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Chips And Champagne
Monaco GP 1955 and Reims GP 1957
Just as chips abound on the gaming tables of Monaco, so champagne is ever present on the dining tables of Reims, making our title entirely appropriate. These remarkable movies are the work of former interntational racing driver David Clarke, who set up his own Film Unit in 1954. The following year, he took two 16mm cameras and a sound recorder to Monaco to cover the Grand Prix. As he could only scrounge one Track Pass for his three-man crew, that was used for filming around Casino Square and the Station Hairpin. David and his soundman found a spot on the hillside by the Royal palace and, with the aid of a 100mm lens, followed the sights and sounds from the tunnel exit down to the Gasworks Hairpin and back up to the Hotel de Paris. The result is a magnificent record of one of the most dramatic races ever seen at Monaco. The entry was one of the finest of the decade, with the W196 Mercedes Silver Arrows of Fangio, Moss (fresh from his Mille Miglia triumph) and Simon ranged against the fascinating D50 Lancias of Ascari, Castellotti, Villoresi and Chiron; the well proven 250F Masteratis of Behra, Musso, Perdisa and Mieres and the 'no-hope' Ferraris of Trintignant, Taruffi, Farina and Schell. There were also three Gordinis, and a lone Vanwall for Hawthorn. In the early laps there was a great battle behind leader Fangio, as Moss, Castellotti, Ascari and Behra passed and re-passed all round the circuit, proving that the modern complaint that Monaco is too narrow for overtaking is nonsense, provided the cars are of a sensible width! All this action is caught superbly on David Clarke's film, as is the unexpected retirement of Fangio and Moss and - almost - the sensational dive into the harbour by Ascari's Lancia, which allowed a surprised and grateful Maurice Trintignant to win the race for Ferrari. (Colour 25 mins)
By 1957 David had trained two more assistants and so had three cameras and two sound recorders with which to cover the high speed, 5.2 mile Reims circuit. The race was not the French GP (held at Rouen that year) yet it attracted all the principal teams and their drivers, save Stirling Moss (who was ill) and Tony Brooks (injured at Le Mans). They were replaced in the Vanwall team by Stuart Lewis-Evans and Roy Salvadori. The former dominated practice (during which he tried the odd-looking streamlined Vanwall) and the race, which he led with ease until slowed by an oil leak. Fangio (Maserati) and Hawthorn (Ferrari) renwed with gusto their classic battle of 1953 (when Mike won the 'Race of the Century') and Luigi Musso emerged as a surprise winner for Ferrari. Tragically he was to be killed on this very circuit a year later. Once again David Clarke and his team did a superb job covering practice and race from excellent viewpoints with a variety of lenses, including a 150mm fixed to David's Pathe-Webo 16mm cameras. "A splendid machine", he recalls, "which gave me a 35 second run on one wind-up, ideal for my long panning shots." Panning seems to be a forgotten art these days and certain sports TV directors would do well to study both these films as a guide to exciting and imaginative camerawork. (Colour 27 mins)
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