Thunder in Carolina
| Thunder in Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Paul Helmick |
| Written by | Alexander Richards |
| Produced by | J. Francis White |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Joseph C. Brun |
| Edited by | Rex Lipton |
| Music by | Walter Greene |
Production company | Darlington |
| Distributed by | Howco International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Thunder in Carolina is a 1960 stock car racing film directed by Paul Helmick and starring Rory Calhoun, Alan Hale, Jr., and Connie Hines. Written by Alexander Richards, it contains 1959-vintage stock car race footage.
Filmed at a number of small dirt ovals in the South, the film is set in the 1959 edition of NASCAR's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.
Plot
[edit]A stock-car veteran (Rory Calhoun) teaches a grease monkey to race in the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C.
Cast
[edit]- Rory Calhoun: Mitch Cooper
- Alan Hale, Jr.: Buddy Schaeffer
- Connie Hines: Rene York
- Race Gentry: Les York (billed as John Gentry)
- Ed McGrath: Reichert
- Troyanne Ross: Kay Hill
- Helen Downey: Eve Mason
- Van Casey: Stoogie
- Tripplie Wisecup: Myrtle Webb
- Carey Loftin: Tommy Webb
- Billie Langston: Peaches
- Ann Stevens: Singer
- George Rembert, Jr.: Junior Thorsen
- Olwen Roney: Motel manager
- Richard Taylor: Higgins
- George Fordham: Waiter
Production
[edit]All filming was done during 1959 with much of the footage taken during the actual event. A film car was entered to capture on-track sequences and Rory Calhoun actually ran some laps during the race. Calhoun drives a two-tone 1957 Chevrolet, with a blue body and white top, while his friend-turned-competitor "Les York" is in a 1959 Oldsmobile.
The film is a "B" grade production in terms of budget but Thunder in Carolina managed to capture much of the sound and fury of the era.
Release
[edit]The film had its opening engagements on June 7, 1960, in Darlington, Florence and Hartsville, South Carolina.[1]
The film was later marketed on home video as Hard Drivin' with a freeze-frame title spliced into the opening.
Reception
[edit]It grossed $271,847 in its first week in a 100 theater saturation release in the Carolinas.[2] The film was released nationally on July 15, 1960.[1] Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the film.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Thunder in Carolina at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ "From the Terrace (advertisement)". Variety. June 29, 1960. p. 23. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "QUENTIN TARANTINO: MY FAVOURITE RACING MOVIES" F1 Social Diary 21 August, 2013 Archived 2014-07-07 at archive.today accessed 5 July 2014
External links
[edit]
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