaced for filming with pre-1962 Dodges, Hudsons, Packards, Chevys and Fords.

Many of the cars will be parked. Others will be driving on the streets in outside scenes. Extras, men wearing single-breasted suits with skinny ties and women in shift dresses carrying patent-leather handbags, will stroll the sidewalks.

Car-wise, Throckmorton has secured some vehicles already. They include a 1948 Dodge, a 1952 Packard, a 1957 Chevy sedan, a 1960 Chevy Impala, a 1960 panel truck, a sweet 1961 Corvette, a 1962 Pontiac Bonneville and three, yes, three, red 1962 Chevy Impalas.

Clearly, the movie needs many more cars and a more diverse range of manufacturers. Throckmorton heard from several people I might be just the person to help track down some old cars.

Yep, that would be me.

Tim Lloyd, how many Hudsons can you provide for this venture?

If you have a car that would suite the movie and are interested in making it a star, contact me at the email address below or send a message to Throckmorton at jo@jothrockmorton.com.

In other car news

On a hiking trip to North Carolina in May, I stood ankle-deep in a mud bog and took a picture of a beautiful Rolls Royce parked at Mast General Store on Beech Mountain.

I’m hoping there’s a Rolls Royce aficionado out there who can tell me what year this beauty is, and more.

Have a story to tell about a car or truck? Contact My Favorite Ride reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.