It’s not a DeLorean, but a car formerly owned by Humboldt resident Dan Torwalt will be travelling back in time on the big screen.
His old Rambler will soon be appearing in the movie “November 1963”, which is currently filming in Winnipeg. The movie focuses on the Kennedy assassination and the crime groups involved.
Torwalt said he originally bought the car back in 2007 in a real estate listing transaction.
“It was at an acreage south of the Carmel hills,” he explained. “This Rambler was sitting in the shed, covered in dust and tarp and it had been sitting there for 10 years.”
Torwalt noted the seller made several attempts to sell the car, but no one bought it, and he was quick to make an offer.
“I’d always thought it would be cool to have an old-time car like that.”
Once he acquired the car, Torwalt said for the first few years he would take the Rambler out for a drive to different communities in the area. Recently, the trips became more infrequent, and the treks would be shortened to jaunts around town as it mostly sat on his driveway.
For the last couple of years, Torwalt has tried to sell the car. There were some inquiries, but no serious bidders came forward. But suddenly a very interested buyer emerged from Manitoba.
“It was interesting all of a sudden. He just phoned about two months ago and he started explaining a bit that he was in the movie business. And yet the supply carts for movies and this car was what he needed.”
The buyer didn’t hide his cards when he indicated his interest in the vehicle.
“He says I need the car. I'll buy the car,” says Torwalt, “He sends me a picture of the cash he was bringing me, and he sends me a picture of his truck with trailer. And he says I'm coming. I'll be there at 2:00 in the afternoon tomorrow. I'm leaving, like at 2:00 in the morning, and then all of the sudden he shows up.”
He provided Torwalt some details of the movie that the car will be appearing in on condition that Torwalt kept the film’s details secret until filming was underway.
Some of the actors starring in the film include John Travolta, Mandy Patinkin, and Dermot Mulroney.
Torwalt said his car is going to appear as a taxi in the movie as they were similar in shape and style.
“When he was scouting it on Facebook and he found it. And he said they need the white hard top. The body looked almost the same and they just had to do the painting and stuff. So that's what drew him to it.”
With filming still underway, there are very little details of the movie’s release at this point. Torwalt says it’s likely the film will be released in theatres at some point and is hoping to catch a glimpse of his old car on the big screen.
“It'd be cool if Humboldt (Reel Attractions) brought it in, and I could go there and watch it on the big screen and say, hey, there's my car.”
Regardless of the success of the movie, Torwalt says the car’s story makes for an interesting tale.
“It's just something cool that you can talk about around the campfire,” said Torwalt.
“You sort of hear the odd time that you know the next best thing to being in a movie is having something to be heard that's in the movie.”
Photos below provided by Dan Torwalt