Le Mans Poster

A rare Japanese release movie poster for the classic Le Mans film starring the one and only Steve McQueen.

Le Mans was filmed on location on the Le Mans circuit between June and November 1970, including during that season's actual 24 Hours of Le Mans race in mid-June. McQueen had intended to race a Porsche 917 together with Jackie Stewart, but the #26 entry was not accepted. Instead, he is depicted as starting the race in the blue #20 Gulf-Porsche 917K driven by Jo Siffert and Brian Redman. The race-leading white #25 Porsche 917 "Long tail" was piloted by Vic Elford and Kurt Ahrens, Jr.

McQueen had wanted to employ Christopher Chapman's new multi-dynamic image technique in the film, as had been done at his instigation with The Thomas Crown Affair, in which he starred in 1968. Chapman advised against it, much to McQueen's disappointment; in Chapman's words, “it was much too big a film, with too many writers; it wouldn't work that way.”

Steve McQueen and Director John Sturges long worked on the project and originally had the film set up at Warner Bros. as "Day of the Champion". But with Warner Bros selling the studio McQueen's company, Solar Productions multi picture deal was cancelled. After securing a deal with Cinema Center Films and National General Pictures the project was reborn "Le Mans'. After a troubled pre-production and partial production Sturges quit the film and the studio took over the project.

Details:
Printed in downtown Hamilton
Size: 24x36
(91cm x 61cm to fit the RIBBA IKEA Frame)
Frame not included