Saw this a few times in my youth. It was often paired with Thunder Road as a Double Feature at many drive-ins in the South. Rory Calhoun does an admirable acting job.
This same plot has been repeated so many times since... Day of Thunder, Cars, etc... But, as far as I know this was the first... and really, pretty much the best...
I just started watching it the other day! It came up on my feed probably after watching Johnny Dark. I've enjoyed it so far. Might finish it today but I've got some work to do on the 31 Ford pu first.
I watched it this weekend. A good race movie that was period correct. It was good to see the real racers at the time in the last big race.
Saw this at The Airport Drive Inn, 50th street, East Birmingham Alabama in 1964 with a bunch of my drunken friends. It gave us the inspiration needed to drive back home at stupid speeds.
Like Don, I saw this movie back in the 60's at the Skyway Drive-in and it too was paired with Thunder Road. Both movies have always appealed to this Carolina native, Moonshining and stock car racing went hand in hand. HRP
^^^^ ^60's for me as well. Got me further along in my "let's make it go faster" behavior. Actually had to go back to the drive-in and see it a second time as I got busy on the first trip...
Pretty sure I’ve seen this before and it’s been showing up on my feed for awhile. Also, a Rory Calhoun fan! I know what’s on my TV later, Thanks.
My mom and dad just gave me the DVD for my birthday. Actually Days of Thunder is loosely based on the life of Tim Richmond, and some of the most outrageous things in the movie are based on real events like the crew eating Ice Cream in the pits, the highway patrol officers, and the big meeting going drivers being made to dinner in the same car really happened! Bill France Jr. had a meeting between Dale Earnhardt, Goeff Bodine, Richard Childress, and Rick Henrick. Bill France laid down the law about the two drivers wrecking each other and tearing up cars, then told them they would be driving to dinner together, when Earnhardt said he had plans, Bill France pointed to the phone and said you better change them!.
My Dad loaded us in the51 Merc 2 door and took us to the drive in one hot summer night. I remember the 57 Ford like my uncle had
I have an original set of lobby cards that they sent to the theaters for advertising. I think there are 8 in the set, about 11 X 14"
I saw thisat the PARK IN THEATRE in Kannapolis,N.C. when it came out. Never park on the back row of a drive -in cause you will never see the film..............
I have a list of racing movies, I'd love it if anyone had suggestions. https://letterboxd.com/retrohound/list/racing-movies/detail/
OK I hate to rain on y'alls parade but it's not a very good movie, I'm sorry. I hung in there for the first 30 minutes or so and then had to FF to the racing. I will say that around 1:13:00 in at the start of the real Southern 500, that part is pretty cool. But the romance intrigue etc. is pretty lame and dated. I fell hard for old school NASCAR in 1965 at 12 years old, Atlanta 500 and Dixie 500 at A.I.R., just a few years after this was filmed. So let me just say for clarity, the racing is great, but not the movie. Guess it speaks to the fact that there just aren't any really good stock car racing movies.
Some parts were filmed in my hometown between taylorsville and north Wilkesboro NC like the scene where they are shaking Down the 57 Chevy up the curvy mtn road and the revenuers stop em at the top of the mtn. My grandpas childhood friend and sheriff at the time of filming was used as an extra lawman . Tom Bebber shown here standing in the middle.
Love the racing footage, and of course, the hero '57! Check out the close ups with the race cars behind the people. I spotted a pipe fitting roll bar in the '59 Chevy.
I got hooked on Darlington Southern 500 news reels earlier this week. I watched everyone on YouTube until I got to 1959. 1959 just isn't there. Nobody has it. But, this movie popped up in its place. Turns out this was filmed during the 1959 Southern 500. Loved every second of this movie.
Me loading up to take thing to the local 1/4-mile roundy round track about 15 years or so later than this movie. First time I ran it. Needless to say, it was never this straight again. I'm the dirty guy. lol Great times.
https://www.youtube.com/@NascarAllOut uploaded this today: This is awesome. I love these old news reels. This is the race where they filmed Thunder In Carolina.
Another movie review: https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nas...olina-greatest-nascar-movie-youve-never-seen/
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