Getaway Car

Afterwork: Desaturated, but for the scarlet frame of the car. Sharpened, bordered, resized.

So, this is part of the Living History Musuem at Prophetstwon, which included a working 1920's farm. Of course I had to try this, desaturated but for the glorious color of the car. Why? Well I'm a fan of Sin City, and it seemed to fit. Plus I've had a recent joke going with my friend about bank robbing and wheels. So I am dedicating this deviation to him, for the inspiration. Go on over to his page and check out his photography, he's got some wonderful wildlife shots.

You've heard the story of Jesse James,
and how he lived and died.
If you're ever in need of something to read,
This is the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were notorious robbers and criminals who traveled the central United States during the Great Depression. Their exploits were known nationwide. They captivated the attention of the American press and its readership during what is sometimes referred to as the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1935. Though remembered as bank robbers, Clyde Barrow preferred to rob small stores or gas stations.

While the public at the time believed Bonnie to be a full partner in the gang, the role of Bonnie Parker in the Barrow Gang crimes has long been a source of controversy. Gang members W.D. Jones and Ralph Fults testified that they never saw Bonnie fire a gun, and described her role as logistical. Jones' sworn statement was that "Bonnie never packed a gun, out of the five major gun battles I was with them she never fired a gun." Writing with Phillip Steele in The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde, Marie Barrow, Clyde's youngest sister, made the same claim: "Bonnie never fired a shot. She just followed my brother no matter where he went."

In his article "Bonnie and Clyde: Romeo and Juliet in a Getaway Car", noted writer Joseph Geringer explained part of their appeal to the public then, and their enduring legend now, by saying "Americans thrilled to their 'Robin Hood' adventures. The presence of a female, Bonnie, escalated the sincerity of their intentions to make them something unique and individual -- even at times heroic."

At approximately 9:10 a.m. on May 23, a posse headed by former Texas Ranger Senior Captain Frank Hamer, concealed in the bushes and almost ready to concede defeat, heard Clyde's stolen Ford V-8 approaching. The posse's official report has Clyde stopping to speak with Henry Methvin's father — planted there with his truck that morning to distract Clyde and force him into the lane closest to the posse — the lawmen opened fire, killing Bonnie and Clyde while shooting a combined total of approximately 130 rounds. The posse, under Hamer's direct orders, did not call out a warning, or order the duo to surrender. Clyde was killed instantly from Oakley's initial head shot. Bonnie did not die as easily as Clyde. The posse reported her uttering a long, horrified scream as the bullets tore into the car. The officers emptied automatic rifles with large 20 round specialty magazines ordered by Frank Hamer specifically for this ambush, shotguns, and pistols at the car, with no warning, citing Ten Hinton's and Bob Alcorn's statement to the Dallas Dispatch on May 24, 1934: "Each of us six officers had a shotgun and an automatic rifle and pistols. We opened fire with the automatic rifles. They were emptied before the car got even with us. Then we used shotguns ... There was smoke coming from the car, and it looked like it was on fire. After shooting the shotguns, we emptied the pistols at the car, which had passed us and ran into a ditch about 50 yards on down the road. It almost turned over. We kept shooting at the car even after it stopped. We weren't taking any chances." The vast majority of the bullets — over 100 rounds — were fired while the car was directly across from the waiting posse. They were shooting fully automatic rifles and emptied a number of magazines during the action. Following the ambush, officers inspected the death vehicle and discovered a small arsenal of weapons including stolen automatic rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, assorted handguns, and several thousand rounds of ammunition.

When asked why he killed a woman not wanted for any capital offense, Hamer stated "I hate to bust the cap on a woman, especially when she was sitting down, however if it wouldn't have been her, it would have been us".

Bonnie and Clyde wished to be buried side by side, but the Parker family would not allow it. Bonnie's mother had wanted to grant her daughter's final wish, which was to be brought home, but the mobs surrounding the Parker house made that impossible. Over 20,000 people streamed to Bonnie's funeral, causing the Parkers difficulty in getting to her grave. Clyde Barrow is buried in the Western Heights Cemetery, and Bonnie Parker in the Crown Hill Memorial Park, both in Dallas, Texas. The bullet-riddled Ford in which Bonnie and Clyde were killed is currently on display(as of Feburary 2006) at the Primm Valley Resort in Primm, Nevada.

The advertising industry took note of the pair's appeal. When a letter signed "Clyde Champion Barrow" was sent to the Ford Motor Company, praising their "dandy car", Ford used it in car advertisements. Although the handwriting in this letter has never been authenticated, the same use was made of a similar letter Ford received around the same time from someone claiming to be John Dillinger

Every year near the anniversary of the ambush, a "Bonnie and Clyde Festival" is hosted in the town of Gibsland, Louisiana. The ambush location, still comparatively isolated on Highway 154 south of Gibsland, is commemorated by a stone marker that has been defaced to near illegibility by souvenir thieves and gunshot. A small metal version was added to accompany the stone monument. It was stolen, as was its replacement.

I loved this story as a child, watched the Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway starred movie, read the books, devoured anything I could find on them. Hell I even went to a costume contest as Clyde. My friends on ACN will get a kick out of that one. (Yes, I was impersonating guys even then). While the time frame is a little off, twenties instead of thirties, this is a Ford.

For even more information there's a wonderful article about the pair here: "Bonnie and Clyde"




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