The Gumball Rally (1976) User Reviews (46)

Best of the genre

[witster18 · 7/10 · 19 March 2008]

Upon first view.. one will chuckle at the 70's production value in the opening sequence.

Get past that.

Gumball is the best of the cross-country race genre. Much better than any film in the Cannonball series. Why? For one...It's just as funny. Filled with some great lines and chock full of fantastic car sequences. Turning the speakers up may make it sound like you are at a Busch race. Raul Julia steals the show as far as the characters. Every moment that he's on the screen you'll have a smile from ear to ear.

"55 is unsafe....it's slow enough to make you think you're safe....but it's fast enough to kill you" Many scenes were shot at breathtaking speeds WITH THE ACTUAL ACTORS....this really adds to the realism... and overall, every car sequence is eye-popping. Where the 70's production value detracts from the film in the opening sequence....it actually helps in others...like when it adds a lightheartedness to the absolutely awesome downstretch in the waterways with the music....and of course the cars making music to automobile fans...Ferrari Daytona zipping....427 cobra roaring... steam from the water flying off the engine block.

The actors had fun making this one...and I had fun watching...all 20 some odd times.

shhhhhhhh..... ..........GUMBALL! 71/100

"What's behind me is not important!"

[bannonanthony · 7/10 · 14 January 2003]

I first saw this film some years ago, and recently, I recorded it. Fans of racing movies will not be disappointed as the actions on display here is brilliant! This film came before the CANNONBALL RUN films but is every bit as enjoyable as those films are. There are no real big name stars here (apart from the late Raul Julia) but the performances are all great.

SPOILER WARNINGS:

Candy tycoon Michael Sarrazin is the arranger of the illegal race from New York to Long Beach, California (naturally). He presumably does this as he has nothing better to do with his time. He and long-time rival Tim McIntire are the two main racers. Unlike the Cannonball Run, there is no cash prize up for grabs, just a trophy shaped like a gumball machine. I guess the main prize for the racers is the fun they have along the way. Of course, the racers are a lovable bunch of eccentrics. Sarrazin races in a Shelby Cobra with a Harvard professor as his partner. McIntire and Julia (a real race driver brought in as a ringer) race in a red Ferrari. A Southern daredevil driver and his mechanic (a young Gary Busey) race in a yellow Camaro. Two elderly upper-class gentlemen drive a Mercedes. Two LA cops drive in their police cruiser (complete with cop car badges for every state they drive through). Two attractive ladies drive a Porsche and the main group is completed by a psychotic Hungarian motorcyclist. There are some other cars involved in the race, but none of them get really far (One car, a Jaguar, doesn't even get started!). Unofficially taking part in the race is the young mechanic Jose who is transporting a Rolls-Royce to California, and brings his crazy girlfriend along for the ride.

Trying to stop the racers every step of the way is Lt. Roscoe. He tries just about anything to try and stop the racers, but they more often than not dance rings around him. There are plenty of laughs in the film, but there are times when the humour doesn't always work. One example of this is when the two cops are pulled over by a Highway patrolman and they convince him that they are shooting a movie. I just didn't like that part. Also, the character of Angie, Jose's girlfriend is rather odd. At one point, a bunch of bikers leer at her and get ready to make trouble but she still goes and gets a soda, placing herself in danger. She must REALLY be nuts!

All in all, the film is great entertainment. The cars are all great looking and the driving is excellent. The performances are also very good, with Julia, McIntire, Sarrazin, Burton(who played Felix Leiter in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER), Jason and Busey being real standouts. Watch this one if you want a good time!

If you are a gear head....

[wlb · 7/10 · 1 July 2008]

Just seeing these cars when in 1976 they were still "cheap" enough to not simply be garage queens - a Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, 427 Cobra, Ferrari Daytona Spyder, E-Type Jag...

This is based loosely on a true race, Brock Yate's original Cannon Ball Run - in which, if I am not mistaken, was in 1971 and like the movie, left Manhattan but ended up in Redondo Beach. Yates and Dan Gurney won in a Ferrari Daytona Coupe at 35:54, and surprisingly a Chevy Van was second some 50 minutes later.

Like the actual race there was some contestants who had a specially rigged van with a huge gas tank that was supposed to take them across the country without need for a fill up - nothing said on bathroom breaks.

If you are looking for a movie with some deep social message this isn't the one but if you like cars (and listening to the wonderful noises of the Cobra and Ferrari) this is the movie...

The film that best captures the pure joy of open-road driving.

[roarshock · 18 June 2000]

So, you've just spent thousands of dollars on a new home entertainment center and you want to take it for a spin around the block... what movie do you watch? 'Gumball Rally' would be a lovely choice. It's pure simple fun filled with raw visceral sights and sounds. Leave the serious films till later, this one will make you feel you've gotten your money's worth. Capturing the heart and soul of the real life "Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" of the '70s, it's the tale of an unofficial, illegal, recurring race from New York to Los Angeles... anything goes. And what goes? Lapchick, the Mad Hungarian, trying to spend 36 hours non-stop on a motorcycle; a van filled with hundreds of gallons of fuel so they don't have to delay for fuel stops; Raul Julia as the Italian race driver Franco and his famous first rule of Italian driving. And in that over-filmed concrete gully known as the LA River there is the BEST sequence ever shot there when a Ferrari Daytona duels with a 427 Cobra... they didn't rely simply on trick shots and undercranked cameras, often the cars were really driven to their limits. Forget the later, far inferior 'Cannonball' movies; the 'Gumball' people actually knew their cars, and they'll have you craving a powerful engine, a full tank of gas, and the open road.

Great Driving Scenes

[woofthebark · 7/10 · 25 February 2001]

The driving sequences through the early mourning streets of New York City are some of the best I have ever seen. There are no camera tricks. The drivers really are launching those incredible cars around the corners at full throttle. The movie is worth watching just for the incredible driving. So few films do it correctly, fortunately this is not one of those films.

What's Behind Me...

[directoroffantasies · 6/10 · 30 October 2004]

Chuck Bail, a stunt performer on Steve McQueen's "Have Gun, Will Travel", contributed some memorable bits of dialogue to this script. I've lost count of the number of times I and others have repeated Raul Julia's judgment on the rear view mirror, "What's behind me is not important". Inevitably, any spectacularly ugly car we come across "looks like a jukebox". And on and on.

Julia, whose participation in this film was not generally cited in obituaries, and Gary Busey were performers whose careers took off afterward.

The remainder of the cast consists of moderately well known players, some still to be seen on soaps and occasionally in prime time guest shots. Normann Burton as a New York cop on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Harvey Jason as a bizarro motorcyclist stand out.

As is usually the case in movies about automobile racing, lots of expert stuntwork is on display here. Scenes of pure speed, though, do not get in the way of funnymen being funny.

The original coast-to-coast Cannonball Run story is light breezy fun

[a_chinn · 6/10 · 29 May 2018]

The original film version of the coast-to-coast illegal Cannonball Run race is better than 1981's "Cannonball Run" but lacks the star power of that film. It does have a solid cast with Michael Sarrazin, Tim McIntire (who did the voice of Blood in "A Boy and His Dog"), Raul Julia, Gary Busey, J. Pat O'Malley, Nicholas Pryor, Vaughn Taylor, and Colleen Camp. Still, that's nowhere as cool or fun as Burt & Dom and Sammy & Dean (not to mention Jack Elam). This version of the illegal race unfolds pretty much the same as Cannonball, with a quirky group of diverse characters racing from the east to west coast in a series of comedic episodic events. Directed by Chuck Bail, this film features more exciting of chase sequences, with lots of effective low-angle car POV shots and some exciting editing, but the film's overall tone is just about as light as breezy as Cannonball. There's fun sequences involving the racers getting past police roadblocks and other obstacles, and Gary Busey doing a rebel yell is pretty irresistible. Overall, "The Gumball Rally" isn't a classic, but it's a fun breezy car chase film that you'll enjoy while watching, but will probably forget about 10 minutes after it's over.

A Dumb Movie In A Dumb Decade

[ccthemovieman-1 · 4/10 · 3 October 2007]

These long races were a bit a of rage back in the '60s and '70s with "Smokey And the Bandit," and "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines," "The Cannonball Run," etc. Many of them were entertaining. They also were also somewhat sleazy and sordid in the anything-goes new freedom of the '70s. Unfortunately, this film ranks in the latter category: it wasn't as funny as hoped and it was too grungy in spots.

Fast cars, pretty women and a long auto race don't always add up to a good movie. "The Cannonball Run" was a lot funnier, albeit just as sleazy. At least you had some characters you could laugh at (Dom DeLuise and crew) but here, after an hour, you wind up not caring who wins the stupid race.

The film is okay but doesn't provide the laughs it should have....sorry, petro--heads. Just look at the cast: basically no-name actors along with two so-so names. And no -the '70s, unlike what one reviewer wrote - are not "kind of neat." They were the dumbest years in our history with the dumbest hairstyles, dress and Presidents. This movie captures some of that incredibly stupid mentality of that decade.

The True Purpose of the Movie

[i002492 · 8/10 · 6 February 2006]

I remember articles about the movie when it was still being shot. It was supposed to be a light hearted romp across the country with the cars being the stars. With that in mind, it succeeds greatly. My son and I have watched the "Garage Scene" over and over again. This movie is to car nuts what a porno is to sex nuts. It's hard to believe you can indulge yourself this much in front of the family without feeling guilty. :^)

Also, I've read a few of the comments and would like to make corrections here. The transmission in the Cobra (yes it was a real 427 Cobra) was a four speed "Toploader" transmission, not a 5 speed Tremec. There were no replica Cobras in those days. Also, the Ferrari was a 365 GTS/4. I also remember reading that the first Ferrari rented for the movie was totaled and they had to get another to take its place. However, that was over 30 years ago.

Before Smokey & the Bandit, Before Cannonball Run...there was Gumball Rally

[nomoons11 · 6/10 · 27 December 2011]

When you see this you'll immediately notice the similarities to Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run.

With Smokey and the Bandit you'll recognize the plot line about the can't catch anyone police detective. He tries and tries but just can't get the dastardly illegal speedsters.

This was obviously a first attempt and recreating, on film, the Cannonball Run road race of the early 70's. Imo, this film is a lot funner than the original Cannonball Run film of the early 80's. There are no stars and a lot fast and really cool cars. A lot of the situations in this have 0 plausibility but I think that wasn't a major focus when this was made. The cars are the stars of this film..and there are some seriously cool ones to say the least.

There's no doubt that this film influenced the two 2 above mentioned films in this review so if you want a little fun in your day and fast cars are what gets you going', try Gumball Rally and hang on to your seats...It's gonna be a fast ride.

Fast cars does not equal good movie

[Squonk · 4/10 · 12 May 1999]

Before there was 'The Cannonball Run' there was 'The Gumball Rally.' The film concerns a bunch of racing nuts on a cross-country race from New York to LA. At least 'The Cannonball Run' took some time to create characters. The actors in this film seem like cardboard cutouts stuck behind the wheel of a fancy car for showroom purposes. Raul Julia is the only possible exception. The end result is that when we get down to the end of the race, nobody cares who wins because we've just spent the last hour and a half being annoyed by them. I admit, a few scenes did get a chuckle out of me, but they wer few and far between.

Enjoy grins per minute in this joyous flaunt of absurd speed laws

[jeffchan · 10/10 · 20 October 1998]

Gumball Rally immortalizes Brock Yates' Cannonball Baker cross-continent (and illegal) street races in a joyously anti-establishment poke at the Nixon/Carter era 55 MPH national speed limit. (I like it far better than Yates' own subsequent Cannonball Run movies.) Gumball Rally features a cast of young stars that includes Raul Julia as the instantly seductive (and fast in multiple senses) Ferrari team driver Franco, a ringer hired by Smith (a Yates-esque scallywag played by Tim McIntyre) to co-pilot their Ferrari Daytona Spyder past Bannon's (Michael Sarrazin) painfully-quick Cobra. The two childhood rivals are joined by Gary Busey and John Durren in a full-race Camaro, a Porsche driven by two beautiful women, and a vintage Mercedes 300 driven by equally vintage old gentleman racers. Rounding out the field with varying success are a van with enough gas to make the three thousand plus mile trip without refueling, a Corvette, Jaguar, Rolls Royce being transported to California for a wealthy individual by Tricia O'Neil's mechanic boyfriend, a stealthy police cruiser, and masochistic motorcyclist.

Along the way the scofflaws outwit radar-bearing police, skirt mechanical failure, encounter a motorcycle gang, and meet environmental hazards like bored-to-sleep 55 MPH drivers in disintegrating cars, ice patches, and L.A. traffic. The fast highway driving is terrific and the start-of-race dawn blast through a waking New York City is grins per second. But the real targets of this automotive lampoon are mediocrity, sheepish conformism, and lowest common denominator laws. The heroes demonstrate complete disdain for safety-nazi rules which in turn embody elitist contempt for individual freedom, responsibility and potential. By rebelling they celebrate a joy of life that's being watered down and restricted by a parent-substitute government that knows what's good for you better than you do.

The fall 1998 Laserdisc and DVD release of Gumball Rally is a treat for freedom-loving car nuts. On the technical side, the widescreen image and digital sound transfer are extremely clean; it never sounded or looked this good in theaters. The sound of Ferrari Daytona V-12, Cobra V-8, Mercedes 300 six, race-tuned Camaro and others running wide open on American highways is authentic and spine tingling. Rapid, efficient driving by a stunt crew that includes '60s Cobra racer John Morton is the real thing too. Freshly found digital fidelity greatly enhances this fun and exuberantly irreverent flick.

An Illegal Cross-Country Race from New York City to Long Beach, California

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 12 July 2019]

"Michael Bannon" (Michael Sarrazin) is the head executive for a company in New York City who has become quite bored with the day to day routine and decides to send the cryptic message of "gumball" to a select group of individuals residing mostly within the United States. No sooner do they get the world then they all assemble in New York City to go over the plans for an illegal cross-country car race beginning there and ending in Long Beach, California. Of course, having already had a race of this nature previously, Michael Bannon and his main rival "Steve 'Smitty' Smith" (Tim McIntyre) are not unknown to the legal establishment and one law enforcement official in particular by the name of "Lieutenant Roscoe" (Norman Burton) is extremely focused upon stopping this contest and arresting as many of the participants as possible. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a fun comedy which was inspired by a series of illegal coast-to-coast races in the 70's known as the "Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash". Other similar films have also been made about these events with "The Cannonball Run" probably being the most popular-if for no other reason than the all-star cast. Yet despite this, "The Gumball Rally" still manages to entertain rather well and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Before the Cannonballs Ran

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 25 January 2013]

It's kind of hard to describe The Gumball Rally because it's one of those plot less affairs that makes absolutely no sense, but can be enjoyed for some comic moments. Michael Sarrazin heads the cast here and clearly The Gumball Rally was just a preview of things to come before both Cannonball Run movies with bigger name stars were involved.

The Gumball Rally is an illegal cross country race in which various people of all kinds of backgrounds get together once a year and race across country, illegally and secretly kind of.

Clearly The Gumball Rally had its thunder stolen, plagiarized as it were by The Cannonball Run films. But both of them had so much better casts and a free spirit that this one lacks.

Made me drool for the cars, and cheer for the antics

[nomercy · 12 May 1999]

This is the ultimate anti-Ralph Nader movie.

This movie should be must-see at driving schools, to show drivers-to-be the difference between pointing a car and actually DRIVING.

This movie truly has a sense of humor, as anyone who has owned a sports car can tell you.

From the classic "Lucas-the prince-of-darkness" electrical system of the Jaguar, to the (much cheered by us European car buffs) "corvette incident" (I do not want to give it away).

My favourite is, of course, the motorcyclist, who, if I recall correctly, does not say anything at all during the movie, but steals the show when he is on.

Great fun and several levels above the later copycat "Cannonball Run" series.

Particularly liked by good drivers with a sense of humour.

Wonderful, guilty fun

[editguy · 7/10 · 12 August 2006]

Let's face it -- this isn't a movie case you'd proudly display atop your entertainment center, any more than Smokey and the Bandit II.

Having said that, this movie is pure out-and-out fun. Michael Sarrazin and Tim McIntire play two successful businessman who can't outgrow their competitiveness. Every so often they acquire devilishly fast cars and race from New York to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, inviting select friends and accomplices along for the ride. The crew includes two senior citizens in a Mercedes, two chicks in a bomber of a Porsche, a very young Gary Busey in a bright yellow Camaro, and of course Lapchick, the Mad Hungarian on a two-wheeler. Long-suffering Roscoe the cop tries to collar the alleged perps for gross speeding, creating a menace, and inflicting heartburn with predictable results. Raul Julia rounds out the cast as a "borrowed" Formula 1 driver brought in as a ringer.

This movie came out right after the nationwide imposition of 55mph, catalytic converters, and other motoring buzzkills, and it's a little shocking to see gas at 60 cents. Those were the days, eh?

Very well made for a B-movie, excellent photography and editing and the story, though it's a one-liner, makes for an entertaining evening of mindless fun. No deep plots, no intrigue, no worries -- draw the blinds, crank up the stereo speakers, put it in top gear and have at it.

race across country

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 18 January 2021]

Some fun gags in here, but sadly, no big names. my guess is they had a tiny little budget, and as TCM points out, it was directed by Charles Bail, whose specialty was actually stunts. and who better to direct a car race than a stunt guy? From New York to Los Angeles, and they are all trying to beat last year's time of just over 34 hours. a couple familiar names... Michael Sarazzin had worked with Streisand. Gary Busey. Raul Julia had won an emmy and a golden globe. many of the things we see happen here will be seen again in Smoky and the Bandit, about a year later. Gumball was from Warner Brothers, while "Bandit" was from Universal. of course, the Great Race was first, back in 1965, also from Warner Brothers. Gumball is pretty good. pretty low key.

Gumball mean anything to you?

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 28 February 2008]

Talk about a sub-genre being popular in the 70s, and through into the early 80s. "The Gumball Rally" is a boundlessly, cheerful and comically illicit cross-country road race from New York to Long Beach, Los Angeles. What's waiting for the winner at the finish line… pride… and a tiny gumball machine. The fruitful characters, are thoughtfully picked to participate in the race. The secret word is… Gumball. They are quite stock-like, but in this case it's the mettle and happy-go-lucky awe that makes them all rather bearable, and actually enjoyable to watch. Dialogues are arrantly sharp, and amusing in the character's exchanges. Mainly for me, it was that of the Norman Burton's hell-bent police detective, who's doing anything possible to bring to a halt the race. Burton's straight performance is rather humorous, and truly makes for some pleasurable sequences. The presentable cast; Michael Sarrazin, Tim McIntire, Raul Julia, Susan Fannery, Joanne Nail, Harvey Jason and Gary Busey are all good-willed, living it up in their parts. Since it's a one-trick pony premise, director Chuck Bail delivers on the flavorous, episodic goods (outrageously chaotic vehicle stunts and getting those engines purring) in a nippy fashion that never loses momentum, or in what it wants to be. There are sight gags aplenty. Sure some might be misfires, but the bang-up visual feast makes up for it. The cinematography is smoothly done, and the playful music score pines into the upbeat groove of the film. It wasn't as good, as I first remembered it to be (mainly the slow beginning to set-up the whole situation), but this gimmicky, light-headed farce lazily passes the time.

Gary Busey before he was crazy.

[13Funbags · 4/10 · 25 April 2017]

A seemingly unrelated group of people are going to race from New York City To Los Angeles.The winner gets a gum ball machine. That premise is the funniest thing about this movie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this movie but had no idea it was a comedy till I saw the poster 1 minute ago. With an already thin plot, this movie drops the ball on one of the characters. A mechanic who doesn't have a car(yeah right) wants to join the race.He sees an ad in the paper for a person to drive a Rolls Royce to LA and you see where this is going. He leaves the garage while it's dark out and doesn't get to the guys house till it's daylight.Lots of other things that don't make sense happen, then they get there and the mechanic doesn't go to the finish line,he delivers the car! Huh? The only reason he drove the car was to win the race and then he just gives up? Not original and not funny but worth seeing once.

A must-see for petrolheads everywhere

[Jim_Gillespie · 9/10 · 19 May 2005]

This is a film about driving fast cars, fast. There's enough plot to keep your interest, but not so much that it gets in the way of the action.

The tone of the film isn't exactly tongue in cheek, but there's enough humour to be entertaining without really turning it into a comedy.

One of my favourite things about this film is the soundtrack, which lets the music of the engines set the mood. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that one scene features a Ferrari Daytona being driven full-throttle through the deserted streets of New York City, with the wail of the engine reverberating from the skyscrapers.

The standard of acting is high; the stars for me (apart from the cars) are Raul Julia and Gary Busey as two of the more flamboyant characters. And let us not forget Lapchik, the Mad Hungarian. Well, you don't get normal people participating in endurance events on 350cc two-stroke motorcycles!

Superior to Cannonball Run

[MartianOctocretr5 · 7/10 · 18 September 2006]

Gumball Rally is an unauthorized race between a bunch of rich folks with high performance cars that periodically issue each other spontaneous race challenges through the private invitation code, "Gumball!"

The race starts in the New York City auto shop garage of one of the competitors, as the racers embark on a wild trek west to Long Beach, CA, using any route they wish. An obsessed New York cop somehow knows about these races, and provides an obstacle to escape (but usually he ends up being the victim of practical jokes). No money is involved in winning, just pride and the trophy: a gum ball machine.

The movie is action packed with the mindless fun you would expect from this premise. With a variety of screwball characters encountering wild situations as they tear down the road at intense speeds, the action is continuous. Occasional bizarre mishaps eliminate a few cars from the running, and each of these events are highlights in the story. There are ten unique teams, including the defending champion (Michael Sarrazin), a wild Italian "ringer" (Raul Julia), two fake cops, two beautiful women, a maniacal motorcyclist, and several others.

The only fault was the absolutely unnecessary subplot of some stupid guy driving an expensive car across the country for his rich boss. The story is completely irrelevant, and makes no sense as he's driving at low speeds (as directed by the car owner) yet maintains the same progress across the continent as the racers. When I run the movie, I fast forward through the scenes of this story--it really does detract from the fun of the race story.

That portion of the movie notwithstanding, this movie is an example of popcorn entertainment. No cerebral activity required, just have a good time watching the silliness.

less funny Cannonball Run

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 9 June 2021]

Bored wealthy businessman Michael Bannon (Michael Sarrazin) instigates the Gumball Rally with the code word "Gumball". Various people from differing backgrounds accept the challenge for an illegal cross country rally car race.

This is Cannonball Run with less comedy. It doesn't have Burt at its center and the crazy cast has no wacky fun. What it is is one of the progenitors of that genre. It follows It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World but it cuts out the need for a buried treasure. The race is the goal and any money is just extra. They can't go 55 and they won't accept any rules. It takes a few tries and a few years before we get to the much funnier Cannonball. There are a lot of crashing here but they all start looking the same after awhile. There aren't any characters to care about and that is its biggest deficiency.

A very amusing & enjoyable 70's cross country road race romp

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

This immensely lively and entertaining 70's tongue-in-cheek cross country road race romp stars Michael Sarrazin as the rich businessman who sponsors an illegal event from New York to Long Beach, California which attracts a colorfully flaky assortment of hardcore nutty car race enthusiasts. Among the race's kooky participants are the always great Tim McIntire as Sarrazin's bitter, yet amiable rival, an especially hilarious Raul Julia as a hysterically lecherous womanizing Italian driver (the lovely Colleen Camp pops up as a sweet young honey Julia happily jumps in the sack with), Nicholas Pryer as Sarrazin's anxious college professor co-pilot, Susan Fannery and Joanne Nail as a pair of sassy'n'sexy good-time gals, Gary Busey in his usual wild redneck yahoo role, Harvey Jason as a maniacal motorcyclist, and Vaughn Taylor and J. Pat O'Malloy as a couple of lovably laid-back doddering old guys. Norman Burton gives an uproariously broad performance as the ramrod killjoy police detective determined to stop the race. Director Chuck Bail keeps the pace zipping along at a speedy rate, staging the copious vehicular carnage with a genuinely rousing rip-snorting panache, stoking the sidesplitting silly humor to a cartoonishly high-pitched degree and eliciting engagingly spirited performances from a uniformly solid cast. The opening third is a tad drawn-out, but once the race itself gets underway the film kicks into third gear, pops the clutch, and puts the pedal to the metal by really delivering the expected tire-screeching, rubber-burning, automobile-wrecking goods with infectiously carefree and giddy go-for-it abandon. Both Richard Glouner's vibrant cinematography and Dominic Frontiere's delightfully sprightly score greatly enhance the overall irresistibly goofy and good-natured merriment. To sum up, "The Gumball Rally" makes for a sound source of exuberantly wacky and light-hearted fun.

THE GUMBALL RALLY (Chuck Bail, 1976) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 7 March 2009]

Car chases were the centerpiece of several popular and well-made thrillers-cum-road movies of the early 1970s – chief among them VANISHING POINT (1971), DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY and THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (both 1974). THE GUMBALL RALLY, however, decided to up the ante by having several cars involved in an illegal cross-country race (as did the contemporaneous CANNONBALL [1976], which I watched on Italian TV as a kid and might revisit soon) – but, while the latter had a satirical tone to it, this is straightforward, light-hearted fare (the star-studded THE CANNONBALL RUN [1981], then, was an even broader variation). That GUMBALL has not acquired the cult reputation of the others may have something to do with the fact that many of the characters here are stereotypes: bored young businessman Michael Sarrazin (who masterminds the covert event), Italian Raul Julia (his prowess behind the wheel being continually sidetracked by his Latin Lover ways!), yokel Gary Busey, a couple of tipsy old English gentlemen, the obligatory girl drivers, the ethnic hopeful with his reluctant but star-struck girlfriend in tow, and even a wild-eyed eccentric motorcyclist who invariably gets into various scrapes throughout (however, even more flustered than he is the seasoned cop on the racers' tail). Needless to say, the real stars of the film are the stunt people who relentlessly engage in gratuitous (albeit meticulously-choreographed) mayhem; these scenes – along with the comically deceptive aspect of the race vis-a'-vis the law (though it is rarely laugh-out-loud funny) – make the whole worth viewing once…since the rest is thin, over-familiar and even kind of dreary!; thankfully, Dominic Frontiere's bouncy score makes everything that little bit more palatable.

How did these get made?

[ktm-06816 · 5/10 · 8 July 2019]

This film has so many ideas of what it wants to be, and is absolutely none of them. How did they get these films made?? New York appears to be shutdown for it. How?! WHY?! It's like it has goals of being a mix of The Blues Brothers, The Good Fellas, National Lampoon and Planes, Trains And Automobiles all in one hit, but fails to get close to any of them. Watch it, but make sure you have some popcorn to throw at the screen.