Ghettogloss Presents: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World in Los Angeles on 10/26

Ghettogloss will present the unveiling of the long awaited fine art and functional art (even wearable art) IMMMMW Collection from Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning artist, Dave Woodman. Woodman has recently created a line of shift knobs, jewelry, belt buckles, paperweights, charms, models and assorted paintings and sculptures using authentic bits and bobs from Jimmy "The Smiler" Durante's crashed car.

Dave has been a Hollywood animator and illustrator for over thirty-five years, having worked on such blockbusters as Disney's Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

In the infamous Paula Abdul Opposites Attract video where Paula dances with a cartoon cat, that cat was animated by Woodman. The miniature animated children who appeared in the quirky opening credits of Honey I shrunk the Kids, the children were also animated by Dave Woodman. Remember the animated Santa, modeled after Al Hirschfeld, in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, or wild cats in The Rolling Stones Harlem Shuffle video? They also sprang from the magical mind of artist Dave Woodman.

In the year 2000, the traditional, hand-drawn style of animating came to an end. Faced with an uncertain future, Dave used this time to travel to Palm Springs to search for film locations from MMMMW, his favorite movie. Dave knew that classic films like this could only be screened in the theater or on network television, so the availability of location photos was extremely rare. By patiently checking and re-checking video tape and DVDs, Dave ferreted out each location.

At the "The Smiler's" bucket-kicking site, Dave found car parts and piles of glass, turned a beautiful shade of aqua by the sun. The artist traced these parts back to a signature 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 that used in the scene's famous, hilarious car crash.

The Fairlane was launched from a ramp, arcing into an impact far down a mountainside where parts of it remained for over fifty years - a treasure, much like Smiler's buried $350,000.

Three cars were used to create this spectacular wreck sequence. The first car launched tilts to the left; the second hits the ground head on and flips over, while the third was shot settling right side up. Dave was able to track down all three impact areas with the help of his friend, Ron Kwal.

Woodman also discovered that the third car was used as the hero prop car. In the film, it is prominently seen behind Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Jimmy Durante, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney and Jonathan Winters. Because the car crash-landed right side up, most of the glass remained inside it. When a scenic swing gang turned the car on its side, more glass to spill out.

Dave additionally found a MMMMW 16mm movie film negative clip at the site, which was deemed authentic by archivist-producer Robert Harris. This very short scene was shot from inside the wayward car. "At first I thought it was a piece of paper, and then I noticed the sprocket holes. You could say I found some of the missing footage." Most would agree.

A hubcap, side chrome, red tail and headlight fragments, and a tire, round out Dave's salvage collection. Further research has revealed that the Nygen General Dual 90 was common on this type of car. It was left in the right spot and mangled instead of blown out. In addition to these larger artifacts, obscure pieces like a shock absorber top and a custom Fairlane door lock cylinder lever further confirm the authenticity of the Smiler Car. "How could I just leave it all to be destroyed by time and the elements?" Mr. Woodman asked.

Years later, Dave spotted a line of cones near the site that led him to believe the road might be widened. Against this ticking clock, he began to salvage all of Fairlane parts he'd found. With MMMMW's 50th anniversary approach, the artist decided to create commemorative pieces from the radiant aqua glass. "I believe these pieces of history should belong to the people who love the film as much as I do." Dave says.

Criterion has recently hired Woodman to create a map of locations for their box set release of this movie and, Karen Kramer has given him permission to reveal that the 50th anniversary Cinerama Dome screening of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World will take place on October 27th. The Dome itself was built to showcase this movie.

Would you like to own a piece of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World history for yourself?