Chevy 3100 Trucks On The Silver Screen

1955 Chevy 3100 in The Getaway featuring Steve McQueen. All Photos from imcdv.org

From 1947 until 1955, Chevrolet trucks were number one in sales in the United States. Leading the way was Chevrolet’s Advance Design Series 3100 trucks. Bigger, stronger and sleeker than previous designs, the 3100 series led the way for Chevy Trucks.

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Armed with several different engine options, these trucks filled the highways and farm communities, becoming a familiar site during the late ’40s to the late ’50s.

With so many of these trucks on the road for over a decade, it is no mystery why they became so popular as backdrops in almost every period movie done that represented that era. This everyman truck was the backdrop for all the city streets and dirt roads in Americana for a quarter of a century.  Movies like 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story and The last American Hero incorporated shots of the common truck. 

Not only was the Chevy 3100 represented as “also-seen” vehicles in the background of several movies, the iconic trucks had significant roles in several of Hollywood’s greatest and not-so-greatest features. Let’s take a look at some of these films in which the Chevy 3100 truck was used by a main character for a long time during the movie. We used IMCD.org as the guide for vehicle role significance in a movie.

1947 Chevy 3100

The 1947 Chevrolet 3100 trucks are represented by two movies, Motel Hell (1980) and Dancer in the Dark (2000). Neither were great box office successes but the Chevy 3100 played it’s role beautifully. 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre featured a 1953 Chevy 3100.

Motel Hell is a low budget film that attempted to incorporate horror and comedy into the same movie. The intention was to make a serious horror film with moments of wit and irony.

Cult movie lovers see the movie as a satire of modern horror films. Either way, the vehicle of choice for one of the story’s main characters, is the venerable  3100 pickup.

While the truck carries it’s role in the movie, we don’t recommend renting this laughable horror flick. It is 102 minutes of mindless videotape. Once seen, it cannot be unseen.

Dancer in the Dark is a painfully artistic movie that achieved success by virtue of critics praising the acting of the stars, one of which is Icelandic singer Björk. The movie is set in Washington state in 1964 and focuses on Selma Ježková, a Czech immigrant who has moved to the United States with her son, Gene Ježek. They live a life of poverty as Selma works at a factory with her good friend Kathy. It turns out that Selma is secretly blind and gets ripped off by the town policeman, Bill. Selma kills Bill and gets pegged as a Communist sympathizer and murderess, eventually executed on the gallows for her crime. Not worth watching for the plot, but once again the Chevy truck pulls it weight as the hard working truck trudging it’s way through town everyday.

This 1954 Chevy truck was a stepping stone to bigger trucks in the movie Willa.

1953 Chevy 3100

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was produced for less than $300,000 and used a cast of relatively unknown actors drawn mainly from central Texas, where the film was shot. This film marks the beginning of modern low budget horror films. Marketed as a true story to attract a wider audience, its plot is entirely fictional. The popularity of the film led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, remakes, one prequel, comic books and video games.

While the Chevy 3100 was only used in one scene, it was a memorable one and the truck brought a working man’s credibility to the scene. The Chevy C10 Pickup saved the heroine at the end of the movie, but the 3100 brought the horror to the plot. This movie is worth renting again just to see how the two Chevy Pickups worked together to make this film a cult classic.

1954 Chevy 3100

The made for TV movie Willa set a new standard for mindless plots. Summarized by IMCD.org, “Willa wants to make it on her own. Her mom’s a drunk, her husband has abandoned her, and she has 2 kids. She waitresses during the day and loads produce at night in exchange for truck-driving lessons. She is determined to become a truck driver, and will let no obstacles block her path.”

The commercials shown during the two hours that this movie aired were more interesting than the movie. The lone bright spot was Willia’s use of the 3100 pickup as training grounds for a future in trucking. The pickup’s scenes take place early in the movie so you don’t have to sit through the whole mindless mess to just see the star of the show. Don’t bother renting it, check Netflix.

The only thing worth watching in Circuitry Man is the truck.

1955 Chevy 3100

The 1955 year 3100 pickup has been a favorite for set directors in Hollywood. Starring in Circuitry Man, The Getaway, Believe in Me, Skipped Parts and Every Which Way But Loose, the 55’s seemingly appeared in everything on the small screen too. 

Circuitry Man is a laughable futuristic film that predicts world pollution so horrible that citizens must live below the crust of the earth to escape the harmful effects of the waste above. Neverless, one lone heroine braves the trip from underground Los Angeles to New York.  Part of the journey involves a beautiful lifted Red 3100 with off-road tires that are perfect for the truck. One of the nicest futuristic vehicles ever seen on the silver screen.

The Getaway with Steve McQueen. A Chevy 3100 and Steve McQueen. Enough said. Believe in Me is your standard Hallmark type “feel good” movie. This one involves Bruce Dern and Girl’s basketball. Don’t bother. Not even the Chevy truck can save this one.

Skipped Parts… we always wondered what happened to the Mod Squad’s Peggy Lipton. The only bright spot in this movie is when the very young Mischa Barton announces that she’s pregnant and the Chevy 3100 comes to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. Not worth sitting through to see the few scenes with the truck. 

1955 Chevy 3100 in Skipped Parts.

Clint Eastwood, an Orangutan ride around in a Chevy 3100 beating up a motorcycle gang and chasing a woman. This is a classic in anyone’s book. Must rent and must watch.

1957 Chevy 3100

The 1957 model year 3100 showed up in the biographical movie based on Junior Johnson’s life story. The Last American Hero is worth watching but the question is whether the hero is Jeff Bridges or the 3100.

Finally, our last Chevy 3100 in a feature role is the 1957 Chevy truck in 1977’s Double Nickels. Listed as a car chase thriller, Double Nickles is an unbelievable storyline as two- highway patrolmen discover their moonlight work as car repossessors is actually grand theft auto. Worth watching for the car chases and the Chevy 3100. Not worth renting, catch it on NetFlix or late night/early morning reruns. 

That wraps up our review of Hollywood movies featuring the tried and true “every man” pickup truck.

About the author

Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Read My Articles

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