Hot Rod Gang
{{short description|1958 film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Hot Rod Gang
| image = Hotrodganpos.jpg
| caption = Theatrical poster, 1958
| director = Lew Landers
| producer = Lou Rusoff
executive
Charles Buddy Rogers
associate
Lou Kimzey
| writer = Lou Rusoff
| based_on = story by Rusoff
| starring = John Ashley
Jody Fair
| music = Ronald Stein
| cinematography = Floyd Crosby
| editing =
| studio = Indigo Productions
| distributor = American International Pictures (US)
Anglo-Amalgamated (UK)
| released = {{Film date|1958|08}}
| runtime = 72 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| gross =
}}
Hot Rod Gang is a 1958 American teen drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Ashley. The working title was Hot Rod Rock[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78447/hot-rod-gang#notes Turner Classic Movies] {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2022}} with the film also released under the title Fury Unleashed. American International Pictures released the film as a double feature with High School Hellcats.{{cite book | last = Sanders | first = Don and Susan | title = The American Drive-In Movie Theatre | year = 1997 | publisher = Motorbooks International | isbn = 0-7603-0425-4 | page=127}} The production includes performances by rock and roll musician Gene Vincent,[http://www.bmonster.com/more4.html "Gene Vincent's rock' Hot Rod Gang", The Astounding B Monster Archive] accessed 14 December 2012 and was the final theatrical feature directed by the incredibly prolific Landers, whose career dated to the mid-1930s.
Plot
John Abernathy III needs to lead a blameless life to inherit his father's estate, but he also engages in hot rod car racing.
Cast
- John Ashley as John Abernathy III
- Jody Fair as Lois Cavendish
- Steve Drexel as Mark
- Scott Peters as Jack
- Helen Spring as Abigail Abernathy
- Lester Dorr as Dryden Philpott
- Doodles Weaver as Wesley Cavendish
- Dub Taylor as Al Berrywhiff
- Gloria Grant as Tammy
- Maureen Arthur as Marley
- Dorothy Neumann as Anastasia Abernathy (as Dorothy Newman)
- Russ Bender as Motorcycle cop
- Claire Du Brey as Agatha
Production
The film was known during production as Hot Rod Rock.{{Cite news|title=Pat suzuki paged for broadway. |date=27 March 1958|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|167265849}}}}
Soundtrack
- "Hit and Run Lover", performed by John Ashley
- "Annie Laurie", performed by John Ashley
- "Dance in the Street", performed by Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps
- "Baby Blue", performed by Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps
- "Lovely Loretta", performed by Gene Vincent
- "Dance to the Bop", performed by Gene Vincent
- "Choo Choo Cha Poochie", performed by Maureen Arthur
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called it "a film of juvenile violence."{{cite news|author=Warren, G. |date=Aug 22, 1958|title=Teen-age problem 'solved'|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|167353103}}}}
The Monthly Film Bulletin said "the comedy misfires woefully, the performances are overstated to the point of caricature and the general level is decidedly moronic."{{Cite news|title=FURY UNLEASHED|date=1959|work=Monthly Film Bulletin|volume=26|page=18|id={{ProQuest|1305824181}}}}
Diabolique magazine wrote that "Ashley's limitations are exposed a little in this film – I don’t think he was a great comic actor – but it is entertaining and good-hearted."{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/|magazine=Diabolique Magazine|title=A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley|date=December 2019}} {{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0051741}}
- [https://archive.org/details/variety211-1958-08/page/n215 Review of film] at Variety
- {{TCMDb title|78447}}
- [https://archive.org/stream/harrisonsreports40harr#page/n166/mode/1up/search/%22john+ashley%22 Review of film] at Harrison Reports
{{Lew Landers}}
{{Gene Vincent}}
Category:Films directed by Lew Landers
Category:American International Pictures films
Category:American auto racing films
Category:Films scored by Ronald Stein
Category:1950s English-language films
{{1950s-US-drama-film-stub}}