I love this movie so much

Very disappointing...

Best movie of this year hands down!

Absolutely the worst movie.

Brash young race car driver Billy Coy (an engaging and energetic performance by Mickey Rooney) lives in the shadow of his famous father, who was a drunken womanizer who wound up being killed in an automobile accident. Moreover, Coy starts losing friends and associates alike while climbing up the race car ladder.Director Edward Ludwig, working from a compact script by Robert Smith, keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a snappy pace, nicely captures the insular and fiercely competitive atmosphere of the racetrack environment, makes neat use of genuine racetrack footage for authenticity, and maintains a pleasant tone throughout. The enthusiastic acting from the game and eager cast keeps this film humming: Thomas Mitchell as the amiable Arthur 'Red' Stanley, Mary Hatcher as spunky tomboy Louise Riley, Michael O'Shea as arrogant rival Vic Sullivan, Spring Byington as Billy's sweet and concerned mother Mary, Hattie McDaniel as friendly maid Minnie, Steve Brodie as the jolly Happy Lee, and Lina Romay as sultry nightclub singer Dolores Raymond. Ernest Laszlo's competent black and white cinematography boasts plenty of nifty fades and dissolves. Rooney's galvanizing presence gives this picture an extra invigorating kick. A fun little flick.

A strong second-half made this Mickey Rooney film a decent one and definitely one of his historical value if you follow the Indianapolis 500 Race. It was fascinating to go back see footage of racing and the famous oval from 1949. Man, compared to what you see today, both around the outside and inside of the track, it's a shock to look back to see how much has changed. Even though cars average almost a hundred miles per hour faster today than when this movie took place, it is so much safer. Check out what the drivers were wearing.....almost no protection.Even though the subject is race-car driving, this is not an untypical movie of Rooney's. You'll know what I mean if you watch the film. Rooney plays the cocky little guy (a la James Cagney) whose self-assuredness gets him far but not without periodic bouts with humility. By the way, Rooney, the following year, was convincing in a film noir called "Quicksand." Rooney could (can) act in about any genre. He is amazing when you consider his career, which is still going at the age of 90!!! I mean, the man's been in more than 300 movies and he's almost always very entertaining.The actress who played a woman who had a crush on "Billy Coy" (Rooney), Mary Hatcher ("Louise Riley"), was a pretty and wholesome-looking actress, the kind you don't see too much today on screen. She had a short movie career but was a success on Broadway and had a fine singing voice. She doesn't sing in this film, just play the faithful grease-monkey, a girl who pines for him but he's too stupid - most of the time - to see what he has in her.Meanwhile, the only actual romance where something happens, is between two "old" folks, played by veteran screen stars Thomas Mitchell and Spring Byington.For a film made 50 years ago, the driving scenes in here were very good, not just a stock footage filmed background. It actually looks like, in some scenes at least, there is a car just ahead of these driving filming the action, like you'd see in modern movies. Then they'd cut to a fake closeup of Rooney but, overall, it was done well for the time period. At the end, with the big race at Indy, they even had real aerial shots from some recent (late '40s) actual Indy race.In all, not a bad little flick. If you can stay with it through the first half, you'll be rewarded with a strong finish and interesting race finale that is not clichéd.

Wanting to be a race car driver like his deceased dad, Mickey Rooney (as Billy Coy) gets a job as mechanic in a garage run by fatherly Thomas Mitchell (as Arthur "Red" Stanley). There, Mr. Rooney meets "tomboy" Mary Hatcher (as Louise "Buddy" Riley), who likes him so much she puts on a dress. Rooney rises in the racing world, crashes his car, and notices Ms. Hatcher is pretty. He also discovers a dark secret about the father he idolizes. Meanwhile, mother Spring Byington (as Mary) finds romance with Mr. Mitchell.In formulaic territory, this film shows Rooney back in good form, after his disastrous starring performance in "Words and Music" (1948). "The Big Wheel" was also the production that showed his days as MGM box office superstar were indeed over. Fame made him brashly difficult to work with at times, but his "cut down a peg" role is quite professionally done. Having Mr. Mitchell and this cast helps. Note, this was Hattie McDaniel's last feature, in a role that reads like it might have originally been written for Richard Lane's wife.***** The Big Wheel (11/4/49) Edward Ludwig ~ Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Spring Byington, Mary Hatcher

A look at the world of Grand Prix auto racing concerning about Billy (Mickey Rooney) , a young man bursting with raw energy and talent , he is hired by a garage owner named Carrell (Thomas Mitchell) as a mechanic . But Billy gets employment as a speedcar driver and quickly slipping in the rankings . He must learn to deal with his partners and he gets Indianapolis car race where his dad died long time ago . Meanwhile , he is emotionally involvement with attractive girls (Mary Hatcher, Alicia Romay) .This is a tale of speed and love where Rooney battles competitions , he has his own demons including a horrific , nearly deadly crashing where dies a pilot , being he blamed , besides the mummy fears his death . Car crashes abound and Rooney tempers flaring . There appears uncredited Denver Pyle , Monte Blue and Hattie McDaniel's last movie . The film is developed in top competitors circle , the world's most famous racing circuits as Daiton , Culver city and of course the home of ¨500 miles Indianapolis¨ . It's almost all over the road . The movie belongs to car racing sub-genre with numerous known titles as ¨Grand Prix¨ (by John Frankheimer) ; ¨Le Mans¨ (Lee H Kazkin) in which Steve McQueen does his own driving ; ¨Winning¨ (James Goldstone) where Paul Newman does equally his own driving ; ¨Days of Thunder¨ with Tom Cruise and ¨Driven¨ (Renny Harlin) . Here Mickey Rooney doesn't drive but there are documentary style race footage . The motion picture was well directed by Edward Ludwing . The flick is strictly for those who like cars racing round and round although nowadays dated ; including a brief drama and a good acting by Mickey Rooney .