Opening
voice-over narration describes what a hot rod is against the backdrop
of stock footage at El Mirage Dry Lake in California. Edward Kay’s
score with frenetic violins supports the film’s opening, reminding
one of a 1930s action serial. Poignant, as the hot rods in this film, are souped-up Thirties coupes. With World War Two stagnating the auto
industry’s creativity, the hot rod culture was born out of a need
for something completely different. The music takes a serious tone as
we see an overturned hot rod along a county road. Racing in the
desert is legal and safer. Street racing is for “Club
Ignorant” members. The crux of the film.
Six
hot rods, two rows three-abreast, race on a straight stretch of road
for bragging rights with the pavement barely wide enough to
stay on the concrete. Unbelievably, the road’s finish line is lined
with high school fans, many standing on the edge of the pavement.
Though the starting point is completely out of sight, the gang is
already cheering wildly. The fans are looking across—not
down—the road but Hollywood
gives the impression they have the same vantage point as the camera
crew. It is called filmmaking. I get it. It takes the racers forever
to speed past their classmates due to repeated views of the previous
footage. Topping the preposterous scene off is a motorcycle
cop—heading in the opposite
direction—attempting to halt
the speeding hot rods by waving his arms wildly. His death is
averted.
James “Henry Aldridge” Lydon (left) seems to reprise his iconic character this
time as the son of the town judge, Art Baker, who apparently runs the
town. He is not wavering about cracking down on illegal street racing
so the teen gene pool is not completely drained. In a rare instance,
Myron Healey does not play a crook but a police officer—the
older brother to Lydon. Trying to convince “Pop” to support a
legally timed strip will not be easy. Lydon buys an old beater and
being level-headed, does not add any “soup.” It is just a tired
dog of transportation. His best bud and comic relief, Gil Stratton,
is full of sarcastic jabs about it. This from a guy whose imprinted
cap design—from the
front—makes it look like his
hair is in curlers. Gloria Winters, Lydon’s spoken-for girl since
grade school (aka elementary) is embarrassed to ride in his turtle
junker. Local demon of speed, Tommy Bond (right) is a hit with the ladies
and a twisted crankshaft to Lydon. Lydon and Stratton set out to
piece together the fastest rod within the city limits.
Jealous,
Bond steals Lydon's pride and joy then sideswipes a sedan in town,
parking the car nearby. The police and the entire town, including
Winters, assume Lydon is guilty without any proof. This, back when
social media was actually social. He escapes a “public hanging”
when Bond jumps up in the courtroom to confess. “Judge Dad” is
lenient, but orders his own son to get rid of the hot car
nonetheless. But...fate moves its huge hand—my apologies to
screenwriter, Stanford Whitmore. A bank robber saves the day as
Lydon’s hot rod catches up with an escaping Cadillac’s license
plate. A motorcycle cop and patrol car quickly catch up with Lydon
and Stratton who lead the police in the waning moments of the
pursuit. This is a pretty realistically filmed chase. For his heroism
under preposterous circumstances, Lydon gets a motorcycle police
escort back home as the officers vouch for the kid to his father. Hot
rods and law enforcement are on the same side. There is a highly
contrived closing as the judge’s public apology falls on deaf ears
at the drag strip’s groundbreaking ceremony.
Note:
Gloria Winters is best known to Baby Boomers as Penny on the
action-adventure Saturday morning show, “Sky King.” Kirby Grant
starred as Schuyler "Sky" King while Penny portrayed his
niece who was always consumed by unexpected trouble. The television
version began in 1951 and the popular show ran for eight years. As for Tommy Bond, he was the original Jimmy Olson in the Superman movie serials.
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