Thunder in Carolina

After completing the run of his television western series The Texan and before departing to Europe looking for work Rory Calhoun did this independent picture in North Carolina concerning stock car racing. I'm wondering if when he read the script he didn't notice that this was taken from the Robert Mitchum/Susan Hayward film The Lusty Men. Just substitute stock cars for the rodeo circuit and this is a remake with a change in the ending.

If you like stock car racing than this is your movie. Otherwise I think you will be bored. The whole cast gives rather desultory performances. Calhoun plays a veteran stock car driver who is injured and while injured tutors young Race Gentry in the rudiments of the sport. Of course Gentry's wife Connie Hines is opposed to him leaving their gas station garage where he's making a good living and she hates the influence that Calhoun has developed over her husband. But Rory is certainly noticing her.

Shots of the stock car racing are the best thing this film has to offer. And Connie Hines would soon be going into a television series that was longer running than Calhoun's The Texan. That would be Mister Ed.

The scenes on the winding two-lane road involving a chase by the revenuers was filmed in North Carolina (on highway 16 in northern Alexander County and southern Wilkes County). The race car was driven by Junior Johnson, a well-known NASCAR driver of the day, who died in 2019. I was in high school at the time, and several of us were able to watch the filming. Met Rory Calhoun, got his autograph. A fun memory. (Side note: I overheard an NC State Trooper joke with a local known bootlegger that perhaps he should have searched his car to make everything look real.)

Easygoing drama about a stock-car veteran, Mitch Cooper (Rory Calhoun) who is down on his luck. He befriends a mechanic Les (John Gentry) who wants to be a pro race driver so Mitch teaches him. Les is keen to race but his wife, Rene (Connie Hines) is not. Meanwhile Mitch, always ready to romance the ladies, is drawn to Rene who is cool and unresponsive. (Really, what woman in her right mind would resist a handsome dreamboat like Rory?) Later an argument breaks out between Les and Mitch which results in Mitch having to drive a race car himself in the upcoming big event even though he has a bothersome leg injury.

Alan Hale Jr. takes on a supporting role as Buddy, a race car mechanic who stands by his friend Mitch when the going gets rough.

Events build up to the main attraction, the annual Southern 500 Labor Day race in Darlington, D.C. One gets to see several real-life race car drivers in action and some hair raising film footage too. The constant roar of the race -- this is where the movie title of "Thunder" comes in.

Good middle of the road entertainment. It reminds me of "The Big Wheel (1949)" with Mickey Rooney as a race car driver.

Not mentioned in the credits was the presence of the 2nd Marine Division Band from Camp Lejuene, NC. We (I was in the band, clanging the cymbals) appeared in two scenes. It was a great gig. Got to meet Rory and Connie.

I watched this movie today on a DVD from Amazon. Thunder in Carolina was shot on location in North Carolina and the color looks very good. The script keeps the viewer interested and the story moves right along. It's an entertaining look at the early days of NASCAR.

Big time stock car driver Mitch Cooper (Rory Calhoun) breaks his ankle in a crash and returns to his hometown to recuperate and fix his car at the garage where he used to work. He finds the owner has died and the place is now owned by Les York (Race Gentry) and his pretty blonde wife Rene (Connie Hines in her only movie credit). Les welcomes Mitch and soon Mitch is training him to be a stock car driver, much to Rene's disapproval. Mitch has the hots for Rene but she isn't having any. With Mitch's help, Les soon wins a few races and gets the big head. He leaves Mitch to work for the win-at-all-cost millionaire. Then the big race day arrives. Mitch's ankle has healed and his car is repaired. Now it's Mitch and Les head to head in the final race. What will happen?

Alan Hale Jr (The Skipper on Gilligan's Island) plays a pit crew boss and Mitch's old buddy. There are many amateurs in the cast for whom this is their only movie or TV credit. There is some good stock footage of races. However, some of the filming was done at an actual NASCAR event where Rory Calhoun actually drove a couple of laps during the race with a camera attached to the hood of his car.

Tobacco is a big product in North Carolina and Rory does many of his scenes with a cigarette hanging out out his mouth. Connie Hines also smokes a lot.

Thunder in Carolina is an enjoyable movie and well worth watching.