Mr Burns will be delighted in knowing that another Rory Calhoun gem has been shined up. The rugged actor seemed to be the actor producers called when Robert Mitchum turned them down. Rory’s Thunder in Carolina does play upon Mitchum’s Thunder Road with tales of tough guys speeding around the South in pumped up cars. The difference being Mitchum played a moonshine runner in a ’57 Ford while Rory’s a NASCAR racer in a ’57 Chevy. Rory brings a different kinda Thunder to the screen.
Rory’s Mitch Cooper, a stock car racer in an era when the driver’s were gladiators going around the circle, swapping metal and on the brink of death. This is NASCAR before Jeff Gordon hit the track with multi-million sponsors, private jets, asphalt and a working seatbelt. Driver’s didn’t merely walk away from their cars unscathed after spectacular crashes. Cooper’s car takes a tumble. He emerges with a messed up leg. But he’s not ready to quit since the Southern 500 is coming up on Labor Day in Darlington, SC. The big purse is too tempting. He drives to a garage of an old friend only to discover there’s a new owner. Mechanic Les (John Gentry) agrees to help him fix the car if Mitch will teach him how to race. Rene (Mister Ed‘s Connie Hines) isn’t happy at her hubby wanting to race. To make matters worse for her, Les is a natural behind the wheel. Mitch wants Les to race his car in the Southern 500. He also wants to take Rene for a couple laps.
Things get extremely complicated in Darlington when Les creates a major buzz with his test laps. A major owner wants the new guy as part of his stable of drivers. He’s willing to pay for talent. Mitch warns Les about selling his soul to get what appears to be a better ride. If Les jumps, will Mitch dare get behind the wheel with his gimpy leg? Mitch’s only real help is a one armed mechanic (Gilligan’s Island‘s Alan Hale). Can he win the race? Will Rene kill him if her husband goes up in a fireball? When will they install shoulder belts in the car? There’s impending death on the track when the pre-race prayer contains, “But we do pray that you grant each loser their life.” Not to spoil the ending, but the motivation is confusing.
Thunder In Carolina holds historical significance for NASCAR fans with color footage of the actual Southern 500 race. This isn’t the slick product packaging that airs every weekend on TV. Today’s racers whine if there’s a pebble on the track. This track looks as tough as the men inside the cars. Since the movie was filmed around Darlington, there’s an authenticity in the surroundings. This isn’t a backlot in Hollywood dressed up to look Southern with a little b-roll of the real race. Thunder in Carolina is perfect excitement for a summer night at the drive-in.
The video is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 full frame. For a low budget production shot in the boonies of South Carolina, the film looks rather good. The print has less dust than the drivers after a few laps. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. It’s not over cranked so you won’t have your woofers ripped apart as the cars zip past your screen.
50’s Chevy Shorts has the promotional sales movies for the Chevy cars from 1952 (11:30), 1955 (9:38) and 1958 (8:34). The 1952 film has the Invisible Man as the customer. The 1955 short explains the new design of the car. Pat Boone makes a celebrity pitch on the 1958 Chevys. Before you fall asleep from the bland Boone, they bring out legendary car stuntman Joie Chitwood to show off the safety features in risky driving. He jumps the car over ramps.
This Is Oil (22:09) is an educational short produced by Shell Oil and filmed in Technicolor. George Pal (War of the Worlds) produced it. Oil narrates its journey from being pumped from the ground and refined into fuel.
Trailer (1:56) shows us the colorful rush that is early stock car racing complete with the numerous wrecks.
Thunder in Carolina is a vintage gearheads delight. The movie lets Rory show his talent behind the wheel. Any weakness in the script is complete overlooked by the footage of the real South on the screen. The numerous ads for Chevy cars should appeal to classic car fanatics. This is the perfect package for anyone who likes their racing without all those safety measures or Mr. Burns.
VCI Entertainment presents Thunder in Carolina. Starring: Rory Calhoun, Alan Hale and Connie Hines. Running Time: 91 minutes. Released on DVD: April 27, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
