Racing Fever (1964)

I saw a cut-down version of this movie on my local TV station. At around 70 minutes (instead of 90), it came across not too badly. Admittedly, William Grefe's script with its frank and sexsational theme was a darn sight better than his inept direction with its emphasis on clumsy close-ups, although occasionally he did have a few odd moments of inspiration, such as the horizontal shots of the dancer and the shot through a rear door of a moving ambulance. The action scenes, despite clumsy inserts, are also not too ineptly handled. But the best things about the movie are the cool, Pathe-color photography of Julio Chavez and the equally cool presence of Barbara Biggart (who made only one other movie plus one TV appearance with Flipper).

Where do I begin....I first saw this film on an independent station in New York on a Saturday afternoon, obviously as filler, and I was hooked. It looks as if somebody's Dad put up the money for this mess, but its such amess that I found it fascinating. You know, so bad that its good. The leading lady has a heavier mustache than the leading mans. Endless cutaways to aperson standing against a corrugated steel wall, day for night, night for day, non existent eye lines, it's got it all. And the Racing!! I told others to watch out for this masterpiece and they enjoyed it as much as I did...except as a comedy not the drama it was intended as. I went so far asrecording it once but have since misplaced the tape. Give it a try if you ever see it playing again..its a hoot.

This movie found its way to New Zealand and I saw it as a child at a Saturday matinee in the small country town where I lived. We had movies twice a week - Friday night and Saturday afternoon and watched anything they showed us. I caught it again as part of a double feature a few years later and thought it was really dreadful, but I can still remember it - funny how things so awful actually make such an impression they stay with you!

I asked to see the comments for this movie not expecting it to be listed, it is that bad. I saw the movie on a date in 1964 and there were about 20 people in the huge theater. It wasn't long before people were hooting and laughing. We had a great time! The movie had such bad lighting and there were so many editing mistakes it looked like a high school project. I always expected to find it on MST3K but if it was there, I missed it. Funny how the truly bad sticks with you just as long as the truly great.