If The Lady and the Dale were just about a talented con-man who learned the art of the hustle at an early age, it would be worth watching.
If it were just about that same grifter and his wife and 5 kids constantly moving from one part of the country to another, always one step ahead of the law? Also entertaining, right? Especially if one of the man’s daughters, now over 50, remembers every detail, almost fondly at times, and with tears during other bits.
And what if that same man transitioned to a woman and then founded a car company in the mid-70s that garnered so much publicity that it rankled some scary people in Detroit, the undisputed home of the automobile at the time?
And what if that woman claimed that her new 3-wheeled car would get 70 miles to the gallon, and she became something of a celebrity entrepreneur?
The Lady in the Dale is about all of those things, all at once. If you can keep yourself from reading about it ahead of time, since it is a true story and this is a 4 part docu-series, then the twists and turns will keep you glued to your screen. The layers are peeled back gradually to reveal enough facts that you find yourself absorbed.
By all accounts, Gerald Dean Michaels was a good husband and father who loved his family, but had a penchant for fraud and was wanted by federal authorities going all the way back to 1961. Around 15 years later, a dynamic CEO called Elizabeth Carmichael surfaced in Los Angeles and became famous as the creator of “The Dale”, a fuel efficient three wheeled car that looked cool in its day – vaguely rocket-like.
As Liz and the car made the news everywhere, it piqued the curiosity of some enterprising consumer reporters who smelled a rat, and began their own investigation – yet another facet of the story that keeps us on the fence. Do we root for the reporter? Do we root for law enforcement? Do we root for a lady to become the next Henry Ford in the auto world?
Besides the story, which is amazing on its own, the series has really – and I mean really good interview subjects; most notably the daughter of Liz and the brother-in-law. I don’t know how the directors got such emotional storytelling from these subjects, but I sure am glad the cameras were rolling. There is also an abundance of archival footage, and an especially ingenious use of an almost whimsical type of animation for other parts of the film.
About the Transgender aspect of the protagonist; It’s absolutely a major part of learning everything we can about the main character, and there are authentic insights, especially by two Trans community leaders (I don’t mean elected leaders, I mean prominent, knowledgeable people whose points of view are relevant and respected).
1975 was such a different time. The reporter who broke a lot of details on this story back then, Dick Carlson is seen in the present day – he is not the only one who seemed like a pig back in the day, people weren’t shy about their discrimination, even during the 70s. However, now nearly 80 years old, he still seems very much like an asshole. I was surprised, then not surprised, to learn he is the father of Tucker Carlson. At least the old man was once a real journalist. But I digress.
What I mean to say is that there are so many other elements to the narrative that the series comes with an embarrassment of riches. I loved it.
4 out of 4 Stars. Reviewed by Kyle Osborne The Lady and the Dale premiers on HBO and HBO Max Sunday, January 31st with two episodes back-to-back. Directed by Nick Cammilleri and Zackary Drucker