“Vanishing Point”
DVD Review by Gregg Leary

Maybe I was born at the right time. In preparing this review I realized that growing up in Jefferson, Ohio and going to high school there from 1967-1971 may have been a confluence of the perfect time in the perfect place although I certainly wouldn’t have admitted it at the time.

Musclecars from A to Z (AMXs to Z-28 Camaros) filled my high school parking lot and others peeled out in front of the local Dog and Suds. Hemi ‘Cudas, Road Runners, Charger R/Ts, Super Bees, Superbirds, Ford Torino Cobras, Mustang Mach I’s and Boss 302s, Mercury Cyclones, Shelby Cobras, Chevelle SS 396s, Vettes, and even Challenger R/Ts… the star of “Vanishing Point.”

Our small town theatre and local drive in gave me the chance to see car and bike movies that greatly influenced my life and ultimately led to my current job at SPEED. “Grand Prix” sparked my interest in Formula One and led to taking my family to the inaugural USGP at Indianapolis where I had the bonus of talking to James Garner (Pete Aron in “Grand Prix") in the Brickyard Crossing. “Winning” triggered me to attend 24 Indianapolis 500s and several chances to photograph Paul Newman. “Le Mans” embedded an itch for that race that I scratched in 1975 by hitchhiking across the English Channel from my base in Exeter, England to the twice around the clock event in France. “Bullitt” caused me to drive San Francisco’s Lombard Street while on my honeymoon.

“Easy Rider” prompted the purchase of a chopped 1972 650 Yamaha as college transportation and the unflattering nickname, “Sleazy Rider.” “The French Connection” offered me the background on Gene Hackman’s stunt driving in the film and led to a Mid-Ohio interview with the star.

“Vanishing Point” became film’s Holy Grail for Brad, a high school buddy, and me. We didn’t have a 1970 Challenger R/T, but he may have had a MOPAR that was even cooler. He owned a 1970 4-speed ‘Cuda in “Impact Yellow.” We took a road trip to Florida as a high school graduation present to ourselves. Needless to say, the trip broadened my horizons and was the first time I’d driven a 4-speed for any length of time. I can still feel that pistol-grip handle of the shifter over 35 years later. I think we spent the whole trip calling each other Kowalski and looking for the nude blonde girl on the motorcycle. Gas was cheap and our future was just unfolding. My 1965 Plymouth Fury III. 383 AUTOMATIC was never the same after that.

“Vanishing Point’s” jacket gives a nice synopsis of “The Ultimate Car Chase Movie!” Thrills, spills and a handful of pills. It all adds up to one of the most spectacular car chases in motion picture history! Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, the last American hero, who sets out to prove that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just 15 hours. Along the way he meets an old prospector, a snake worshipper, a nude woman on a motorcycle, and a blind D.J. who “sees” danger ahead in this super-charged, action packed adventure. The plot line seems simple. Kowalski works for Argo’s Car Delivery and is determined to drive the Challenger R/T to a client in San Francisco 1,250 miles from Denver in 15 hours. A “Challenging” run that would require an average speed of 83 MPH.

Through flashbacks we find that Kowalski is far from your “average” driver. He is an ex-stock car, demolition derby and motorcycle racer. He is an ex-cop and Medal of Honor winner in Vietnam. The enigmatic hero’s cause is taken up by blind radio DJ “Super Soul,"(played by Cleavon Little in his first movie role) who becomes the “eyes” that guide “K” as he tries to evade pursuing police and avoid roadblocks on his odyssey. Super Soul waxes poetic: “And there goes the Challenger, being chased by the blue, blue meanies on wheels. The vicious traffic squad cars are after our lone driver, the last American hero, the electric centaur, the demi-god, the super driver of the golden west! Two nasty Nazi cars are close behind the beautiful lone driver. The police numbers are getting’ closer, closer, closer to our soul hero, in his soul mobile, yeah baby! They about to strike. They gonna get him. Smash him. Rape the last beautiful free soul on the planet.”

Forgive Super Soul for being melodramatic because he is also very accurate. His prophetic lines …” He’s the Last American Hero to whom speed means freedom of the soul. The question is not when he’s gonna stop, but who’s gonna stop him.” More accurately WHAT’s gonna stop him. It turns out to be two Caterpillar bulldozers. Things to watch for in the film include: The driver of a Jaguar XKE that challenges Kowalski to a race. He questions what’s under K’s hood by asking, “Got any balls in that Mother?” WITHOUT moving his lips. Kowalski crosses over a divided highway twice evading the police… then being a law-abiding citizen, uses his turn signal before he moves into the right lane. Charlotte Rampling plays a gorgeous hitchhiker picked up by Kowalski on his way to San Francisco. She is the metaphor for his untimely demise when she utters the prophetic lines, “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time… everywhere and forever… patiently.” She gives him the “kiss of death” then disappears in the morning. Unfortunately, her scenes are cut from the US release but appear in the UK version that is offered on the “flip side” of the DVD. The car that crashes into the bulldozers is a Challenger stunt double… look for the Camaro badge on the severed hood. “Vanishing Point” is as good today as I remembered it from three and a half decades ago. I rate it four out of five lug nuts. Add it to your DVD collection. You won’t be disappointed. Get “Vanishing Point” on DVD from SPEEDtvbooks.com!

Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for “Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain” and Book Reviewer for SPEEDtv.com.  Leary was track announcer for Hooter’s IHRA Drag Racing at National Events in the USA and Canada and entertained event crowds during “down time” by conducting “crowd participation” and product giveaways with the Hooter’s Girls. He was Marketing and PR Director and track announcer at Lake Erie Speedway. As Photo Editor, feature writer, columnist and swimsuit calendar chief photographer for “Sports Jam Magazine,” Leary covered Auto Racing, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. He has photographed dozens of celebrities from A-Z including Mario Andretti, Jim Brown, AJ Foyt, Ken Griffey Jr., Michael Jordan, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Mark McGwire, Paul Newman, Walter Payton, Alex Zanardi and Presidents Gerald Ford, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Gregg’s wife, Lynn and daughter, Caitlynn live in Jefferson, Ohio and his son, Sean is a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Leary has conducted motivational seminars and performed stand up comedy around the country. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and Exeter University in England. Gregg has hitchhiked 40,000 miles through 36 states and 10 European countries and is a licensed pilot and skydiver. Leary is available for motorsports consulting on a limited basis. Contact him via email at gleary@speedtv.com .