“Hot Rod” ~ Feature Film from the 1950s

In the 1950s, hot rods were becoming a menace. No longer confined to racing on the dry lake beds of California, these jalopies turned street racers were causing a stir due to accidents.

The media, insurance companies, the police, priests, and parents alike were up in arms about juvenile delinquents in jalopies. It reached the point where filmmakers, especially the B movie studios, started to crank out hot rod themed films.

The best one would be Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean who ironically would die in a car accident. But Monogram Pictures stuck to less capable actors and churned out this little film that proves hot rodders aren’t all bad. In fact, they can help you catch real crooks.

The sappy story has loads of great shots of period roadsters and opens with a sequence of real-life racing at the dry lakes. We see the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) running speed trials — worth watching just for this…

Cast:

• James Lydon
• Art Baker
• Gill Stratton
• Myron Healey
• Gloria Winters

Crew:

• Producer Jerry Thomas
• Director: Lewis Collins
• Writer: Daniel Ullman
• Music”: Edward Kay
• Editor: Roy Livington