Thunder in Carolina
Thunder in Carolina | |
---|---|
Directed by | Paul Helmick |
Written by | Alexander Richards |
Produced by | J. Francis White |
Starring | Rory Calhoun Alan Hale, Jr. Connie Hines |
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[]
A stock-car veteran (Rory Calhoun) teaches a grease monkey to race in the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C.
Cast[]
- 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[]
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[]
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[]
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[]
References[]
- ^ a b c Thunder in Carolina at the American Film Institute Catalog
- ^ "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[]
- Thunder in Carolina at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Thunder in Carolina in the Internet Movie Database
- 1960 films
- English-language films
- 1960s sports films
- American auto racing films
- American romantic drama films
- American films
- Films shot in South Carolina
- NASCAR mass media
- Sports film stubs