Speedway (film)

Infobox Movie
name = Speedway


imdb_id = 0063634
producer = Douglas Laurence
director = Norman Taurog
Robert Goodstein (Ass't)
writer = Phillip Shuke
starring = Elvis Presley
Nancy Sinatra
Bill Bixby
music = Jeff Alexander
cinematography = Joseph Ruttenberg
editing = Richard W. Farrell
distributor = MGM
released = April 15, 1968
runtime = 94 min.
language = English
preceded by = "Stay Away, Joe"
followed by = "Live a Little, Love a Little"

"Speedway" is a 1968 action film musical film starring Elvis Presley as a racecar driver. Parts of the film were shot at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and features the guest appearances of several of the top NASCAR drivers of the day. This would be the final "formula" musical film of his career. His last films were less musical and more adult in tone. Although the film was completed in the early Summer of 1967, it was not released in theatres until the Spring of 1968. No special reason was given for this delay but Elvis's films release schedule was so busy (three of his movies hit the theatres in 1967) that maybe that is the reason why this film was only released almost a year after it was completed. It did not harm the film as it was Elvis's last real box-office hit.

The Cast

*Elvis Presley ... Steve Grayson
*Nancy Sinatra ... Susan Jacks
*Bill Bixby ... Kenny Donford
*Gale Gordon ... R.W. Hepworth
*William Schallert ... Abel Esterlake
*Victoria Paige Meyerink ... Ellie Esterlake (as Victoria Meyerink)
*Michele Newman ... Debbie Esterlake
*Courtney Brown ... Carrie Esterlake
*Dana Brown ... Billie Esterlake
*Patti Jean Keith ... Annie Esterlake
*Ross Hagen ... Paul Dado
*Carl Ballantine ... Birdie Kebner
*Poncie Ponce ... Juan Medala
*Harry Hickox ... The Cook
*Christopher West ... Billie Jo
*Beverly Powers ... Mary Ann (as Miss Beverly Hills)
*Richard Petty ... Himself
*Buddy Baker ... Himself
*Cale Yarborough ... Himself
*Dick Hutcherson ... Himself
*Tiny Lund ... Himself
*G.C. Spencer ... Himself
*Roy Mayne ... Himself
*Harper Carter ... Ted Simmons
*Bob Harris ... Lloyd Meadows
*Carl Reindel ... Mike
*Gari Hardy ... Dumb Blonde
*Charlotte Stewart ... Lori (as Charlotte Considine)
*Sandy Reed ... Race Announcer
*Ralph Adano ... Dado's Crew #1
*Robert James ... Dado's Crew #2
*Gary Littlejohn ... Dado's Crew #3
*Ward Ramsey ... Dado's Crew #4
*Dee Carroll ... Secretary
*Arlene Charles ... 1st Guitarist's Girlfriend
*Cassandra Lawton ... 2nd Guitarist's Girlfriend
*Marilyn Jones ... 3rd Guitarist's Girlfriend
*George Cisar ... Portly Bald-Headed Man
*Sharon Garrett ... Go-Go Dancer
*Karen Hamilton ... Willa
*Barbro Hedström ... 2nd Waitress
*Morgan Hill ... 2nd Assistant
*Charlie Hodge ... Guitarist
*William Keene ... Taxpayer (uncredited)
*S. John Launer ... Mayor Fiergol (uncredited)
*John McDonnell ... Lori's Bridegroom (uncredited)
*Jamie Michaels ... 5th Waitress (uncredited)
*Sally Mills ... 1st Waitress (uncredited)
*Burt Mustin ... Janitor at Coffee Shop (uncredited)
*Kathy Nelson ... 4th Waitress (uncredited)
*Hal Riddle ... 1st Assistant (uncredited)
*Rita Rogers ... Bit Girl (uncredited)
*Dianne Stanley ... 3rd Waitress (uncredited)
*Robert Stevenson ... Mr. Tillman (uncredited)
*Claude Stroud ... Drunk (uncredited)
*Sheryl Ullman ... 6th Waitress (uncredited)

oundtrack

Infobox Album
Name = Speedway (May 1, 1968)
Type = Soundtrack
Longtype =
Artist = Elvis Presley


Released = May 1, 1968
Recorded =
Genre =
Length =
Label =
Producer =
Reviews =
Last album = "Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4" (1968)
This album = "Speedway" (1968)
Next album = "NBC-TV Special" (1968)

The soundtrack songs were recorded at MGM Studios in Culver City, California in June 1967. Included is Nancy Sinatra's rendition of "Your Groovy Self" and her duet with Presley, "There Ain't Nothing Like A Song", the only time a non-Elvis track was allowed on one of his soundtrack albums (see "Viva Las Vegas"). The music album was released in June of 1968 to coincide with the motion picture. This was the last Presley film to have a full soundtrack album (not counting the later "" concert film), and in fact is the only one of Presley's last six acting films to be given that honor. The soundtrack LP was also the last Presley album to be released in both stereo and mono editions, as mono musical releases were finally phased out by RCA. The extremely rare mono album (LPM-3989) can fetch four figures in excellent condition and has become a sought-after item among die-hard Elvis collectors.

The soundtrack album is also noted as being the final Presley album release prior to "NBC-TV Special", which is acknowledged as the start of his so-called 1968 Comeback, which marked a modernizing of arrangements and song choice for him.

Recording musicians

*Elvis Presley - vocals
*The Jordanaires - background vocals
*Tiny Timbrell, Donald Owens, Alwin Casey, Tommy Tedesco - guitar
*Pete Drake - steel guitar
*Bob Moore - bass
*Larry Knechtel, Don Randi, George Cast - piano
*Hal Blaine, Buddy Harman - drums
*Boots Randolph - saxophone
*Roy Caton, Virgil Evans, Oliver Mitchell - trumpets

Tracks (songwriter)

Side 1:
#" Speedway - (Mel Glazer & Stephen Schlaks)
#"There Ain't Nothing Like A Song" - (Joy Byers & William Johnston)
#"Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby" - (Bobby Hirschorn & Tom Kasha)
#"Who Are You (Who Am I)" - (Ben Weisman & Sid Wayne)
#"He's Your Uncle Not Your Dad" - (Ben Weisman & Sid Wayne)
#"Let Yourself Go" - (Joy Byers)

Side 2:
#"Your Groovy Self" - (Lee Hazlewood)
#"Five Sleepy Heads" - (Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett)
#"Western Union" - (Sid Tepper - Roy C. Bennett)
#"Mine" - (Sid Tepper - Roy C. Bennett)
#"Going Home" - (Joy Byers)
#"Suppose" - (Sylvia Dee & George Goehring)

ee also

*List of Elvis Presley films
*Elvis Presley discography

External links

DVD Reviews

* [http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/speedway.php Review] by Bill Treadway at [http://www.dvdverdict.com/ DVD Verdict] , August 3, 2004.
* [http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=6203 Review] by Jeff Rosado at [http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/index.php3 digitallyOBSESSED!] , August 1, 2004.