Trivia / Grand Prix

• The Cast Showoff: James Garner turned out to be a pretty hot driver.
• Enforced Method Acting: Annoyed at the tired crowd's lack of reaction to a burning car, John Frankenheimer had the tea van blown up and filmed the reactions.
• The Other Marty: Swedish actress Harriet Andersson was cast as the female lead and filmed some scenes. James Garner wanted to replace her so Eva Marie Saint got the part instead. No explanation was given.
• Same Language Dub: Toshiro Mifune had his dialogue looped by Paul Frees due to his limited command of the English language.
• What Could Have Been: Steve McQueen (actor) was the early choice for the lead role. A first meeting with producer Edward Lewis went very badly and McQueen showed no further public interest in the role. However, privately he was fuming, and he chose not to speak with his friend, and next-door neighbor, who just happened to be James Garner, for the next four years. He later starred in another racing movie, Le Mans. Paul Newman was also considered.

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