A race car driver tries to outrun the beautiful tax auditor out to settle his account.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.'Speedway' is certainly not one of Elvis' worst films, it's much better than the likes of 'Double Trouble', 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style', 'Clambake' and particularly 'Harum Scarum' and 'Stay Away, Joe'. It's also not one of his best either, being nowhere near as good as 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', all very good and nearly great films. 'Speedway' has enough to make it watchable, but from the film's tagline you'd expect it to kick high gear from the get go but it never really does.There are no qualms to be had with Elvis himself here, something that was a good deal of the time not the case in his later films. Here he looks great, actually looking in good shape and energetic without than looking under the influence, and acts with much more engagement and involvement than in some of his late 60s films where he looked like he couldn't be bothered.Bill Bixby is very entertaining, if at times a bit too manic, and his friendly and charming rapport with Elvis has genuine spark and is one of 'Speedway's' high points. Gale Gordon, William Schallert and Carl Ballantine also give good support. In comparison to the soundtracks of other later Elvis films, 'Speedway' doesn't fare too awfully while also not exceptionally. The title song is catchy, and there are two particularly good songs, "Let Yourself Go" and Nancy Sinatra makes a hit out of the sexy and groovy "Your Groovy Self". There are a few amusing moments too.Nancy Sinatra however goes through the motions and judging from her indifferent and annoyed-looking presence throughout it looked like she wanted to be elsewhere, only in "Your Groovy Self" does she lighten up. Her chemistry with Elvis is at best icy. Luckily none of the songs here are disposable and there are none also that reach rock bottom status, but two or three songs aside they are rather forgettable and "He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad" epitomises take it or leave it. The children are cute, but their scenes are rather cloying and over-enthusiastic, threatening to slow the momentum down.Director Norman Taurog has moments where confidence comes through but too often it's unsteady and at best perfunctory. Which does affect the comedy, which mostly falls flat as a pancake due to being at times over-engineered and much of the time undercooked, and the racing, which is mostly unexciting due to the cheap-looking stock look and the crippling predictability. One doesn't see an Elvis film for the story, that was obvious right from the beginning with a few well done exceptions ('King Creole', 'Flaming Star'), but here the story is paper thin and contrived.Overall, watchable but not much more than that. 5/10 Bethany Cox
You might not think of Elvis to be a great actor. but it sure is fun to see him try and sing some great songs along the way.Enjoy this film with Nancy Sinatra and Gale Gordon.Bill Bixby plays scene stealing womanizer, remember the "hulk".You'll see Elvis racing car number 6 in the Charlotte 100 race.Along for the ride are Richard Petty,Buddy Baker Cale Yarborough,Dick Hutcherson and Tiny Lund.Elvis sings the hit song "let yourself go" and Nancy Sinatra sings "You groovy self" Premiered in Charlotte,North Carolina on June 12 1968.Two not known facts about this film are:Sonny & Cher refused roles in this film and Petula Clark turned down role of Susan Jacks.Available from Warner Brothers in 1968.If You enjoyed this one try "Spinout" also by Elvis.
Speedway finds Elvis Presley cast as a stock car driver and some of the big names of that sport in 1968 make an appearance in the film. He also gets to co-star with Nancy Sinatra, daughter of another singing icon of the previous generation. They make some nice music together although none of the songs from this score really became hits.Who could blame Elvis and his friend and manager Bill Bixby for thinking Nancy was just another NASCAR groupie hanging around the track as she does. But Nancy's on a mission, she works for the IRS and Bill Bixby as Elvis's manager has filed a most creative return.Gale Gordon has never seen one like it and of course Presley and Bixby get called in for an audit. To satisfy Uncle Sam, Gordon appoints Nancy as his new financial manager. But Elvis has other creditors thanks to Bixby. Bill's got that old addiction to slow horses and fast women. If I had been the King I'd have kicked Bixby's arse around the Daytona track three times for good measure. Personally I think Elvis showed great restraint in not strangling him.Racing fans will certainly love this film and in that group, I'm sure the King has a loyal following. But for me, I have to say I've never seen done in any film a song tribute to the Internal Revenue Service. While waiting to be audited, Elvis, Bixby and the rest of the people in the waiting room sing He's Your Uncle And Not Your Dad about the great privilege it is to pay taxes here in the USA. Of course once Elvis and Bixby are through with Gordon, they're singing a different tune. The number was like something out How To Succeed In BusinessSpeedway is a pleasant enough film and Elvis's still loyal legion of fans should like it.
Everything about "Speedway" is as groovy as Elvis always performs. I just love the way Nancy Sinatra performed the song "Your Groovy Self" and the way she moved around as she sang. Nancy's really hot! Bill Bixby was quite hilarious. Elvis' song "Let Yourself Go" is super cool. The scene where Elvis sang "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby" to the little girl was kind of cute. And the sounds of those roaring engines in the race were very much electrifying. Some of the plots really did show off Elvis' real-life self as the generous and giving person he was. He buys for a friend and his 5 little girls a brand new station wagon, also helps out a troubled waitress with her upcoming wedding. Unfortunately Bixby's character messes everything up for Steve Grayson (Elvis), by betting Steve's money on the horses, instead of paying for those things Elvis bought for his friends, and besides makes an outrageous tax claim form for Steve, with deductions such as perfumed record albums and $4000 for air? Oh yes! Lucille Ball's "Mr. Mooney" was kinda funny too and was excellent for the role of the head IRS agent R.W. Hepworth. When I first saw this movie in the theater I cracked up at the "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad!" sequence. It was funny it was cool. Just everything about "Speedway" is superbly exciting. But what else could you expect out of a movie that stars the king of rock and roll! And lets not forget Nancy Sinatra who is more than just the icing on that cake. It's not everyday you see such a gorgeous tax collector. I give this film a perfect A+. It's just loaded with the stuff! "Speedway" is an honest to goodness must see.