AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!

Musician?

No musician.

Thespian?

In the first part of his career, yes, at times.

Play writer?

This is a pro puzzle so I won't make it easy.
Thespian (meaning only actor I suppose, correct me if I'm wrong), yes, as I wrote. But not only, and not principally known for this.
Play writer? No.

Hey Ray,

I really like this line of puzzles.  Thanks for contributing it.

Thanks. I intend to push on and have more ready, but I don't want to let too many of those unsolved.

I feel that this kind of puzzles require some more clues. After all, we're supposed to be car specialists first. Here is one:

Another one. Does this ring a bell?

John Derek?

... Paul, did you notice that all these pictures seem to have been taken YEARS (if not decades) before these John Derek was born?

Ooops, they are all black and white! ;D

Raoul Walsh?

Now, that's good, Paul, although the man is a kind of legend, he's not as well-known from the public than most of my Art and Cars artists.
I guess that you recognized what the other pictures were about. I'll explain iit if you don't care to.

Now, the car...

You know, these quizzes are really hard for me, but I like them! I was born in the mid 70s so for me even Blues Brothers can be considered an old movie! I really have no idea at all of the 100% of the names I saw there, but when I can follow a clue, I find it interesting. Your secon pic made me check all the actors playing that part (Licoln's killer) in a movie, then I looked for some pictures. The truth is I'm no good at all in recognizing faces!
I read that Mr Walsh had a car accident...

Good again. That car accident is what I am after. If you can tell us what more precisely what it was, you'll have earned a second point.

Walsh was set to direct and star in the Western In Old Arizona in 1929, but had to abandon the project when a jackrabbit jumped through the windshield of a jeep he was driving and cost Walsh an eye. Walsh's replacement Warner Baxter won an Academy Award for playing the Cisco Kid in the film, and Irving Cummings was nominated for his direction.
After losing his eye, his doctor reportedly asked if he'd like an artificial (glass) one. "Hell, no," Walsh snapped. "Everytime I'd get in a fight, I'd have to put it in my pocket." He wore an eyepatch for the rest of his life.

So probably it was a Jeep, but in 1929 it's hard to tell what they mean with "Jeep"!

(http://www.autopuzzles.com/RayB.extras/Walsh1.jpg)  (http://www.autopuzzles.com/RayB.extras/Walsh2.jpg)
Walsh as young Villa                                             Walsh with Cagney and an eye patch

I like a man who likes to follow clues. Thanks for the story. The first clue (that maybe some identified) was a photograph of Pancho Villa. In 1914 Walsh was sent by the film pioneer David Wark Griffith to shoot a documentary on Pancho Villa. Walsh followed Villa and filmed lots of actual fighting, and also played young Villa in some fictional scenes (see picture 1). The film "The Life of General Villa", was co-directed by Christy Cabanne.
2 points added to your account.

Now the car involved in the 1929 accident was of course not a Jeep. I had trouble finding it myself. I am asking only for the make, as it is not known what model and year was the car.
And there will be a third point for it, and it's opened for all.

Just to remind you this isn't over!

This open pro section is getting crowded. Fleeing to another one.

Was that a Mercedes?

Nope. To be honest, I believe that the answer is to be found only in Walsh's memoirs, which I've read.
Nevermind, one point will go to the brave who will search it there. It's a good read anyhow. And I'll tally the points when this is done. You'll have to wait for yours until then, but one or two points is no big deal for you.

Quote from: Ray B. on April 19, 2009, 08:20:47 AM
Nope. To be honest, I believe that the answer is to be found only in Walsh's memoirs, which I've read.
Nevermind, one point will go to the brave who will search it there. It's a good read anyhow. And I'll tally the points when this is done. You'll have to wait for yours until then, but one or two points is no big deal for you.

I'm in no hurry, but I care of each and every point...there are too many unsolved ones....

Was this car a well known american one?

Yes. I only ask for the make as I don't know more.

Paul has made a big step toward identifying this car's make.
Now Walsh, in his book "Each man in his time", states that, would the accident have occurred a year later, he wouldn't have lost his eye because the maker had then introduced a new safety feature...
I think that by finding this feature one may find the make.

A different type of glass?

Correct.

... would the accident have occurred a year later, he wouldn't have lost his eye because the maker had then introduced a new safety feature...
I think that by finding this feature one may find the make.

And we can even find the model...

I think he had a Stutz,because in 1929 the SV-16 came equipped with a windshield safety glass and hydrostatic brakes.

So it´s a Stutz?

Nope. A more common make.
But safety glass it is indeed.

A Cadillac? They introduced safety glass in 1929 models.

Lots of makes seem to have introduced safety glass in 1929.
Much mure common than a Stutz or a Cadillac.

Still alive?
(it's not a Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Plymouth or Pontiac, AFAIK)

Still alive, but your AFAIK is wrong.

You are right....on december 2, 1927,  Ford introduced Safety glass...

So Paul Jaray does it!

It's all a bit old now so I am too lazy to go all through the info I collected then. But walsh writes that Ford had introduced safety glass in the following model year: this proves that the car he rode in was a model T Ford (the closest thing then to a Jeep and the most logical car to use for a shooting on rough terrain)