Red Hot Tires

"Red Hot Tires" is a B-movie. And, like most Bs, it's fast, economically made and modestly enjoyable provided your expectations are reasonable. However, it was unusual seeing Mary Astor co-starring in this one as she nearly always appeared in A-pictures.

Wally Storm (Lyle Talbot) is a hotshot race car driver. However, in his rise to the top of the circuit he's involved in a wreck which kills another driver...and he's framed for the killing and is sent to prison. How can Wally prove his innocence and become a free man?

Like nearly all Bs, this one is pretty predictable and the production values, though good for a B since it was made by Warner Brothers, are not as high and refined as an A. But it is enjoyable and in spite of the usual dull rear projection, the stars all seem to try hard and the film is worth your time.

From First National, which was already Warner Brothers by now.... Lyle Talbot, Gavin Gordon, and Mary Astor were already big hollywood names. Lovers triangle, with the two men fighting over Pat Sanford (Astor). This all takes place around the racetracks, which were apparently filmed at LA Legion and the Indianapolis Speedway. Lots of backdrops and stock footage. It's all pretty clean cut stuff, as the film code was in full force by now. Check out the wikipedia entry for Gavin Gordon -- some fun trivia from his life on there. Anyhow. the guys despise each other, and when shenanigans happen on the racetrack, there's a courtroom trial. will the truth come out? lots of action. its pretty good! Directed by Ross Lederman. never won an oscar, but made some respectable films. as of today, wikipedia thinks he was married to "June", but imdb says it was Doris Warner... odd. ah well.

Patricia Sanford is scouting a mini-car race for new talents for her father. Bob Griffin is the arrogant top Sanford driver. He has his eyes set on Patricia but she has no interest. Their mechanic Wally Storm brags that he's a better driver and Patricia likes him more. A jealous Bob has him fired. Bob comes up with a dirty dangerous trick. Bob gets killed by his own antics and Wally goes on trial.

I expected a whole movie with Bob and Wally battling on the race tracks. This is not what I expected. It's not better. Chances are it's much worst. First, this must be the easier pardon ever received. The DA almost jumps out of his chair to advocate for it. The escape makes little sense and the rest of the movie suffers for it. I think they had phones back then. It makes even less sense for him to return. Despite the bad plot, it's still fun to see the old cars racing. It's something at least.

An exciting Warners B programmer features some of the best of Warner's stock company, including Lyle Talbot and Mary Astor in the lead, with the ever-dependable Roscoe Karns, Mary Treen, Frankie Darro and Henry Kolker in support. Although the director, Ross Lederman, does not do anything particularly interesting, he directs the dialogue -- including a lot of lines by Dore Schary, at high speed.

The plot crams an awful lot into the movie, perhaps a little too much, but it is certainly typical of Warners B movies, and the cinematographers choose some interesting camera angles to focus on Mary Astor.... always a pleasure to look at, and always able to communicate an interesting combination of brains and beauty. While this is not a great movie, it certainly is worth your time.

I wasn't expecting much, honestly. But this little film took some unexpected and also some illogical turns and kept me guessing and wondering. If I could I'd give it a 6.5.

Lyle Talbot plays Wally Storm, a mechanic for the wealthy Sanfords' race car. Apparently the family business is to build and innovate these cars, though no background information is given. The Sanford driver is Robert Griffin (Gavin Gordon). Robert Griffin has romantic aspirations with Patricia Sanford (Mary Astor), but she prefers Wally. Griffin, always a bad sport, gets Wallace fired by lying to Mr. Sanford about him - saying he is a drunk and difficult. So Wally goes and gets a job as a mechanic on another racing team. Meanwhile Griffin and his evil pal, Curley, put a feature on the race car guaranteed to knock other cars out of the race. At the next race, one of the drivers is ill and Wally substitutes and gets to show off his developing racing skills. Complications ensue, but not necessarily the ones you think you see coming from a mile away.

In the end this film involves crime and punishment and a case that could end up before the Supreme Court, cops that don't listen, extradition treaties, sloppy law enforcement and evidence collection, the potential adoption of an adult by two other adults, and an imaginary girlfriend who miraculously materializes out of thin air.

Because of all of the obvious stock footage and back projection going on, the film depends on its fast plot so there is no time for acting or even questions. I'd recommend this as a worthwhile way to spend an hour.