Thunder Alley

Thunder Alley was the last film Annette Funicello made for American International Pictures, and to some extent the reasons become clear during a viewing.

1967 was a transitional period at AIP. The Beach Party movies (1963-1966) had run out of steam, but the studio had not yet moved into the hippie/biker material (The Wild Angels, Wild in the Streets, etc.) that would characterize its late 60s production. In that context, the somewhat schizophrenic feel of Thunder Alley (Beach-party-ish romantic themes combined with comparatively risque orgies, drinking, etc.) isn't surprising. The producers knew that edgier trends were emerging, but were still working with stars (Fabian, Funicello) from the late 50s/early 60s greaser/beach era.

While Fabian comes across as hopelessly stuck in the past (his stiff, two-note approach to acting is high school drama club material, his range consists of pouting or getting angry), Funicello is clearly trying to evolve - it's almost as if she realizes that her "Dee-Dee at the beach" period is over, and that to survive she must grow into a more Nancy-Sinatra-ish, "groovy chick" mode.

Problem ws, Annette was far too much the lady to pull that off, so she seems almost blatantly out of place in this movie -- a decent, ladylike but straight talking woman surrounded by drunks, loudmouths, bimbos and opportunists. After this film (and to a large degree as a result of her "decency"), AIP had no more use for her, which was unfortunate: like Vincent Price, stars who had "slummed" at AIP were basically stuck there, so Funicello pretty much disappeared from the big screen after this film (save for one, small and somewhat self-depreciating cameo in the Monkee film "Head" a year later and her canned "nostalgia" appearance in 1987's "Back to the Beach."

One more note: several others who have commented on this film mentioned Annette perfoming the song "What's A Girl To Do" in the film. I have the MGM "Midnight Movie" video release of Thunder Alley and the original 1967 Sidewalk soundtrack album. While the LP contains "What's A Girl To Do," the version of the film on the video doesn't. Also, the "official" Annette collector web sites also comment that song -- while on the soundtrack album -- doesn't appear in the film.) Is it possible different versions of this film (perhaps a "longer" broadcast version containing the song, maybe the video realease is edited) are floating around?

For someone who never had any technical training as an actress, it never ceases to amaze me how natural Annette Funicello is on screen. She's completely at ease in front of the camera, whether being feisty telling off her dad (Jan Murray), trading barbs with a surly blonde (Diane McBain), getting her face muddy, getting ripped on booze, or being funny and sexy with her leading guy (Fabian), Annette is never stiff or embarrassing. In fact, doing a little warm-up song number with a party band in her living room, she's a very sensual woman. The plot of this B-flick is strictly by-the-numbers, but the stock car racing scenes are better than the ones for Elvis Presley's "Speedway", released a year later. Credit future "Stunt Man" director Richard Rush with the tight pacing. The party-orgy looks like an outtake from a "Beach Party" flick gone awry, but it's a transition picture for the A.I.P. studios--and not a bad one. **1/2 from ****

Sure, the story is trite and Warren Berlinger is embarrassingly bad, but "Thunder Alley" manages to be a fairly decent flick. Credit Richard Rush ("The Stunt Man") for getting pretty good performances from Annette Funicello and Fabian. Diane McBain is always good, as is Jan Murray. Maureen Arthur gives the movie a poignant edge as the bubbleheaded "Babe," who can't really grasp the tragedy which has just taken place around her.

The stock racing scenes are pretty good, but never really integrate into the story, due to AIP's unwillingness to match the color and resolution.

Annette does a surprisingly good version of "What's a Girl to Do." Couldn't believe she could really sing. Annette also demonstrate some comedic skills which, sadly, neither AIP or Disney ever really put to full use.

This is one of AIP's better efforts. I saw it on FLIX, which, apparently has the extended version which includes Annette's song.

Considering this film contains several Nascar real races you may think a priori it is an enterrtaining movie - at least for a car race fan. But no: it is one of the most boring, dull and badly made car race films I have ever watched. Even Elvis' Spinout was much better, more enterrtaining and did include much better songs. Funicello's only song is bad and at any point interest takes off. Car races should had made it but neither they do it: they are announced, prepared and... suddenly they have already began without noticing; then a few boring laps and...suddenly race is over (you only notice it because you hear Race is over!) without any emotion, no thrilling no nothing. All an all a really boring film not only because of the performances but mainly because of the terrible edition: did best cuts end on the montage room floor? We will never know but I am afraid they did not.

Sure there were parts of this movie - almost all of it, the more I think of it, that made you laugh at it and not with it. The stock stock-car scenes from

Daytona and Darlington were real. The acting was bad and the plot was

sophomoric. If Fabian was really having those blackouts all of the time, then he should have been locked up for continuing to drive while having them. But maybe I'm putting too much thought into this. As someone who has covered NASCAR for newspapers, the off-the-track plot stuff was more than lame. Annette did a good job; I got a kick out of the announcer; and Diane McBain is always easy on the eyes, even if she doesn't take it easy on the eye shadow.