''Charge of the Model T's'' is a 1977 American comedy
spy film
The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond film ...
directed by Jim McCullough Sr. with the screenplay by Jim McCullough Jr. based upon the novel of the same name by Lee Somerville. Starring
John David Carson
John David Carson (born John Franklin Carson; March 6, 1952 – October 27, 2009) was an American actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California.
Career
Carson began his career at a young age, acting in television advertisements, and later doin ...
, Carol Bagdasarian,
Louis Nye,
Herb Edelman, and
Arte Johnson
Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson (January 20, 1929 – July 3, 2019) was an American comic actor who was best known for his work as a regular on television's ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''.
Biography
Early life
Johnson was born January 20, 1929, in ...
.
The final film of
vaudevillian and actor
George Mann,
the project was shot on locations in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and in the
Wichita Mountains
The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the principal relief system in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, being the result of a failed continental rift. The mountains are a northwest-southe ...
region of
Oklahoma near
Lawton and
Cache,
and was distributed by
MGM.
The film had both theatrical and television airings and, paired with ''
The Switch'', was released on
DVD by
VCI Entertainment on March 13, 2007.
Plot
During World War I, the Germans try to disrupt American war efforts by encouraging Mexican guerrillas to destabilize the Texas border with Mexico. Masterminding the German plot is spy Friedrich Schmidt. As the border become disrupted, Friedrich drives into the United States at the wheel of the high-speed secret weapon: the "RX4", a
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relat ...
equipped with armor and weaponry and tricked out with a powerful motor. US Army Lieutenant Matthew Jones pursues Schmidt with a fleet of special trackers.
Principal cast
Reception
''
The Evening Independent'' panned the film, making note that as the film was a "dull contrivance",
G-rated did not stand for "good".
References
Further reading
*
External links
*{{IMDb title, 0078953
1977 films
American independent films
1970s English-language films
1970s spy comedy films
American spy comedy films
1970s war comedy films
American war comedy films
Films set in Texas
Films shot in Texas
Films set in Oklahoma
American World War I films
Films scored by Euel Box
1977 comedy films
1977 independent films
Films directed by Jim McCullough Sr.
1970s American films