"This is my dream ... Nobody ever jumped a car a mile."
December 13, 2016 2:01 PM   Subscribe

In the 1970s, Canadian daredevil Ken Carter had a plan: He wanted to jump a rocket-powered car over the St. Lawrence River. Ultimately, the stunt's promoters put another driver behind the wheel and the jump was unsuccessful. But there's more to the story. The Devil at Your Heels, posted online courtesy of Canada's National Film Board, is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the five-year lead-up to the jump and the eleventh-hour betrayal that cost Ken Carter a chance at his larger-than-life dream.

Please note that the short video in the first link contains factual inaccuracies. The car probably did not exceed 180 miles per hour — mechanical failures caused it to leave the ramp with its chute deployed — and the vehicle pulled only 3 Gs, not 30. (Previously, but without links to the actual documentary.)
posted by compartment (31 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
Because of inflation 3 G's in the 70's is worth at least 30 2016 G's.

And aerodynamics was not a big thing in the 70's.
posted by Keith Talent at 2:23 PM on December 13, 2016 [6 favorites]


I am going to watch this whole thing later, but I would like to point out that this rocket car apparently has a vinyl top and opera windows and is by far the coolest stunt car I have ever seen.
posted by mattamatic at 2:27 PM on December 13, 2016 [1 favorite]


Interesting choice of car; I expected to see Frank Cannon behind the wheel. So who had the idea first, Carter or Knievel? Interesting that both jumps failed in similar fashion.
posted by TedW at 2:34 PM on December 13, 2016


"Powers was lucky. He had broken his back. This was nothing new, for he had suffered this injury seven times before."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:52 PM on December 13, 2016 [4 favorites]


Fun fact: in the '90s the Australian comedy series The Late Show had a regular segment called 'Shit Scared' that was based on The Devil at Your Heals. For instance, the bike sketch. They acknowledged this at the end of one of the seasons and did a special presentation of the documentary on the ABC.
posted by drnick at 2:53 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


The National Film Board of Canada: Documenting Canada's Eccentrics and Weirdos Since 1939.


When we're not making charming little musical animated shorts.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:09 PM on December 13, 2016 [3 favorites]


Because of The Devil at Your Heals, 'dialed in' has for some 20 years in our family been used to agree that 'yes, we will do this', while also conveying a strong skepticism as to the sanity of the venture.
posted by drnick at 3:09 PM on December 13, 2016 [3 favorites]


The National Film Board of Canada: Documenting Canada's Eccentrics and Weirdos Since 1939.

That's no way to talk about Hinterland Who's Who!
posted by nubs at 3:21 PM on December 13, 2016 [1 favorite]


>Documenting Canada's Eccentrics and Weirdos Since 1939.
>When we're not making charming little musical animated shorts.

The musical animated shorts are mostly made by eccentrics and weirdos, so it's all technically one thing.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 3:22 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


Keith Talent: And aerodynamics was not a big thing in the 70's.

I wonder what the lift-to-drag ratio on those stubby little wings is. 1, maybe?

He also doesn't seem like a man who favoured airbags.
posted by clawsoon at 3:24 PM on December 13, 2016


"Powers was lucky. He had broken his back. This was nothing new, for he had suffered this injury seven times before."

Omg, can someone please set this saga down to the tune of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:26 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


charming little musical animated shorts:

"Shaking your eyes here, shaking your eyes there."

Thanks for this! I have a few mechanically-inclined Cdn boys in my high school lit class that need an end of semester project!
posted by kneecapped at 3:26 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


Is that Gordon Pinsent narrating...it is!
posted by juv3nal at 3:27 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


A rocket powered Lincoln Continental. Back when America made great things...great big blocky, not slightly aerodynamic things.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:29 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


I've watched this many times. I love the dramatic commentary juxtaposed with the comic/tragic subject, I love that if you give Ken a mic he'll rattle on with utter rubbish until you take it off him, and I love that Ken is interested in the limelight to the point where he'll risk his life.

I hate that it eventually killed him.
posted by milkwood at 3:43 PM on December 13, 2016


> He also doesn't seem like a man who favoured airbags.

I really don't want to spoil this for anyone who is going to watch it (AND YOU SHOULD), but his "plan" was to land the car in a bed of roses.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:46 PM on December 13, 2016 [4 favorites]


Canada's daredevil, Fairly Nice Knievel.
posted by GuyZero at 3:47 PM on December 13, 2016 [10 favorites]


I really don't want to spoil this for anyone who is going to watch it (AND YOU SHOULD), but his "plan" was to land the car in a bed of roses.

shit, that's what Bon Jovi was singing about.
posted by GuyZero at 3:48 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


The legend lives on from the St. Lawrence on down
Of the broke back they called 'glitchie gumby'
The back, it is said, barely lifted Power's head
When the skies of November turn runny
With a load of iron ore 33 vertebrae more
With Powers now fully bionic
That good boneless back was a rust bucket hack
Too heavy to jump supersonic
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:50 PM on December 13, 2016 [11 favorites]


I've always though that Will Ferrell in the Anchorman movies was channelling Ken Carter.
posted by onya at 4:01 PM on December 13, 2016


He might have broken his back, but he definitely wasn't being carried out of the river on a spinal board. Sitting on two guys shoulders.
posted by ambrosen at 4:01 PM on December 13, 2016


Fans of Evel Knievel may also be interested to know he makes a memorable cameo appearance in this.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:05 PM on December 13, 2016


(Previously, with links to the documentary :-)
posted by effbot at 4:18 PM on December 13, 2016


well, that was amazing. just finished watching it. can't say i was terribly put out by what happened to the other guy (don't want to give any spoilers).

this has (depressing) follow-up details of the end of ken's career (sorry if already linked above). the video there doesn't seem to work, though.
posted by andrewcooke at 4:34 PM on December 13, 2016 [1 favorite]


NFB's Carts of Darkness is a whole other type of Canadian daredevil 🛒🛒🛒
posted by scruss at 5:02 PM on December 13, 2016 [2 favorites]


I just consulted with a friend on mine who's from Morrisburg. Apparently the ramp stayed up for many years (20 or so) after this attempt.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:19 PM on December 13, 2016


COME ON TOAST!
posted by klanawa at 6:30 PM on December 13, 2016


My god. I watched this in high school some 15 years ago, shown to my English class by a teacher who believed a diverse cultural education was much more important than whatever staid garbage was actually on the syllabus. (She also showed us Project Grizzly that year.)

I've had fever-dream-like memories of it ever since but watching it again, no, it really is that fascinatingly weird. Wonderful.
posted by ZaphodB at 6:53 PM on December 13, 2016 [3 favorites]


There's a weird documentary that came out in 2016 that riffs on Ken Carter. Aim For the Roses explores an re-enactment via a solo double bass composition that gets all types of meta. I personally just want the jumpsuit and the car.
posted by myopicman at 9:03 PM on December 13, 2016


I hadn't thought of this film for ages - it was pushed on Australian TV in the early 90s by the D Gen/ Working Dog people. Particularly after you see the ramp you just expect at some stage there's going to be a wink or raised eyebrow to camera but it never comes.
posted by hawthorne at 2:37 AM on December 14, 2016


NFB's Carts of Darkness is a whole other type of Canadian daredevil
Darn it... I scrolled all the way down here just to add a link to CoD and someone beat me to it...
posted by Snowflake at 7:39 AM on December 14, 2016


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