Speedway

Speedway
June 12, 1968
MGM
Musical, Comedy
VHS
D+

Not only doesn't this match the fun of Spinout, I actually enjoyed this movie less than Fireball 500 and Thunder Alley.  Yes, part of the problem is there's way too much time spent on the races.  (As always, Sandy Reed is the announcer.  You could probably make a drinking game out of every time he remarks that a driver emerging from a car looks like he's OK.)  But a much bigger problem is the way that two of the characters are treated by Elvis and by the script: the one played by Bixby and the one played by Sinatra (both blonde this time).

Bixby's character is Elvis's best friend and manager, enabling him to steal Elvis's money and lose it gambling.  He also "seduces" girls, including partially tearing the clothes off one, who turns out to be waiting for Elvis to come home.  "No wonder you kept fighting me!"  Bixby is presented comedically (although there are no actual laughs), and he's never punished or even scolded.  Elvis looks at most mildly annoyed.

Meanwhile, Sinatra plays a tax collector, working for Gale Gordon.  The poor woman is just doing her job, but she gets called an "iceberg" and is later bullied by Elvis (in a hotel, not while working) because she won't listen to his excuses.  This leads to him kissing her and then them falling in love.  Ick!

I'm not sure if it's cute or icky that Elvis sings a song to a little girl of about seven (she's got four younger sisters) explaining that he can't marry her because it "isn't her time yet."  (And, yes, in real life Elvis had recently married Priscilla, who was 14 when they fell in love.)  The little girl's father is played by William Schallert, who for once doesn't seem like the smartest guy in the room.

The two songs you should actually listen to-- the reason why this isn't graded lower than Meet Me in St. Louis-- are Nancy's "Your Groovy Self," which is as silly as it sounds, but has that "Boots Are Made" touch, and "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad," which is actually sillier than it sounds.  It's set in an IRS office and it shows that Taurog must've learned something at AIP, since it would've fit in just fine in Sgt. Deadhead.  (The "uncle" is Uncle Sam.)  Both numbers are easy to spot, so fast-forwarding or scene-selecting should be no problem.  Otherwise, stay away, Joe.

Claude Stroud, who plays a drunk here, was the pianist in All About Eve.  Go-go dancer Sharon Garrett was a yoga girl in Beach Party.  Gari Hardy, who plays "Dumb Blonde," was a harem girl in John Goldfarb.  "Miss Beverly Hills" was in I'll Take Sweden.  Courtney Brown was in Birds Do It.  Charlotte Considine, who plays Lori the crying waitress, was Miss Reynolds in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!

Sheryl Ullman was in Spinout.  Elvis's buddy Charlie Hodge, who was a barber in Clambake, is a guitarist here.  Arlene Charles was also in Clambake.  George Cisar, who's "Portly Bald-Headed Man," would be Charlie the Doorman in Skidoo.