December 15, 2024
Thunder In Carolina | The Jalopy Magazine The Jalopy Magazine
Thunder In Carolina | The Jalopy Magazine The Jalopy Magazine

It’s difficult being a bit of of a film enthusiast and a sizzling rod man on the similar time. You end up making an attempt combine the 2, however the pot on the finish of the rainbow is nearly ALWAYS empty. Scorching Rod b-movies, with just a few exceptions, are incessantly absolute crap.

A type of exceptions, whilst now not essentially a sizzling rod film, is Thunder In Carolina – a low funds film made in 1959 staring Rory Calhoun, Alan Hale, and Connie Hines. It’s a tale that has been advised one thousand instances – an outdated washed up race automotive driving force takes a more youthful one underneath his arm and the 2 race off into the sundown between checkered flags along side a lady or two.

What makes Thunder In Carolina particular, on the other hand, is that a lot of the racing pictures used was once from precise inventory automotive races in 1959. In reality, NASCAR allowed a movie automotive at the observe at Darlington all the way through the race! Extra so, even Rory Calhoun drove some reside race laps as neatly. Completely nuts… and one thing that would by no means be completed these days.

The result’s the most productive American racing film of the 1950’s and my favourite inventory automotive film of all time. It’s grimy. It’s gritty. It’s clearly low funds. BUT, it’s an ideal tale with first rate appearing and improbable racing pictures.

In the event you haven’t noticed Thunder In Carolina, it’s on YouTube for the primary time ever… and also you don’t wanna leave out it: