Speedway (1968)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writer:

Phillip Shuken (written by)

Release Date:

12 June 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Musical

Tagline:

Smooth, fast and in high gear!

Plot:

Poor bookkeeping saddles stock car driver Steve Grayson with a huge bill for back taxes which hampers his ability to continue racing competitively.

Plot Keywords:

Tax | Stock Car | Speedway | Tax Return | Bridal Boquet

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Steve Grayson
Nancy Sinatra	...	Susan Jacks
Bill Bixby	...	Kenny Donford
Gale Gordon	...	R.W. Hepworth
William Schallert	...	Abel Esterlake
Victoria Paige Meyerink	...	Ellie Esterlake (as Victoria Meyerink)
Ross Hagen	...	Paul Dado
Carl Ballantine	...	Birdie Kebner
Poncie Ponce	...	Juan Medala
Harry Hickox	...	The Cook
Christopher West	...	Billie Jo
Beverly Powers	...	Mary Ann (as Miss Beverly Hills)
Richard Petty	...	Himself
Buddy Baker	...	Himself
Cale Yarborough	...	Himself

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Lowe's Motor Speedway - Speedway Parkway, Concord, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Racing sequences was filmed with 10 cameras.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In all the scenes at the hangout, there is a band playing, yet none of the times are any of the guitars plugged in.

Quotes:

Mary Ann: [Referring to Kenny] You mean you let him take care of your money?
Steve Grayson: Why not? I like to live dangerously.
Mary Ann: Does that go for girls too?
Steve Grayson: That goes for everything?
Mary Ann: Honey, I'm going to leave the driving to you.
[They kiss]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Buck Henry/Bette Midler (#4.20)" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby

Elvis and Nancy puts the drag in drag racing.

The King gets together with fast cars and Nancy Sinatra in this romantic comedy about the exciting worlds of stock car racing and tax evasion. In "Speedway," Elvis plays Steve Grayson, a successful race car driver who's generous to a fault. Bill Bixby plays the girl-chasing manager/best friend who gambles away all their winnings. Nancy plays Susan Jacks, an IRS agent who's assigned to collect the astronomical taxes that have accrued. But the fun never begins.

"Speedway" came out a year after Nancy's Number One hit "Somethin' Stupid," a duet with her famous dad Frank. But this film's attempt to pair her with Elvis fails miserably. Nancy's parched personality and juiceless acting makes Elvis look like Brando. And there should have been more than enough cinematic proof by this point that stock car racing never looks interesting on the big screen. It's hard to believe that this rather passive Elvis is on the verge of making his celebrated '68 comeback. On a more pleasant note: This was Nancy's swan song to feature film making.