Speedway

A successful racer is generous with his earnings and naïve about his best friend's handling of his finances (Bill Bixby) when an IRS agent comes sniffing around (Nancy Sinatra).

"Speedway" (1968) was Elvis' 27th movie of the 31 in his acting filmography.

How much you appreciate this one will depend on how much you like stock car racing and Nancy Sinatra. Presley looks his best and has his usual charisma; you wouldn't know he was taking diet pills at the time to keep his weight down or struggling with his desire to put out more serious films. Nancy doesn't do much for me physically, but I like her mane and she's likable enough, plus her singing is great. Meanwhile Elvis and Bixby have great chemistry in their shenanigans.

It's a fun and serviceable Presley entry highlighted by the swinging 60's vibe and the generous naiveté of the protagonist, yet "Speedway" doesn't stand out in Elvis' oeuvre.

The film runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina; Riverside International Raceway, California; and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, California.

GRADE: B-/C+

SPEEDWAY is just another in the long line of '60s Elvis vehicles, and kind of lightweight at that. It takes awhile to go anywhere, but not that you go into these flicks expecting high art or anything. Presley is a kind-hearted race car driver who gets an unwelcome visit from tax investigator Nancy Sinatra, looking to nail him for unpaid dollars he's earned while racing around the track. Gale Gordon (Lucy's Mr. Mooney himself) is on hand as her no-nonsense boss. Elvis was actually pretty good at comedy, and he shares some funny moments with Bill Bixby, who plays his conniving manager/buddy. Two good songs this go-round are "Let Yourself Go" (sung by The King) and Nancy Sinatra's sexy rendition of "Your Groovy Self". ** out of ****

Steve Grayson (Elvis Presley) is a cocky car racer and Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby) is his manager. One day, they find Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra) waiting in his trailer. Steve has tax issues and she turns out to be an IRS agent.

Sinatra is probably the worst actor in the movie. That makes the romance tough to watch. This is bad. They do include cameo of a lot of Nascar legendary drivers. The list of names in the beginning is amazing. There are some good racing footage. Otherwise, this is rather boring. The other issue is the year is 1968. Time is moving on and it looks like it's moving on without Elvis. He hasn't changed. His movies haven't changed. This is strictly the same old Elvis movie.

I can't remember anything from this film. I watched it and couldn't remember a thing. I don't have anything to nitpick and review, as there's nothing to review! It's everything we've seen before from all the mediocre crap we've seen before from writers who didn't know how to write Elvis right. It wasn't like Spinout or Frankie and Johnny that shook it up and had memorable music. It was just boring.

Anytime I watch a tv show or film from this era I wonder who wrote that generic 'rock' music that the 'kids' are dancing to. You know, the kind of 'rock' music that you'd hear on 'My Three Sons' or 'Petticoat Junction' or 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. It's sort of a weird blend of Easy Listening and vomit. Anyway, not the worst Elvis vehicle, not 'Viva Las Vegas', either. Nancy Sinatra looks beautiful.