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My Father's Duesenberg
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Mr. Merkes had brought the car. Why my Dad didn't leave a deposit to secure the car I'll never know. At the time we didn't know it was one of the Gatsby movie cars. I do remember removing the tarp and how breathtaking the car was. It wasn't really in bad shape as can be seen in the photo.
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My posts on this thread suggested it was J533 that was for sale in the 1950's in Malibu that my dad missed out on. I distinctly remember seeing it and I had a photo we took but I gave it to Chris Summers. I thought Dad told me that JB Nethercutt bought it so I always assumed the car I saw was J533, but now I'm doubting my memory, What I do know for sure is the car I saw in Malibu was Mr. Marschall's car, since the history he provided in this thread matches up. Wondering if you can clear up which car Mr. Marshall owned J533 or J565? I guess both cars appeared in Great Gatsby? Thanks
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Commodore wrote: My father had a Duesenberg up until 1955. Recently I came across some old photos of his Duesenberg. So I am posting them here in hopes that someone can tell me something about the car. Also, family lore has it that the car appeared in the 1949 movie version of the ?The Great Gatsby?. Does anyone know whether a Duesenberg appeared in this movie and which car it was?
Steve Marshall
Hello Commodore,
maybe there is (on page 108) a short (letter) remark written by your father, about his Duesenberg experience, in the book "DUESENBERG - the mightiest American Motorcar" by J.L. Elbert
In the early 50ies Mr. Elbert sent a form letter (to several persons who have had a Duesenberg car), in which he requested owners remarks and recollections about their Duesenbergs.
A Mr.(?) C. Marschall aswered as follows: ..." I bought the car as a used one in Chicago in 1940... Being a used car, I don't suppose it was in especially good condition mechanically, allthough I never had any trouble with it and the appearance was good."
Kind Regards
Matt
Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut
Wilhelm Busch
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- mikespeed35
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CORDially Mike
Mike Huffman
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A Wikipedia web search on the Wonona tunnel tree states that in 1881 the large tunnel was carved in this Giant Sequoia starting from an exsisting forrest fire scar by two men who were paid $75 for the carving job.
The tree started to lean almost immediately after the tunnel was carved.
This tree stood in the Mariposa Grove at Yosemite National Park.
It was 227 foot tall & 95 foot in circumference. Sadly it fell due to heavy snow load in 1969; and was said to be approx 2300 years old at that time.
The remains of this fallen Giant Sequoia remain on the ground to this very day.
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- landmark
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Commodore wrote: To finish off this topic, here are some photos of the car in Sequoia National Park, I think.
Hello
and thank you for sharing these very cool pictures.
How small this giant car looks underneath the sequoia trees. <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->
It looks like the photos were not taken in Sequoia N.P. , but in its neighborhood, in Yosemite N.P..
The so called "Wawona (Tunnel) Tree" stood (until the late 1960s) in Yosemite N.P. In my opinion, one of the most beautyful places on earth.
Happy New Year!
Matt
Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut
Wilhelm Busch
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I am sure We saw J-565 here in my general Philly area several times in the 1970s.
Dad has some old faded Kodacolor prints of it from that time frame in his files.
I remember at least four photos~~~One shows it's engine's carb/manifold -side .
Another photo with Dad posing next to the front grill .
The others are general side & front photos.
I will try to dig them out & email them to you.
Might J-565 still be hidden away in Pennsylvania ?
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I believe I remember seeing it in the general Philadelphia area many years ago at a car show event ?
I believe my late Father has several faded 1970s vintage photos of it in his office at home here.
Has it appeared in public lately ?
Or has it been hidden away in an auto museum, or some collector's private hidden collection ?
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Steve
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Steve Derus wrote: In 1955 I was ten years old, but I still remember seeing your father's car when it was in Topanga Canyon. Is that where your family lived at the time? If not, wondering if you know how the car came to be sitting there outside under a tarp? From your father's photos its clear he had a high regard for the car and took good care of it. It looked pretty neglected when I saw it.
Yes, we were living in Topanga at the time. As I understand it, there are three reasons why it ended up outside under a tarp. The first was that when my father rented the car to the movie studio, they painted the car cream and when they returned it they repainted it black, but the paint job was no way as good as the orginal Duesenberg paint job. Second, somebody stole the instruments (gauges) out of it. I was told by my mother that these instruments were not replaceable. Third, the car had some mechcanical issues. These things took the heart out of my father and when we moved to Topanga there was no place to store it. So it sat outside and deteriorated until he sold it.
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In 1955 I was ten years old, but I still remember seeing your father's car when it was in Topanga Canyon. Is that where your family lived at the time? If not, wondering if you know how the car came to be sitting there outside under a tarp? From your father's photos its clear he had a high regard for the car and took good care of it. It looked pretty neglected when I saw it.
Regards,
Steve Derus
Also thanks for launching this thread, I've thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a thing or two.
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Do you have any idea when your Father first bought this super car?
No, but Mr. Summers says 1944.
Did he own it very long?
If Mr. Summers is correct eleven years. I know that my father drove it from Dayton Ohio to Los Angeles at least once.
Did you ever drive it yourself?
No, I was only six when my father sold it. I have no memory of ever riding in it.
How much did he sell it for used in 1955?
The figure my family has is $1200.
Does the Spanish style home in the last photo still exists today?
I don?t know. The only information on it I have is that it was located on Sierra Bonita St. in probably North Hollywood CA.
Do you know who this super Model "J" was originally built for?
There is a website that says that this car was built for Audrey Ruth Meyer. The wife of Forrest Edward Mars, Sr. who was the driving force behind the Mars candy empire.
Steve Marshall
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janst wrote:
landmark wrote: In the movie it looks like the J-565 has a (doorlock) keyhole a few inches above the Doorhandle, which the J-533 (as shown on the photos) has not.
Matt
Matt,
I almost thought we have found some difference between these two cars, but as we can see in this photo, J-533 HAS the keyhole in the right door as it appears in the movie.
Now I checked the photos of all 4 of these Rollston CCs and all of them have the keyhole in the right door but in the left door not.
<!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: --> <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->
Hello "eagle-eye" janst <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: --> you are right!
Merry Chrismas
Matt
Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut
Wilhelm Busch
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landmark wrote: In the movie it looks like the J-565 has a (doorlock) keyhole a few inches above the Doorhandle, which the J-533 (as shown on the photos) has not.
Matt
Matt,
I almost thought we have found some difference between these two cars, but as we can see in this photo, J-533 HAS the keyhole in the right door as it appears in the movie.
Now I checked the photos of all 4 of these Rollston CCs and all of them have the keyhole in the right door but in the left door not.
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- landmark
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Chris Summers wrote: For those of you with the books, J-565 appears in "Automobile Quarterly" Vol. 30 No. 4, p. 78 ...
Hello,
that photo looks like it is from out of the Gatsby-Movie -The Gasstation scene.
In the movie it looks like the J-565 has a (doorlock) keyhole a few inches above the Doorhandle, which the J-533 (as shown on the photos) has not.
Matt
Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut
Wilhelm Busch
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So we still need a photo of J-565!!
Steve
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In the film scene where the two cars appear together Barry Sullivan's line is
"Where did you get these two circus wagons?"
Blasphemy!!
Thanks for posting that photo Chris! By the way that's a California plate if that helps solve who owns it now.
Steve
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I believe that the two-tone car driven by Betty Field is J-565 / 2590 and that the car driven by Barry Sullivan is J-533 / 2561, based on what I know of their colors at the time the movie was made. If I'm wrong, then I welcome the correction.
The photo Jan posted below shows J-533 / 2561 as it appears presently.
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My files indicate that the car is in the care of Mr. Robert A. Stevens of Indiana but that might be incorrect.
Thanks
Steve
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Chris Summers wrote: I recall Randy mentioning that two JNs were used in the film.
and which is which? was there some difference between these two cars?
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My records show that D.F. Marshall of CA owned the car from 1944 to 1955.
I recall Randy mentioning that two JNs were used in the film.
I have Steve's family picture of this car but my scan of it was lost with my last computer. Once I get it scanned again in the future I'll be happy to post it.
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here is a link to a newer photo of J-533
duesey186.com/Datasheets/Model_J ... rm2561.htm
and one to the metioned part of the 1949 Gatsby movie. The Duesenberg-car sequence starts at 2.55 min.
... re=related
Cheers
Matt
Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut
Wilhelm Busch
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What a stunning model "J" Duesenberg your Father once owned.
It's always great to see early period B&W photos of these great autos when they were still in everyday use.
Thank's for posting these great photos.
I noted the unusual LH rear bumper bracket mounted radio antenna.
I really like the Model "J" with Wire Wheel covers also~~~
You don't often see them on the Buffalo Wire Wheel Corp of America wire wheels used on the Model "J"s that are in collections today.
Do you have any idea when your Father first bought this super car ?
Did he own it very long ?
Did you ever drive it yourself ?
How much did he sell it for used in 1955 ?
I'd bet sadly only a few hundred dollars ?
I also wonder if that great spanish style home in the last photo still exists today ?
Randy or Chris~~~
Do you know who this super Model "J" was originally built for ???
Anyone noteworthy ?
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- Steve Derus
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I saw this car sometime around 1958, it was sitting outside under a tarp in the Malibu Canyon area of Southern California. It was for sale, my Dad and I took a photo of it, before he could get back to the seller with the money Marshall Merkes had snapped it up. Wonder if your father was the owner of the car at that time?
Its a lovely car and one of the main attractions at the Nethercutt Museum.
Regards,
Steve Derus
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Steve Marshall
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