Hot Rod Gang
1958 film
- August 1958 (1958-08)
Running time
Hot Rod Gang is a 1958 drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Ashley. The working title was Hot Rod Rock[2] with the film also released under the title Fury Unleashed. American International Pictures released the film as a double feature with High School Hellcats.[3] The production includes performances by rock and roll musician Gene Vincent,[4] 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.[5]
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."[6]
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."[7]
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."[8]
See also
References
- ^ Lamont, John (1990). "The John Ashley Filmography". Trash Compactor (Volume 2 No. 5 ed.). p. 26.
- ^ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78447/Hot-Rod-Gang/notes.html [bare URL]
- ^ Sanders, Don and Susan (1997). The American Drive-In Movie Theatre. Motorbooks International. p. 127. ISBN 0-7603-0425-4.
- ^ "Gene Vincent's rock' Hot Rod Gang", The Astounding B Monster Archive accessed 14 December 2012
- ^ "Pat suzuki paged for broadway". Los Angeles Times. Mar 27, 1958. ProQuest 167265849.
- ^ Warren, G. (Aug 22, 1958). "Teen-age problem 'solved'". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167353103.
- ^ "FURY UNLEASHED". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 26. 1959. p. 18. ProQuest 1305824181.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (December 2019). "A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley". Diabolique Magazine. [permanent dead link]
External links
- Hot Rod Gang at IMDb
- Review of film at Variety
- Hot Rod Gang at the TCM Movie Database
- Review of film at Harrison Reports
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Films directed by Lew Landers
- The Vanishing Shadow (1934)
- The Red Rider (1934)
- Tailspin Tommy (1934)
- Rustlers of Red Dog (1935)
- The Call of the Savage (1935)
- The Raven (1935)
- Stormy (1935)
- Parole! (1936)
- Night Waitress (1936)
- You Can't Buy Luck (1937)
- Border Cafe (1937)
- Danger Patrol (1937)
- Flight from Glory (1937)
- The Man Who Found Himself (1937)
- They Wanted to Marry (1937)
- Crashing Hollywood (1938)
- Condemned Women (1938)
- Law of the Underworld (1938)
- Blind Alibi (1938)
- Smashing the Rackets (1938)
- Annabel Takes a Tour (1938)
- Double Danger (1938)
- Twelve Crowded Hours (1939)
- Bad Lands (1939)
- Fixer Dugan (1939)
- The Girl and the Gambler (1939)
- Conspiracy (1939)
- Enemy Agent (1940)
- Honeymoon Deferred (1940)
- Ski Patrol (1940)
- La Conga Nights (1940)
- Wagons Westward (1940)
- Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot (1940)
- Girl from Havana (1940)
- Slightly Tempted (1940)
- Ridin' on a Rainbow (1941)
- The Singing Hill (1941)
- Lucky Devils (1941)
- I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island (1941)
- Mystery Ship (1941)
- The Stork Pays Off (1941)
- Harvard, Here I Come (1941)
- Cadets on Parade (1942)
- Canal Zone (1942)
- Alias Boston Blackie (1942)
- Stand By All Networks (1942)
- Junior Army (1942)
- Not a Ladies' Man (1942)
- Atlantic Convoy (1942)
- The Man Who Returned to Life (1942)
- Sabotage Squad (1942)
- Smith of Minnesota (1942)
- The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
- Submarine Raider (1942)
- Doughboys in Ireland (1943)
- Murder in Times Square (1943)
- Power of the Press (1943)
- After Midnight with Boston Blackie (1943)
- Redhead from Manhattan (1943)
- The Return of the Vampire (1943)
- U-Boat Prisoner (1944)
- Cowboy Canteen (1944)
- The Ghost That Walks Alone (1944)
- Two-Man Submarine (1944)
- Swing in the Saddle (1944)
- Black Arrow (1944)
- I'm from Arkansas (1944)
- The Black Parachute (1944)
- Stars on Parade (1944)
- Crime, Inc. (1945)
- Secrets of a Sorority Girl (1945)
- Arson Squad (1945)
- Shadow of Terror (1945)
- The Enchanted Forest (1945)
- Follow That Woman (1945)
- Death Valley (1946)
- The Mask of Diijon (1946)
- Hot Cargo (1946)
- The Truth About Murder (1946)
- Devil Ship (1947)
- The Son of Rusty (1947)
- Danger Street (1947)
- Seven Keys to Baldpate (1947)
- Inner Sanctum (1948)
- My Dog Rusty (1948)
- Law of the Barbary Coast (1949)
- Air Hostess (1949)
- Stagecoach Kid (1949)
- Tyrant of the Sea (1950)
- Beauty on Parade (1950)
- Blue Blood (1951)
- Jungle Manhunt (1951)
- The Big Gusher (1951)
- When the Redskins Rode (1951)
- A Yank in Korea (1951)
- The Magic Carpet (1951)
- Aladdin and His Lamp (1952)
- Adventures of Gallant Bess (1952)
- Arctic Flight (1952)
- Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land (1952)
- California Conquest (1952)
- Torpedo Alley (1952)
- Man in the Dark (1953)
- Run for the Hills (1953)
- Tangier Incident (1953)
- Captain John Smith and Pocahontas (1953)
- Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl (1954)
- The Cruel Tower (1956)
- Hot Rod Gang (1958)
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