The Green Helmet

THE GREEN HELMET is an entertaining film for auto racing devotees, but might not be of more than passing interest to anyone else. I viewed the film when it was released in the United States in 1961, and found it engrossing. Unfortunately, it is rarely shown on television and is not available (as far as I know) on video media. I have not seen it since its original theatrical run. The story involves the testing of newly designed racing tires, and includes the obligatory romantic subplot between the driver hired to do the testing and the daughter of the tire manufacturer. The most notable feature of the film is the pioneering use of cameras mounted on the front of the test vehicle, that give an unobstructed view of what a racing driver actually sees and hears when operating a racing car at extremely high speeds. This photographic technique was used to great effect in the much more famous film GRAND PRIX, released five years later. This feature makes the film a must-see (if one can find it) for anyone interested in the sport of auto racing.

I don't think the other reviewers do justice to this movie. The racing scenes are excellent, plenty good enough to give you a feel for how terrifying it is to drive at high speed. It's second only to 1966's "Grand Prix" which had the luxury of color, a bigger budget and newer technology.

Plot-wise, you can only do so much with a racing story. No one avoids the cliches. This plot is at least as good as "Grand Prix". The real attraction here is the cast and the cars.

Bill Travers is excellent as the older racing driver, Syd James is always top-notch, and Ed Begley for once is not over the top in his acting. The supporting cast is all fine and believable. We even get a cameo of Jack Brabham, real life three time formula one champion.

All the cars shown are fun to see nowadays. There are lots of Triumph Heralds, which were even sold in the USA in the 60's, a Triumph 2 or 3, what look like Jaguar D-types, and many more I don't recognize.

The climactic race at the Mille Miglia has a lot of hair-raising scenes of racing on regular roads through towns and along cliffs. I looked on Wikipedia and the race was discontinued in 1957 after one too many fatal crashes, so the movie does not exaggerate the danger.

Well worth a watch.

The movie is about an old race driver, Greg, who can't get a ride with a factory team, but has a tire manufacturer, Bartel, who is interested in hiring him to test tires. Greg's Aussie buddy is building his own car, but needs financing so Greg gets Bartel to get the car for his tests, with side stories involving Bartel's daughter and hassles with his mother and brother about who should be participating in the racing. The most glaring error in the movie is our heroes wanting to run in the Mille Miglia. The movie opens with scenes from the 1960 Lemans, and other years blended in. So obviously the movie was in the current moment of the time it was made. The last Mille Miglia was run in 1957, so our gang would have needed a "Way-Back" machine to even see one. I guess the book the movie is based on was written in 1955 and the story had some relevance. But in 1961, the story's venue needed to be changed to maybe the Nurburgring 1000Km or the Targa Florio.

As a child, I read Jon Cleary's novel THE GREEN HELMET in 1955, and was glad to see it as a film in 1961. My sports car racing interest in its postwar golden age was strong, and this novel and film reflects that era well.

I have had many years of racing experience now, amateur and professional, to include employment with national championship teams and wins at the Daytona 24-Hour, Sebring, Road Atlanta, etc. The team/sponsor politics, dread and anticipation of crashes, test and practice sequences, are all good, for a movie.

THE GREEN HELMET will take you back to a day when driver's suits were cotton, roll bars were optional, and a guy with a garage special could win against the big factory teams.

Race car driver Greg Rafferty (Bill Travers) crashes during a race which sends him to the hospital. After recovering, he becomes more reluctant. His younger brother wants the action, but their mother refuses to let them both race at the same time. His mechanic Richie Launder (Sidney James) has made a new car. Tire manufacturer Bartell (Ed Begley) is trying to hire him to a couple of dangerous races. Diane (Nancy Walters) is Bartell's daughter.

This is a British action drama. The story isn't much of anything. Sidney James is probably doing the best work with Ed Begley as the other veteran. The lead couple isn't that good. The best aspect may be the little bits of racing action. It is not much to hang their hats on.