On Any Sunday (1971) on Netflix

G19711h 36mDocumentary Sport

A documentary asks why motorcycle racers do it, following them through motocross, desert racing and Grand National competition. Steve McQueen and Mert Lawwill are among the riders.

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Netflix4.0/5
IMDb7.7/101,743 votes
Rotten Tomatoes83%

Trailer

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Plot summary

Motorcycle sport in the late 1960s and early 1970s is the subject, and the people who race. The documentary asks why they do it, and moves through the disciplines: motocross, where riders are typically free-spirited; desert racing, where many are loners; and Grand National racing, where personalities differ widely, among them Mert Lawwill's business-like approach and the carefree style David Aldana is known for. Steve McQueen, a film star who races himself, appears with Malcolm Smith, J.N. Roberts, David Evans and many other riders of the period. Riders sometimes risk their lives at the sport they have devoted them to.

Cast

Did you know?!Facts and trivia about On Any Sunday (1971)

Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.

Children riding bicycles on a dirt track in the film's opening sequence are thought to have popularized BMX biking across America, where it had previously been seen only in Southern California.
With no money for high-speed cameras, director Bruce Brown improvised by running 24-volt batteries in 12-volt film cameras to build a makeshift high-speed camera, and he also mounted a helmet camera on some riders, something rarely tried then because film cameras were so bulky.
Brown found a perfect spot for a sunset beach riding shot at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton but assumed he would never get approval to film on the Marine base; Steve McQueen made a call, and the next day they were shooting the beach sequences.
Racer Malcolm Smith credits his appearance in On Any Sunday with the worldwide recognition that allowed him to become a leading entrepreneur in the off-road motorcycling business.