Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow

This movie has everything it takes to make a great terrible movie: Bad acting, 50's genre, 50's hot rods, no continuity. I love this movie. Only problem is I've fallen asleep 3 times trying to follow it to it's end, and I've never seen who the monster is. I can hardly wait until it comes around again on Friday or Saturday night TV. I'll try again.

I guess my brain removal has finally kicked in, but I enjoyed this slice of teen-age nonsense. The r&r seldom stops along with the twirling teens catching the beat. Add the humorous asides from an array of eccentric characters, including a nerdy duo, a wacky spinster with a winged hat, and a parrot from heck. Sure there's no plot, just a blast in a haunted house with a monster in need of employment. But it's a good chance to catch up with the lingo and styles of the day. Of course, for some of us, it's also a tour down memory lane. The cast may be no-names, still they do well enough, even the killjoy dad (Smith). And, oh yeah, catch how the canny producers loaded the first part with dragsters and road racing. That's a good action hook, but turns out to be different from the rest. Then too, I'll bet Tommy Ivo's dragster he so proudly shows off was really his own since he was a dedicated drag racer and designer (IMDB). Anyhow, give your brain a rest and join the nonsensical fun of drive-in 1959.

"Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow" was one of the many '50s movies about hot-rodding teens encountering the supernatural. In this case, the teens can't pay the rent for their hangout and get evicted. With nowhere else to go, they decide on an apparently haunted house. As you may have guessed, once they arrive, some weird things start happening. And there's a twist at the end.

There's nothing in this movie that you haven't seen in other movies, but it's nice entertainment nonetheless. My favorite character was the foul-mouthed parrot. Well, let me rephrase that: he didn't talk like a character in a Quentin Tarantino movie, but he said things that we don't expect out of a bird. The movie's pure hokum, but harmless.

This film is all about good music, good times and good fun. Nothing in it is to be taken too seriously man! At this time, Horror spook films seemed to be on the downward spin in terms of popularity but teen films about dancing, drag-racing and just being cool were just coming into fashion cat! But this one does feature a Monster(a Paul Blaisdell creation) and a ghost albeit all in the good spirits(ha!). Blaisdell actually has the funniest lines in the film. The Funest Man!

Released in 1959 and shot in B&W, "Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow" chronicles the events of a group of hot rod drag racers who are forced to move into a deserted mansion as their new headquarters, which appears to be haunted. To celebrate their new home and make money, they throw a Halloween costume party. The festivities are interrupted by a monster who's hogging the dances with the best-looking gals!

This is an eminently entertaining 50's hot rod/non-horror movie highlighted by petite cutie Jody Fair as the main protagonist and, believe it or not, one of the top hot rodders; not to mention the stunning statuesque beauty, Sanita Pelkey, who appears to be around 6'2". Several of the girls have a slumber party at one point. As for the "horror" shenanigans, they're essentially the blueprint for the Scooby Doo, Where Are You! cartoon, which debuted a decade later.

The film runs 65 minutes and was shot in Southern California.

GRADE: B