Crosleys In The Movies

"The Crystal Ball" (1943):
Lots of footage of a 2-cylinder convertible without door-window frames driven by wealthy bachelor Ray Milland who's dating Paulette Goddard. (In real life, Paulette owned a 2-cylinder Crosley, which was a gift from her mother.) At one point, Ray gets a flat and pulls over. He complains to Paulette that he has no spare, and says "If I had a rubber band, I could fix it myself!"

Later at a shooting gallery, Ray comes back to his car to find a lipstick message on the windshield.

Later in the film Ray pulls onto a nighttime highway without looking and sideswipes a watermelon truck, and dozens of watermelons spill into the open Crosley, one of which knocks Ray out. (I don't think the vehicles actually touched.) The next day there's a newspaper article telling of the accident, saying that Ray was "driving his interim wartime vehicle".

"Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (1945):
Lou is a uniformed delivery man, and has a brief scene with a 2-cylinder Parkway Delivery. (There's a famous publicity photo with Bud and Lou by the car.)

"The Noose Hangs High" (1948):
Lou Costello backs his car hard into a line of parked cars, locks bumpers with ALL of them including a CC sedan, and then drives off, pulling the empty cars behind him.

"Africa Screams" (1949): 49-50 CD Station wagon, Abbott & Costello Right at the end, Speedo, one of the richest guys in the world arrives at his own building in a chaffered Crosley wagon.

"Side Street" (1950): Staring Harley Granger and Cathy
O'Donnell. The main character Joe Norson, a letter carrier, has just gotten done stealing some money from a filing cabinet early in the movie. As he is crossing the street leaving the scene he walks in back of a postwar CC Crosley wagon. Unfortunetly the car does not show up in the rest of the movie.

"Follow the Sun" (1951):
A CC pickup truck is in a generic street scene right at the beginning. This has also been called "The Ben Hogan Story".

Boston Blackie: (1949-1953???)
I got a report that either in one of the last Boston Blackie movies (1949) or possibly the TV program (1951-1953), the main character drove a Crosley Super Sports of or HotShot. Anybody remember this? It was reported that there were a few chase scenes where he used the handling of his car to great advantage. Photo Needed

"Three Ring Circus" (1954): A red 49 or 50 CD Sedan painted with black top so it looks like a convertible with the top up. Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

"National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978):
A CC pickup is among some disabled cars on the "lawn" of the fraternity house. At times the hood is open, other times closed. At one point, John Belushi chugs down some alcoholic beverage and flings the bottle backward over his shoulder seemingly into the Crosley, which is otherwise never referred to. (In the book, the Crosley is referred to by name several times there.)

"The Long Summer of George Adams" (1982):
A newspaper reporter interviewing George Adams (James Garner) happens to drive a CD station wagon.

"Porky's II, the Next Day" (1983):
The adventures of a high-school boy and his pals. He owns a yellow CC convertible which is seen and driven a lot but never referred to otherwise. ( It is believe the car was borrowed from Lewis Crosley, and was repainted by the studio after shooting was completed.) At one point the boy jumps out of the car, but the engine obviously was still running and it jumps forward a bit, which is seen to surprise him and the others standing by. He puts his hands on the hood and says "Whoa!". They decided to leave that in the final print.

1988 CBS Network Promo - I don't know anything about this program.

"Avalon" (1990):
Right after World War II, a father and his young son are driving down wintertime streets in Baltimore. Suddenly the dad points to a parked car (a red CC convertible) and asks the boy "What kind of car is that?" The boy answers "Crosley!" The dad says "And that one?" (pointing to a Nash sedan across the street.) The boy: "Nash!" The dad smiles and says: "Pretty good!" (Later there's a spectacular streetcar wreck which looks real, but it's only a plywood replica.)

"Gone In 60 Seconds" (2000):
An engine in [remake] is sitting on a workbench in the scene when the police inspector visits the shop.
Photo Needed

Also: Newsreel scene with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy during a War Bond parade, sitting up on the rear body ledge.
Photo Needed

Thanks to Lou Rugani for furnishing many of the titles and much of the descriptive text for the movies listed.

If you have any movies to add or pictures that can be included, send them to me.

Back to CAC

"The Crystal Ball" (1943): Lots of footage of a 2-cylinder convertible without door-window frames driven by wealthy bachelor Ray Milland who's dating Paulette Goddard. (In real life, Paulette owned a 2-cylinder Crosley, which was a gift from her mother.) At one point, Ray gets a flat and pulls over. He complains to Paulette that he has no spare, and says "If I had a rubber band, I could fix it myself!" Later at a shooting gallery, Ray comes back to his car to find a lipstick message on the windshield. Later in the film Ray pulls onto a nighttime highway without looking and sideswipes a watermelon truck, and dozens of watermelons spill into the open Crosley, one of which knocks Ray out. (I don't think the vehicles actually touched.) The next day there's a newspaper article telling of the accident, saying that Ray was "driving his interim wartime vehicle".
"Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (1945): Lou is a uniformed delivery man, and has a brief scene with a 2-cylinder Parkway Delivery. (There's a famous publicity photo with Bud and Lou by the car.)
"The Noose Hangs High" (1948): Lou Costello backs his car hard into a line of parked cars, locks bumpers with ALL of them including a CC sedan, and then drives off, pulling the empty cars behind him.
"Africa Screams" (1949): 49-50 CD Station wagon, Abbott & Costello Right at the end, Speedo, one of the richest guys in the world arrives at his own building in a chaffered Crosley wagon.
"Side Street" (1950): Staring Harley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell. The main character Joe Norson, a letter carrier, has just gotten done stealing some money from a filing cabinet early in the movie. As he is crossing the street leaving the scene he walks in back of a postwar CC Crosley wagon. Unfortunetly the car does not show up in the rest of the movie.
"Follow the Sun" (1951): A CC pickup truck is in a generic street scene right at the beginning. This has also been called "The Ben Hogan Story".
Boston Blackie: (1949-1953???) I got a report that either in one of the last Boston Blackie movies (1949) or possibly the TV program (1951-1953), the main character drove a Crosley Super Sports of or HotShot. Anybody remember this? It was reported that there were a few chase scenes where he used the handling of his car to great advantage.	Photo Needed
"Three Ring Circus" (1954): A red 49 or 50 CD Sedan painted with black top so it looks like a convertible with the top up. Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978): A CC pickup is among some disabled cars on the "lawn" of the fraternity house. At times the hood is open, other times closed. At one point, John Belushi chugs down some alcoholic beverage and flings the bottle backward over his shoulder seemingly into the Crosley, which is otherwise never referred to. (In the book, the Crosley is referred to by name several times there.)
"The Long Summer of George Adams" (1982): A newspaper reporter interviewing George Adams (James Garner) happens to drive a CD station wagon.
"Porky's II, the Next Day" (1983): The adventures of a high-school boy and his pals. He owns a yellow CC convertible which is seen and driven a lot but never referred to otherwise. ( It is believe the car was borrowed from Lewis Crosley, and was repainted by the studio after shooting was completed.) At one point the boy jumps out of the car, but the engine obviously was still running and it jumps forward a bit, which is seen to surprise him and the others standing by. He puts his hands on the hood and says "Whoa!". They decided to leave that in the final print.
1988 CBS Network Promo - I don't know anything about this program.
"Avalon" (1990): Right after World War II, a father and his young son are driving down wintertime streets in Baltimore. Suddenly the dad points to a parked car (a red CC convertible) and asks the boy "What kind of car is that?" The boy answers "Crosley!" The dad says "And that one?" (pointing to a Nash sedan across the street.) The boy: "Nash!" The dad smiles and says: "Pretty good!" (Later there's a spectacular streetcar wreck which looks real, but it's only a plywood replica.)
"Gone In 60 Seconds" (2000): An engine in [remake] is sitting on a workbench in the scene when the police inspector visits the shop.	Photo Needed
Also: Newsreel scene with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy during a War Bond parade, sitting up on the rear body ledge.	Photo Needed