Stock Car

Don't let the title put you off. The stock cars are the least interesting things about this lively Butchers quickie with it's tongue in it's cheek, a sprinkling of American-style violence and the usual amazing supporting cast (Frank Thornton shares one scene with silent star Alma Taylor), with the usual quota of glamorous and capable fifties females (including nightclub singer Lorrae Desmond and Sabrina, the latter receiving an 'introducing' credit as 'Trixie').

Paul Whitsun Jones as Mr Big has the charm of Bob Hoskins in 'The Long Good Friday' and the table manners of Michael Gambon in 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover', with Susan Shaw a more than adequate substitute for Helen Mirren as his classy blonde mistress. (Patrick Jordan, who plays one of his henchmen, died earlier this year at the age of 96, which brings home to you just how long ago this all was.)

It is rather difficult to know whether this quota quickie is being serious.With Harry Fowler as a hired thug and Paul Whitsun-Jones as the gang boss difficult to know.Then you have Sabrina making her film debut and Frank Thornton as a doctor you will find it difficult to take it seriously in any event.Probably the only one playing it straight is Paul Carpenter who played the same character in loads of British B films.The film is based on Stock car racing which had been introduced into this country in the fifties.It is fairly inconsequential,and no doubt played the bottom half of a bill on one of the circuits.Really difficult to write a lot more about this film

A rather nondescript British crime film, directed by the ubiquitous Wolf Rilla and starring the equally ubiquitous Paul Carpenter who plays a stock car driver who becomes involved with the fortunes of a small garage being run by the daughter of a man who recently died. The problem for her is that her father died with debts and a small-time gangster is now eager to see them repaid.

STOCK CAR is very much a product of its time, with a few elements of interest threaded through an otherwise average narrative. The stuff that takes place in the garage is quite interesting, but the stock car races that prop up the plot - particularly in the second half - are dull and rather unworkable.

At least the film has a good little cast to recommend it. Carpenter aside, we get the cool and level-headed Rona Anderson as the new garage owner and the pretty Sabrina playing a girlfriend of one of the criminals. Paul Whitsun-Jones is the crude villain of the piece and Harry Fowler one of his henchmen. Further down the cast list is Frank Thornton as a doctor. However, my favourite role is that of Robert Rietty as the dependable Italian garage worker; Rietty really shines in this part, building up a multi-layered and likable character.

With her father's death in a stock car race in America, Rona Anderson has arranged to sell his garage across from the stock car track to bookie Paul Whitsun-Jones, who has a large note on it. In walks racer Paul Carpenter. He says he made friends with her father at the track and was there when he died, and offers to go partners with her in the garage. This upsets Whitsun-Jones' plans; he's backing crooked Harry Fowler, who stole the car he's planning to use in the big race. Meanwhile, Whitsun-Jones' girlfriend, Susan Shaw, develops a yen for Carpenter.

It's far more story than stock car racing, which suits me, but I'm a bit miffed that everyone seems to believe Miss Shaw's whoppers without any proof, causing a rift between Carpenter and Miss Anderson, and convincing Carpenter that Miss Anderson's Italian mechanic and stock car racer Robert Rietty sabotaged Carpenter's car. Will everything be settled to let Carpenter win the race and Miss Anderson? Keep a look out for Sabrina, Alma Taylor, and Frazer Hines.

Another in the long line of films distributed by Butchers Film Services, who specialised in British B-Movies. Stock Car is not without a certain period charm and, along with other similar efforts such as Wall of Death and Mystery Junction, it does pass away a pleasant enough hour or so. It features a number of stalwarts of the genre, such as Harry Fowler (mugging along quite gloriously), Paul Carpenter, Rona Anderson, Susan Shaw, Robert Rietty, and even Frank Thornton! The action scenes consist mainly of stock footage, and although stock car racing is still reasonably popular in some parts to this day, it is difficult to imagine a radio commentary of such races even in the mid-1950's. The cameo appearance of Sabrina, as Monty's girlfriend, is quite an oddity in that her speech is quite obviously dubbed! Another strange episode is the overnight admission of Monty into a children's ward in the local hospital - what the authorities would make of that these days is anyone's guess!! I suppose it is just an innocent evocation of the period, as the whole film is itself.