Not long ago my youngest son moved into his own apartment but not without first borrowing some DVDs as the cable company informed him it would be at least a week before they could stop by and install his cable for television. As he was going through our DVDs he brought in the movie SPEEDWAY starring Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra and asked why it was still sealed and unopened after I explained I bought it a couple years ago for $4.99. He also asked why I would want that movie as even a 25-year-old knows that the majority of Elvis films aren’t….well, they just aren’t that good.
There were several reasons to purchase SPEEDWAY. I saw the movie in the Orr Theatre in Orrville, OH back when it was released (released on June 12, 1968) and it holds nostalgia for me. It’s also a racing movie for crying out loud and features such legendary NASCAR drivers like Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Tiny Lund (those three I have met each at least once including having dinner with Cale), Buddy Baker, Dick Hutcherson and Roy Mayne.
Besides Elvis and Nancy Sinatra the cast also included Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon and Carl Ballentine and William Schallert.
(Sonny & Cher were offered the script first before landing in Col. Parker’s lap.)
The racing scenes were shot at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (I have been there several times) in Charlotte, NC and Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, CA.
You know the plot, Elvis is a race car driver and Bixby is his manager who squanders all the money and fails to pay the IRS. The IRS sends an agent (Nancy Sinatra) to investigate and recoup their money and insanity and hi jinx ensues with some forgettable Elvis tunes.
And then the wife interjected the history lesson I was giving my son.
“Tell him the real reason you bought that DVD!”
OK, OK…. It has Nancy Sinatra in it. N-A-N-C-Y S-I-N-A-T-R-A!
In miniskirts!
And go-go boots!
‘Nuff said!
BANGAGONG! by Doc Lehman 