Red Line 7000 (1965)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

George Kirgo (screenplay)
Howard Hawks (story)

Release Date:

9 November 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Meet The Speed Breed!

Plot:

The story of three racing drivers and three women, who constantly have to worry for the lives of their boyfriends...

Plot Keywords:

Automobile Racing | Hook | Beautiful Woman | Amputee | Rivalry

Cast

James Caan	...	Mike
Laura Devon	...	Julie
Gail Hire	...	Holly
Charlene Holt	...	Lindy
John Robert Crawford	...	Ned
Marianna Hill	...	Gabrielle
Skip Ward	...	Dan (as James Ward)
Norman Alden	...	Pat
George Takei	...	Kato
Diane Strom	...	Receptionist
Anthony Rogers	...	Jim Loomis
Carol Connors	...	Waitress
Cissy Wellman	...	Waitress

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11

Company:

Laurel Productions

Trivia:

Pat's (Norman Alden) watch is a Rolex Daytona.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Find Someone New

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

I first saw "Red Line 7000" in college. I was taking a class on the films of Howard Hawks, and the professor showed this the first week because it is considered by many to be Hawks' worst film, and the professor didn't want anyone who added the class during the "drop/add" period to miss one of the major Hawks films.

Well, all I can say is that by the time this film was over, it became one of my all-time favorites. Sure, it's corny at times, and melodramatic at others, but who cares? It's a delicious soap opera with fun performances, a strange musical number, and clever usage of public domain music (check out the rockin' version of "The Old Gray Mare"!).

Of the many cast members, the standouts are Marianna Hill as the French girl, Gaby, and the divine Gail Hire as Holly McGregor. Ms. Hire was described by one critic as a "junior-grade Paula Prentiss." I was going through a major Paula Prentiss phase at the time I saw the movie, so I was completely captivated by Ms. Hire's Prentissian performance (although her voice reminds me of Barbara Stanwyck's).

But, really, this film is just brilliant. I love the dialogue, the interactions of the characters, and that they all live at the Holiday Inn. The use of the Inn creates a sense of community and, along with the presence of the Prentissian Ms. Hire, links this film with "Where The Boys Are."

A must-see film!