The film was called Death Race 2000, and was produced by a company called New World Pictures. The company was founded by Roger Corman, but I had know idea who he was then, nor about any of the previous films he’d directed or produced. I had heard of the film’s star--David Carradine, then star of TV’s “Kung Fu.” I was also familiar with one other person in the cast: the Real Don Steele, one of the original KHJ Boss Radio DJs of the 1960’s who had a weekly dance show on Channel 9 in Los Angeles called “The Real Don Steele Show.” In fact, when I got to visit the set as an extra in the climax scene (more about that later) I was probably more excited about seeing Steele than Carradine (though my interest in Corman’s earlier movies would shortly afterward eclipse my interest in either).At the time, none of us had any idea that the film would become a “cult classic.” Nor did we have an inkling that it’s director (Paul Bartel) would make another heralded “cult classic” called Eating Raoul. And there was certainly no clue that one of the film’s supporting players, Sylvester Stallone, would shortly more than a year later make Rocky and become a far bigger “movie star” than anyone else involved in the film. I remember some disappointment and confusion when I saw a cameraman wearing a 20th Century-Fox T-shirt, and I thought that maybe it was indeed a big studio production. However, I was soon informed it was being produced by New World Pictures, whatever that was.
My mother took part in two scenes: the first near the beginning of the picture (an interior scene), the second at the film’s climax (all exteriors).
I was not present during the shooting of my mother’s first scene, which took place inside the cavernous ziggurat building. In the scene, near the film’s beginning, David Carradine is introduced as “Frankenstein” -- the greatest driver in a cross country auto race held in the United States of the year 2000. The country has become a sort of futuristic, fascistic and overpopulated Roman Empire, where the masses are appeased through a race in which drivers are awarded points for running down pedestrians and spectators.
Frankenstein’s introduction comes when he is wheeled out on a hospital gurney after surgery. A group of denim clad reporters surround him, throwing questions at Frankenstein and the surgeon (played by director Bartel). However, in reality, only one reporter actually asks any questions, and has any lines. That is Grace Pander, played by Joyce Jameson--the only “reporter” who is in reality an actor, rather than a real-life reporter. As I later discovered, this was standard operation procedure for Roger Corman. Go to a location with just a few principal actors, and round up locals to play the rest of the cast for a box lunch and a few bucks.
Despite the fact she has no lines, at one point the camera pans the faces of the reporters, and my mother’s face nearly fills the screen.
One of the perks for the reporters playing reporters was that they had an “exclusive” on the production, which of course was something that was even more beneficial to New World Pictures. My mom brought her 1972 Minolta SLR (not the prop camera with flashcube she held in the film) along and shot four rolls of black and white 35mm. When she was doing her scenes, she gave her camera to someone else to shoot shots (mostly her boyfriend Leo, or perhaps other news photographers).
In the below shot, actress Joyce Jameson is at left, my mother Doris Walker is holding a camera just to the right of the crewman with backpack, and director Paul Bartel (playing a doctor in this scene) is in the lab coat at right. Everyone in denim coats are reporter extras, mostly played by real reporters.
Between scenes, my mom (Doris Walker) reacts to David Carradine in his Frankenstein costume. She said she really didn’t get a chance to talk to him much, and he spent most of the shoot inside his RV outside, where she heard him playing guitar and singing “Me and Bobby McGee.” It may have been too early for him to start learning Woody Guthrie songs for Bound for Glory.
The other big scene filmed at the ziggurat building was the climax, which was the end of the race. In the scene, the president stands on a podium, ready to proclaim Frankenstein the winner. However, in an unexpected turn, Frankenstein drives his car into the podium in an attempt to assassinate the president.
My mother took a number of shots of the production of that scene, including these two that included Carradine (he was replaced with a stunt driver for the scenes involving the actual podium stunt).
As she often did when she got wind of a big event that was happening during school hours, my mother got permission to pull myself, my brother, and my friends David Hayes (my later co-author on The Films of the Bowery Boys) and Eric Farr out of school. We would all queue up as extras alongside the curbside during the finale, though you can’t see any of us on camera. (David re positioned himself so that he might be closer to the action, but I don’t believe he was visible in the final released film.)
My mother’s boyfriend Leo was also drafted into duty as an extra, playing one of the government security forces who try to hustle off opposition leader “Thomasina Paine.” Leo is at the center of the picture in black beard and glasses. Note the patch on Leo’s left shoulder--the “fist” insignia that was the official government emblem in the film.
Here are the actual patches Leo wore, which my mother saved and I now have (below the patches are contact sheets from my mother’s photos):
Here is the president and cabinet on the podium in front of the ziggurat building. Note the Death Race 2000 logo on the camera:
This is not the actual scene in which the stunt driver drove through the podium, rather any earlier shot. During the scene in which the stunt driver drove the car into the podium, I was standing along with other extras along the curb dotted with trees behind the car, and got a good view of the action.
This was where I learned another piece of information about a Roger Corman movie. They didn’t plan on doing a second take, if they could help it. During the first shot of the car going into the podium, ripping the canvas beneath the fist logo, something went wrong that forced an unplanned second take. And they apparently didn’t have backup canvas, so the crew had to stitch up the ripped canvas, which seemed to take a long time.
And it was at this point that I realized why they cast The Real Don Steele in the film. Somebody had to be the “tummler,” keeping the extras engaged and enthused during the long delay. And The Real Don Steele did the job, with his constant patter and Boss Radio schtick which had us all engaged.
Here’s The Real Don Steele dancing a little jig during downtime in an earlier podium scene (pre-rip).
Some of my mother’s photos taken during the shooting later ran in a local newspaper.
Here she is posing with the Frankenstein car.
And here’s my brother Blair and mom’s boyfriend Leo inside the car.
Blair posing with the car again:
And one final shot of the grille:
My mother took part in two scenes: the first near the beginning of the picture (an interior scene), the second at the film’s climax (all exteriors).
 |
| Doris Walker, center. |
I was not present during the shooting of my mother’s first scene, which took place inside the cavernous ziggurat building. In the scene, near the film’s beginning, David Carradine is introduced as “Frankenstein” -- the greatest driver in a cross country auto race held in the United States of the year 2000. The country has become a sort of futuristic, fascistic and overpopulated Roman Empire, where the masses are appeased through a race in which drivers are awarded points for running down pedestrians and spectators.
Frankenstein’s introduction comes when he is wheeled out on a hospital gurney after surgery. A group of denim clad reporters surround him, throwing questions at Frankenstein and the surgeon (played by director Bartel). However, in reality, only one reporter actually asks any questions, and has any lines. That is Grace Pander, played by Joyce Jameson--the only “reporter” who is in reality an actor, rather than a real-life reporter. As I later discovered, this was standard operation procedure for Roger Corman. Go to a location with just a few principal actors, and round up locals to play the rest of the cast for a box lunch and a few bucks.
Despite the fact she has no lines, at one point the camera pans the faces of the reporters, and my mother’s face nearly fills the screen.
 |
| Doris Walker as seen in the movie. |
One of the perks for the reporters playing reporters was that they had an “exclusive” on the production, which of course was something that was even more beneficial to New World Pictures. My mom brought her 1972 Minolta SLR (not the prop camera with flashcube she held in the film) along and shot four rolls of black and white 35mm. When she was doing her scenes, she gave her camera to someone else to shoot shots (mostly her boyfriend Leo, or perhaps other news photographers).
In the below shot, actress Joyce Jameson is at left, my mother Doris Walker is holding a camera just to the right of the crewman with backpack, and director Paul Bartel (playing a doctor in this scene) is in the lab coat at right. Everyone in denim coats are reporter extras, mostly played by real reporters.
 |
| Joyce Jameson, Doris Walker, Paul Bartel. |
Between scenes, my mom (Doris Walker) reacts to David Carradine in his Frankenstein costume. She said she really didn’t get a chance to talk to him much, and he spent most of the shoot inside his RV outside, where she heard him playing guitar and singing “Me and Bobby McGee.” It may have been too early for him to start learning Woody Guthrie songs for Bound for Glory.
 |
| Doris Walker, David Carradine. |
The other big scene filmed at the ziggurat building was the climax, which was the end of the race. In the scene, the president stands on a podium, ready to proclaim Frankenstein the winner. However, in an unexpected turn, Frankenstein drives his car into the podium in an attempt to assassinate the president.
My mother took a number of shots of the production of that scene, including these two that included Carradine (he was replaced with a stunt driver for the scenes involving the actual podium stunt).
 |
| David Carradine (in bathrobe). |
 |
| David Carradine getting ready for the shot. |
As she often did when she got wind of a big event that was happening during school hours, my mother got permission to pull myself, my brother, and my friends David Hayes (my later co-author on The Films of the Bowery Boys) and Eric Farr out of school. We would all queue up as extras alongside the curbside during the finale, though you can’t see any of us on camera. (David re positioned himself so that he might be closer to the action, but I don’t believe he was visible in the final released film.)
 |
| L-R: Brent Walker, Blair Walker, David Hayes, Eric Farr. |
My mother’s boyfriend Leo was also drafted into duty as an extra, playing one of the government security forces who try to hustle off opposition leader “Thomasina Paine.” Leo is at the center of the picture in black beard and glasses. Note the patch on Leo’s left shoulder--the “fist” insignia that was the official government emblem in the film.
 |
| Leo Suhostavsky (center) holds actress Harriet Medin. |
Here are the actual patches Leo wore, which my mother saved and I now have (below the patches are contact sheets from my mother’s photos):
 |
| Original costume patches from Death Race 2000. |
Here is the president and cabinet on the podium in front of the ziggurat building. Note the Death Race 2000 logo on the camera:
This is not the actual scene in which the stunt driver drove through the podium, rather any earlier shot. During the scene in which the stunt driver drove the car into the podium, I was standing along with other extras along the curb dotted with trees behind the car, and got a good view of the action.
This was where I learned another piece of information about a Roger Corman movie. They didn’t plan on doing a second take, if they could help it. During the first shot of the car going into the podium, ripping the canvas beneath the fist logo, something went wrong that forced an unplanned second take. And they apparently didn’t have backup canvas, so the crew had to stitch up the ripped canvas, which seemed to take a long time.
And it was at this point that I realized why they cast The Real Don Steele in the film. Somebody had to be the “tummler,” keeping the extras engaged and enthused during the long delay. And The Real Don Steele did the job, with his constant patter and Boss Radio schtick which had us all engaged.
Here’s The Real Don Steele dancing a little jig during downtime in an earlier podium scene (pre-rip).
 |
| The Real Don Steele (center). Director Paul Bartel right (back to camera). |
Some of my mother’s photos taken during the shooting later ran in a local newspaper.
And here’s my brother Blair and mom’s boyfriend Leo inside the car.
Blair posing with the car again:
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