Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Is this Harrison Ford With His Crosley?

A few months ago I stumbled across a scan of a vintage photo of a Pre War Crosley convertible with a boy in a t shirt leaning on it, staring into the camera.   It was posted on a 'good old days' themed thread on the HAMB hot rod site, and the the person who posted the picture didn't know the original source for the image.
From the boy's hair, clothes and the houses in the background I'd say the picture could have been taken anytime from the late thirties to about 1955.  Aside from the Crosley, it would be a fairly nondescript image - except that the kid in the photo is supposed to be future movie star Harrison Ford!

The guy who posted the picture didn't have more than that.... just the picture and the story that it is supposed to be of Harrison Ford with his first car.  Ford was born in 1942, and the boy in this picture looks to me like he's about 13 or thereabouts, so that would make this photo from sometime around 1955.  The Crosley would be in great shape for a 15 year old car.

The kid in the photo does look a lot like what I'd imagine a young Harrison Ford to look like - but what did Harrison Ford actually look like in his teens?  I managed to find a couple of pictures from his high school yearbook, and at that time he was wearing a buzz cut nothing like the long hair in the Crosley picture.  This could be the moodier, later version of the boy in the photo - or a totally different guy.  I will say that the droopy curl in the front appears to be identical in both photos, even with the shorter hair.
But, that's all I've turned up.  I've done some internet searches trying to find any reference to Harrison Ford owning a Crosley but I haven't found anything more.  I thought I'd throw it out here to see if anyone in Crosleydom knows anything about this.  Anybody?

2 comments:

Jim... said...

The two pictures look like two different boys for only being a few years a part. Just my opinion. Would make a good story. Maybe you should send a copy of the picture and ask.

Harrison Ford's Agent:
Jim Berkus
United Talent Agency (UTA)
9560 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: 310-273-6700

Harrison Ford
P.O. Box 49344
Los Angeles, CA 90049-0344
SASE if you want a response and it might take 3+ months

Jim...

Ol' Man Foster said...

SOLVED! Dan Strohl of Hemmings saw this on the Crosley Gang site and pointed us to the original source. Turns out that this is Wendell Fischer, not Harrison Ford. http://grovevillememories.blogspot.com/2011/02/wendell-fisher-and-his-first-car.html