Dragstrip Girl

In Fay Spain's big-screen debut, she's a girl who loves fast cars and one of two boys: either Steven Terrell, the son of a bricklayer who has built his hot rod part by part, or John Ashley, son of the richest man in town, who has had everything given to him, but feels like he's in competition with Terrell for everything. Miss Spain is not sure which. But as the big drag race is coming up and Ashley buys his own drag car and "borrows" Terrell's so he'll know what the competition can do, she's going to decide before the end of the movie.

Director Edward Cahn will return to this theme with his two male leads in the future, but for now he's telling the bare story without much ornamentation or subtext. Grazia Narciso and Tito Vuolo are on hand as the pizza shop owners where the kids hang out for some comic relief, and Frank Gorshin and Tommy Ivo are also drag-racing kids. In many ways, it looks like the precursor to the beach movies that AIP would produce in the 1960s.

"Louise Blake" (Fay Spain) is a new girl in town who loves cars and racing. Because of these interests she soon gets acquainted with others her age who have the same fondness for drag racing. In particular she meets two guys named "Jim Donaldson" (Steven Terrell) and "Fred Armstrong" (John Ashley) who both become attracted to her. However, rather than choose just one she decides to string both along which ends up being a huge mistake as Fred is insanely jealous of Jim and begins to provoke and undermine him at every opportunity. What nobody realizes is the depth of envy and how far he is willing to go to make Jim look bad. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fairly average hot rod movie which could have been better with a bit more character development. Additionally, I didn't particularly care for the repeated taunts by Fred which became more than a bit annoying after a while. I also would have liked to have seen a little more of Judy Bamber (as "Rhoda") who was quite stunning. Be that as it may, in spite of the flaws and the fact that this film was definitely dated I still liked it and rate it as about average.

Dragstrip girl is fun drive in type movie. If you like old cars,50's style plot lines of bad girl/ bad guy, then you will love this movie.It takes you back to another time,when things seemed to be a little less trouble. It does not insult you with bad languge or body parts that you dont care to see.Classic cars,narrow ties,and boys who still meet the parrents.

The late fifties was definitely the period of juvenile delinquency fashion, that Nicholas Ray was the launcher of with REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. After this movie, this kind of film was nearly everywhere, but especially in the B movies, not major, big budgets ones. The films destined to teen audiences were mostly shown in drive in, saturday matinees and evening shows. This one makes no exception, I can't imagine adults watching this movie when it was released. Even director John Brahm made such a film with HOT RODS TO HELL, his last movie. He who gave us THE LODGER and THE LOCKET...Here, Edward L Cahn seemd to be very comfortable for such a feature. But Edwward L Cahn was not John Brahm.

OK i'm a big fan of most movies made by the late American international movies,fun b-movies.my favorites being invasion of the saucermen and i was a teenage werewolf.but this movie dragstrip girl is very entertaining,it tells the story about a young pretty girl(Fay Spain)who drives a hotrod.and has two guys fighting over her,poor but honest nice guy(Steve Terrell)and rich snobby nasty dishonest guy(John Ashley)who both are also drag racers.there's much melodrama and fighting.but im not giving away any more of the plot.lets just say its a very good a.i.p. b movie from the fifties.also stars pre riddler(Frank Gorshin)and a.i.p. regular Russ Bender.heres a fact terrell and gorshin were in invasion of the saucermen soon after this.like i said this movie was enjoyable.8 out of 10.