Rodger Moore standing still for the camera shot with Adrienne Barbeau.
Story by Guy Anderson
Photos copyright Guy Anderson
In Part 1 of the Making of the Cannonball Run, Anderson left our readers with a description of a special lighting prop used in the night scenes:
The crane was positioned before the overhang outside of the double row of cars used in the movie. The hydraulic expanding arms were extended outward and lowered to plant the crane firmly on concrete while the boom was extended. However, the rear arm was extended and its pad was placed on the ground, which was still damp from rain the day before.
As the moonlight crane sat for hours, no one noticed that the soft ground had given way for the crane to tilt ever so slightly. Then someone yelled out that the crane was sinking – just moments before gravity took its toll. The loud crash was heard by all and the film set was filled with screaming that echoed from the walls of the English Inn. Smoke as thick as a London fog filled the area where the crane fell as the bulbs exploded and smoke covered the complete area.
The smoke started to clear around the fallen crane and it was obvious there was something wrong. Initially no one could see what happened, and then as the air cleared, the extent of the destruction was confirmed. An all original, white-with-black leather 1965 AC Cobra 289 roadster was sitting under the crane.