On Any Sunday: the film that Steve McQueen couldn't say no to
We all have a film that we remember as first inspiring us to hit the open road. For many, On Any Sunday is one of those films.
Directed and edited by Bruce Brown, who had made his name - and a not inconsiderable sum of money - with The Endless Summer, which introduced the wider world to the surf scene, it followed the exploits of professional motorcycle racers plying their trade, knee-down and throttle cranked wide open, around America.
Steve McQueen makes several appearances. Not only because Brown had the cheek to phone McQueen and tell him that if he wanted to be in his next film he would have to fund it - McQueen did - but because Hollywood’s hottest property also happened to be a half-decent off-road racer, competing in the Six Day Trials with Bud Ekins.
The footage in On Any Sunday is remarkable for the era. The flat-track oval races come to life in a blaze of colour and chaos. How Brown managed to cover events like the Baja 1000 desert race, in Mexico, at a time when cameras were big and bulky, hiring a helicopter was big-bucks and drones were still to be invented, is anyone’s guess.
Yet it’s the casual, almost relaxed vibe of the racers that is so appealing. You see the human condition play out in front of you, as men search for challenge and comradeship. Most of those who appeared in On Any Sunday remained good friends right up until they rode off into the sunset in the sky.
Nominated for an Academy Award, for Best Documentary, it changed the way many people viewed bikers and racers. If you haven’t seen it, take a moment to seek out a DVD. For less than £10, it could change your outlook on life.