Anytime I watch a tv show or film from this era I wonder who wrote that generic 'rock' music that the 'kids' are dancing to. You know, the kind of 'rock' music that you'd hear on
'My Three Sons' or 'Petticoat Junction' or 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. It's sort of a weird blend of Easy Listening and vomit. Anyway, not the worst Elvis vehicle, not 'Viva Las Vegas', either. Nancy Sinatra looks beautiful.
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CatRufus559110 August 2020
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bkoganbing10 January 2009Speedway finds Elvis Presley cast as a stock car driver and some of the big names of that sport in 1968 make an appearance in the film. He also gets to co-star with Nancy Sinatra, daughter of another singing icon of the previous generation. They make some nice music together although none of the songs from this score really became hits.
Who could blame Elvis and his friend and manager Bill Bixby for thinking Nancy was just another NASCAR groupie hanging around the track as she does. But Nancy's on a mission, she works for the IRS and Bill Bixby as Elvis's manager has filed a most creative return.
Gale Gordon has never seen one like it and of course Presley and Bixby get called in for an audit. To satisfy Uncle Sam, Gordon appoints Nancy as his new financial manager. But Elvis has other creditors thanks to Bixby. Bill's got that old addiction to slow horses and fast women. If I had been the King I'd have kicked Bixby's arse around the Daytona track three times for good measure. Personally I think Elvis showed great restraint in not strangling him.
Racing fans will certainly love this film and in that group, I'm sure the King has a loyal following. But for me, I have to say I've never seen done in any film a song tribute to the Internal Revenue Service. While waiting to be audited, Elvis, Bixby and the rest of the people in the waiting room sing He's Your Uncle And Not Your Dad about the great privilege it is to pay taxes here in the USA. Of course once Elvis and Bixby are through with Gordon, they're singing a different tune. The number was like something out How To Succeed In Business
Speedway is a pleasant enough film and Elvis's still loyal legion of fans should like it. -
Retroman4029 July 2007Typical Elvis movie of the period. A kind hearted stock day driving Elvis is quick on and off the track. This movie is a must see for any modern day NASCAR fan not so much for the action, but for vintage scenes from Charlotte Motor Speedway (now Lowe's Motor Speedway). Note the lap times compared to today...wow.
The gadgetry in his trailer is classic. Gale Gordon is excellent as a senior IRS investigator. Bill Bixby is hilarious as Elvis' sidekick. Sadly, there really wasn't enough chemistry with Nancy Sinatra.
The film is, of course, safe to view with the whole family with nothing more than some cartoon-like fight scenes. Not Elvis' best effort, but a good, lighthearted enjoyable film. -
JoeKarlosi15 August 2004SPEEDWAY is just another in the long line of '60s Elvis vehicles, and kind of lightweight at that. It takes awhile to go anywhere, but not that you go into these flicks expecting high art or anything. Presley is a kind-hearted race car driver who gets an unwelcome visit from tax investigator Nancy Sinatra, looking to nail him for unpaid dollars he's earned while racing around the track. Gale Gordon (Lucy's Mr. Mooney himself) is on hand as her no-nonsense boss. Elvis was actually pretty good at comedy, and he shares some funny moments with Bill Bixby, who plays his conniving manager/buddy. Two good songs this go-round are "Let Yourself Go" (sung by The King) and Nancy Sinatra's sexy rendition of "Your Groovy Self". ** out of ****
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The King completed this final entry in a series of strictly formulaic, virtually cookie-cutter musical movies before shifting gears (a little!) into more varied fare. Here he is cast (as he was several times prior) as a race car driver, this time stock cars. He's highly successful at it, so it comes as a surprise when he realizes he owes the government a large sum of back taxes! It turns out his manager buddy Bixby hasn't exactly been handling his finances with the best of care. On hand to investigate Presley and to facilitate a budget for him to live on is frosty, but attractive, Sinatra. He finds little luck in getting her to release his own purse strings, but does make some degree of headway in the romance department, but not without some misunderstandings. Presley looks great and sports a couple of iconic looking jackets with white racing stripes on them. He's in good voice, too, and manages decent chemistry with his female love interest. Sinatra performs a solo (and is the only artist who ever had his or her solo included on an original Presley soundtrack album), but otherwise just has a little bit to sing in one of his numbers. An actual duet between the two would have been terrific to see and hear. Sinatra's clothes range from far out to strangely dowdy and viewers will marvel at her interestingly highlighted hair. Bixby is quite over the top and has hair problems of his own. It's lightened to a rather icky shade. Gordon, best known for his TV work with Lucille Ball, plays Sinatra's boss and has little to work with, though he does appear in a production number at the IRS office. Other cast members include Schallert as a hard up, widowed friend of Presley's who has five very young daughters and an underused Hagen as a rival racer. Ponce, a supporting player on TV's "Hawaiian Eye," appears as comic relief in the pit crew. A few real-life stock car racers appear very briefly as themselves. There's also an eye-catching diner, run by Ballantine, in which guests are served in converted cars. The typical assembly of butt-swinging, vividly attired dancers is also present. It's the typical undemanding, fluffy, contrived type of film that simultaneously made Elvis and sent his film career into the toilet. Everything is clean, colorful and pretty which, looking back at it from today, is refreshing. It's just a shame that it's also awfully predictable, plodding and pedestrian as well.
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A successful racer is generous with his earnings and naïve about his best friend's handling of his finances (Bill Bixby) when an IRS agent comes sniffing around (Nancy Sinatra).
"Speedway" (1968) was Elvis' 27th movie of the 31 in his acting filmography.
How much you appreciate this one will depend on how much you like stock car racing and Nancy Sinatra. Presley looks his best and has his usual charisma; you wouldn't know he was taking diet pills at the time to keep his weight down or struggling with his desire to put out more serious films. Nancy doesn't do much for me physically, but I like her mane and she's likable enough, plus her singing is great. Meanwhile Elvis and Bixby have great chemistry in their shenanigans.
It's a fun and serviceable Presley entry highlighted by the swinging 60's vibe and the generous naiveté of the protagonist, yet "Speedway" doesn't stand out in Elvis' oeuvre.
The film runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina; Riverside International Raceway, California; and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, California.
GRADE: B-/C+ -
dave13-115 April 2012Most of the movies Elvis made for director Norman Taurog of MGM from '65-'68 have little to recommend them and this is a prime example / offender.
Elvis plays a NASCAR driver with unpaid taxes and Nancy Sinatra is his IRS watchdog / love interest. There is a big race coming up. No points for guessing the rest. Yawn. There is a decent song and dance number set in the waiting room at the IRS building (really!!) and some very good racing action. NASCAR stars such as Buddy Baker and Richard Petty did the driving and it looks very real, at least until we see Elvis in close up in front of an obvious rear projection screen. Man, I hate those things.
Elvis and Nancy have about 5% of the on-screen chemistry Elvis and Ann- Margret had in Viva Las Vegas and the songs are about 5% as good. Watch that one instead. It's even about racing, too, but road racing rather than NASCAR, so I guess this one is supposed to be different... Not awful, really, but about as formulaic, derivative and forgettable as Elvis' movie output ever got. -
kvanclief8 February 2011You might not think of Elvis to be a great actor. but it sure is fun to see him try and sing some great songs along the way.Enjoy this film with Nancy Sinatra and Gale Gordon.Bill Bixby plays scene stealing womanizer, remember the "hulk".You'll see Elvis racing car number 6 in the Charlotte 100 race.Along for the ride are Richard Petty,Buddy Baker Cale Yarborough,Dick Hutcherson and Tiny Lund.Elvis sings the hit song "let yourself go" and Nancy Sinatra sings "You groovy self" Premiered in Charlotte,North Carolina on June 12 1968.Two not known facts about this film are:Sonny & Cher refused roles in this film and Petula Clark turned down role of Susan Jacks.Available from Warner Brothers in 1968.If You enjoyed this one try "Spinout" also by Elvis.
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TheLittleSongbird6 April 2017Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.
'Speedway' is certainly not one of Elvis' worst films, it's much better than the likes of 'Double Trouble', 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style', 'Clambake' and particularly 'Harum Scarum' and 'Stay Away, Joe'. It's also not one of his best either, being nowhere near as good as 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', all very good and nearly great films. 'Speedway' has enough to make it watchable, but from the film's tagline you'd expect it to kick high gear from the get go but it never really does.
There are no qualms to be had with Elvis himself here, something that was a good deal of the time not the case in his later films. Here he looks great, actually looking in good shape and energetic without than looking under the influence, and acts with much more engagement and involvement than in some of his late 60s films where he looked like he couldn't be bothered.
Bill Bixby is very entertaining, if at times a bit too manic, and his friendly and charming rapport with Elvis has genuine spark and is one of 'Speedway's' high points. Gale Gordon, William Schallert and Carl Ballantine also give good support. In comparison to the soundtracks of other later Elvis films, 'Speedway' doesn't fare too awfully while also not exceptionally. The title song is catchy, and there are two particularly good songs, "Let Yourself Go" and Nancy Sinatra makes a hit out of the sexy and groovy "Your Groovy Self". There are a few amusing moments too.
Nancy Sinatra however goes through the motions and judging from her indifferent and annoyed-looking presence throughout it looked like she wanted to be elsewhere, only in "Your Groovy Self" does she lighten up. Her chemistry with Elvis is at best icy. Luckily none of the songs here are disposable and there are none also that reach rock bottom status, but two or three songs aside they are rather forgettable and "He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad" epitomises take it or leave it. The children are cute, but their scenes are rather cloying and over-enthusiastic, threatening to slow the momentum down.
Director Norman Taurog has moments where confidence comes through but too often it's unsteady and at best perfunctory. Which does affect the comedy, which mostly falls flat as a pancake due to being at times over-engineered and much of the time undercooked, and the racing, which is mostly unexciting due to the cheap-looking stock look and the crippling predictability. One doesn't see an Elvis film for the story, that was obvious right from the beginning with a few well done exceptions ('King Creole', 'Flaming Star'), but here the story is paper thin and contrived.
Overall, watchable but not much more than that. 5/10 Bethany Cox -
michaelRokeefe27 November 1999Elvis Presley plays a race car driver that gives away money as quick as he wins it. His manager played by Bill Bixby loses race winnings by making bad bets on the ponies. Elvis now owes back taxes to the IRS and agent Nancy Sinatra is sent to collect or make arrangement for payment. The Charlotte 500 speed race is the answer to the problem. Win the race and win the girl. William Schallart and Carl Ballantine are also featured. Below par soundtrack does feature the gems "Let Yourself Go" and "Speedway". Even Miss Sinatra sings, regrettably. Sparks do fly on and off the screen between the racer and tax lady. Interesting, but no great shakes.
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SnoopyStyle9 July 2021Steve Grayson (Elvis Presley) is a cocky car racer and Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby) is his manager. One day, they find Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra) waiting in his trailer. Steve has tax issues and she turns out to be an IRS agent.
Sinatra is probably the worst actor in the movie. That makes the romance tough to watch. This is bad. They do include cameo of a lot of Nascar legendary drivers. The list of names in the beginning is amazing. There are some good racing footage. Otherwise, this is rather boring. The other issue is the year is 1968. Time is moving on and it looks like it's moving on without Elvis. He hasn't changed. His movies haven't changed. This is strictly the same old Elvis movie. -
tdk7228 January 2011Strengths: Elvis Presley and Bill Bixby turn in stellar performances.
Weaknesses: Script and Nancy Sinatra My thoughts: Elvis is magical on the screen as always and I thought Bixby turned in a great performance too. I was only put off by the lousy acting of Nancy Sinatra who seemed annoyed with even being in the film if you ask me. The script was not the best and thus the movie was a little quirky without a clear plot. It does seem as though the whole movie was centered around throwing a few big names in the pot with an average script and expecting phenomenal results. No matter as the movie is easily carried by Elvis. he is as charismatic as ever and even with the lousy script turns the movie into an entertaining venue. You just have to love Elvis to enjoy the movie and fans everywhere will. I recently watched this movie again from my library and was thoroughly entertained. -
Bunuel197621 August 2007This is basically a neat reworking of IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD’S FAIR (1963) by the same director, no less: Bill Bixby replaces Gary Lockwood as Elvis’ scoundrel sidekick (and results in being quite amusing), Nancy Sinatra stands in for (and easily upstages) Joan O’Brien – Ol’ Blue Eyes’ daughter, a singing star in her own right, makes a better-than-usual match for The King – and, instead of one Asian child, we get six homeless kids and their ex-racer father, etc. Besides, the songs are also above-par and rockier than usual and even Sinatra gets her own “impromptu” number.
The instances of crazy comedy – usually brought on by Elvis’ frustration with I.R.S. ”agent” Sinatra’s doggedness – are also present here and anticipate the next, and last, Presley/Taurog collaboration, LIVE A LITTLE, LOVE A LITTLE (1968); among the highlights are Elvis punching through a hotel-room door and knocking out a passerby and then punching his racing rival in the hotel lobby who consequently slides on his back all the way into an empty elevator! The racing-car scenes themselves are okay – a milieu with which Elvis was quite familiar, having already played similar roles (or so I hear) in both VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964) and SPINOUT (1966). -
moonspinner556 September 2005Dusty, repetitious stock car comedy-musical with Elvis Presley as the driver being hounded by an IRS agent looking for taxable winnings. According to all the Elvis books I've read, "Speedway" opened with the usual Presley fanfare but died out quickly. Why? With sexy platinum blonde Nancy Sinatra as the love-interest, ostensibly rousing locales and races, and the usual quota of songs, this should have been another "Viva Las Vegas". Unfortunately, the two stars are a surprisingly icy match, creating no sparks, and Bill Bixby gets stuck with the agonizing part of the proverbial flunky. The stock car sequences are visually dull and, although director Norman Taurog supplies a few funny comic touches, the film has no life, no pep. It is also curiously anachronistic, playing like something coy from 1963, but this was 1968! No wonder Elvis was so unhappy in Hollywood. *1/2 from ****
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lonniebeale20 January 2007The King gets together with fast cars and Nancy Sinatra in this romantic comedy about the exciting worlds of stock car racing and tax evasion. In "Speedway," Elvis plays Steve Grayson, a successful race car driver who's generous to a fault. Bill Bixby plays the girl-chasing manager/best friend who gambles away all their winnings. Nancy plays Susan Jacks, an IRS agent who's assigned to collect the astronomical taxes that have accrued. But the fun never begins.
"Speedway" came out a year after Nancy's Number One hit "Somethin' Stupid," a duet with her famous dad Frank. But this film's attempt to pair her with Elvis fails miserably. Nancy's parched personality and juiceless acting makes Elvis look like Brando. And there should have been more than enough cinematic proof by this point that stock car racing never looks interesting on the big screen. It's hard to believe that this rather passive Elvis is on the verge of making his celebrated '68 comeback. On a more pleasant note: This was Nancy's swan song to feature film making. -
Everything about "Speedway" is as groovy as Elvis always performs. I just love the way Nancy Sinatra performed the song "Your Groovy Self" and the way she moved around as she sang. Nancy's really hot! Bill Bixby was quite hilarious. Elvis' song "Let Yourself Go" is super cool. The scene where Elvis sang "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby" to the little girl was kind of cute. And the sounds of those roaring engines in the race were very much electrifying. Some of the plots really did show off Elvis' real-life self as the generous and giving person he was. He buys for a friend and his 5 little girls a brand new station wagon, also helps out a troubled waitress with her upcoming wedding. Unfortunately Bixby's character messes everything up for Steve Grayson (Elvis), by betting Steve's money on the horses, instead of paying for those things Elvis bought for his friends, and besides makes an outrageous tax claim form for Steve, with deductions such as perfumed record albums and $4000 for air? Oh yes! Lucille Ball's "Mr. Mooney" was kinda funny too and was excellent for the role of the head IRS agent R.W. Hepworth. When I first saw this movie in the theater I cracked up at the "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad!" sequence. It was funny it was cool. Just everything about "Speedway" is superbly exciting. But what else could you expect out of a movie that stars the king of rock and roll! And lets not forget Nancy Sinatra who is more than just the icing on that cake. It's not everyday you see such a gorgeous tax collector. I give this film a perfect A+. It's just loaded with the stuff! "Speedway" is an honest to goodness must see.
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I can't remember anything from this film. I watched it and couldn't remember a thing. I don't have anything to nitpick and review, as there's nothing to review! It's everything we've seen before from all the mediocre crap we've seen before from writers who didn't know how to write Elvis right. It wasn't like Spinout or Frankie and Johnny that shook it up and had memorable music. It was just boring.
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sarah-sgraham29 August 2006I really enjoy Elvis movies as they are just sheer entertainment and you can switch off and enjoy rather than having to think about everyone's motivation...!! Speedway is a good 'romp' - that's the word that comes to mind for me when I think of the movie. I don't' think it's in the same league as Blue Hawaii or Fun in Acapulco though.
Worth seeing 'Let Yourself Go' the number at the beginning!
I find it a struggle seeing films with cutesy kids in it and this has it's share but, again, not so bad that I would say to give the film a miss.
Being honest, I'm glad I've seen it for completism but whether it will hold in my memory a month from now is another matter!! -
. . . SPEEDWAY documents the fast and furious career of Steve G. Not only can this flash of lightning run circles around NASCAR's best of the 1960's (such as Dick Petty), but he gives away all of his winnings to unworthy causes while personally crooning the post-race party entertainment at a chain of track-side greasy spoons. If he doesn't come in first place, he's sure to crash and burn in the final turn (unless he's blown his last engine during Tuesday tune-up[ laps). Steve also emulates his Real Life counterparts by engaging in serial affairs, punching out rival drivers and cheating on his taxes. So, ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!
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wes-connors16 August 2007Elvis Presley is a race car driver who likes to spend money on strangers with sob stories - he buys, for example, a station wagon for a family with five little girls, and newlyweds receive a new furniture set from Elvis. Bill Bixby plays Elvis' promiscuous friend and roommate. He needs money to keep the supply of booze and women flowing. Due to poor money management, they get in trouble with tax collector Nancy Sinatra...
Mr. Presley is a great singer, especially on "Let Yourself Go"; however, you would not know what a great entertainer he was by viewing this terrible movie. The comedy situations are not funny. Ms. Sinatra looks too under-rehearsed in both her scenes and her song. Mr. Bixby seems too manic in this film. The film concludes with a dangerous "Big Race". The only way this film could have been worse would be to have had Elvis take the five little girls in his race car near the end - instead of their father.
WARNING: Keep small children and wild animals away from the "Speedway".
** Speedway (1968) Norman Taurog ~ Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon -
Elvis Presley & Richard Petty!
Does it get any better than that?
Not one of my favorite Elvis movies but not the worst. The NASCAR races really made the show.
Bill Bixby stole the show though!
7/10. -
zardoz-1313 September 2014Norman Taurog's sixth Elvis outing "Spinout" is pretty insipid as romantic musical comedies go. The chief attraction in this lackluster epic should have been the combination of the King of Rock'N Roll and Ole Blue Eyes' daughter Nancy Sinatra. Elvis plays race car driver Steve Grayson and he is on a winning streak when he runs afoul of the Internal Revenue Service with Nancy cast as IRA agent Susan Jacks and perennial Lucille Ball co-star Gale Gordon as her boss Mr. Hepworth. "Plunders of Painted Flats" scenarist Phil Shuken penned this entirely forgettable saga and the sparks don't fly between the singers as it did when Elvis romanced Ann-Margret in "Viva Las Vegas." Nothing about Elvis' racer nor anything about Nancy's pretty IRS Agent are interesting. The characters who stand out in this inferior film is Elvis' crooked manager Kenny Donford (played with panache by Bill Bixby) who qualifies as the scum of scum, single-parent Abel Esterlake (William Schallert) with six little girls, and Steve's mechanic Birdie Kebner (Carl Ballantine of "MacHale's Navy"). The biggest surprise of this otherwise marginal Elvis movie is that he loses the climactic race at the Charlotte Speedway after he wrecks his car and his crew rebuilds it at the last minute. Several well-known racers appear in cameos.
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bootsR4walkin11 August 2004SPEEDWAY, Elvis and Nancy Sinatra tackle the fast pace of the Charlotte Speedway and light up the screen.
Nancy looks fantastic with her blonde hair and those incredible eyes that melt you. Elvis is Elvis, what can you say.
NOTE: Nancy is the only person to ever have a song included on an Elvis Presley soundtrack.
YOUR GROOVY SELF is fun and the attitude lively.
Gale Gordon adds to the cast as does Bill Bixby.
Fast cars, groovy times and lots of songs.
The children in this movie are adorable.
True entertainment for Elvis and Nancy fans alike.
Grab the pop corn and snuggle up! -
ksf-212 August 2022This one was towards the end of elvis' adventure film career. After this, he and the colonel concentrated on the singing tours. A few familiar faces, with nancy sinatra, bill bixby, gale gordon (oohhh... Mrs. Carmichael! ) and of course, bill schallert! For a while, he held the record for the most bit parts and appearances. Elvis is a race car driver. Again. Third time! Who sings in his spare time. And helps a family down on their luck. He gets busted for creative income taxes, at over an hour in. Apparently, he's in trouble with the IRS... needs to raise lots of cash fast! There's a song and dance bit at the income tax office, and we have jumped the shark. I love nancy s, but if that "your groovy self" song goes any slower, we'll need to put it out of its misery. It's already the same melody as boots! Too bad they couldn't come up with something better, since they had her for the film. This one is extra corny. Elvis fans must see it, but it aint no shakespeare. Check out the cast list for some actual car racers. Norman taurog had directed nine films with elvis, and only made one more after this. Taurog's one oscar was back in 1931 for skippy. Sadly, bixby died young at 59 of cancer, but had two hugely successful series, courtship and the hulk!
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cutshall026 August 2005Here, Presley is seen in his usual style 1960's vehicle. With song, love interest and usual music. As with most Presley movies of the 60's, this movie lacks a good script, story plot and unbelievable scenes. Presley must have been tired of doing movies where he sang to everyone whether the situation called for it or not.
In Speedway, Presley is a race car driver on a winning streak, when he meets up with Nancy Sinatra everything starts getting into the way including his old buddy, Bill Bixby. If your a Presley fan you won't want to miss this but if your looking for a well made movie this isn't the once. I rate, Speedway a 2.