from www.stuntdriver1.com:
It's hard to believe, but there was a time when auto thrill shows drew larger crowds than NASCAR races. Spectators packed rickety wooden grandstands to watch daring young men in spiffy white uniforms do the "slide for life" or the "T-bone crash," to drive cars on two wheels, or to jump cars or motorcycles from ramp to ramp. In the late 1950s as many as 29 stunt shows - including Jack Kochman's Hell Drivers, Joie Chitwood's Tournament of Thrills, and Jimmy Lynch's Death Dodgers - toured the country.
from http://www.pmphoto.to:
Three sections made up the GE pavilion. In Steinetz Hall, there was a ten-million-volt display of electricity over a 30-foot arc. In the House of Magic, there were whirling discs, a floating metal carpet, a solar motor, and a shadow that came and went independent of the person who was casting it.
The Exhibit Hall contained a complete television studio, a model electric appliance store with the full line of GE products and the General Electric X-Ray Corporation's display of an X-Ray machine and a 2,700-year-old mummy.
Looks like dad was impressed by the ten-million-volt display!
4 comments:
Great blog post on thrill shows, and the World's Fair! Hell Drivers and Death Dodgers are still very much alive -- check out the new "Where Are They Now?" action-packed documentary, "Hell Drivers: America's Original Crash Test Dummies" -- www.helldriversmovie.com
Thanks, Darren. I loved all the history on your blog, too. Lots to look at!
Terry:
this is my first time on. I'm at Rick's house and the boys are watching arrested development. You certainly have a ton of stuff on here.
so glad you checked in, Steve (4th child of RGD.) it would be great if you'd share some of your stories. didn't you and Dad go through a few cars together?) just chime in anytime...
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