Hot Rod Gang

American International Pictures led by cigar chomping Hollywood stereotype Samuel Z. Arkoff produced lots of these teen exploitation B Movies in the 50's and 60's and Hot Rod Gang is one of them. The formula was simple, hot rods, fights, drag racing, girls and rock and roll music. This film has all of that plus Gene Vincent! The story is about John Abernathy III played by Elvis sound alike John Ashley who is part of society's upper crust who has to keep his "hot rod gang" a secret from his family. He meets Lois Cavendish played by Jody Fair who also played the heroin junkie in "High School Confidential" and helps keep his secret safe and enjoys his hot rod gang. The '32 Ford roadster Ashley drives is the Bob McGee/Dick Sritchfield roadster. The '32 Ford roadster that Ashley's nemesis Steve Drexel drives is actually the famous Pete Hendersen roadster which is the car that had the famous race with a quarter horse that set the blueprint for quarter mile drag racing. These two have a "curb race" in the beginning of the film that will make any car buff cringe! By the way, the opening sequence was filmed on Santa Monica blvd in Hollywood. The other '32 Ford in this movie is Tony LaMasa's chopped and channeled green roadster that was the same car that was featured in an episode of Ozzie and Harriet where Ozzie raced it in a Model T. Gene Vincent plays himself and sings 2 songs and tries to help Ashley's singing career but Ashley declines because he can't risk a public appearance because the police(Russ Bender)are looking for Ashley for splashing the stodgy old man in the beginning of the film with his hot rod while racing through a puddle...for reals!!! If anything, it's worth seeing this just to see Maureen Arthur sing one of the corniest songs ever "Choo Choo Cha Poochie" in the pointiest bra known to man. The Ala-Kart, a show winning hot rod built by George Barris is also in the film but only in 2 scenes and for some reason, hardly noticeable.

Someone had the brilliant idea to make John Ashley stretch as an actor. Instead, I pulled a muscle trying to keep from tossing my cookies.

The film opens with Ashley in his hot road, challenged by Steve Drexel in his hot rod. Ashley goes through a puddle and splashes an old geezer, played by Lester Dorr as an old fusspot named Philpott. Dorr yells for a cop. Russ Bender, who usually plays a motorcycle cop, plays a motorcycle cop. Bender questions two other witnesses, a father and daughter played by Doodles Weaver and Jody Fair. Fair seems to think she can recognize the culprit. Somehow they end up in Ashley's hot rod hangout, and Ashley hides out in a closet. Had he stayed there, the film would have been mercifully over. Instead, he sings. And sings. And sings some more. His finger-snapping, head-wagging, faux-Elvis style of singing is the pits. So the charges against him rise from vehicular assault to impersonating an entertainer.

Ashley turns out to be a rich kid named John Abernathy III. He lives with his two aunts, dons a pair of glasses, and pretends to be the studious type. Coincidentally, Dorr, Weaver, and Fair show up at his house for some pre-arranged meeting to fix up Ashley with Fair. Ashley tries to impress everyone with his violin skills, but his wisecracking maid, played by Claire Du Brey, will have none of it.

"I've been wrestling with Mendelssohn's Concerto in E-flat minor," Ashley informs everyone.

"Mendelssohn lost," Du Brey responds.

Fair recognizes Ashley, but, of course, isn't going to turn him in. She wants to hear more of his singing, so they sneak off to the hangout where Ashley bores us some more.

In a subplot, Ashley's gang needs money to build a hot rod for the big race. Fair informs everyone she knows singer Gene Vincent, and offers to ask him to put on a show. Vincent is impressed with Ashley's singing ability (apparently Vincent was well-paid for the part). But Ashley doesn't want to go on television because he might get recognized. So Fair makes up him with a beard and a beret. If you ever wondered how Fidel Castro would look in Paris, this is your chance to find out. Ashley is an instant hit as singer "Jackson Dalrymple." If you are keeping score, that's three roles for Ashley. In a running gag, Ashley's aunts see him sneaking into the house with his beard on, and think it's the ghost of John Abernathy I. I say it's a running gag because every time it happened, I got the runs.

In another subplot, Drexel is stealing hot rod parts and trying to frame Ashley. There is the inevitable rumble at the end (which is really just a good excuse to interrupt Ashley singing yet again), Ashley is cleared, and everybody dances to a recording of Ashley.

If you fast-forward past the singing, you can get through this opus in about 60 minutes.

This is just a mishmash of comedy, music (mostly bad), racing, and non-action. Vincent sings a few songs, and he's better than Ashley, but that's not saying much. Fair is average. Character actor Dub Taylor has a few moments playing some part which escaped me. Maureen Arthur sings something called "Choo Choo Cha Poochie," which, I believe when translated, means "Hey boys, get a load of these." On the other hand, Ashley actually does a decent job with his multiple personalities. Usually, he's just dull; however, here, he manages to rise to the level of mediocrity. Perhaps this film should have been called "The Three Faces of Ashley." But then, it would be the members of the audience, and not the star, who would need psychiatric help.

John Ashley is wanted by the law for driving recklessly through a puddle (no kidding). He is later framed for stealing hub-caps (no kidding). Incognito, he becomes a rock n' roll star with some help from 50's rockabilly legend Gene Vincent. In between, he meets a hip chick and gets into fistfights with some cool cats. Dig it, Daddy-o.

Followers of the late Gene Vincent, one of the pioneers of the Rock and Roll music genre will have lots of reason to watch Hot Rod Gang. For the rest I can say there's hot rods, but only a couple of bad apples among the teens, hardly enough to call it gang.

Actually the teens led by John Ashley just want to maintain their clubhouse where they dance, listen to rock and roll, and work on their hot rods. Ashley does all three but he has to keep it on the sly lest his maiden aunts who are straight out of Arsenic And Old Lace find out as they hold the key to his millions. They don't poison people, they're just plain dotty.

Can't touch those millions, but Ashley can cut a record or two as a new rock and roll sensation with the help of Gene Vincent to save the club from Dub Taylor the landlord. In the meantime the club is getting a bad reputation from those teens who are into stealing and stripping cars.

Some songs by Ashley and Vincent are the only reason to see this drive- in special from the Fifties.

No, it's no classic, but it has one of the greatest lines ever (heard in narration, it pretty much sums up the film): "This story is true--only the facts have been changed." Honest!